Dear Bernard Cornwell,
You are my hero. In this post I would like to talk about Alfred. He seems to be a very tricky man. At first glance, he is an overzealous priest-lover that cares more about a priest than he does a village. But, deeper inside of him I believe there is a strategist; a thinker and a very smart man. Alfred does however make some weak decisions. He knows that Uhtred is an amazing commander that is fearless in battle and smart in decision making. But, instead of dethroning Uhtred's cousin Ethelred, he gives him his daughter's hand in marriage. Alfred knows not what he hath done because Ethelred ends up beating her, being extremely jealous, and then making stupid decisions such as allowing her to accompany the fleet during a battle. Because of his idiocy, Ethelred loses his wife and, because Alfred's love for her is so strong, he is willing to give the vikings essentially all of the gold in his kingdom for her ransom. This would lead to the vikings being able to hire an army of over 10,000. An army of that size could have easily taken over Wessex. Alfred's silliness in allowing Ethelred's existence nearly led to the extinction of his kingdom.
Alfred has made wise decisions however. For instance, he made Steapa the captain of his home guard. Steapa is a beastly man, a giant that could defeat Uhtred in battle on a bad day. He was very capable and not especially stupid. These traits made him a good front line commander and a fearful opponent for all across from him in the shield wall. A final smart decision made by Alfred was to make Uhtred takes oaths to him. Uhtred is a man of honor and would hardly think of breaking an oath. For this reason, Alfred gained a magnificent fighter and commander that would be pretty much forced to serve him for life.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Post A #3
Again, the cultures of 9th century Britons were very much different than our own. The men of Wales were considered barbarians and justly so. Nowadays, Wales is a part of Great Britain that is as advanced as any other part. Even at this time, it was adjacent to Wessex, the richest and most powerful of the kingdoms in Britain. So, if it was adjacent to Wessex, why was it not rich and powerful too? Wessex didn't invade Wales or take any of its trade... Wales was the one that was raiding Wessex constantly. I believe the main reason for Wales being so behind is that it didn't really have a king. There was no centralized government to speak of. But, then why didn't Wessex or the vikings invade and make their own king the king of Wales too? Wales has a powerful geography, as well as many natural resources. The title "The Prince of Wales" was even given to the heir to the throne of England a few years ago, and it may still be in use. This kind of praise of Wales makes me wonder why it was not better than it was.
Another cultural item that I am going to bring forth is actually a similarity. Many of the vices that exist today also existed at the time of this novel's setting. Alcoholism is one thing that stands out, especially since King Alfred's nephew, the rightful heir to the throne is an ardent alcoholic. He is constantly drunk, which reduces his respectability. He is always trying to start rebellions to take back the throne for himself, but Alfred lets him live because nobody ever takes him seriously. A second vice is that of prostitution. There are many instances in this novel in which men frequent whore houses. Alfred's nephew is also said to be a regular at many of those fine residents. Even Uhtred, our fearless protagonist can be found using prostitutes at times, or reminiscing about them. The biggest cultural difference in this region is that now people view prostitution as cheap, dirty, and a great way to get AIDS. Then, it was a fairly normal thing to frequent brothels, which were more mainstream and thus less dirty and STDs were probably much less common at the time.
Another cultural item that I am going to bring forth is actually a similarity. Many of the vices that exist today also existed at the time of this novel's setting. Alcoholism is one thing that stands out, especially since King Alfred's nephew, the rightful heir to the throne is an ardent alcoholic. He is constantly drunk, which reduces his respectability. He is always trying to start rebellions to take back the throne for himself, but Alfred lets him live because nobody ever takes him seriously. A second vice is that of prostitution. There are many instances in this novel in which men frequent whore houses. Alfred's nephew is also said to be a regular at many of those fine residents. Even Uhtred, our fearless protagonist can be found using prostitutes at times, or reminiscing about them. The biggest cultural difference in this region is that now people view prostitution as cheap, dirty, and a great way to get AIDS. Then, it was a fairly normal thing to frequent brothels, which were more mainstream and thus less dirty and STDs were probably much less common at the time.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Post B #2
In this free response, I would just like to mention in detail how stupid King Alfred was and, even though he was an idiot, how pathetic Sigfried and Erik were in not attacking Wessex. I personally believe that one of the main reasons they made this decision was because of Lord Uhtred. He is a fearless warrior in battle, an amazing strategist, and a ruthless yet effective leader of men. He could have easily been a better king than Alfred, and his religion, being that of the Old Gods, would not interfere as heavily in daily life as Christianity does to Alfred. If you compare a pious viking to a pious Christian, the northmen would spend maybe twenty minutes a day praying or touching his hammer of thor, etc... But on the other hand, a pious Christian could easily spend every waking moment of his life praising God. A religion that is based on war and strength will easily outstrip one that is founded on peace and loving thy neighbor. The truth is that if all the Christians were pitted up against an equal number of northmen, and if the Christians didn't have Uhtred on their side, they would surely lose.
