SIFLEDE by Judith Arnopp
London, October 1066
When the Normans come, Southwark’s residents need to fight, flee, hide or die...
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| About Judith's story |
Silfede - London 1066
I began writing professionally more than twenty years ago when I was heavily into the late Anglo-Saxon period. I still have a fondness for everything relating to Harold Godwinson. My early books, Peaceweaver and The Forest Dwellers, are both set before, during and after the Battle of Hastings. But the main thrust of my career has focused on a later time frame and I have produced many books set in the late medieval and Tudor era.
I have enjoyed detailing the lives of people like Margaret Beaufort, Henry VIII and at the other end of the social spectrum, Joanie Toogood, a prostitute from Southwark. I also wrote about the experiences of a company of nuns from Yorkshire at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries.
None, however, has captured my interest like the Anglo-Saxons.
When I was approached to write a short story for Courage I knew immediately I was heading back to Harold II. I have always been fascinated by transitional periods and the time of the conquest was certainly transitional. The arrival of the Normans saw cultural, social and political traditions in England change forever. The English - those that survived the conquest - were suddenly faced with a new king, and a new language. Their long-held traditions were forbidden, and the noble-born women who did not flee to the safety of the nearest nunnery were married off to Normans, their lands taken and their bloodline diluted.
But the English did not fall quietly into line and post 1066 is replete with uprisings and resistance. My story, Silfede, fictionalises one of the first acts of resistance against the Conqueror. I hope you enjoy it.
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| read a snippet |
SIFLEDE by Judith Arnopp
London, October 1066
When the Normans come, Southwark’s residents need to fight, flee, hide or die
Mother is dishing out chores, and
since I’m her only daughter, I bear the brunt of the domestic jobs. She has a
sharp tongue and a stinging slap, her softer side only appearing when one of us
is ailing, and today I am as healthy as I’ve ever been. Dismayed at the pile of
vegetables in want of peeling, the pies in need of baking, and the teetering
tower of pots waiting to be scoured, I tuck my shawl over my head and scuttle
away from the hustle of the settlement. The street seems busier than usual as I
duck down alleyways and around corners, avoiding the eye of those who know me.
Some of the neighbours call out a greeting but I do not slacken my pace until
the noxious stench of the tanneries dissipates into the fresher air of the
marsh.
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I like how Judith shows historical pressure building across ordinary lives. Silfede’s world is shaped by chores but also the ever-present sense of change at the end of daily routine. The contrast between marshland calm and the approaching Norman presence gives the opening so much tension!
ReplyDeleteand I liked the impression that these people were real ... just ordinary people who very possibly did live there at that time
DeleteThank you, life and nature on Earth goes on regardless of what nonsense human beings get up to. I love to think how London area was then, just marsh and silt islands and the peaceful swish of long grasses.
Delete... pity them Normans came and spoiled it! LOL
Delete'Resistance against a conqueror' is inspiring, not just in medieval times...
ReplyDeletemy mind immediately goes to where there is conflict today...
DeleteYes!
DeleteI often imagine a certain modern day baddie when I am writing a villain from the past.
DeleteHmm... I wonder which Baddie in particular...
DeleteWhat teenage girl wouldn't slip away instead of scouring pots? I've always been impressed by how relatable your characters are, and I will never forget Joanie!
ReplyDeletethis story really brought home the reality of the immediate aftermath of October 1066
DeleteJoanie Toogood may well be making a cameo appearance in my next novel so keep your eyes peeled.
Deleteooh exciting!
DeleteRunning off from doing the dishes resonates even in the age of electro-mechanical dishwashers, as does getting your clothes dirty and worrying about the consequences. Readers will instantly commit!
ReplyDeleteagreed!
DeleteI bet there's a girl in Southwark Park today, just lying back on the grass, cloud-watching and dreaming. Your characters are always people we know, Judith, and that's what draws us into your luminous historical fiction.
ReplyDeleteI won't take you up with that bet as it's a winner I think!
DeleteHa ha! I bet there is, I just hope W the C isn't on his way!
Deletewhen I was writing Harold the King I had a hard time writing Bill the B's scenes. A good friend (Sharon Penman!) suggested 'think of something good about him.' That was 26 years ago - still haven't thought of anything...
DeleteHa ha! No, me neither! a baddie through and through!
DeleteA story that could be set in almost any conflict zone, reminding us that it's always ordinary people who pay the price.
ReplyDeleteThis story is especially meaningful isn't it - because it is about the ordinary people
DeleteI don't think people have changed too much, although it is difficult to tell since so much history focusses on the elite.
DeleteThank you so much for your kind comments and you patience with my absence. I love everyone of the stories in this anthology.
ReplyDeletefor myself, my pleasure. Hope you're getting back to normal a bit now. xx
DeleteAs usual, I'm blown away by your immersive writing, Judith. I feel like I'm walking alongside your characters, living and breathing in their world. Brava!
ReplyDeleteSorry, not anonymous! That's me. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Amy, I thought I had a secret admirer - lol
ReplyDelete