Y Gododdin

 The men went to Catraeth, swift was their host, the pale mead was their feast and it was their poison.

Aneirin

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Catraeth

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_Gododdin

Sutton Hoo Festival of Archaeology

 Sutton Hoo National Trust 

The Festival of Archaeology is almost upon us! We've got a packed schedule of activities from 15-30 July, including:

Two weekends of living history with the Wulfheodenas (22/23 July) and Sae Wylfing (29/30 July) re-enactment groups

A chance to take on the role of an Anglo-Saxon chieftain as we wargame the age of the Anglo-Saxons (30 July)

Anglo-Saxon storytelling and costume demonstrations

A special cleaving demonstration by the The Sutton Hoo Ships Company to show how the Sutton Hoo ship was made (27/28 July)

Daily guided tours of the Royal Burial Ground with The Sutton Hoo Society

The Rendlesham Revealed exhibition, curated by Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service

A chance to get your questions answered with #AskAnArchaeologist

All activities are free with site admission. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3NTb8wH

: Robin Pattinson/Sarah Haile/Josh Ward/Phil Morley

#FestivalofArchaeology #livinghistory #suffolkevents #TheDig #SuttonHoo

The Winter King - Official Trailer (2023) Iain De Caestecker, Eddie Marsan

 What do you think?

The Winter King is set in the fifth century, long before Britain was united, in a brutal land of warring factions and tribes, where lives were often fleeting. The series follows Arthur Pendragon as he evolves from an outcast to a legendary warrior and leader.

Battles of the Dark Ages

This book I got from the library. There is a useful gazeteer of battles I scanned a couple of pages of

 

Peonnum

The ruins of the earthwork called Kenwalch's Castle, Penselwood

This is a photo of listed building number 1008257.

This is a photo of listed building number 1008257.

Here

The Battle of Peonnum was fought about AD 660 between the West Saxons under Cenwalh and the Britons of what is now Somerset in England.^[1] It was a decisive victory for the Saxons, who gained control of Somerset as far west as the River Parrett. The location of the battle is uncertain

Also see here Battle of Posentesbyrg

Battle of Bradford-on-Avon

 Bradford is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle under the year 652 when Cenwalh, the West Saxon king of Wessex, is reported to have fought a battle at Bradanforda be Afne. The Chronicle, written much later, gives no details about whom he fought, perhaps against the native Britons or the Mercians, or what was the outcome. In another source, William of Malmesbury’s De gestis regum Anglorum written in the 12th century, a battle was fought at a place called Wirtgernesburh; this could have been the same battle and the place name might refer to the old hillfort at Budbury, just above the town. Until England became unified, Bradford was right on the frontier between Wessex and Mercia.

From here

Penda of Mercia

 

Battle of the Winwaed

Thought as we have been looking at the Wiglaf miniatures figures which are 7th century it might be worth looking at Penda. 

Wiglaf Miniatures news

 Wiglaf Miniatures. Get them from https://www.northstarfigures.com/

New infantry coming soon. Anglo-saxon figures that represent those wealthy warriors known through “princely” burials at sites such as Prittlewell, Taplow, Marlow, and Lakenheath.

Coming soon.

New Wiglaf Miniatures mounted Anglo-Saxons.

(18mm metal figure range).

Designed by Mark Copplestone.

New Osprey for 2024

 Roman Army Units in the Western Provinces (3): 4th–5th Centuries AD

By Raffaele D'Amato

Including specially commissioned artwork, this book describes and illustrates the completely reorganized Roman Army from the reign of Diocletian to the fall of the Western Empire in AD 476.

After the 50-year chaos of the mid-3rd century AD, the reforming Emperor Diocletian (r. AD 284–305) undertook major administrative reforms to reflect the new realities and improve defensive strategy, a process continued by the first Christian emperor, Constantine I (r. AD 306–37). The old Army organization of legions and auxiliary units was divided between central mobile field armies, and various classes of static frontier and other garrison troops. While this makes unit identification and location a more demanding detective process, some units can still be placed.

Another simultaneous process was the ever-increasing recruitment of ‘allied barbarians’ into the Army, some of whom rose to senior command. By the beginning of the 5th century new civil wars and victorious barbarian incursions led the Western Empire into decades of overlapping residual Roman government and embryonic barbarian kingdoms until the final takeover of Italy and Gaul by Gothic and Frankish kings in AD 476 and 486. The soldiers who defended the Empire during these tumultuous years are explained and depicted in this fully illustrated study, one of a series exploring the Roman Army as it evolved in the Eastern and Western empires.

 

Wiglaf Miniatures (1/100th scale)

Interesting range of 7th century Saxons with more to come. A project by Daniel Mersey who is a renowned rule writer. Sculpted by Mark Copplestone.

Painted by Steve Dean

Buy them here

Also here https://wiglafminiatures.wordpress.com/

They have a set of rules Age of Penda here read about them on board game geek here

Wiglaf Miniatures is run by Daniel Mersey and specializes in producing 18mm metal wargaming miniatures for the British Dark Ages (or Early Medieval Period). The models are sculpted by Mark Copplestone in a similar style to his fantasy Barbarica range.

Wiglaf Miniatures’ first release is The Age of Penda: Seventh Century AD Anglo-Saxons. This range is designed for the wars of Mercia and her enemies, and will expand to include other leaders, Vendel Culture warriors, Welsh and Irish warriors, and cavalry.

Wiglaf Miniatures aims to produce sculpts that are historically accurate and evocative of the period. There’s a balanced mix of armoured and unarmoured warriors, and we have researched costume and appearance across a wide range of sources. The Anglo-Saxon range is based on what is known of their costume in the seventh century AD. Shields are scaled to around 70cm and helmets are based on the known British Isles examples from the surrounding centuries (Sutton Hoo, Benty Grange, Pioneer, Shorwell, Coppergate, Staffordshire). We’ve modelled some shield decorations onto the wealthiest warriors, ensured our warriors carry a seax, and named the leaders after some of our favourite warlords from the period.

Please note that you’ll need to supply spears and standards for open-handed miniatures, but shields are cast on. Models listed as “assorted poses” are supplied as a random mix from those shown.