A year in a sentence: entries from the Chronicle
- Written
- entries for 802–1154; the Peterborough copy written about 1121–1155
- Place
- Peterborough
- Language
- Old English and early Middle English
- Kind of source
- annals
- Reading time
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Low
Food, farming and hungerLanguages and wordsRulers and courtsChristianity
In 1131, a monk at Peterborough wrote, a cattle plague swept England. In a village that had worked ten or twelve ploughs, not one team was left. Then the hens died, and meat, cheese and butter ran short.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a year-by-year record of England kept in English, not Latin. It was first put together in Wessex in the reign of King Alfred, about 890, and copies were then kept up at several monasteries. Most entries here come from the Laud manuscript (E), copied at Peterborough Abbey, probably after a fire there in 1116, and continued until 1154. A few come from the oldest copy, the Parker manuscript (A), first written at Winchester, and from copies kept at Abingdon (C) and Worcester (D). John Earle printed A and E side by side in 1865, with passages from the others.
The entries begin with Her, “Here,” meaning “in this year.” Over 350 years the language changes. The early entries are Old English: wæs, cyning, steorra. The last entries, written at Peterborough in the 1150s, are early Middle English: was, king, þe for the older se, and French words such as curt, court. Earle called this the decline of the language; it was also the start of a new one.
The chroniclers wrote from older records and from memory. Up to 1121 the Peterborough copy follows earlier chronicles, with local additions; after that, Earle judged, the monks wrote close to the events. Dates are sometimes a year out, and a chronicler could move an event for effect, as with the eclipse of 1133 placed in 1135. Eclipses can be checked against astronomers’ tables. Charles Plummer, who revised Earle’s edition, did so: some dates are exact, others a month or a year out.
Notice how the chroniclers measure a bad year: “no man remembered one like it.” Watch, too, how signs in the sky sit beside the deaths of kings, and how the Peterborough writer’s own fields, prices and fires come into the record.
The edited translation, in simplified modern English. Bracketed words were added for clarity; [...] marks a cut. Tap a note number to read the note. Point at or tap a phrase to see the original behind it. Phrase links checked in a separate review.
The ninth and tenth centuries
In this year the moon went dark at dawn on December 20.1 And the same year Beornmod was consecrated bishop of Rochester.2
In this year Pope Stephen died, and after him Paschal was ordained pope. And the same year the English School [in Rome] burned down.3
Three Irishmen4 came to King Alfred in a boat with no one to row or steer it.5 They had slipped away from Ireland because, for the love of God, they wanted to live in exile, and they did not care where. The boat they traveled in was made of two and a half hides. They took with them enough food for seven nights, and after seven nights they came ashore in Cornwall. They went straight to King Alfred. Their names were Dubslane, Macc bethu, and Maelinmun. And Swifneh, the best teacher among the Irish, died.
And the same year, after Easter, around Rogation Days6 or a little before, the star appeared that is called cometa in the Latin of books. In English, too,7 people call it the long-haired star, because a long ray stands out from it, sometimes on one side, sometimes on every side.
In this year Prince Edgar was consecrated king at Bath8 on Whitsunday, May 11, in the thirteenth year after he came to the throne.9 He was then just short of thirty years old. Soon after that the king led his whole fleet to Chester,10 and six kings came there to meet him. They all promised that they would be his allies on sea and on land.
And in this year Edward, Edgar’s son, came to the throne. Soon after, in the same year, at harvest time, the star called a comet appeared. And in the next year came a very great famine,11 and a great many troubles across England. [...]
In this year there was the great famine across England, so grim that no one remembered one like it. And that year the [Danish] fleet went home from this country to Denmark, but it was not long before it came back.
The eleventh century
[...] And in this year, on the eve of Michaelmas,12 the great sea flood came all across this country. It ran farther inland than it ever had before. It drowned many villages and more people than anyone could count.
In this year Edward was consecrated king at Winchester on Easter Day, with great ceremony. Easter fell that year on April 3.13 Archbishop Eadsige consecrated him. In front of all the people he gave the king good teaching, and urged him to look after his own good and the good of all the people. [...]
[...] And in this year14 there was a very great famine all over England. Grain was dearer than anyone could remember: a sester15 of wheat went up to sixty pence, and even more. [...]
And in this same year, after Candlemas,16 the hard winter came, with frost and snow and every kind of foul weather. No one then alive could remember a winter as hard as that one, for the deaths of people and of cattle. Birds and fish died of the great cold and hunger.
In this year the minster at Westminster was consecrated on Holy Innocents’ Day.17 And King Edward died on the eve of Twelfth Day and was buried on Twelfth Day, in the newly consecrated church at Westminster. And Earl Harold came to the throne of England, as the king had granted it to him, and the people also chose him for it.18 He was blessed as king on Twelfth Day. [...]
In this year King Harold came from York to Westminster for the Easter after the midwinter when King Edward died. Easter fell that year on April 16. Then a sign was seen in the sky all over England, such as no one had ever seen before. Some people said it was the star called a comet, which some call the long-haired star.19 It first appeared on April 24, the eve of the Greater Litany,20 and it shone like this for seven nights. [...]
Under the Norman kings
In this year Archbishop Lanfranc,21 the honored father and comfort of monks, passed from this life. But we hope that he went to the kingdom of heaven. Also, a great earthquake struck all over England on August 11. And it was a very late year for grain and every kind of crop, so that many people reaped their grain around Martinmas,22 and even later.
[...] Then, after Michaelmas, on October 4, a strange star appeared. It shone in the evening and soon set. It was seen in the southwest, and the ray that stood out from it looked very long, shining toward the southeast. It appeared like this for almost the whole week. Many people thought it was a comet.
[...] On the fifth night of May the moon rose in the evening, shining brightly, and then little by little its light faded. As soon as night came, it went out so completely that neither its light nor its disk nor anything of it could be seen. It stayed that way almost until day, and then it appeared full and shining brightly. It was fourteen nights old that day.23 All that night the air was very clear, and the stars shone very brightly all over the sky. The fruit on the trees was badly ruined by frost that night. After that, in June, a star appeared in the northeast, with its ray standing out in front of it toward the southwest. It was seen like this for many nights. Later in the night, as it climbed higher, it was seen moving backward toward the northwest. [...] This was a very hard year here in the land, because of the tax the king took for his daughter’s marriage24 and because of bad weather. The crops were badly damaged, and the fruit on the trees all over this land was almost all lost. This year work began on the new minster at Chertsey.25
[...] This year, at the end of May, a strange star was seen with a long ray, shining for many nights. Also in this same year there was such a low tide everywhere on one day as no one had ever remembered before. People went riding and walking across the Thames east of the bridge in London. This year there were very strong winds in October. But the wind was beyond measure on the night of the octave of St. Martin,26 and the damage showed everywhere, in the woods and in the villages. [...]
