Eadric the Grasper is a captivating novel that effortlessly weaves together history, character, and intrigue. Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of the book- and indeed, perhaps one of the most critical elements- is the relationship between Eadric and his ambitious wife, Aydith. If it is true, however, that the silvatici were for some years a widespread and well-known phenomenon, that might help to explain aspects of later outlaw stories that have puzzled historians. Few outlaws in other countries have apparently left so powerful a legend as Robin Hood. ...The most famous outlaws of the greenwood before him were probably the Old English nobility on their way down and out. Legacy [ edit ] Boxell, Geoff: Edric the Wild. Cites a passage from Susan Reynolds, "Eadric Silvaticus and the English Resistance", Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research 54.129 (1981): 102–5. Walter Map, in his De nugis curialium, recounts a legend where Edric and a hunting companion come across a house of succubi in the woods, one of whom Edric marries and bears him a son, Alnodus or Ælfnoth. Walter cites Alnodus as a rare example of a happy and successful offspring from a human-succubus relationship. [12] Eadric's byname [ edit ]

Another powerful device in this book is the use of secrecy and changing POVs. Without giving too much away that might spoil future readers, the personas that Eadric and Aydith assume when they are away from one another is truly fascinating and almost relatable at a modern, if simplified, level. For her part, the princess Aydith is a staunch, defiant enemy of the Danes. She harbors a dangerous secret, one that often imperils her life. Not even the mutual attraction between her and Eadric and their later marriage can distract her from the goal of riding England of the invaders. She refuses to stand by helplessly while her father vacillates and capitulates to every Danish demand for even more bribes. The worse betrayal for her is when she thinks Eadric’s sole focus is on his selfish interests, and that he cares nothing for the fate of England. Although she tries to remain a dutiful wife, they clash and mutual suspicions ruin their former happiness. When Eadric finally discovers the secret that his wife has held from him, he must decide whether his own interests or her safety is his paramount concern. His choice surprised me. During the widespread wave of English rebellions in 1069–70, he burned the town of Shrewsbury and unsuccessfully besieged Shrewsbury Castle, again helped by his Welsh allies from Gwynedd, as well as other English rebels from Cheshire.

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He has done nothing to me.” The boy wiped his leaking nose. “But everyone else complains of him. They call him foolish and incompetent.” He fixed Eadric with a cruel glare. “I bet you don’t even know what that word means.” Eadric was not sure when this casual conversation had become so political, but he decided he did not mind. It made for an interesting evening. His grin stretched from ear to ear. “Whatever method was fastest and easiest, I suppose: a method that certainly would not be found on the battlefield.” Ocr tesseract 5.2.0-1-gc42a Ocr_detected_lang en Ocr_detected_lang_conf 1.0000 Ocr_detected_script Latin Ocr_detected_script_conf 1.0000 Ocr_module_version 0.0.18 Ocr_parameters -l eng Old_pallet IA-NS-0001246 Openlibrary_edition Eadric is based on Eadric Streona who became infamous in the Middle Ages because of his traitorous actions during the Danish re-conquest of England. Freeman, Edward Augustus (1867). The History of the Norman Conquest in England. Vol.4. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 64.

