The following passage is of the words of Aethel, son of Freawine, third son of Hengist, warlord of Hrofaes Ceaster, to a gathering of most of his warband around
a bonfire at the edge of his encampment on the southern bank of the Temes ((proper Saxon spelling)), recorded by the historian, Braktrius.
The first walda he mentions is believed to be Vortigern as he is known commonly in modern times,
the second walda he mentions is believed to be Marcus Claudius Ballista, a Briton warlord of the 6th century who claimed Roman blood, (which claim is unknown to be valid or not), and the Skanez and Heruskoz he mentions are believed to be the 5th-6th century Danes or their ancestors.
a bonfire at the edge of his encampment on the southern bank of the Temes ((proper Saxon spelling)), recorded by the historian, Braktrius.
" Fine hearth warriors and old friends, it is not by small effort, trickery, or cowardice that you gained the status to share the warmth of the fire my kin sit at.
Some of you fought for my father's father, when he brawled against the Friis warlord Finn, back across the sea, where our homeland lies.
Even more of you remember sailing with him, at the request of the Waeliscas' walda to help their pathetic hides fight their enemies to the north.
They promised us land and peaceful lives to live out here in Bryten, but after we had fought their foes, protected them and taken them for our kin, our brothers,
they betrayed us, backstabbing our forefathers right as they were fighting to protect them.
Most of you remember slaughtering that walda's heirs and all his kin near the island of Yppesfleot, and you remember winning his land and his people's land from them, taking what should have been ours.
These are fine achievements, great deeds to hang on a man's mantle of his life. But then, why do you pale now, why do you look so ill and pained at the sight
of battle against a force of these very same men? And what if they do break our shieldwall? Why should you let your blood curdle at the prospect of going to feast with your father's fathers in the Great Hall by the Tranquil Sea that Wodanaz has built for us? You would shame your fathers, Wodanaz, and all who have come before us. The sons of Eotenas should not shy from battle, even if means our end! By Tyr, it should be more important for us to meet our enemies in the field if it would mean our untimely demise.
The walda of the bordering waelisc lands to our west sent an emissary, believing he knows who I am as a man, and who you are as warriors.
He seems to think he can scale me from head to toe because of one battle he heard I lost. This man has never seen me, let alone truly know my name.
He addresses this dribble to some man he calls "Lord of Aethel of the Jutes", who he calls "lowest of the low", and dismisses with impunity.
If he could truly call himself a so-called Rex descended from the giants who built the Stone Wall, perhaps he would care to truly know who his enemies are, instead of carelessly addressing them with a name and any assortment of titles he wishes. This arrogant man thinks he rules the world!
And he goes on to try and test my will and loyalty, my valor, and tells me that I must give him a bag of coin and my sword arm, and forsake my people and father's fathers, for a tribe of Waeliscas? I would rather face Wodanaz and Hengist, telling them I had not faltered, that I was not a coward.
Well, what I tell him, my brave and valorous companions, is that he is liar and a fool.
We will go to meet the Waeliscas on the field tomorrow, not to lay down our seaxnas in shame, but to slaughter as many of the sheep as we can,
and show them who the sons of Eotenas are! Help them remember who Wodanaz is, with his earth shattering spear!
And, I tell you, my peers, that we might even break their lines on that field!
I have word that our kin, the Angles who came with us into this land, have come across the far bank of the river, pushing the Waeliscas of that land from there, and that they will attempt to come to our aid, as we have in older times against the Skanez and Heruskoz.
With or without them, we can break these foul-mouthed arrogants, and send them reeling back to their brytenwalda Arthur for help.
So I say to you my friends, let us go as the sons of Eotenas to battle, to the place where men die and find their only true enemy,
with only bravery in our hearts, so that we might show Tyr our many achievements and scars, and so that Wodanaz will invite us to join his
feast for the worthy, that we may drink to the ending of this world with our fathers!
