This extract is taken from A Man of Heart, by Liam Guilar. Published by Shearsman books (January 2023)
Rowena offers Vortigern the Cup.
If you’ve ever ‘Gone Wassailing’ or heard the Christmas Carol ‘Here we come a wassailing’ and wondered what wassailing was, it comes from this story.
The Old English greeting Wes Þu hal (Be well!) became Wassail.
In the previous episode of The Poetry Voice I read an extract from A Man of Heart in which Hengist left for Britain, leaving his daughter on the shoreline, watching him depart. One he established himself he sent for her, and in this extract he’s pitching her at Vortigern the King. If the king marries his daughter, Hengist will become the grandfather of Kings. In my version of the story, Vortigern is aware of Hengist’s plan, thinks he’s in control, but then he meets Rowena for the first time,
If you’d like to see the original Middle English version of this episode, I’ve pasted it below.
Reowen sæt a cneowe; & cleopede to þan kinge.
& þus ærest sæide; in Ænglene londe.
Lauerd king wæs hæil; For þine kime ich æm uæin.
Þe king þis ihærde; & nuste what heo seide.
þe king Vortigerne; fræinede his cnihtes sone.
what weoren þat speche; þe þat maide spilede.
Þa andswarede Keredic; a cniht swiðe sellic.
he wes þe bezste latimer; þat ær com her.
Lust me nu lauerd king; & ich þe wulle cuðen.
whæt seið Rouwenne; fæirest wimmonnen.
Hit beoð tiðende; inne Sæxe-londe.
whær-swa æi duȝeðe gladieð of drenche;
þat freond sæiðe to freonde; mid fæire loten hende.
Leofue freond wæs hail; Þe oðer sæið Drinc hail.
Þe ilke þat halt þene nap; he hine drinkeð up.
o[ð]er uuel me þider fareð; & bi-thecheð his iueren
þenne þat uul beoð icumen; þenne cusseoð heo þreoien.
Þis beoð sele laȝen; inne Saxe-londe.
& inne Alemaine; heo beoð ihalden aðele.