At Peterborough
In this year King Henry was at St. Albans for Christmas, and there he had the minster consecrated.27 At Easter he was at Odiham. This year, too, there was a very hard winter, harsh and long, for cattle and for everything. [...] This was a very hard year, and a disastrous one for crops, because of the enormous rains that came just before August. They brought great trouble and hardship until Candlemas came. This year, too, the mast28 failed so completely that no one heard of any, in all this land or in Wales either. This land and its people were also hard pressed again and again this year by the taxes the king took, both in the towns and outside them. In this same year the whole minster at Peterborough29 burned down, with all the buildings except the chapter house and the dormitory. Most of the town burned as well. All this happened on a Friday, August 4.
In this year King Henry was at Norwich for Christmas and at Northampton for Easter. Before that, in Lent, the town of Gloucester burned. The monks were singing their mass, and the deacon had begun the Gospel reading “Jesus, passing by,”30 when the fire caught the top of the tower. It burned the whole minster and all the treasures in it, except a few books and three mass vestments. That was on March 8. After that, on the Tuesday after Palm Sunday, March 22,31 there was a very great wind. After that many signs appeared far and wide in England, and many uncanny things32 were seen and heard. On the night of July 25 there was a very great earthquake over all Somerset and Gloucestershire. Then on September 8, the feast of St. Mary, a very great wind blew from morning until black night. [...] After that, many sailors at sea and on inland waters said they had seen a great, broad fire in the northeast, close to the earth. It grew taller and taller, right up to the clouds. The clouds opened on four sides and fought against it, as if to put it out, and the fire grew no higher toward heaven. They saw that fire at daybreak, and it lasted until it was light everywhere. That was on December 7.
[...] This same year there were many bad harvests in England, of grain and of every crop. Between Christmas and Candlemas the seed for an acre of wheat, that is, two seedlips,33 sold for six shillings. The seed for an acre of barley, three seedlips, sold for six shillings, and the seed for an acre of oats, four seedlips, for four shillings. That was because grain was scarce. And the penny was so bad that a man who had a pound34 at a market could not buy twelve pennies’ worth with it for anything.
[...] This same year there was such a great flood on St. Lawrence’s Day35 that many villages and people were drowned and bridges were broken. Grain and meadows were completely ruined. There was hunger and sickness among people and cattle, and every crop failed worse than it had for many years. [...]
This year the minster at Canterbury was consecrated by Archbishop William on May 4.36 [...] Four days later King Henry was at Rochester, and the town burned almost entirely. And Archbishop William consecrated St. Andrew’s minster there,37 with the bishops already named. [...]
The last chronicler
This year, after Christmas, on a Monday night,38 in the first sleep, the whole northern sky looked as if it were burning fire. Everyone who saw it was more frightened than they had ever been. That was on January 11. This same year there was a cattle plague worse than any in living memory, all over England. It struck cattle and pigs. In a village where ten or twelve ploughs39 had been working, not one was left. A man who had had two or three hundred pigs had not one left. After that the hens died. Then meat ran short, and cheese and butter. God mend it, when it is his will. [...]
In this year King Henry crossed the sea at Lammas.40 And the next day, while he lay asleep on the ship, the day grew dark over all lands. The sun became like a moon three nights old, with stars around it at midday.41 [...]
[...] After that, in Lent, the sun and the day grew dark around noon, when people eat, so that they lit candles to eat by. That was on March 20.42 People were greatly astonished. [...]
In this year King Stephen died. He was buried at Faversham, where his wife and his son were buried; they had built that minster.43 When the king died, the earl was overseas.44 And no one dared to do anything but good, for the great awe of him. When he came to England, he was received with great honor and consecrated king in London on the Sunday before Christmas,45 and there he held a great court. [...]
Notes
- The Roman date is December 20. Plummer found no eclipse of the moon in that December and thinks Jan. is a slip for Iun.: there was one before dawn on May 21, 802. back
- Rochester, in Kent. Plummer dates Beornmod’s consecration to 804. back
- The Schola Saxonum, the quarter in Rome where English pilgrims lodged. A papal biography quoted by Plummer says it burned so completely that no trace of the houses was left. back
- Scottas, the Old English name for the Irish. The text says they came from Hibernia, Ireland. back
- Butan ælcum gereþrum. Earle notes that the word can mean oars or rowers, and thinks it meant “without any mariners to navigate the craft.” back
- Gangdagas, “walking days”: the Rogation Days (Earle’s glossary), days of prayer in spring. back
- Earle notes that this copy alone has same, “likewise”; the other copies read sume, “some [men].” back
- Bath, in Somerset. The text calls it Hatabaðum, “at the Hot Baths,” after its hot springs. back
- Plummer shows that the year was really 973: only then did Whitsunday fall on May 11. Why Edgar was consecrated so late in his reign has long been debated. back
- Lægeceaster, Chester, as Earle’s glossary identifies it. The chronicler does not name the six kings. back
- Earle, quoted by Plummer, notes that this famine was felt far and wide. The scholar Gudbrand Vigfusson called its date the one certain tenth-century date in Icelandic history. back
- The feast of St. Michael, Michaelmas, is September 29; its eve is September 28. back
- Easter fell on April 3 in 1043. This copy dates the coronation a year early; Plummer confirms 1043. back
- The Abingdon copy (C) gives this famine under 1044. back
- A grain measure of uncertain size. Henry of Huntingdon took it for a horseload; F. W. Maitland, quoted by Plummer, suspected it was no bigger than a bushel, which would make the price far worse. back
- The feast of the Purification of Mary, February 2. Plummer explains that this winter was really that of early 1047. back
- Cilda mæsse dæg, “Children’s Mass Day,” the feast of the Holy Innocents, December 28. The Abingdon and Worcester copies put it under 1065. Twelfth Day is Epiphany, January 6. back
- Plummer notes that of the three copies that report Harold’s accession, this is the only one to say that he was chosen, and the plainest in saying that Edward granted him the kingdom. back
- Fæxede steorra, “haired star,” like the Latin stella crinita. Plummer notes that chroniclers in England and abroad took this comet as a sign of the great events of 1066. back
- The Greater Litany, a day of prayer processions, falls on April 25; its eve is April 24 (Plummer). back
