Hereward the Wake

Hereward the Wake
(11th century)
a British military leader who encouraged the Anglo-Saxons to resist William the Conqueror and the Normans in 1070. His military base was the Isle of Ely in Cambridgeshire, and after the Normans had defeated him there he is said to have escaped. There are many stories about his adventures although few of them are based on historical fact.

* * *

▪ Anglo-Saxon rebel
flourished 1070–71

      Anglo-Saxon rebel against William the Conqueror and the hero of many Norman and English legends. He is associated with a region in present-day Huntingdonshire and Northamptonshire.

      In 1070, expecting a conquest of England by King Sweyn II of Denmark, Hereward and some followers joined a force of Danish sailors who had come to Ely. Together they sacked Peterborough Abbey, perhaps to prevent its treasures from falling into the hands of the new Norman abbot, Turold. Soon after, Sweyn made peace with William the Conqueror, and so the Danes returned home. Hereward, however, established himself on the Isle of Ely, which in 1071 became a refuge for Anglo-Saxon fugitives, notably Morcar, earl of Northumbria. William's forces eventually captured the isle after a methodical assault, but Hereward managed to escape. He is the hero of Charles Kingsley's last novel, Hereward the Wake (1866).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hereward the Wake — Hereward the Wake, (c. 1035 death date unkown) known in his own times as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile, was an 11th century Anglo Saxon leader in the Kingdom of England who led resistance to the Norman Conquest. According to legend,… …   Wikipedia

  • Hereward the Wake — Hereward l Exilé Hereward le Wake, connu en son temps sous le nom d Hereward le Proscrit ou Hereward l Exilé, fut un des chefs de la résistance anglaise à la conquête normande de l Angleterre au XIe siècle mais il fut considéré comme un hors …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hereward the Wake — Hereward the Wake, zu seiner Zeit als Hereward the Outlaw (der Geächtete) und Hereward the Exile (der Verbannte) bekannt, war ein angelsächsischer, vielleicht auch anglo dänischer, da sein Name dänisch ist, Widerstandskämpfer gegen die… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hereward the Wake — [Hereward the Wake] (11th century) a British military leader who encouraged the ↑Anglo Saxons to resist ↑William the Conqueror and the ↑Normans in 1070. His military base was the Isle of ↑Ely in ↑Cambridgeshire, and after the Normans had defeated …   Useful english dictionary

  • HEREWARD THE WAKE —    a Saxon hero, a yeoman, who made a gallant effort to rally his countrymen against the Norman Conqueror; he made his final stand on the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire (1070 71), cut his way through the besieging army, and escaped to the Fens;… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Hereward l'Exile — Hereward l Exilé Hereward le Wake, connu en son temps sous le nom d Hereward le Proscrit ou Hereward l Exilé, fut un des chefs de la résistance anglaise à la conquête normande de l Angleterre au XIe siècle mais il fut considéré comme un hors …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hereward l'Exilé — Hereward le Wake, connu en son temps sous le nom d Hereward le Proscrit ou Hereward l Exilé, fut un des chefs de la résistance anglaise à la conquête normande de l Angleterre au XIe siècle mais il fut considéré comme un hors la loi à partir… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • The Fens — The Fens, also known as the Fenland, is a geographic area in eastern England, in the United Kingdom. The Fenland primarily lies around the coast of the Wash; it reaches into two Government regions (East Anglia and the East Midlands), four modern… …   Wikipedia

  • Hereward Way — Infobox Hiking trail Name=Hereward Way Photo=Thetford forest dtab.jpg Caption=Thetford Forest lies on the trail Location=East Anglia, England Designation= Length=Convert|110|mi|0 [ [http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/environment/countryside/activiti… …   Wikipedia

  • Wake — This is surely one of the most famous surnames in British history, although relatively uncommon. It originates from the pre 7th century Norse Viking word vakr meaning watchful, and as a surname it was probably applied to a keeper of the watch ,… …   Surnames reference

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”