Lords of the North

LORDS OF THE NORTH

Bernard Cornwell

For Ed Breslin

…Com on wanre niht scrian sceadugenga

From out of the wan night slides the shadow walker

—Beowulf

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, A.D. 871–899, but even that solution is not foolproof. Hayling Island, in 956, was written as both Heilincigae and H?glingaigg?. Nor have I been consistent myself; I should spell England as Englaland, and have preferred the modern form Northumbria to Norhymbralond to avoid the suggestion that the boundaries of the ancient kingdom coincide with those of the modern county. So this list, like the spellings themselves, is capricious.

?theling?g

Athelney, Somerset

Alclyt

Bishop Auckland, County Durham

Baum (pronounced Bathum)

Bath, Avon

Bebbanburg

Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland

Berrocscire

Berkshire

Cair Ligualid

Carlisle, Cumbria

Cetreht

Catterick, Yorkshire

Cippanhamm

Chippenham, Wiltshire

Contwaraburg

Canterbury, Kent

Cumbraland

Cumbria

Cuncacester

Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Cynuit

Cynuit Hillfort, nr Cannington, Somerset

Defnascir

Devonshire

Dornwaraceaster

Dorchester, Dorset

Dunholm

Durham, County Durham

Dyflin

Dublin, Eire

Eoferwic

York

Ethandun

Edington, Wiltshire

Exanceaster

Exeter, Devon

Fifhidan

Fyfield, Wiltshire

Gleawecestre

Gloucester, Gloucestershire

Gyruum

Jarrow, County Durham

Hamptonscir

Hampshire

Haithabu

Hedeby, trading town in southern Denmark

Heagostealdes

Hexham, Northumberland

Hedene

River Eden, Cumbria

Hocchale

Houghall, County Durham

Horn

Hofn, Iceland

Hreapandune

Repton, Derbyshire

Kenet

River Kennet

Lindisfarena

Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Northumberland

Lundene

London

Onhripum

Ripon, Yorkshire

Pedredan

River Parrett

Readingum

Reading, Berkshire

Scireburnan

Sherborne, Dorset

Snotengaham

Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Strath Clota