- Lanfranc had been abbot of Caen in Normandy before he became archbishop of Canterbury in 1070, as the Chronicle records under that year. Plummer thinks he died on May 24. back
- The feast of St. Martin, November 11, long after the usual harvest. back
- An eclipse of the moon, on May 5, 1110 (so dated in Plummer’s index). A moon fourteen nights old is full. back
- Henry I’s daughter Matilda was sent overseas to marry the emperor Henry V (Plummer). back
- Ceortes æge, Chertsey, as Earle’s glossary identifies it. back
- The eighth day of the feast of St. Martin, counting the feast itself: November 18. back
- The abbey church of St. Albans, north of London. Plummer cites a Welsh annal saying the king was there wearing his crown. This chronicler began the year at Christmas, so this was Christmas 1115. back
- Mæsten, mast: the acorns and beechnuts on which pigs were fattened in the woods. Earle notes how much it mattered when pigs were the chief livestock. back
- Burh, Peterborough, where this copy of the Chronicle was kept. Earle suggests the monks lost their books in this fire and began this copy afterward. back
- The Gospel for the Wednesday after the fourth Sunday in Lent, John 9, which begins Praeteriens Iesus. Plummer notes that this Wednesday fell on March 8 in 1122, as the text says. back
- The text has the 11th day before the Kalends of April, March 22. Plummer notes that the Tuesday after Palm Sunday fell on March 21 in 1122 and suggests the 12th. back
- Dwild, phantoms or illusions; Earle’s glossary has “uncanny things.” back
- A seedlip was the basket a sower carried his seed in; here it is a measure (Earle). An acre took two seedlips of wheat, three of barley, or four of oats. back
- The coins were so poorly made that they were worth far less than they claimed. The next year’s entry tells how the king punished the moneyers who struck them. back
- The feast of St. Lawrence, August 10. back
- Christ Church, the cathedral of Canterbury. Earle calls this a celebrated consecration, later described by Gervase, a monk there who saw the church burn in 1174 and be rebuilt. back
- St. Andrew’s, the bishop’s church at Rochester. back
- January 11, 1131, was a Sunday. Plummer explains that “Monday night” means the night before Monday, as a feast’s “night” is its eve. back
- Ploges, ploughs: here the teams of oxen that drew them, which died in the plague. back
- Lammas, August 1. back
- An eclipse of the sun. Plummer shows that it came at noon on August 2, 1133, when Henry left England for the last time; this chronicler set it in the year of the king’s death, 1135. back
- Plummer confirms an eclipse of the sun on March 20, 1140. back
- Faversham Abbey, in Kent, founded by Stephen and his queen, Matilda. Stephen died on October 25, 1154 (Plummer). back
- Henry of Anjou, who became King Henry II. He had come to terms with Stephen in 1153 (Plummer). back
- Midwinter’s Day is Christmas. The Sunday before it in 1154 was December 19. back
Her aðeostrade se mona on dagunge on xiii kl' Jañr. and Beornmod wæs ge halgod to b' to Rofeceastre þy ilcan geare.
Here the moon darkened at dawn on the 13th [day before the] Kalends of January. And Beornmod was consecrated as bishop at Rochester the same year.
In this year the moon went dark at dawn on December 20. And the same year Beornmod was consecrated bishop of Rochester.
- The Roman date is December 20. Plummer found no eclipse of the moon in that December and thinks Jan. is a slip for Iun.: there was one before dawn on May 21, 802.
- Rochester, in Kent. Plummer dates Beornmod’s consecration to 804.
Her Stephanus pāp forþferde. and æfter him was Paschalis to papan gehadod. And þy ilcan geare forborn Ongol cynnes scolu.
Here Stephen [the] pope died. And after him Paschal was ordained as pope. And the same year the school of the English nation burned down.
In this year Pope Stephen died, and after him Paschal was ordained pope. And the same year the English School [in Rome] burned down.
- The Schola Saxonum, the quarter in Rome where English pilgrims lodged. A papal biography quoted by Plummer says it burned so completely that no trace of the houses was left.
And þrie Scottas cuomon to Ælfrede cyninge. on anum bate butan ælcum gereþrum. of Hibernia. þonon hi hi bestælon. forþon þe hi woldon for Godes lufan on elþiodignesse beon. hi ne rohton hwær. se bat wæs geworht of þriddan healfre hyde þe hi on foron. and hi namon mid him þæt hi hæfdun to seofon nihtum mete. and þa comon hie ymb vii niht to londe on Corn walum. and foron þa sona to Ælfrede cyninge. þus hie wæron genemnde. Dubslane and Macc bethu and Maelinmun. And Swifneh se betsta lareow þe on Scottum wæs gefor.
And þy ilcan geare ofer Eastron. ymbe gang dagas oþþe ær. æt eowde se steorra þe mon on boc læden hæt cometa. same men cweþaþ on Englisc þæt hit sie feaxede steorra. forþæm þær stent lang leoma of. hwilum on ane healfe. hwilum on ælce healfe.
And three Irishmen came to King Alfred in a boat without any oars [or rowers?], from Ireland, whence they had stolen away, because they wished for the love of God to be in exile; they did not care where. The boat was made of two and a half hides, that they traveled in. And they took with them what they had [as] food for seven nights. And then they came after seven nights to land in Cornwall, and went at once to King Alfred. Thus they were named: Dubslane and Macc bethu and Maelinmun. And Swifneh, the best teacher who was among the Irish, died. And the same year after Easter, around the Rogation days or before, the star appeared that is called in book-Latin cometa; likewise men say in English that it is a long-haired star, because a long ray stands from it, sometimes on one side, sometimes on each side.
Three Irishmen came to King Alfred in a boat with no one to row or steer it. They had slipped away from Ireland because, for the love of God, they wanted to live in exile, and they did not care where. The boat they traveled in was made of two and a half hides. They took with them enough food for seven nights, and after seven nights they came ashore in Cornwall. They went straight to King Alfred. Their names were Dubslane, Macc bethu, and Maelinmun. And Swifneh, the best teacher among the Irish, died. And the same year, after Easter, around Rogation Days or a little before, the star appeared that is called cometa in the Latin of books. In English, too, people call it the long-haired star, because a long ray stands out from it, sometimes on one side, sometimes on every side.
- Scottas, the Old English name for the Irish. The text says they came from Hibernia, Ireland.
- Butan ælcum gereþrum. Earle notes that the word can mean oars or rowers, and thinks it meant “without any mariners to navigate the craft.”
- Gangdagas, “walking days”: the Rogation Days (Earle’s glossary), days of prayer in spring.
- Earle notes that this copy alone has same, “likewise”; the other copies read sume, “some [men].”
Her wæs Eadgar eþeling gehalgod to cyninge on Pentecoste mæsse dæi on v id' Mai. þe xiii geare þe he to rice feng. æt Hatabaðum. and he wæs þa ana wana xxx wintra. and sona æfter þam se cyng ge leadde ealle his scip here to Lægeceastre. and þær him comon ongean vi cyningas. and ealle wið trywsodon ꝥ hi woldon efen wyrhton beon on sæ and on lande.
