WakeHereward Project
Forgotten hero..
Freedom fighter..
Legend..
Rebel Leaders in the Rebellion of the Fens
Earls Edwin and Morcar:
Young Defenders of Anglo-Saxon England
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Edwin on the left and Morcar in the middle, pictured here with Thorkell of Harringworth, were two young Anglo-Saxon earls from the powerful Mercian dynasty, a family line dating back to early English kings. This heritage put them in constant rivalry with the House of Wessex, another ruling family with which they often contended for influence and territory. Edwin, as Earl of Mercia, and his brother Morcar, as Earl of Northumbria, were among the most notable figures leading the resistance against the Norman invasion in 1066. Their bravery and loyalty to England were remarkable, and their journeys marked key moments in the last stand for the Anglo-Saxon way of life.
Sometime between 1062 to 1064, Edwin inherited his father’s title as Earl of Mercia, while Morcar became Earl of Northumbria in 1065 after replacing Tostig, the son of the influential Earl Godwin, and brother of Harold. As leaders of these critical regions, Edwin and Morcar held considerable sway in England. When the Viking King Harald Hardrada invaded England in 1066, the brothers defended the country, bravely leading forces at the Battle of Fulford on 20th September 1066, a challenging encounter outside York, even though it ended in a hard-fought loss. Later, they helped guard London as King Harold Godwinson marched south to face William of Normandy at Hastings, after defeating Hardrada at Stamford Bridge on 25th September 1066.
After Harold’s defeat at the Battle of Hastings on 14th October, London faced an uncertain future. Together with Archbishop Aldred of York and Abbot Brand of Peterborough, Edwin and Morcar announced young Edgar the Atheling, only about 12 years old, as the new king of England. However, Edgar, a Hungarian by birth - yet the last male member of the royal house of Cerdic of Wessex - was never crowned, and the Anglo-Saxon leaders, realising they were up against a formidable enemy, came to terms with William. In March 1067, the brothers joined a group of nobles accompanying William back to Normandy, signaling their reluctant acceptance of his rule—at least temporarily.
Despite their initial attempts to co-operate with William, Edwin and Morcar’s loyalty to their homelands of the Midlands and North was stronger. During the Coronation of Queen Matilda at Westminster Abbey in 1068, they boldly escaped from William’s court, rallying troops in Stafford. But once again, William’s army pressed them into submission, leading to a temporary peace. William then built castles at Warwick, Nottingham, York, Lincoln, Huntingdon and Cambridge. Consigned to the King's Court and effectively being held as hostages under 'House Arrest' their restlessness persisted, however, and in 1071 they launched another rebellion, this time joining forces with Hereward the Wake in the Fens—a marshy, isolated region ideal for resistance tactics.
After meeting Hereward at Welle, a vast area of wetlands covering modern day Outwell, Upwell and Welney, deep in the Fens, Edwin sought support from King Malcolm III of Scotland but was ambushed and killed en route. He and his retinue of knights fought valiantly until the end. His loss was felt across the nation, and even William, though a conqueror, was moved enough by Edwin’s death to exile those responsible.
Meanwhile, Morcar continued the fight with Hereward on the Isle of Ely. After a betrayal by monks who revealed a hidden path, the island fell to William on 27th October 1071. Morcar surrendered under an agreement with William but was imprisoned for life. After 16 years, William’s son, Robert Curthose, released Morcar in 1087, but Morcar was later re-imprisoned by the new king, William Rufus, where he likely spent the remainder of his life.
Thorkell of Harringworth - Dispossessed land owner
An interesting yet obscure character, Thorkell of Harringworth (to the right) was one of the wealthiest land owners in the East Midlands with his main manor being at Harringworth in Rutland. Thorkell is likely to have fought at the Battle of Hastings because he was dispossessed of all of his lands, as was the punishment of those that fought against William, along with exile.
