Work Text
There is a little-known room in the British Library – little-known because Muggles cannot see it, and wizards have largely forgotten that it exists. The most important works detailing the development of the Wizarding world are at Hogwarts after all – or else in the libraries of the old Pureblood families. So nobody is aware of the treasures lying hidden in that small room, such as the handwritten manuscript describing the defence of the monastery of Iona by group of Scottish wizards during a second Viking attack or the beautifully illuminated Book of Hours thought to have belonged to the mistress of Edward I., a squib from the House of Selwyn. Or the chronicles, often surviving only in fragments, that bring light to a time forgotten by most, a time when the Wizarding world and the Muggle world were not separated, but intertwined. When magic was a natural – though feared – part of the Muggle worldview. When wizards and witches were prominent figures at the courts of Europe’s rulers, often influencing the fates of people, of kingdoms and of history itself.One such manuscript fragment is unique among its brethren, as it does not concern itself with kings and their deeds, not even with a nobleman on a lofty quest, but with a young housecarl[1] in King Harold Godwinson’s army, fighting in the Battle of Hastings. It is written in an Early Middle English dialect of the southwest of England, possibly the region comprising today’s Wiltshire, and believed to have been composed during the last years of the reign of Henry III., more than 200 years after the events it records. As such, its veracity cannot be ascertained, but it nevertheless provides a fascinating glimpse at a mostly unexplored aspect of medieval Muggle and Wizarding history. It has been rendered here in modern English, with the protagonist’s name being represented in the more easily recognisable form “Harry”, as the original Anglo-Saxon name “Hereweald” was thought to detract from the text’s readability. The slight anachronism might be excusable in this instance. ΔρακωνΔρακωνΔρακωνΔρακων… the king fell. And no one marked it in the press of battle, nor noted the place where he was struck down, save one of his housecarls, by name of Harry Roweson[2], son of Ceolmund. Bravely he had fought since the morning and rallying his last strength, he blazed a trail through the Norman host to reach his liege lord’s side. But no hope or help was there for Harold, for he was slain where he stood, the last king of the English. Grief overcame Harry, and he bowed his head in mourning, for a heartbeat forgetting the foes surrounding him on all sides. For he was of a loyal and honest disposition, always willing to follow his lord’s command. Gathering his courage, he resolved to safeguard his king’s body, so that no Norman barbarian would dare desecrate the noble sovereign. He gripped his sword tight and braced himself, raising his head to meet his final challenge, prepared to perish in the fulfilment of this last task. But all of a sudden the clamour of battle seemed to fall silent as Harry beheld a most wondrous sight. A Norman noble stood facing him, sword held aloft, but such a one he had never seen afore in all the days of his life. His stature was tall and strong, with broad shoulders and chest and a slender waist, and all his features of like even proportions and elegant in shape, speaking to his prowess in combat. He was clad in a blue tunic under the hauberk customary to all Norman knights, broidered with symbols of protection and rivalling the hue of the sky stretching over the field of battle. His mantle above was of the deepest red, all decked and lined with gold and clasped fast with a golden brooch, an emerald glowing in the middle. Around his waist was a girdle set with precious stones and adorned with all manner of animals and flowers of gold and silver. Upon his shield of burnished silver there was embossed a crest, a magnificent M flanked by two dragons rampant and bearing the words “Sanctimonia vincet semper" underneath. In his hand the noble carried a great double-edged sword, the metal all of steel and silver, the hilt richly ornamented in gold and engraved with runes of power. Above all the splendour of his vesture, his hair, falling to his shoulders, shone in the light of the sun, almost white in its radiance. It was plaited in parts and interwoven with silver thread, bound about with a band of blue. Harry stood frozen, struck in awe, unable to move, eyes inexorably drawn to those of his adversary. He was falling into grey skies, unable and unwilling to care that his doom was approaching, were he granted the boon of remaining in that enthralling presence for but a little while longer. He was certain anon that he was in the presence of one of the Ælfe[3]. It was as if enchantment had ensnared his senses, and how long he stayed thus, he did not know. Even his own death Harry perceived as meaningless in the face of such marvel, and he made no attempt at defence. But to his amazement the noble knight lowered his sword eftsoons, regarding him with frightful intensity, at last inducing Harry to avert his eyes. When he had gathered himself and returned his attention, the Norman had vanished into the melée, and regardless whither he directed his gaze, he could not espy a glimpse of the gleaming hair or the proud bearing. Disheartened, he returned to his task, knowing the fight was lost, but… ΔρακωνΔρακωνΔρακωνΔρακων The fragment ends here, in the middle of the sentence, although it can be assumed that Harry shared the fate of most of Harold’s royal household who died fighting until the end. Harry is not mentioned in any other medieval sources, not a surprise given his status, but the Norman nobleman mentioned in the extract can be identified fairly accurately. The description given is similar to accounts appearing in several Norman chronicles of the 11th and 12th century of Dracon de Mal Fei, oldest son of Lucius de Mal Fei[4], Count of Blois and close confidante and magical adviser to William, Duke of Normandy, later called William the Conqueror. It is well documented that Dracon took part in the Battle of Hastings as one of William’s companions and was in charge of the second of the feigned flights. He would also have been responsible for the magical support of the troops, an important aspect of the battle, as it was well known to William that Harold detested all things magic and would thus not have had any wizards in his retinue. The episode told in the manuscript, if it took place as such which can of course not be verified, is a very unusual one, as mercy on the battlefield is almost unheard of. Dracon in particular has been described by his contemporaries as an efficient and ruthless commander in war, so why he would spare the life of an ordinary soldier is a mystery. The fragment is remarkable for another feature as well, seeing as several elements of the account are reminiscent of medieval love literature. It might even be said to contain a rare phenomenon in any kind of text relating to the period of the Norman conquest – an almost overt acknowledgement of homosexual desire. It would be of the greatest scholarly interest if more information regarding this particular manuscript were to be unearthed. It might after all have the potential to shed light on an often neglected part of this period. But so far no other fragments have been found.------------------------------------------[1] Housecarls were the soldiers of the royal household.[2] The use of this cognomen has led scholars to believe that at least one of Harry’s parents was a redhead.[3] Ælf, pl. Ælfe, is the Old English form of the English word “elf”.[4] The name still exists today as Malfoy.