Here Edgar the prince was consecrated as king on Pentecost mass-day, on the 5th [day before the] Ides of May, the 13th year after he succeeded to the kingdom, at Bath [lit. the Hot Baths]; and he was then one short of 30 winters. And soon after that the king led all his ship-army to Chester, and there six kings came to meet him, and all pledged themselves that they would be fellow-workers [allies] on sea and on land.
In this year Prince Edgar was consecrated king at Bath on Whitsunday, May 11, in the thirteenth year after he came to the throne. He was then just short of thirty years old. Soon after that the king led his whole fleet to Chester, and six kings came there to meet him. They all promised that they would be his allies on sea and on land.
- Bath, in Somerset. The text calls it Hatabaðum, “at the Hot Baths,” after its hot springs.
- Plummer shows that the year was really 973: only then did Whitsunday fall on May 11. Why Edgar was consecrated so late in his reign has long been debated.
- Lægeceaster, Chester, as Earle’s glossary identifies it. The chronicler does not name the six kings.
And her Eadward Eadgares sunu feng to rice. and þa sona on þam ilcan geare on herfeste æteowde cometa se steorra. and com þa on þam eaftran geare swiðe mycel hungor. and swyðe mænig fealde styrunga geond Angel cyn. [...]
And here Edward, Edgar’s son, succeeded to the kingdom. And then soon in the same year, in harvest-time, the star comet appeared. And then in the following year came a very great famine, and very manifold disturbances throughout the English people.
And in this year Edward, Edgar’s son, came to the throne. Soon after, in the same year, at harvest time, the star called a comet appeared. And in the next year came a very great famine, and a great many troubles across England.
- Earle, quoted by Plummer, notes that this famine was felt far and wide. The scholar Gudbrand Vigfusson called its date the one certain tenth-century date in Icelandic history.
Her on þyssum geare wæs se mycla hungor geond Angel cynn swilce nan man ǽr ne ge munde swa grimne. and se flota þæs geares ge wende of þissum earde to Dænemearcon. and litelne fyrst let þet he eft ne com.
Here in this year was the great famine throughout the English people, such that no man before remembered [one] so grim. And the fleet that year turned from this country to Denmark, and let [only] a little time [pass] before it came back.
In this year there was the great famine across England, so grim that no one remembered one like it. And that year the [Danish] fleet went home from this country to Denmark, but it was not long before it came back.
[...] And on þissum geare on sc̃e Michæles mæsse æfan. com þet mycele sæ flod geond wide þisne eard. and ærn swa feor úp swa næfre ær ne dyde. and adrencte feala tuna. and mann cynnes un arimædlice ge teall.
And in this year on St. Michael’s Mass eve came the great sea-flood widely throughout this country, and ran as far up as [it] never before did, and drowned many towns [villages], and of mankind an uncountable number.
And in this year, on the eve of Michaelmas, the great sea flood came all across this country. It ran farther inland than it ever had before. It drowned many villages and more people than anyone could count.
- The feast of St. Michael, Michaelmas, is September 29; its eve is September 28.
Her wæs Æðward gehalgod to cyng on Winceastre on Æster dæg mid mycclum wurðscipe. and þa wæron Eastron on iii non' Apr'. Eadsige arc̃b' hine halgode. and foran eallum folce hine well lærde. and to his agenre neode and ealles folces well monude. [...]
Here Edward was consecrated as king at Winchester on Easter day with great honor; and Easter was then on the 3rd [day before the] Nones of April. Archbishop Eadsige consecrated him, and before all the people instructed him well, and admonished him well for his own need and [that] of all the people.
In this year Edward was consecrated king at Winchester on Easter Day, with great ceremony. Easter fell that year on April 3. Archbishop Eadsige consecrated him. In front of all the people he gave the king good teaching, and urged him to look after his own good and the good of all the people.
- Easter fell on April 3 in 1043. This copy dates the coronation a year early; Plummer confirms 1043.
[...] And on þisum wæs swyðe mycel hungor ofer Engla land. and corn swa dyre swa nan mann ær ne gemunde. swa ꝥ se sester hwætes eode to lx penega. and eac furðor. [...]
And in this [year] was a very great famine over England, and corn [grain] as dear as no man before remembered, so that the sester of wheat went to 60 pennies, and even further.
And in this year there was a very great famine all over England. Grain was dearer than anyone could remember: a sester of wheat went up to sixty pence, and even more.
- The Abingdon copy (C) gives this famine under 1044.
- A grain measure of uncertain size. Henry of Huntingdon took it for a horseload; F. W. Maitland, quoted by Plummer, suspected it was no bigger than a bushel, which would make the price far worse.
And on þis ylcan geare. æfter Candelmæssan. cóm se stranga winter. mid forste and mid snawe and mid eallon ungewederon. ꝥ næs nan man þa on liue ꝥ mihte gemunan swa strāgne winter swa se wæs. ge þurh mancwealm ge þurh orfcwealm. ge fugelas and fixas þurh þone micelan cyle and hunger forwurdan.
And in this same year after Candlemas came the strong [severe] winter, with frost and with snow and with all [kinds of] bad weathers, so that there was no man then alive who could remember so strong a winter as that was, both through death of men and through death of cattle; both birds and fishes perished through the great cold and hunger.
And in this same year, after Candlemas, the hard winter came, with frost and snow and every kind of foul weather. No one then alive could remember a winter as hard as that one, for the deaths of people and of cattle. Birds and fish died of the great cold and hunger.
- The feast of the Purification of Mary, February 2. Plummer explains that this winter was really that of early 1047.
On þissum geare man halgode þet mynster æt West mynstre on Cilda mæsse dæg. And se cyng Eadward forðferde on twelfta mæsse æfen. and hine mann bebyrgede on twelftan mæsse dæg. innan þære niwa halgodre circean on Westmynstre. And Harold eorl feng to Engla landes cyne rice. swa swa se cyng hit him ge uðe. and eac men hine þær tó gecuron. and wæs gebletsod to cynge on twelftan mæsse dæg. [...]
In this year the minster at Westminster was hallowed on Childermas day. And King Edward died on Twelfth-mass eve, and he was buried on Twelfth-mass day, within the newly hallowed church at Westminster. And Earl Harold succeeded to the kingdom of England, just as the king had granted it to him, and also men chose him for it; and [he] was blessed as king on Twelfth-mass day.
In this year the minster at Westminster was consecrated on Holy Innocents’ Day. And King Edward died on the eve of Twelfth Day and was buried on Twelfth Day, in the newly consecrated church at Westminster. And Earl Harold came to the throne of England, as the king had granted it to him, and the people also chose him for it. He was blessed as king on Twelfth Day.
- Cilda mæsse dæg, “Children’s Mass Day,” the feast of the Holy Innocents, December 28. The Abingdon and Worcester copies put it under 1065. Twelfth Day is Epiphany, January 6.