Another great problem of Alfred is his priests. He trusts them more than his military advisers, and because of this they are constantly in the way. He sends priests with envoys. He sends priests with convoys. Heck, he even sent priests on a naval raid in which they cause half the fleet and Alfred's daughter to be killed or captured because they claimed they needed to have a Sunday service on land behind enemy lines. Many of these priests are overzealous and yet greedy and mischievous. Alfred trusts them too much to realize that they posses great wealth yet he refuses to tax them or even consider to make them help pay for his daughter's ransom when it is their fault she got captured!
Another great problem of Alfred is his priests. He trusts them more than his military advisers, and because of this they are constantly in the way. He sends priests with envoys. He sends priests with convoys. Heck, he even sent priests on a naval raid in which they cause half the fleet and Alfred's daughter to be killed or captured because they claimed they needed to have a Sunday service on land behind enemy lines. Many of these priests are overzealous and yet greedy and mischievous. Alfred trusts them too much to realize that they posses great wealth yet he refuses to tax them or even consider to make them help pay for his daughter's ransom when it is their fault she got captured!
Post A #2
The cultural difference between 9th century england and America today are even more astonishing in the following section of the novel. Uhtred, our hero, is being tricked by a man pretending to be dead and talking to him. During their conversation, another lord asks the dead man, "I had a woman today Bjorn. Do you remember women? The feel of their soft thighs? The warmth of their skin? You remember the noise they make when you ride them?" (43). This passage is obviously a bit racy, but it is a prime example of the culture difference. Very few men today would talk about this sort of thing, especially not in public or in the presence of a lord. Also, today women are treated as equals to men and one would not talk about sexual intercourse in such a manner that degrades women so that they are compared to common barnyard animals.
Another example of this immense culture difference is in the treatment of other human beings and prisoners. Sigfried, a great viking earl, has, with his men, captured a group of priests from Wessex and has spent a long while deciding what to do with them. He is, of course, not Christian. So, he has decided to crucify them and see how painful Christ's last hours really were. Of course, today it is not only considered wrong to do this, but one would be put on the same level as Hitler in terms of brutality and you would likely be death sentanceshed on the spot, if someone hasn't already murdered you. Although there are more humans today, we continue to view human life as more and more valuable, and thus not only do we refuse to die for the betterment of society, but we also refuse to let others die for the same reason. This is a clear line between these societies, and I believe the main reason is quality of life. People at that time had little reason to live since they had such crummy lives, but nowadays, we have amazing lives surrounded in luxury and thus we value our lives a lot.
Another example of this immense culture difference is in the treatment of other human beings and prisoners. Sigfried, a great viking earl, has, with his men, captured a group of priests from Wessex and has spent a long while deciding what to do with them. He is, of course, not Christian. So, he has decided to crucify them and see how painful Christ's last hours really were. Of course, today it is not only considered wrong to do this, but one would be put on the same level as Hitler in terms of brutality and you would likely be death sentanceshed on the spot, if someone hasn't already murdered you. Although there are more humans today, we continue to view human life as more and more valuable, and thus not only do we refuse to die for the betterment of society, but we also refuse to let others die for the same reason. This is a clear line between these societies, and I believe the main reason is quality of life. People at that time had little reason to live since they had such crummy lives, but nowadays, we have amazing lives surrounded in luxury and thus we value our lives a lot.
World Issues - Overpopulation
I have decided to focus on the enormous quantity of babies being produced (in the Sudan(and elsewhere)) and their effect on our planet.
Here are some articles that will prove helpful:
"After So Many Deaths, Too Many Births" From The New York Times accessed on SIRS
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-2310&artno=0000265576&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&title=After%20So%20Many%20Deaths%2C%20Too%20Many%20Births&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y
"Would A Drop In Population Be A Positive Or A Negative?" From the Philadelphia Inquirer accessed on SIRS
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-2679&artno=0000254782&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&title=Would%20a%20Drop%20in%20Population%20Be%20a%20Positive%20or%20a%20Negative%3F&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y
"Impacts" From World Overpopulation Awareness accessed on http://www.overpopulation.org/
http://www.overpopulation.org/impact.html
Here are some articles that will prove helpful:
"After So Many Deaths, Too Many Births" From The New York Times accessed on SIRS
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-2310&artno=0000265576&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&title=After%20So%20Many%20Deaths%2C%20Too%20Many%20Births&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y
"Would A Drop In Population Be A Positive Or A Negative?" From the Philadelphia Inquirer accessed on SIRS
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-2679&artno=0000254782&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&title=Would%20a%20Drop%20in%20Population%20Be%20a%20Positive%20or%20a%20Negative%3F&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y
"Impacts" From World Overpopulation Awareness accessed on http://www.overpopulation.org/
http://www.overpopulation.org/impact.html
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Post B #1
Dear Bernard Cornwell,
You are definitely my favorite author ever! I have read at least twenty five of your novels, and I am planning on reading many more. No matter what other people have said, whenever I read your novels, I find it difficult to think of others that even come close to comparing. In this novel, the fourth and latest in this series, many events have occurred that I believe were incredibly conceived, such as when Haesten and his men try to break out with AEthelflaed. I had never even considered that such a thing would happen, but you have passed it off as if it were expected all along. I had always thought that Uhtred would possibly kill Eric and take the princess back to her husband, but most likely, I had thought that Eric's plot would end up successful and Ragnar would just have to keep a few more sentries alert at night.
