If Badon Hill is 500AD, who is Erik the Boar?

“Who is this Erik the Boar?”

“He is a leader of the Saxons at the Battle of Celidon.”

“I have never heard of him. Do you mean Erik Bloodaxe? He was a 10th-century Viking king of Norway, who ruled Northumbria during the Anglo-Saxon period. He died in 954. He was sometimes referred to as The Old Boar. But he is not a contemporary of King Arthur. Arthur would never have encountered Erik Bloodaxe – wrong historical period altogether!”

Little Plump Jo, the current Artisan in Residence in Malory Tennyson’s Cloudbank Cabin for Arthurian Studies, had declined to take advantage of the ARC Arthurian Readers Club provision of a writer’s bay at The Library.

So Arthur Penman, the President of the club, and a keen historian, had brought a stack of his own books to Cloudbank Cabin for Jo.

The theme of Jo’s current Work In Progress was King Arthur’s ‘twelve glorious wars’ as named in Lord Tennyson’s Lancelot and Elaine. But Jo was not basing her story solely on the dates and places proposed by academics as the dates and locations of the battles. She was incorporating the myths and legends gathered by Sir Thomas Malory and a generous helping of imagination. She had created a story board with ribbons and post it notes matching up the historical events to the tales from the legends.

But, true to form, Jo had been lazy about applying herself to the necessary research into ancient manuscripts and archaeological digs.

Jo’s canine writing companions, the five Dabrowski Dogs viewed Arthur Penman’s visit with apprehension. The dogs could communicate with Little Plump Jo and Malory Tennyson and the fictional characters who inhabited the Fog Lake at the foot of Cloudbank Cabin.

“History stuff! Boring!” yelped Psycho Motor Dabrowski. He went outside to play with Arthur Penman’s Giant Schnoodles (Giant Schnauzer/Standard Poodle cross dogs).

“It is no wonder Arthur Penman is not impressed. If LPJ had acted on my advice and read all the references I found for her, we would not be having this uncomfortable interview!” grumbled Intellectual Dabrowski.

“Arthur Penman is going to stifle her creativity!” complained Imaginational Dabrowski.

Sensual Dabrowski and Emotional Dabrowski just leant against Jo’s legs offering her comfort. They both hated disagreements and conflict.

Of course Arthur could not understand the dogs’ language, unlike his wife, Regina, and Little Plump Jo. And he could not communicate with fictional characters either. For Arthur Penman, it was the possible origins of King Arthur as a real warrior leader that mattered most. He spent time working at archaeological digs and reading precious copies of original ancient manuscripts. He liked nothing more than debating the relative claims of various historical characters to the title of King Arthur, Dux Bellorum, The Once and Future King.

“So, what date have you chosen for the Battle of Badon Hill?” he asked.

“500 AD” replied Jo.

“Yes, a case can be made for that date. But it means that Erik Bloodaxe would not have been the leader of the Saxons at a battle several years previous to that. He died in 954 AD.”

“Not Erik Bloodaxe. Erik the Boar.” said Jo.

“Erik Bloodaxe nicknamed The Boar. But he was not a contemporary of your Arthur, if your Badon Hill is in 500AD. He died in 954 AD.”

“My Erik the Boar is not Erik Bloodaxe!” Jo was getting exasperated.

“Her Erik the Boar is a complete fiction!” grumbled Intellectual Dabrowski.

“Is this an historical novel or a work of fiction?” asked Arthur Penman.

Intellectual remembered the debate this particular story had already caused in Cloudbank Cabin when Malory Tennyson and some of the Arthurian characters had sat in for an editorial session and reading of the story. They had all offered different interpretations of the events.

For Jo’s version she had linked the Battle of Celidon the Forest to the chapters in Malory’s Morte d’Arthur often headed The Madness of Lancelot.

Intellectual Dabrowski had tried to convince Jo that Lancelot was not one of Arthur’s original warriors. His character had been added to the Arthurian legends much later. However some scholars could see possible connections between Lancelot and earlier warriors and heroes. But Lancelot was Malory Tennyson’s favourite character and he had insisted that Lancelot was there with Arthur in all the twelve great battles. He had written about it under his pen name of Lord Alfred Tennyson!

And Lancelot spoke

And answered him at full, as having been

With Arthur in the fight which all day long

Rang by the white mouth of the violent Glem;

And in the four loud battles by the shore

Of Duglas; that on Bassa; then the war

That thundered in and out the gloomy skirts

Of Celidon the forest;

“I said he was there!” said Malory Tennyson, “My Cabin – my rules!”

The really awkward point was that Sir Lancelot du Lac himself claimed that he had not fought in the Battle of Celidon the Forest.

“I often do not remember fighting the battles; but usually I remember the planning, packing and preparation for them. I remember the ride to the battle field and the return home and the feasts that follow. But I do not remember any of that for the Battle of Celidon.”

“You were there. You saved King Arthur’s life” insisted Malory.

“That is probably another one of those minstrels’ tales. There are so many of them. They claim I did many heroic deeds. I almost find it difficult to determine the true events from the tales and songs.”

It was at that point that Imaginational Dabrowski had followed the coloured ribbons and notes on Little Plump Jo’s planning board and seen the possible connection between the historical information, the mythical and poetic retellings and Sir Lancelot’s memories.

“I see that the episode in the myths which is linked to this battle is titled The madness of Lancelot. This is what I suggest happened. What caused you to jump out the window?”

“I did not jump out the window!” Lancelot glared at Malory Tennyson. “I had a disagreement with Her Majesty and I walked out into the forest to clear my head.”

“Sorry! Artistic licence for dramatic effect!” said Malory.

“Do you remember killing a wild boar during that time?” asked Imaginational.

“Yes, it had its haunches up against a rock and it gored me in the thigh. Looking up from the ground, all I could see was the boar’s bristled head and its terrible fangs. I know I managed to kill it before I passed out.”

“That was Erik the Boar!” declared Imaginational. “He had a boar’s head on his shield. You defeated the Saxon leader Erik the Boar and saved King Arthur’s life.”

“If you say so!” said Sir Lancelot.

Intellectual wondered how Little Plump Jo would manage to explain that to Arthur Penman.