- Plummer notes that of the three copies that report Harold’s accession, this is the only one to say that he was chosen, and the plainest in saying that Edward granted him the kingdom.
On þissum geare com Harold cyng of Eoferwic to Westmynstre. to þam Eastran þe wæron æfter þam middan wintre þe se cyng forðferde. and wæron þa Eastran on þone dæg xvi kl' Mai. Ða wearð geond eall Engla land swylc tacen on heofenum gesewen swylce nan man ǽr ne geseah. Sume men cwedon ꝥ hit cométa se steorra wære. þone sume men hatað þone fæxedon steorran. and he æteowde ærest on þone æfen Letania Maior. viii kl' Mai. and Swa scan ealle þa seofon niht. [...]
In this year King Harold came from York to Westminster, at the Easter that came after the midwinter that the king died; and Easter was on the day 16 [days before the] Kalends of May. Then was seen throughout all England such a sign in the heavens as no man ever saw before. Some men said that it was the star comet, which some men call the long-haired star; and it appeared first on the eve of the Greater Litany, 8 [days before the] Kalends of May, and so it shone all the seven nights.
In this year King Harold came from York to Westminster for the Easter after the midwinter when King Edward died. Easter fell that year on April 16. Then a sign was seen in the sky all over England, such as no one had ever seen before. Some people said it was the star called a comet, which some call the long-haired star. It first appeared on April 24, the eve of the Greater Litany, and it shone like this for seven nights.
- Fæxede steorra, “haired star,” like the Latin stella crinita. Plummer notes that chroniclers in England and abroad took this comet as a sign of the great events of 1066.
- The Greater Litany, a day of prayer processions, falls on April 25; its eve is April 24 (Plummer).
On þisum geare se arwurða muneca feder and frouer Landfranc arc̃b' gewat of þissū life. ac we hopiað ꝥ he ferde to ꝥ heofanlice rice. Swilce eac gewarð ofer eall Engle land mycel eorð styrunge. on þone dæg iii idus Aug'. and wæs swiðe lætsum gear on corne. and on ælces cynnes wæstmum. swa ꝥ manig men ræpon heora corn onbutan Martines mæssan. and gyt lator.
In this year the venerable father and comfort of monks, Archbishop Lanfranc, departed from this life; but we hope that he went to the heavenly kingdom. Likewise also there happened over all England a great earth-stirring [earthquake] on the day 3 [days before the] Ides of August. And it was a very late year in corn and in fruits of every kind, so that many men reaped their corn around Martinmas, and yet later.
In this year Archbishop Lanfranc, the honored father and comfort of monks, passed from this life. But we hope that he went to the kingdom of heaven. Also, a great earthquake struck all over England on August 11. And it was a very late year for grain and every kind of crop, so that many people reaped their grain around Martinmas, and even later.
- Lanfranc had been abbot of Caen in Normandy before he became archbishop of Canterbury in 1070, as the Chronicle records under that year. Plummer thinks he died on May 24.
- The feast of St. Martin, November 11, long after the usual harvest.
[...] Ða uppon sc̃e Michael' mæssan iv non' Octobr'. ætywde án selcuð steorra on æfen scynende and sona to setle gangende. He wæs gesewen suð weast. and se leoma þe hī of stód. wæs swiðe lang geþuht suð east scinende. and for neah ealle þa wucan on þas wisan ætywde. manige men leton ꝥ hit cometa wære.
Then upon St. Michael’s mass, the 4th [day before the] Nones of October, appeared a strange star, shining in the evening and soon going to [its] setting. It was seen [in the] southwest, and the ray that stood from it seemed very long, shining southeast; and nearly all the week it appeared in this way. Many men supposed that it was a comet.
Then, after Michaelmas, on October 4, a strange star appeared. It shone in the evening and soon set. It was seen in the southwest, and the ray that stood out from it looked very long, shining toward the southeast. It appeared like this for almost the whole week. Many people thought it was a comet.
[...] On þære fiftan nihte on Maies monðe. ætywde se mona on æfen beorhte scinende. and syððan litlan and litlan his leoht wanode. swa ꝥ he sona nihtes to þā swiðe mid ealle acwanc. ꝥ naþer ne leoht ne trændel ne nan þing mid ealle of hī wæs gesæwen. and swa þurh wunode fullneah oð dæg. and syðþan full and beorhte scinende ætywde. he wæs þæs ylcan dæges feowertyne nihta eald. Ealle þa niht wæs seo lyft swiðe clene. and þa steorran ofer eall þa heofon swiðe beorhte scinende. and treow wæstmas wurdon þære nihte þurh forste swiðe for numene. Ðær æft' on Junies monðe ætywde an steorra norðan eastan. and his leoma stod toforan hī on þet suð west. and þus manega niht wæs gesæwen. and furðor nihtes syððan he ufor astah. he wæs g'sewen on bǽc on ꝥ norð west gangende. [...] Ðis wæs swiðe gedeorfsū gear her on lande þurh gyld þe se cyng nam for his dohter gyfte. and þurh un gewædera. for hwan eorð westmas wurdon swiðe amyrde. and treow westmas ofer eall þis land for neah eall for wurdon. Ðises geares me began ærost to weorcenne on þā niwan mynstre on Ceortes æge.
On the fifth night in the month of May the moon appeared in the evening brightly shining, and then little by little its light waned, so that as soon as [it was] night it was so entirely quenched that neither light nor disk nor anything at all of it was seen; and so [it] continued until nearly day, and then appeared full and brightly shining. It was that same day fourteen nights old. All that night the air was very clear, and the stars over all the heaven shining very brightly; and the fruits of the trees were badly destroyed that night by frost. After that in the month of June a star appeared [from the] northeast, and its ray stood before it to the southwest, and thus [it] was seen many nights; and later in the night, after it climbed higher, it was seen going backward to the northwest. This was a very hard year here in the land, through the tax that the king took for his daughter’s marriage, and through bad weather, by which the fruits of the earth were badly damaged, and the fruits of the trees over all this land almost all perished. This year men first began to work on the new minster at Chertsey.
On the fifth night of May the moon rose in the evening, shining brightly, and then little by little its light faded. As soon as night came, it went out so completely that neither its light nor its disk nor anything of it could be seen. It stayed that way almost until day, and then it appeared full and shining brightly. It was fourteen nights old that day. All that night the air was very clear, and the stars shone very brightly all over the sky. The fruit on the trees was badly ruined by frost that night. After that, in June, a star appeared in the northeast, with its ray standing out in front of it toward the southwest. It was seen like this for many nights. Later in the night, as it climbed higher, it was seen moving backward toward the northwest. This was a very hard year here in the land, because of the tax the king took for his daughter’s marriage and because of bad weather. The crops were badly damaged, and the fruit on the trees all over this land was almost all lost. This year work began on the new minster at Chertsey.