And if we do not go this day to the Great Hall by the Tranquil Sea, then we only have more feats to enact and Wodanaz has a greater plan for us,
and thus we are only better men!
Rise, sons of Eotenas, warriors of Freawine and Hengist, favoured of Wodanaz! It will be harvesting time soon!"
Some of you fought for my father's father, when he brawled against the Friis warlord Finn, back across the sea, where our homeland lies.
Even more of you remember sailing with him, at the request of the Waeliscas' walda to help their pathetic hides fight their enemies to the north.
They promised us land and peaceful lives to live out here in Bryten, but after we had fought their foes, protected them and taken them for our kin, our brothers,
they betrayed us, backstabbing our forefathers right as they were fighting to protect them.
Most of you remember slaughtering that walda's heirs and all his kin near the island of Yppesfleot, and you remember winning his land and his people's land from them, taking what should have been ours.
These are fine achievements, great deeds to hang on a man's mantle of his life. But then, why do you pale now, why do you look so ill and pained at the sight
of battle against a force of these very same men? And what if they do break our shieldwall? Why should you let your blood curdle at the prospect of going to feast with your father's fathers in the Great Hall by the Tranquil Sea that Wodanaz has built for us? You would shame your fathers, Wodanaz, and all who have come before us. The sons of Eotenas should not shy from battle, even if means our end! By Tyr, it should be more important for us to meet our enemies in the field if it would mean our untimely demise.
The walda of the bordering waelisc lands to our west sent an emissary, believing he knows who I am as a man, and who you are as warriors.
He seems to think he can scale me from head to toe because of one battle he heard I lost. This man has never seen me, let alone truly know my name.
He addresses this dribble to some man he calls "Lord of Aethel of the Jutes", who he calls "lowest of the low", and dismisses with impunity.
If he could truly call himself a so-called Rex descended from the giants who built the Stone Wall, perhaps he would care to truly know who his enemies are, instead of carelessly addressing them with a name and any assortment of titles he wishes. This arrogant man thinks he rules the world!
And he goes on to try and test my will and loyalty, my valor, and tells me that I must give him a bag of coin and my sword arm, and forsake my people and father's fathers, for a tribe of Waeliscas? I would rather face Wodanaz and Hengist, telling them I had not faltered, that I was not a coward.
Well, what I tell him, my brave and valorous companions, is that he is liar and a fool.
We will go to meet the Waeliscas on the field tomorrow, not to lay down our seaxnas in shame, but to slaughter as many of the sheep as we can,
and show them who the sons of Eotenas are! Help them remember who Wodanaz is, with his earth shattering spear!
And, I tell you, my peers, that we might even break their lines on that field!
I have word that our kin, the Angles who came with us into this land, have come across the far bank of the river, pushing the Waeliscas of that land from there, and that they will attempt to come to our aid, as we have in older times against the Skanez and Heruskoz.
With or without them, we can break these foul-mouthed arrogants, and send them reeling back to their brytenwalda Arthur for help.
So I say to you my friends, let us go as the sons of Eotenas to battle, to the place where men die and find their only true enemy,
with only bravery in our hearts, so that we might show Tyr our many achievements and scars, and so that Wodanaz will invite us to join his
feast for the worthy, that we may drink to the ending of this world with our fathers!
And if we do not go this day to the Great Hall by the Tranquil Sea, then we only have more feats to enact and Wodanaz has a greater plan for us,
and thus we are only better men!
Rise, sons of Eotenas, warriors of Freawine and Hengist, favoured of Wodanaz! It will be harvesting time soon!"
The first walda he mentions is believed to be Vortigern as he is known commonly in modern times,
the second walda he mentions is believed to be Marcus Claudius Ballista, a Briton warlord of the 6th century who claimed Roman blood, (which claim is unknown to be valid or not), and the Skanez and Heruskoz he mentions are believed to be the 5th-6th century Danes or their ancestors.
