Byrhtnoth [SEP] position held
Byrhtnoth
Byrhtnoth () was Ealdorman of Essex who died 11 August 991 at the Battle of Maldon. His name is composed of the Old English "beorht" (bright) and "noð" (courage). He is the subject of an ancient poem and, more recently, a statue.
Death in battle.
His death, while leading the Anglo-Saxon forces against the Vikings in 991, is the subject of the famous Old English poem "The Battle of Maldon". As presented there,
about the purpose of the poem and perhaps its date have been lost.
At the time of battle, English royal policy of responding to Viking incursions was split. Some favoured paying off the Viking invaders with land and wealth, while others favoured fighting to the last man. The poem suggests that Byrhtnoth held this latter attitude, hence his moving speeches of patriotism.
The Vikings sailed up the Blackwater (then called the Panta), and Byrhtnoth called out his levy. The poem begins with him ordering his men to