- An eclipse of the moon, on May 5, 1110 (so dated in Plummer’s index). A moon fourteen nights old is full.
- Henry I’s daughter Matilda was sent overseas to marry the emperor Henry V (Plummer).
- Ceortes æge, Chertsey, as Earle’s glossary identifies it.
[...] Ðises geares on æfteward Mai wæs gesewen an selcuð steorra mid langan leoman manege niht scinende. Eac on þis ylcan geare wæs swa mycel ebba æghwær anes dæges swa nan man æror ne g'munde. and swa ꝥ man ferde ridende and gangende ofer Tæmese be eastan þære brigge on Lunden. Þises geares wæron swiðe mycele windas on Octob'r monðe. ac he wæs or mæte mycel on þa niht Octab' sc̃i Martini. and ꝥ gehwær on wudan and on tunan gecydde. [...]
This year at the end of May a strange star was seen with a long ray, shining many nights. Also in this same year there was so great an ebb everywhere on one day as no man remembered before, and so that men went riding and walking over the Thames east of the bridge at London. This year there were very great winds in the month of October; but it was immeasurably great on the night of the octave of St. Martin, and that [was] shown everywhere in woods and in villages.
This year, at the end of May, a strange star was seen with a long ray, shining for many nights. Also in this same year there was such a low tide everywhere on one day as no one had ever remembered before. People went riding and walking across the Thames east of the bridge in London. This year there were very strong winds in October. But the wind was beyond measure on the night of the octave of St. Martin, and the damage showed everywhere, in the woods and in the villages.
- The eighth day of the feast of St. Martin, counting the feast itself: November 18.
On þison geare wæs se cyng Henri to Natiuiteð æt sc̃e Albane. and þær lét ꝥ mynster halgian. and to Eastron on Wudiham. And wes eac þyses geares swiðe hefig tyme winter and strang and lang. wið orf and wið ealle þing. [...] Ðis wæs swiðe g'swincfull gear and byrstfull on eorð wæstman. þurh þa ormæte reinas þe coman sona onforan August. and swiðe gedrehton and geswencton þe gyt þe cō Candel mæssan. Eac þis gear wæs swa gæsne on mæstene. swa ꝥ on eallon þison lande ne eac on Wealon ne g'hyrde me of nanan segcean. Ðis land and þas leodon wurdon eac þyses geares oftrædlice sare geswencte. þurh þa gyld þe se cyng nā. ægðer ge binnan burgan and butan. On þisū ylcan geare bærnde eall ꝥ mynstre of Burh. and eallæ þa husas butan se Captel hus and se Slæpperne. and þær to eac bærnde eall þa mæste dæl of þa tuna. Eall þis belap̃ on an Frig dæg. ꝥ wæs ii no Aug't.
In this year the king Henry was at St. Albans at the Nativity [Christmas], and there had the minster hallowed; and at Easter at Odiham. And also this year there was a very heavy-timed [hard] winter, and strong and long, for cattle and for all things. This was a very toilsome year and calamitous in fruits of the earth, through the immense rains that came soon before August, and greatly troubled and afflicted [people] until Candlemas came. Also this year was so barren in mast that in all this land, nor also in Wales, one heard no talk of [any]. This land and these people were also this year often sorely afflicted through the taxes that the king took, both within towns and without. In this same year the whole minster of Peterborough burned, and all the houses except the chapter house and the dormitory; and in addition the greatest part of the town also burned. All this happened on a Friday, that was the 2nd [day before the] Nones of August.
In this year King Henry was at St. Albans for Christmas, and there he had the minster consecrated. At Easter he was at Odiham. This year, too, there was a very hard winter, harsh and long, for cattle and for everything. This was a very hard year, and a disastrous one for crops, because of the enormous rains that came just before August. They brought great trouble and hardship until Candlemas came. This year, too, the mast failed so completely that no one heard of any, in all this land or in Wales either. This land and its people were also hard pressed again and again this year by the taxes the king took, both in the towns and outside them. In this same year the whole minster at Peterborough burned down, with all the buildings except the chapter house and the dormitory. Most of the town burned as well. All this happened on a Friday, August 4.
- The abbey church of St. Albans, north of London. Plummer cites a Welsh annal saying the king was there wearing his crown. This chronicler began the year at Christmas, so this was Christmas 1115.
- Mæsten, mast: the acorns and beechnuts on which pigs were fattened in the woods. Earle notes how much it mattered when pigs were the chief livestock.
- Burh, Peterborough, where this copy of the Chronicle was kept. Earle suggests the monks lost their books in this fire and began this copy afterward.
On þis geare wæs se king Heanri on Cristes mæssan on Norhtwic. and on Pasches he weas on Norht hamtune. And on þone lenten tyde þær toforen for bearn se burch on Gleawe ceastre. þa hwile þe þa munecas sungen þære messe. and se dæcne hafde ongunnan þone godspel P'teriens Ih̄c. þa cō se fir on ufen weard þone stepel. and for bearnde ealle þe minstre. and ealle þa gersumes þe þær binnen wæron foruton feawe bec. and iii messe hakeles. þet wes þes dæies viii id' Mr'. And þær æfter þe Tywesdæi æfter Palmes Sunendæi wæs swiðe micel wind on ꝥ dæi xi k' Apr'. þær æfter comen feale tacne wide hwear on Engla land and feole dwild wearen geseogen and geheord. And þes niht viii k' Aug' wæs swiðe micel eorð dyne ofer eal Sumer sete scire and on Gleawe cestre scire. Siððon on þæs dæi vi id' Sept' þet wæs on sc̃e Marie messe dæi. þa wearð swiðe mycel wind frā þa undern dæies to þa swarte nihte. [...] Þær æfter wæron feole scip men on sæ. and on wæter. and sædon ꝥ hi sægon on norð east fir mycel and brad wið þone eorðe. and weax on lengþe up on an to þam wolcne. and se wolcne un dide on fower healfe and faht þær togeanes. swilc hit scolde á cwencen. and se fir weax na þa ma up to þe heouene. Þæt fir hi seagon in ðe dæi rime and læste swa lange ꝥ hit wæs liht ofer eall. þet wæs þæs dæies vii idus Decembr'.
