“HAIL HERERIC!”

It is a historical fact that at the Battle of Fulford Gate 500 huscalrs banded together and fought a last stand. Why they did this is not recorded, or at least I was unable to find a reliable account of their motive. How successful they were is also forgotten. The Vikings, as the victors, were largely dismissive of the Saxons’ bravery in the battle, but then there were not many survivors to contest the Norse account. It is also a historical fact that the two young brothers, Eorl Edwin and Eorl Tostig, did survive the battle.

When working in an area of history where written testimony is sparse, for whatever reason, a writer can find an enviable amount of space in which to indulge their imagination. In the previous chapters I wrote about how Coenred succeeded in spiriting Eorl Edwin from beneath the sword of King Hardrada. In this piece he manages to achieve a similar result for Eorl Tostig, but at the cost of dooming his brother huscarl, Hereric, and his 500 warriors. Rather than allow their sacrifice to disappear from the popular accounts of 1066, I used it to create something that I hope the reader will find a little more memorable.

Below is a PDF file of the chapter under discussion. Please, click on the link and enjoy.