He is identified as the same man that held Castle Acre at the time of the Norman Conquest and could be a reason why Hereward went to Castle Acre and assassinated a leading Norman lord called Frederick, the brother in law of William de Warenne, one of the Conqueror's closest confidants.
It is also thought that Thorkell was the instigator, along with Hereward, that incited the Danish Viking Housecarles to ransack Peterborough on 2nd June 1070 and historian Cyril Hart identifies him as the same Turkillies that is associated with Hereward and Abbot Thurstan during the Ely rebellion, suggesting he was one of the wealthy magnates that 'bankrolled' the rebellion. It is possible Thorkell left for Denmark with the Danish fleet.
Exemplifying his wealth and piety, Thorkell and his wife were also chief benefactors of Ramsey and Thorney Abbeys before the Conquest.
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Siward Barn (image above) was a key English rebel during the Norman Conquest and became part of the legendary resistance against William the Conqueror. A brave and determined Anglo-Saxon noble, Siward fought alongside some of the most well-known figures of the era, including Edgar the Atheling, Earl Waltheof, and Hereward the Wake. As a land magnate he held 21 Manors in 8 Counties including Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, all of which he lost during the Conquest.
In 1069, Siward joined Edgar the Atheling, Waltheof, and a large Danish fleet in an attempt to retake York from the Normans. The combined forces struck back with ferocity, briefly reclaiming the city. However, the resistance did not last, and after this defeat, Siward continued his
fight for English freedom.
By 1071, Siward had allied himself with Hereward in the Isle of Ely, a remote area surrounded by marshland and water, ideal for defending against William’s forces. With the help of Bishop Æthelwine and hundreds of followers, they turned Ely into a stronghold for English rebels. They resisted for months, conducting daring raids against Norman soldiers and holding Ely until it finally fell on October 27, 1071, when monks betrayed them by guiding William’s forces through the difficult terrain. Siward was captured and imprisoned.
While records show that Siward Barn was imprisoned, legend suggests a more adventurous ending. Some stories claim he later escaped or was released and joined the Varangian Guard, an elite group of warriors serving the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople, modern-day Istanbul, Turkey. This legend suggests that Siward and other English exiles journeyed further on to the Black Sea, where they founded a new homeland, “New England,” in areas that are now part of the Crimea or modern Georgia. There, it’s said they established towns with names like New York and New London, carrying their English heritage far beyond the British Isles.
Siward’s story is a blend of historical events and fascinating legend, making him a mysterious figure in the history of English resistance
Hereward's Band of Men
Acer Vasas
'Acer the Hard'
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'the son of the gentleman who owned the tower at Lincoln'
Lewin Mone
'The Sickle'
'with nothing but his sickle, he wounded many and killed some, dashing among them like a reaper'
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Wluncas
'Wluncas the Black'
'so-called because he had stained his face with charcoal and gone unrecognised among enemies and overthrown ten of them'
Lefwin Prat
'The Crafty'
'because though often captured by his enemies he had cunningly escaped, many times killing his guards.'
Hereward
Legend of the Witch
Hereward – Legend of the Witch
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In recent years, the tale of the witch in the Hereward story has become a favourite for school children learning about the Norman Conquest and exploring the Hereward legend. This season, especially around Halloween and the anniversary of Hereward’s Last Stand on October 27, 1071—when his resistance to Norman rule ended and King William ‘the Conqueror’ finally entered the Isle of Ely—adds to its allure. The story’s themes of resistance and dark supernatural forces gain special relevance. According to the Gesta Herwardi, as William the Conqueror’s forces pressed in on the Isle of Ely, he brought in a witch to curse Hereward and his men, hoping to weaken their defences through supernatural means.
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Though some commentators may dismiss the witch story in the Gesta Herwardi as a fanciful legend (e.g. Freeman, Head, et al) it reflects the supernatural beliefs rooted in Anglo-Saxon England, making this “fantastic” element surprisingly plausible.
