The Battle of Maldon (Anglo-Saxon Period)

When it comes to defend their interests, some peoples can be very sensitive. Of course each people must defend its security and interests along with its land and resources; however, it is important to be rational and think about the consequences of extreme defense. One thing is being brave and another is being selfish, such case is depicted in the Anglo-Saxon poem The Battle of Maldon.

In this poem the Englishmen were so (yes… an intensifier here!) brave that they decided to fight the Vikings in spite of their rude manners and superiority in battle. It is fine to defend the land from invasion or any kind of harm but when the whole kingdom is at risk of perishing it is better to look for alternative solutions. In this case the Englishmen were so ambitious that they neglected negotiations with the Vikings who were after money (not land or people), and decided to fight instead of obtaining a reasonable solution and just give them what they wanted in exchange of freedom and security. Of course, the battle was too much for the brave English army and most of them, included the King, died... Whatever happened later is not specified in the text but what happened during the battle is explicitly mentioned in the poem: the Englishmen, the brave army, feared! They cowered and ran away from the battlefield; the weakest left and the rest died in chaos and sorrow for their army had failed and their King was death… They lost the battle along with their pride.

What is more interesting besides the brave Englishmen’s decision is the diplomacy of the Vikings. Even though these people were courageous warriors and conquered many lands by force, they would first analyze each society and rescued what they thought was useful or acceptable. The Vikings would first use dialogue and then, if things did not turn as they expected, they would use the force. Usually, the Vikings are portrayed as rude barbarians who had thirst for blood and ambition. However, this stereotype is not that accurate because they would not try to conquer each piece of land they touched, sometimes they would just pass over or take some things, like the case in The Battle of Maldon.

The Battle of Maldon can be illustrated with the story of David and Goliath, David being the Englishmen and Goliath being the Vikings. So, Goliath comes and threatens David. David decides to fight back. The conflict starts, and eventually ends. The difference in this case is that the weakest contender did not win the battle and that the giant was not picking a fight in the first place. David was a kingdom with an independency complex who did not want to be tricked by a bigger force; he was brave though because confronting someone bigger than you requires guts. And Goliath had experience and determination; he knew what he was up to. At the end, David fell into his own trap and could not handle the pressure… failed.

Perhaps, The Battle of Maldon provides several lessons: first, be wise when dealing with situations that might seem risky; analyze all the possibilities and consider their consequences. Second, do not underestimate your opponent, and do not overrate your capacities. And third, you cannot always play the hero, sometimes you have to surrender.

By Melissa López

Image credit:

http://www.fitzsoc.com/Fitzpatrick%20Clan%20Society/battle/battle_clontarf.jpg