The Battle of Maldon

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1726

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Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Related Poems

“The Wanderer" by Anonymous (10th Century)

An Old English poem dating from the 10th century, “The Wanderer” was found in the Exeter Book (a collection of Anglo-Saxon poetry). While it doesn’t feature an epic battle, this poem contains elements of Anglo-Saxon culture similar to "The Battle of Maldon," such as the relationship between a lord and his vassals. In "The Wanderer," a warrior, who has lost his kinsmen through battle or exile and whose lord has died, wanders the sea and land reminiscing on better days.

“The Wife’s Lament" by Anonymous (10th Century)

Also discovered amongst the pages of the Exeter Book, “The Wife’s Lament” details a woman’s worries and sorrows as her husband leaves for war. Facing troubles living amongst his kinsfolk without him, she is then permanently exiled, either through her husband's death or through manipulation by his kin. She ends by wishing sadness on her husband, that he will also think of their happier times together.

“The Seafarer” by Anonymous (10th Century)

Similarly to the other poems listed here, “The Seafarer” was first located in the Exeter Book. Also, like “The Wanderer,” it focuses on the life of one cut off from family and friends. Despite comparing the travails of traveling and sailing with the comforts of land, the speaker expresses an earnestness and restlessness to sail once again. The poem ends with an invocation to God and an admonition to the reader to keep anger and violence in check.

Further Literary Resources

Loss and recovery: A note on “The Battle of Maldon” by James Dyas Thayer (2019)

Thayer analyzes the difference between historical truth and creative license in “The Battle of Maldon.” He takes a close look at how the poem’s author could “engineer the action of the poem to capitalize on the meaning of character names, particularly the coward Godric and his namesake who appears at the end of the fragment.” Thayer argues that the meaning of Godric’s name and character provide a deeper reading of the epic poem. If Godric means “good realm” and deserts the battle and his leader, then this more broadly symbolizes the disappearance of a golden age or an ideal kingdom.

“The Battle of Maldon: the guile of the Vikings explained“ by Mark Griffith (2016)

Griffith gives a general interpretation of the Anglo-Saxon poem, and focuses on what he identifies as a “key critical question”: “why does the hero promise battle and then not deliver on the promise at the first opportunity, as he knew must have been expected of him?”. Using close reading and quotation analysis, Griffith speculates on the possible reasons behind the earl’s actions and decisions.

“II Æthelred and the Politics of The Battle of Maldon” by Leonard Neidorf (2012)

Similar to Griffith’s article, Neidorf focuses his analysis on the representation and behavior of the Vikings. He centers on two points: The poem’s relatively harmless portrayal of the Vikings and “the political demands that a policy of tribute payment would exert on a poet depicting recent Viking conflicts.” Neidorf argues that the poem’s author avoided promoting hatred of the Vikings in his poem, and instead focused on prompting “heroic ideals.”