ERO Presents: Maldon, Vikings, Saxons

Speaker: Prof Catherine Clarke

Catherine Clarke’s new book, A History of England in 25 Poems, tells the story of England in a fresh way – explored through 25 poems written between the eighth century and today. Poems have the power to open a direct portal between us and moments in the past, and the experiences, emotions and imaginations of those who lived it. This talk will focus particularly on one of those 25 poems, with a local Essex connection. In 991, an English army met Viking raiders on the Blackwater Estuary near Maldon. The Old English poem The Battle of Maldon turns a disastrous military defeat for Byrhtnoth and his men into a heroic victory for English honour. But there’s more to the poem than meets the eye: propaganda, politics, and a dig at ‘Æthelræd the Unready’ and his Danegeld tax. Catherine’s talk will include sections of this remarkable poem – which inspired Tolkien and Kipling – read aloud, bringing to life this powerful drama from England’s distant past.

Catherine is a Professor at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, and Director of the Victoria County History of England, founded in 1899 and still working to write a history of every place in the country, from the earliest times to the present day. Representatives of VCH Essex will be at this event to showcase the local branch of the project, and Catherine will draw on VCH research in her talk. A History of England in 25 Poems is published by Penguin Allen Lane and has featured as a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week.

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