Sword of Kings

An oath bound him to King Alfred. An oath bound him to Æthelflaed. And now an oath will wrench him away from the ancestral home he fought so hard to regain. For Uhtred has sworn that on King Edward’s death, he will kill two men. And now Edward is dying.

A violent attack drives Uhtred south with a small band of warriors, and headlong into the battle for kingship. Plunged into a world of shifting alliances and uncertain loyalties, he will need all his strength and guile to overcome the fiercest warrior of them all.

As two opposing Kings gather their armies, fate drags Uhtred to London, and a struggle for control that must leave one King victorious, and one dead. But fate – as Uhtred has learned to his cost – is inexorable. Wyrd bið ful ãræd. And Uhtred’s destiny is to stand at the heart of the shield wall once again…

Bernard Cornwell

Sword of Kings

Saxon Histories - 12

ePub r1.0

Titivillus 07.10.2019

Original title: Sword of Kings

Bernard Cornwell, 2019

Illustrations: John Gilkes

Cover design: Holly Macdonald

ISBN: 9780008183912

Digital editor: Titivillus

ePub base r2.1

Sword of Kings is for

Suzanne Pollak

PLACE NAMES

The spelling of place names in Anglo-Saxon England was an uncertain business, with no consistency and no agreement even about the name itself. Thus London was variously rendered as Lundonia, Lundenberg, Lundenne, Lundene, Lundenwic, Lundenceaster and Lundres. Doubtless some readers will prefer other versions of the names listed below, but I have usually employed whichever spelling is cited in either the Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names or the Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names for the years nearest or contained within Alfred’s reign, AD 871–899, but even that solution is not foolproof. Hayling Island, in 956, was written as both Heilincigae and Hæglingaiggæ. Nor have I been consistent myself; I have preferred the modern form Northumbria to Norðhymbralond to avoid the suggestion that the boundaries of the ancient kingdom coincide with those of the modern county. So this list of places mentioned in the book is, like the spellings themselves, capricious.

• Andefera - Andover, Wiltshire
• Basengas - Basing, Hampshire
• Bebbanburg - Bamburgh, Northumberland
• Beamfleot - Benfleet, Essex
• Caninga - Canvey Island, Essex
• Ceaster - Chester, Cheshire
• Celmeresburh - Chelmsford, Essex
• Cent - Kent
• Cestrehunt - Cheshunt, Hertfordshire
• Cippanhamm - Chippenham, Wiltshire
• Colneceaster - Colchester, Essex
• Contwaraburg - Canterbury, Kent
• Cyningestun - Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
• Crepelgate - Cripplegate, London
• Dumnoc - Dunwich, Suffolk
• East Seax - Essex
• Elentone - Maidenhead, Berkshire
• Eoferwic - Saxon name for York, Yorkshire
• Fæfresham - Faversham, Kent
• Farnea Islands - Farne Islands, Northumberland
• Fearnhamme - Farnham, Surrey
• Ferentone - Farndon, Cheshire
• Fleot, River - River Fleet, London
• Fughelness - Foulness, Essex
• Gleawecestre - Gloucester, Gloucestershire
• Grimesbi - Grimsby, Lincolnshire
• Hamptonscir - Hampshire
• Heahburh - Fictional name for Whitley Castle, Cumbria
• Heorotforda - Hertford, Hertfordshire
• Humbre, River - River Humber
• Jorvik - Danish name for York, Yorkshire
• Ligan, River - River Lea
• Lindcolne - Lincoln, Lincolnshire
• Lindisfarena - Lindisfarne, Northumbria
• Ludd’s Gate - Ludgate, London
• Lupiae - Lecce, Italy
• Lundene - London
• Mameceaster - Manchester
• Ora - Oare, Kent
• Sceapig - Isle of Sheppey, Kent
• St Cuthbert’s Cave - Cuddy’s Cave, Holburn, Northumberland
• Strath Clota - Kingdom in south-west Scotland
• Suðgeweork - Southwark, London
• Swalwan Creek - The Swale, Thames Estuary
• Temes, River - River Thames
• Toteham - Tottenham, Greater London
• Tuede, River - River Tweed
• Weala, brook - The Walbrook, London
• Werlameceaster - St Albans, Hertfordshire
• Westmynster - Westminster, London
• Wicumun - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
• Wiltunscir - Wiltshire
• Wintanceaster - Winchester, Hampshire