Danelaw and Weregild

[SowZ]

I'm thinking of starting a campaign set in 9th Century Anglo-Saxon England. As far as I know of history, it was a really interesting period. I'm not against condensing historical events and making little alterations, but want to do it justice.

From serious transitions in the way people approach law, to the Viking/Danish problem, to more randomly fluctuating power among kingdoms then the region had know a couple hundred years ago, plot hooks should be everpresent. My question is how I can better educate myself on the Viking Age/Pre-Norman period?

Any resources or online books I can be pointed to? I love research and have some understanding of the general facts about the Middle Ages but don't know near what I need to know to create this world. It is going to be more of an Arthurian game, btw, with a historical backdrop but lots of Fantasy going on.

This is the general pricelist I am using. http://www.regia.org/costs.htm

[Rhynn]

It's a little bit off the mark for this thread, but the regulars would be able to point you to some scholarly works on the subject, without a doubt.

This is also a good start.

[SowZ]

It's a little bit off the mark for this thread, but the regulars would be able to point you to some scholarly works on the subject, without a doubt.

This is also a good start.

I should probably check out the RL weapons and armor thread, yeah. I would like a better grasp of the politics and general stuff first, but I should look at it, anyway.

Also, I read Wikipedias articles on a number of things I need already, but did forget to check out the sources cited which are typically the most valuable part of a Wikipedia article. Thanks.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Bernard Cornwell's Warrior Chronicles is a fantastically good source of events, people, places, flavour, etc.

You get a really good feel for life in late Saxon times, with the coming of the Danes, the wars and so on - from both sides (the hero swaps allegiances more than once through the series - from the first chapter or so).

I really can't recommend them highly enough as a set of sources for this era.

[Andrewmoreton]

There is also the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle

There are modern translations available fairly cheap, and it may be on line some where. There are continuations into at least the 13th century but that late for you. I have copies of them for period games

[razark]

It's not Danelaw, and they were written at a later time, but read some of the Sagas from Iceland. They provide a unique view into the society. Some of them involve legal disputes, so you can see how the law functions.

[Gemini Lupus]

Just an aside, an Arthurian game would typically take place around the 5th and 6th centuries, when the Anglo-Saxons were invading Britain, but the Welsh people of the time you are looking at would be telling stories of Arthur and the "golden age" of Britain before the Saxons. For an Arthurian resource, the Warlord Chronicles, also by Bernard Cornwell. (Not to be mistaken with the Warrior Chronicles, mentioned by Altair_the_Vexed )

[nedz]

There is also the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle

There are modern translations available fairly cheap, and it may be on line some where. There are continuations into at least the 13th century but that late for you. I have copies of them for period games

Various version of the Chronicle are available online, it's not even hard to find.

[Driderman]

Bernard Cornwell's Warrior Chronicles is a fantastically good source of events, people, places, flavour, etc.

You get a really good feel for life in late Saxon times, with the coming of the Danes, the wars and so on - from both sides (the hero swaps allegiances more than once through the series - from the first chapter or so).

I really can't recommend them highly enough as a set of sources for this era.

Seconded, and since Cornwell is an actual historian that really adds credence to the historical elements.

[Stadge]

Hi,

Just popped online for a moment and saw this. I'm busy for most of today and tomorrow but I'd like to help if I can. I graduated last year with a degree in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic (specialising in the history side rather than the language).

I've a special interest in the Scandinavianistion of England (particularly in the North West), a big fan of the burghal, l system (my final year dissertation dealt with Edward the Elder and his contribution). Final year papers that might prove quite useful for this were Law and Lawlessness (throughout the entire ASNaC region) and a paper concerning the Sea Kings (more Celtic as focus is on Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Hebrides, Man and misc. Hiberno-Scandinavian centres) but useful for ideas on smaller polities and relations between them.

Are there any specific areas you'd like to point me in?

I've also got some very good maps showing shifts within England/Britain at different times, so I'll have a look into the legal issues of scanning and emailing them to you if you'd like?

[DarkestKnight]

I'm not as familiar with some of the other cultures but I can help with the Icelandic view of this.

-the law existed only for those with the power to make it happen. Think "might makes right" but with lawyers. you have to have witnesses to another parties offenses but unless it was brought up at the parliament meeting (which happened once a year) you usually had to take justice in your own hands (example below).

-weregild could be payed for any bloodshed that happened, not necessarily death, or a similar fine be agreed upon.

-weregild was not strictly speaking necessary but definitely encouraged by the culture.

-There existed a ritual duel to finish arguments called holmganga. this took place upon a island, piece of leather or even a box scratched in the dirt. the arena was about two meters by two meters. you didn't necessarily have to kill your opponent, by knocking him off you could shame him (it was thought to be cowardly to be forced out of the ring). The normal laws were observed though. there is one mention of duelist A cutting down duelist B who was in the act of objecting to the size of duelist A's sword. Because no one voiced a complaint about this behavior A was considered the winner of the duel.

-just because the law says a matter is over does not mean you can't take your own justice and set the other party's farm on fire in the middle of the night.

Hope this helps a bit. the others have given some good leads as well.

Nitpicking note: there is strictly speaking no 'viking culture', but rather viking was a profession. "see you later, i'm going viking" would be considered an acceptable phrase.

[SowZ]

Hi,

Just popped online for a moment and saw this. I'm busy for most of today and tomorrow but I'd like to help if I can. I graduated last year with a degree in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic (specialising in the history side rather than the language).

I've a special interest in the Scandinavianistion of England (particularly in the North West), a big fan of the burghal, l system (my final year dissertation dealt with Edward the Elder and his contribution). Final year papers that might prove quite useful for this were Law and Lawlessness (throughout the entire ASNaC region) and a paper concerning the Sea Kings (more Celtic as focus is on Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Hebrides, Man and misc. Hiberno-Scandinavian centres) but useful for ideas on smaller polities and relations between them.

Are there any specific areas you'd like to point me in?

I've also got some very good maps showing shifts within England/Britain at different times, so I'll have a look into the legal issues of scanning and emailing them to you if you'd like?

Sure! I'd absolutely appreciate the help of an expert! Mostly, I'm looking for societal structure, attitudes, beliefs, etc. While I am interested in names and specific events, I won't really be needing them for this game. I'll probably say history diverges a bit before the game actually starts. That way I don't need to worry about real figures being more notable than the characters and so I can be free to condense or make up new events as needed.

It's probably a pretty Beowulfy game, so, you know, monsters and the like. How the players would be compensated for fighting off Danes or killing monsters, or how they would punished and made infamous for crimes, is definitely important. As is setting the tone and how a city or village would look/feel/act.

Thanks for some of the miscellaneous tidbits about law and attitudes, guys! The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles and the Warrior Chronicles totally sounds worth reading.

[fusilier]

GURPS Middle Ages I covers the period, and I know gives some general background on Wergeld and ideas on how to calculate it, etc. Although that covers pretty much the entire period up to 1485, so it doesn't spend too much time on them. GURPS Vikings might also have some info. I think those are both 3rd edition books so you may be able to find them cheap. The GURPS books are usually pretty good on giving background and provide a lot of non-game related material (i.e. things that aren't rule dependent).