Eadric of Staffordshire. Now tell me who has wronged you. A lord? A churchman? Or perhaps a woman? I can help you with any of the above – especially the last.” Jones, Gwyn (1984), A History of the Vikings (2nded.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-285139-X Eadric was appointed the Ealdorman of Mercia in 1007. The position had been vacant since 985, when his predecessor Ælfric Cild was driven into exile after being accused of treachery. However, Eadric must have been on better terms with king Ethelred as he was soon married to his daughter Eadgyth. As Eadric watched him go, he felt that he had wasted his time and a great deal of leaking wine for nothing. He turned away with a scoff. Then he saw someone else watching him with a gaping mouth.And that might have been that were it not for the delightfully named Richard Fitz Scrob who had arrived in England before the conquest. Now that the Normans had the upper hand Fitz Scrob couldn’t resist trying to help himself to Edric’s land. By 1067 Edric had enough. He joined with Bleddyn and Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn and set about showing the Normans a thing or two. Herefordshire went up in flames before Edric and his allies retreated.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 1017: "This year King Knute took to the whole government of England, and divided it into four parts: Wessex for himself, East-Anglia for Thurkyll, Mercia for Eadric, Northumbria for Eric." Eadric does appear among the thegns in 1007 at St Albans Abbey, [5] in which year he was appointed Ealdorman of Mercia. It might have been in 1007, or thereabouts, that Eadric married Eadgyth, daughter of King Æthelred. This may either reflect or account for his sudden rise to prominence, since John of Worcester implies that the marriage had taken place by 1009. died on 23 April in London; his son Edmund was elected king of what was left of his father's kingdom. But Edmund was left little time: the Danish army went south to London, Edmund left for Wessex, Eadric and Cnut followed him, and two inconclusive battles were fought at Penselwood in Somerset and Sherston in Wiltshire, which lasted two days. The first day was bloody but inconclusive; on the second, Edmund had the upper hand but Eadric: [13] I felt as if I should leave a more ambivalent review to counterbalance the glowing praise in the other ones, and give people a more realistic picture of it. Without contradicting the known facts, "Eadric the Grasper" presents another conception of this historical figure: he is suave, charming, intelligent, and values peace above all things. If he must put a Viking king on the throne to gain a pleasurable life for himself and his true love, so be it. Meanwhile, a ruthless vigilante called "the Golden Cross" will do anything necessary to keep the Vikings from the throne. Eadric must pit his wits and sword against the crafty masked figure, but doing so traps him in a dark web of lies and deception. When at last he uncovers the rebel's identity, his entire world will fall apart, and he must face a terrible choice. Can the selfish Eadric Streona sacrifice his own welfare for the sake of another's?Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Anglo-Saxon world: An Anthology. Oxford University Press, 1982. Web, Fall 2009. It is the Latin of men with little grasp of, and no feeling for, the Latin language. Its style was achieved by never using one word where two could be made to do, preferably of obscure origin and infrequent usage. But Aethelweard can make himself understood. The influence on him of Aelfric, and behind him Abbo, is quite clear.” Eadric the Pure, a human paladin, is the second boss in Trial of the Champion. Either he or Argent Confessor Paletress will come after the Grand Champions encounter. He is linked to the achievement The Faceroller. Association of American Law Schools. Select Essays in Anglo-American History: Vol. 1. Little, Brown, and Company. Boston. 1907. Author Jayden Woods explores the life of the “worst Briton of the 11th century” in her new novel, Eadric the Grasper: Sons of Mercia Vol. 1. From Eadric’s humble beginnings as a fatherless swineherd, to his meteoric rise as ealdorman of Mercia in northern England, Woods has provided readers a multifaceted view of one of history’s supposed villains.

urn:oclc:record:1357622841 Foldoutcount 0 Identifier eadricgrasper0000wood Identifier-ark ark:/13960/s2vsdnnb4fs Invoice 1652 Isbn 1452862869 Domesday Book mentions 'Edric salvage' as the former tenant of six manors in Shropshire and one in Herefordshire. He may have held others but there is a profusion of Eadrics in Domesday, rendering closer identification difficult if not impossible. R. W. Eyton commented that 'a genealogical enthusiast would have little hesitation in assuming as a conclusion 'the possibility that William le Savage, who held Eudon Savage, Neen Savage and Walton Savage of Ranulph de Mortimer in the twelfth century, could have been a descendant of Eadric'. Eadric will enter in the arena with 3 groups of Argent soldiers, each one composed of one Argent Lightwielder, Argent Monk and Argent Priestess. Once the last group is defeated, Eadric will engage the party. Throughout the intervening years, Eadric attempts to survive the politics, famines and Danish raids that threaten to destroy England. However, he cannot remain ignorant of the upheaval for long because Ethelred soon demands that he kill a great Saxon landowner. Seeing little choice, Eadric submits to the command and gains land for his troubles. By then, his reputation is growing unfavorably in the kingdom, as people question his influence. In an attempt to impress Aydith, he leads a ragtag band against the Danes and gets himself captured. Although he survives the ordeal, it is a turning point for Eadric, the moment where it becomes clear that prevailing winds of change can easily sway his loyalties.The diverse people of Lundenburg possessed a spirit that seemed untainted by the warfare in their past. The Saxons wore their short tunics and bushy beards; the Danes sported their goat-skinned coats and their sea-swept hair; the Normans flourished their long flowing mantles and clean-shaven chins. The king’s own hearth companions strolled from the direction of the palace, gleaming with chainmail and helms. But best of all were the women. Some of them hid beneath veils or wimples, but some dared the winter cold with light and fluid under-gowns, tied about their arms or waists to show the shapes of their bodies. Eadric had rarely seen women dress so boldly in public. The wenches were unashamed to look at him and smile, blushes splashing their cheeks though their eyes gleamed with knowing. Eadric the Grasper (Eadric “Streona”) is a rich, swiftly moving story, set at the beginning of the 11th century in England—or as the book has it, Engla-lond. The research is intense (nice selected bibliography at the end), with both the descriptions and settings deep and provocative.