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The event occurs in the final days of Hereward’s resistance where William gave orders to rebuild parts of the Aldreth Causeway. Hereward, disguised as a Potter and on his way to spy on William’s camp lodged overnight in a hovel where he discovered one of the two old hags was a witch planning the downfall of the inhabitants on the Isle at the behest of William.
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It took William’s army 7 days to construct the timber erections for the siege engines and on the eighth day his army advanced to attack the Isle and placed the witch on an elevated spot among them.
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‘When she had got up she spoke out for a long time against the Isle and its inhabitants, denouncing destruction and uttering charms for their overthrow and at the end of her talking and incantations the witch turned her back
upon them in derision.’ (Gesta Herwardi)
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However, while the witch was bearing her buttocks Hereward and his men had hidden in the reed beds and set fire to the combustible fen, suddenly appearing through the smoke and attacking the Normans with arrows as they fled in disarray. In the chaos and flames the tower collapsed and the witch fell to her death, with the king himself among the few that survived, though quite fortunately as he had an arrow pierce his shield as he scarpered, according to the
Gesta chronicler, Richard of Ely.
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In Anglo-Saxon England, witchcraft was deeply entwined with fear, folklore, and faith. Though far from the witch hunts of later centuries, Anglo-Saxon beliefs about witches and supernatural powers were woven into the daily lives of people, reflected in laws, religious practices, and medical remedies. The Anglo-Saxons believed in a variety of spirits, from elves and fairies to the “wicce” (witches), who were thought to use magic, often malevolently, to manipulate natural forces.
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While witchcraft in this period did not carry the same criminal weight as it would in later centuries, it was still viewed with suspicion. Under his laws known as 'The Grateley Code' King Æthelstan (r. 924–939) enacted laws against the practice, particularly condemning those who used curses or charms believed to bring illness or misfortune.
Athelstan made trial by water, also known as 'indicium aquae', an official test for all crimes. This test was used to determine if a person was guilty of witchcraft or other crimes. it was still believed to be an infallible way to determine guilt of witches
for another 600 years.
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Yet the line between accepted ritual and condemned witchcraft was blurry. Charms, known as “leechcraft,” were widely practiced as a form of folk medicine, and priests themselves used certain prayers and relics to counteract curses and bring protection. In some cases, people sought the guidance of “wise women” or seers, whose practices bordered on witchcraft. These beliefs are reflected in documents such as the Leechbook, a medical text that prescribed both herbal remedies and ritual prayers to address ailments.
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Christianity, introduced in the 7th century, strongly influenced Anglo-Saxon views of witchcraft. The Church condemned pagan practices and labelled witchcraft as a sin. In the 10th century Abbot Ælfric of Eynsham wrote worriedly about witches in the English countryside, claiming they stood on ancient barrows to
summon the Devil.
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But paradoxically, priests often used prayers, rituals, and relics as counter-charms. These remedies, mixed with ancient pagan practices, formed the unique blend of “folk magic” that persisted in daily life. Anglo-Saxon charms, like the “Nine Herbs Charm,” combined Christian prayers with elements of pagan magic to counteract witchcraft, revealing a society both suspicious
and fascinated by the supernatural.
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This story of Hereward and the witch also aligns with the Anglo-Saxon seasonal tradition for November known as Blodmonath or "Blood Month," a time associated with sacrifice and purging. Traditionally, the Anglo-Saxons would make offerings of animals, sometimes by burning, to the gods to ensure health and protection through the winter months. By setting fire to the witch’s tower, Hereward’s actions may have unwittingly mirrored this tradition, serving as both an act of rebellion and a symbolic sacrifice, tying into the cultural memory
of Blood Month and All Hallows Eve.
While some modern readers view these supernatural elements as imaginative, the Anglo-Saxons and Normans of Hereward’s time would have seen them as both possible and fearsome. Hereward’s victory over the witch serves as a reminder of the resilience and independence that came to define his legend—a powerful narrative that helped keep his spirit of defiance alive in the face of
overwhelming Norman force
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