In this year the king Henry was at Christmas at Norwich, and at Easter he was at Northampton. And in the Lent-tide before that the town at Gloucester burned, while the monks were singing their mass and the deacon had begun the gospel ‘Praeteriens Jesus’; then the fire came on the upper part of the steeple and burned all the minster and all the treasures that were within, except a few books and three mass-vestments. That was the 8th [day before the] Ides of March. And after that, on the Tuesday after Palm Sunday, there was a very great wind on the day 11 [before the] Kalends of April. After that came many signs widely in England, and many phantoms were seen and heard. And on the night 8 [days before the] Kalends of August there was a very great earth-din [earthquake] over all Somersetshire and in Gloucestershire. Then on the 6th [day before the] Ides of September, that was on St. Mary’s mass day, there was a very great wind from the morning of the day to the black night. After that there were many shipmen on sea and on [inland] water, and [they] said that they saw in the northeast a fire great and broad near the earth, and [it] grew in length up continuously to the clouds; and the clouds opened [lit. undid] on four sides and fought against it, as if they would quench it; and the fire grew no more up toward heaven. That fire they saw at daybreak, and [it] lasted so long that it was light over all. That was the 7th [day before the] Ides of December.
In this year King Henry was at Norwich for Christmas and at Northampton for Easter. Before that, in Lent, the town of Gloucester burned. The monks were singing their mass, and the deacon had begun the Gospel reading “Jesus, passing by,” when the fire caught the top of the tower. It burned the whole minster and all the treasures in it, except a few books and three mass vestments. That was on March 8. After that, on the Tuesday after Palm Sunday, March 22, there was a very great wind. After that many signs appeared far and wide in England, and many uncanny things were seen and heard. On the night of July 25 there was a very great earthquake over all Somerset and Gloucestershire. Then on September 8, the feast of St. Mary, a very great wind blew from morning until black night. After that, many sailors at sea and on inland waters said they had seen a great, broad fire in the northeast, close to the earth. It grew taller and taller, right up to the clouds. The clouds opened on four sides and fought against it, as if to put it out, and the fire grew no higher toward heaven. They saw that fire at daybreak, and it lasted until it was light everywhere. That was on December 7.
- The Gospel for the Wednesday after the fourth Sunday in Lent, John 9, which begins Praeteriens Iesus. Plummer notes that this Wednesday fell on March 8 in 1122, as the text says.
- The text has the 11th day before the Kalends of April, March 22. Plummer notes that the Tuesday after Palm Sunday fell on March 21 in 1122 and suggests the 12th.
- Dwild, phantoms or illusions; Earle’s glossary has “uncanny things.”
[...] Ðes ilces geares wæron fæla un time on Engle lande. on corne and on ealle westme. swa ꝥ betweonen Cristes messe and Candelmesse man sælde ꝥ acer sæd hwæte ꝥ is twegen sed læpas to six scillingas. and ꝥ bærlic ꝥ is þre sed læpas to six scillingas. and ꝥ acer sæd aten ꝥ is feower sed læpas to feower scillingas. Þet wæs forþi ꝥ corn wæs litel. and se penig wæs swa ifel ꝥ se man þa hæfde at an market an pund he ne mihte cysten þærof for nan þing twelfe penegas.
This same year there were many bad seasons in England, in corn and in all crops, so that between Christmas and Candlemas one sold the acre-seed of wheat, that is two seedlips, for six shillings; and the barley, that is three seedlips, for six shillings; and the acre-seed of oats, that is four seedlips, for four shillings. That was because corn was scarce; and the penny was so bad that the man who had a pound at a market could not get [lit. buy] twelve pennies’ worth out of it for anything.
This same year there were many bad harvests in England, of grain and of every crop. Between Christmas and Candlemas the seed for an acre of wheat, that is, two seedlips, sold for six shillings. The seed for an acre of barley, three seedlips, sold for six shillings, and the seed for an acre of oats, four seedlips, for four shillings. That was because grain was scarce. And the penny was so bad that a man who had a pound at a market could not buy twelve pennies’ worth with it for anything.
- A seedlip was the basket a sower carried his seed in; here it is a measure (Earle). An acre took two seedlips of wheat, three of barley, or four of oats.
- The coins were so poorly made that they were worth far less than they claimed. The next year’s entry tells how the king punished the moneyers who struck them.
[...] On ðes ilces geares wearð swa micel flod on sc̃e Laurent' messe dæig ꝥ feola tunes and men weorðon adrencte. and brigges to brokene. and corn and mædwe spilt mid ealle. and hunger and cwealm on men and on erue. and on ealle westme swa micel untime wearð swa hit ne wæs feola gear ær. [...]
In this same year there was so great a flood on St. Lawrence’s mass day that many villages and men were drowned, and bridges broken, and corn and meadows spoiled entirely, and hunger and death [pestilence] on men and on cattle; and in all crops there was such great unseasonableness as there had not been for many years before.
This same year there was such a great flood on St. Lawrence’s Day that many villages and people were drowned and bridges were broken. Grain and meadows were completely ruined. There was hunger and sickness among people and cattle, and every crop failed worse than it had for many years.
- The feast of St. Lawrence, August 10.
Ðis geares wæs se mynstre of Cantwarabyri halgod frā þone ærce b' Will'm þes dæies iv no' Mai. [...] Ðes feorðe dæges þær æft' wæs se king Heanri on Roue ceastre. and se burch for bernde æl mæst. and se ærce b' Will'm halgede s' Andreas mynstre and ða for sprecon bisc̃ mid hī. [...]
This year the minster of Canterbury was hallowed by the archbishop William on the 4th [day before the] Nones of May. On the fourth day after, the king Henry was at Rochester, and the town burned almost entirely; and the archbishop William hallowed St. Andrew’s minster, and the aforesaid bishops with him.
This year the minster at Canterbury was consecrated by Archbishop William on May 4. Four days later King Henry was at Rochester, and the town burned almost entirely. And Archbishop William consecrated St. Andrew’s minster there, with the bishops already named.
- Christ Church, the cathedral of Canterbury. Earle calls this a celebrated consecration, later described by Gervase, a monk there who saw the church burn in 1174 and be rebuilt.
- St. Andrew’s, the bishop’s church at Rochester.
Ðis gear æfter Cristesmesse on an Mone niht æt þe forme slæp wæs se heouene oðe norð half eall swilc hit wære bærnende fir. swa ꝥ ealle ðe hit sægon wæron swa of færed swa hi næfre ær ne wæron. ꝥ wæs on iii id' Janr'. Ðes ilces geares wæs swa micel orf cwalm swa hit næfre ær ne wæs on manne gemynd ofer eall Engle land. ꝥ wæs on næt and on swin. swa ꝥ on þa tun þa wæs tenn ploges oðer twelfe gangende ne be læf þær noht an. and se man þa heafde twa hundred oðþe ðre hundred swin ne beleaf him noht an. Þær æft' swulten þa henne fugeles. þa scyrte ða flescmete and se ceose and se butere. God hit bete þa his wille beð. [...]
This year after Christmas, on a Monday night, at the first sleep, the heaven on the north side was all as if it were burning fire, so that all who saw it were so afraid as they never were before. That was on the 3rd [day before the] Ides of January. This same year there was so great a cattle-plague as there never was before in men’s memory over all England. That was in cattle and in swine, so that in the village where ten ploughs or twelve were going, there did not remain one; and the man who had two hundred or three hundred swine, not one remained to him. After that the hen-fowls died. Then the flesh-meat ran short, and the cheese and the butter. God mend it when his will is.