Now, I would like to talk to you about the tactics of this era. I understand the shield wall, how men rely on their neighbor to protect them, and the two shield walls push at each other and stab with short swords. But, I had never thought about something such as the tactic Sigfried used during the fight for Ludd Gate. Those long spears were ingenious, and if it hadn't been for Father Pyrlig, this saga would be over right now. I have always wondered why archers came into use when shield walls were so popular at this time. I suppose that arrows really would pierce a wooden shield, and that after many shots, would start to take their toll. However, either the underuse of archers is because of the difficulty and length of the training required to wield a bow accurately and correctly, or because of the difficulty in making thousands of arrows because it shouldn't have taken England five hundred years to realize the effectiveness of the longbow.
You are definitely my favorite author ever! I have read at least twenty five of your novels, and I am planning on reading many more. No matter what other people have said, whenever I read your novels, I find it difficult to think of others that even come close to comparing. In this novel, the fourth and latest in this series, many events have occurred that I believe were incredibly conceived, such as when Haesten and his men try to break out with AEthelflaed. I had never even considered that such a thing would happen, but you have passed it off as if it were expected all along. I had always thought that Uhtred would possibly kill Eric and take the princess back to her husband, but most likely, I had thought that Eric's plot would end up successful and Ragnar would just have to keep a few more sentries alert at night.
Now, I would like to talk to you about the tactics of this era. I understand the shield wall, how men rely on their neighbor to protect them, and the two shield walls push at each other and stab with short swords. But, I had never thought about something such as the tactic Sigfried used during the fight for Ludd Gate. Those long spears were ingenious, and if it hadn't been for Father Pyrlig, this saga would be over right now. I have always wondered why archers came into use when shield walls were so popular at this time. I suppose that arrows really would pierce a wooden shield, and that after many shots, would start to take their toll. However, either the underuse of archers is because of the difficulty and length of the training required to wield a bow accurately and correctly, or because of the difficulty in making thousands of arrows because it shouldn't have taken England five hundred years to realize the effectiveness of the longbow.
4th Quarter Outside Reading Post A #1
The culture at this time in English history(885 AD) is a very brutal, dirty, and disrespectful thing. For example, Uhtred, the lord of Babbenburg, a hilltop fortress in Northumbria, is held in high regard by his kinsmen. He is a man of great military might who possesses a large sum of hoarded silver that he can use if necessary in order to hire an army. A man of this rank is respected by all, but only because if one disrespects him, one will likely go home missing a head.
Peasants, on the other hand, are treated like trash by most men of any rank. They are tortured and killed and raped, even if they have done nothing wrong. Peasants have no power whatsoever and their lord can do essentially anything he wants with them. These kinds of absences of all power make the peasant class into one of loathing and pity. Few men therefore associate themselves with mere peasants if they have the ability not to.
However, most lords treat their peasants well because of what is known as the fyrd. The fyrd is like a militia. It is made up of peasants that would normally be farming, but it can be called upon by their lord or king to fight when more men are needed. Although not a trained force, the fyrd can be huge in numbers and could easily turn the tide of a battle or lessen the casualties of the professional army. While a king's household troops may number in the hundreds, a king could have thousands of men in the fyrd at his command.
Peasants, on the other hand, are treated like trash by most men of any rank. They are tortured and killed and raped, even if they have done nothing wrong. Peasants have no power whatsoever and their lord can do essentially anything he wants with them. These kinds of absences of all power make the peasant class into one of loathing and pity. Few men therefore associate themselves with mere peasants if they have the ability not to.
However, most lords treat their peasants well because of what is known as the fyrd. The fyrd is like a militia. It is made up of peasants that would normally be farming, but it can be called upon by their lord or king to fight when more men are needed. Although not a trained force, the fyrd can be huge in numbers and could easily turn the tide of a battle or lessen the casualties of the professional army. While a king's household troops may number in the hundreds, a king could have thousands of men in the fyrd at his command.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Outside Reading Quarter Four
The novel that I have chosen is called Sword Song and was written by Bernard Cornwell. Bernard Cornwell is a famous British author that writes amazing historical fictions books that often are about wars. He is mostly known for the Richard Sharpe novels, of which I have read all twenty or so. He does this because he is an amazing battle-scene writer, describing the happenings of a battle as if he was there, and making it easy to take in at the same time. I believe this novel is appropriate because, even though he is British and Britain closely resembles America culturally, the novel takes place in the year 885 AD. When one goes back over a thousand years in history, it doesn’t matter where one is because the culture of any area will be incomparable to any modern culture found today. The novel is about a Saxon warlord that grew up with Danish Vikings and is confused about his allegiance. This novel takes place during a lull in the fighting between the Saxons and the Danes. I was released in September of 2007 and is the fourth novel in the current saga; of which I have read the previous three novels.
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