The Last Kingdom. Bernard Cornwell

Basengas Basing, Hampshire Beamfleot Benfleet, Essex Beardastopol Barnstable, Devon Bebbanburg Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland Berewic Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland Berrocscire Berkshire Blaland North Africa Cantucton Cannington, Somerset Cetreht Catterick, Yorkshire Cippanhamm Chippenham, Wiltshire Cirrenceastre Cirencester, Gloucestershire Contwaraburg Canterbury, Kent Cornwalum Cornwall Cridianton Crediton, Devon Cynuit Cynuit Hillfort, nr. Cannington, Somerset Dalriada Western Scotland Defnascir Devonshire Deoraby Derby, Derbyshire Dic Diss, Norfolk Dunholm Durham, County Durham Eoferwic York (also the Danish Jorvic, pronounced Yorvik) Exanceaster Exeter, Devon Fromtun Frampton on Severn, Gloucestershire Gegnesburh Gainsborough, Lincolnshire the Gewæsc The Wash Gleawecestre Gloucester, Gloucestershire Grantaceaster Cambridge, Cambridgeshire Gyruum Jarrow, County Durham Haithabu Hedeby, trading town in Southern Denmark Hamanfunta Havant, Hampshire Hamptonscir Hampshire Hamtun Southampton, Hampshire Heilincigae Hayling Island, Hampshire Hreapandune Repton, Derbyshire Kenet River Kennet Ledecestre Leicester, Leicestershire Lindisfarena Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Northumberland Lundene London Mereton Marten, Wiltshire Meslach Matlock, Derbyshire Pedredan River Parrett Pictland Eastern Scotland the Poole Poole Harbour, Dorset Readingum Reading, Berkshire Sæfern River Severn Scireburnan Sherborne, Dorset Snotengaham Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Solente Solent Streonshall Strensall, Yorkshire Sumorsæte Somerset Suth Seaxa Sussex (South Saxons) Synningthwait Swinithwaite, Yorkshire Temes River Thames Thornsæta Dorset Tine River Tyne Trente River Trent Tuede River Tweed Twyfyrde Tiverton, Devon Uisc River Exe Werham Wareham, Dorset Wiht Isle of Wight Wiire River Wear Wiltun Wilton, Wiltshire Wiltunscir Wiltshire Winburnan Wimborne Minster, Dorset Wintanceaster Winchester, Hampshire

       PROLOGUE

       Northumbria, 866–867 AD

      My name is Uhtred. I am the son of Uhtred, who was the son of Uhtred and his father was also called Uhtred. My father’s clerk, a priest called Beocca, spelt it Utred. I do not know if that was how my father would have written it, for he could neither read nor write, but I can do both and sometimes I take the old parchments from their wooden chest and I see the name spelled Uhtred or Utred or Ughtred or Ootred. I look at those parchments which are deeds saying that Uhtred, son of Uhtred is the lawful and sole owner of the lands that are carefully marked by stones and by dykes, by oaks and by ash, by marsh and by sea, and I dream of those lands, wave-beaten and wild beneath the wind-driven sky. I dream, and know that one day I will take back the land from those who stole it from me.

      I am an Ealdorman, though I call myself Earl Uhtred, which is the same thing, and the fading parchments are proof of what I own. The law says