This year, after Christmas, on a Monday night, in the first sleep, the whole northern sky looked as if it were burning fire. Everyone who saw it was more frightened than they had ever been. That was on January 11. This same year there was a cattle plague worse than any in living memory, all over England. It struck cattle and pigs. In a village where ten or twelve ploughs had been working, not one was left. A man who had had two or three hundred pigs had not one left. After that the hens died. Then meat ran short, and cheese and butter. God mend it, when it is his will.
- January 11, 1131, was a Sunday. Plummer explains that “Monday night” means the night before Monday, as a feast’s “night” is its eve.
- Ploges, ploughs: here the teams of oxen that drew them, which died in the plague.
On þis gære for se king H' ouer sæ æt te Lāmasse. ⁊ ð oþer dei þa he lai an slep in scip. þa þestrede þe dæi ouer al landes and uuard þe sunne suilc als it uuare thre niht ald mone. an st'res abuten hī at mid dæi. [...]
In this year the king H[enry] went over sea at the Lammas; and the second day, when he lay asleep in [the] ship, then the day darkened over all lands, and the sun became such as if it were a three-night-old moon, and stars about it at midday.
In this year King Henry crossed the sea at Lammas. And the next day, while he lay asleep on the ship, the day grew dark over all lands. The sun became like a moon three nights old, with stars around it at midday.
- Lammas, August 1.
- An eclipse of the sun. Plummer shows that it came at noon on August 2, 1133, when Henry left England for the last time; this chronicler set it in the year of the king’s death, 1135.
[...] Þer eft' in þe lengten þestrede þe sunne ⁊ te dæi. abuton non tid dæies. þa men eten. ð me lihtede candles to æten bi. and þat was xiii k' Ap'l. wæron men suythe of wundred. [...]
After that, in Lent, the sun and the day darkened, about the noon-tide of the day, when men eat, so that one lit candles to eat by. And that was the 13th [day before the] Kalends of April. Men were very amazed.
After that, in Lent, the sun and the day grew dark around noon, when people eat, so that they lit candles to eat by. That was on March 20. People were greatly astonished.
- Plummer confirms an eclipse of the sun on March 20, 1140.
On þis gær wærd þe king Steph' ded ⁊ bebyried þer his wif ⁊ his sune wæron bebyried æt Faures feld. þæt minstre hi makeden. Þa þe king was ded. þa was þe eorl beionde sæ. ⁊ ne durste nan man don oþer bute god for þe micel eie of hī. Þa he to Engle land cō. þa was he under fangen mid micel wurtscipe. and to king bletcæd in Lundene on þe Sunnen dæi be foren midwint'dæi. and held þær micel curt. [...]
In this year the king Stephen died and was buried where his wife and his son were buried, at Faversham; that minster they made. When the king was dead, then was the earl beyond [the] sea; and no man dared do other than good, for the great awe of him. When he came to England, then was he received with great honor, and blessed [consecrated] as king in London on the Sunday before Midwinter’s day, and held there a great court.
In this year King Stephen died. He was buried at Faversham, where his wife and his son were buried; they had built that minster. When the king died, the earl was overseas. And no one dared to do anything but good, for the great awe of him. When he came to England, he was received with great honor and consecrated king in London on the Sunday before Christmas, and there he held a great court.
- Faversham Abbey, in Kent, founded by Stephen and his queen, Matilda. Stephen died on October 25, 1154 (Plummer).
- Henry of Anjou, who became King Henry II. He had come to terms with Stephen in 1153 (Plummer).
- Midwinter’s Day is Christmas. The Sunday before it in 1154 was December 19.
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Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel, ed. John Earle (Oxford, 1865)
Internet Archive (University of Toronto copy). pp. 61–62 (image numbers n145–n146), 88 (n172), 125 (n209), 127 (n211), 139 (n223), 151 (n235), 169–170 (n253–n254), 199 (n283), 201 (n285), 226 (n310), 234 (n318), 242–246 (n326–n330), 249 (n333), 252 (n336), 254 (n338), 258–260 (n342–n344), 263–264 (n347–n348), 266 (n350). Not in copyright, as the Internet Archive record states; published 1865.
The edition our text follows, read against these page images.
New translation from the Old English and early Middle English text of Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel, edited by John Earle (Oxford, 1865), read in the Internet Archive scan.
Twenty-five short entries or parts of entries, from 802 to 1154: a small fraction of the Chronicle. Cuts within entries are marked [...]. Battles and killings are left out.
Earle’s spelling, word division and punctuation are kept, with his abbreviations: ꝥ for þæt, ⁊ for and, a stroke or bar over a letter for a missing letter, and an apostrophe for a cut-short word. His special capital A in the Parker manuscript is given as a plain A. His note numbers, marginal notes and headings are left out. Roman dates (Kalends, Nones, Ides) are given as modern dates in the Julian calendar the chroniclers used. Words in brackets are ours.
- Original
- Text as printed in the named edition or on the object, read from page images. Edition: Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel, with Supplementary Extracts from the Others, ed. John Earle (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1865), pp. 61–266. Digital text: Internet Archive item twoofsaxonchroni00angluoft (University of Toronto copy), OCR text extracted by code and read against the page images. Earle’s spelling, word division, punctuation and abbreviation marks are kept; his note numbers, marginal notes and running heads are not copied. The chroniclers’ text only.
- Transliterated
- Not needed: the original is in the Latin alphabet
- Close English
- Close translation drafted by Claude (Anthropic), kept as a working draft
- Simplified English
- Drafted by Claude (Anthropic) from the original and checked unit by unit against the original in a separate review, then compared with earlier translations and tested for borrowed wording.
- Editor’s review
- Not yet.
- Specialist review
- Not yet. Readings a specialist should confirm are listed for later review.
- Rights
- Original: public domain. Edition: being checked.
Sources for the notes
- Earle, John, ed. Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel, with Supplementary Extracts from the Others. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1865. Text pp. 61–266; introduction, pp. vii–viii and xxxvii–l; notes on 891, 1097, 1116, 1124, 1130 and 1132–1154; glossary entries cited in the unit notes. Internet Archive twoofsaxonchroni00angluoft.
- Plummer, Charles, ed. Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel … on the Basis of an Edition by John Earle. Vol. 2, Introduction, Notes, and Index. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899. Notes on the annals cited (802, 816, 891, 972–975, 1005, 1014, 1042–1046, 1066, 1089, 1110, 1116, 1122, 1131, 1135, 1140, 1154) and the index of eclipses and comets. Internet Archive twoofsaxonchroni02earluoft.