The King In The North: The Life & Times Of Oswald Of Northumbria - Max Adams
It may be hard to believe, but this Northumbrian king has quite a lot of significance in today's modern culture. "How?" you ask, well King Oswald has been credited as one of the possible influences for J.R.R. Tolkien's charter of Aragorn in The Lord Of The Rings (alongside another infamous Saxon king, Alfred The Great). With this in mind, you already have an image of what this King might have been like, and through this book I was able to find out about a person, who was so influential in life and in death, is themes fascinating figure of Early Medieval England that you (predominately us Southerners) never knew about.
Max Adams paints a very ornate and detailed picture of the world in which Oswald was a part of. Despite our initial judgements that the Early Medieval period is quite insular to our isles, the effect of two forms of Christianity (Irish and Roman) made England a significant and widely known place during the 7th century. Battling between the spiritual realms of Saxon paganism and the ever expanding influence and acceptance of Christianity thrusts the reader into a political world where every small move has a consequence. Oswald himself, who only had an 8 year reign, understood this and became an incredible leader of the now defunct kingdoms of Bernicia and Deiria (unified as Northumbria). Adams gives a vivid picture on how tumultuous these times were but demonstrates with well researched evidence how well Oswald, and later his successor, his brother Oswiu, dealt with the challenges that faced them. Oswald is a charismatic figure and the more I read the more I began to idolise him, and put him on a pedestal next to my other favourite Saxon, Alfred.
We also get an insight into the infantile idea of Statehood, Oswald could be considered the first "head of state" in England, through his astute politics and military skill. We also see the forming of the incredibly dependent (and in my personal opinion, dubious) relationship between the King and the Church. Even so, the early success of a kingdom came and went with its King, very much like the early Viking kingdoms, very little legacy would be left after them. However, Oswald and his brother Oswiu managed to redefine kingship and leave a significant legacy. In death, Oswald became a saint and had an illustrious post-humous career, with his relics being as holy as St. Cuthbert's. The primary source we have on Oswald is the Venerable Bede infamous Northumbrian writer of The Ecclesiastical History Of The English People, so you do have to take the source with a pinch of salt as he has been artistically liberal and bias. Despite this, it gives a fascinating insight into the medieval mind and how Christian mysticism is an integral part of daily life, placing a strong emphasis on the miraculous powers of relics.
With all that in mind, I enjoyed the book as it has become a gateway for me to start to understand the Anglo-Saxon and British side to the Viking studies I have personally undertaken. Even though this is set in the 600s and early 700s (Vikings wouldn't appear until 793), it has given me a good foundation understanding of the Anglo-Saxon mind. Adams also provides various aspects of geographical reference which I found helpful in placing these people and their stories into the living landscape. Although there was a fair bit of conjecture, Adams writes in an easily accessible and engaging style, bringing to life these people and their stories but in an accurate and concise way. I would definitely recommend this book if you're looking into the beginnings of the conversion of the English from paganism to Christianity alongside the foundations of the first churches in the North. Whilst I wished there was more content on Oswald, I understand that with such a short reign and dubious sources it can be a massive effort to fully piece together his story, but what you do get is an incredible insight into the foundations of the country we know today.
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