Franz's Personal Universe
London Bridge
The London Bridge bridge built across Thames, has become the symbol of English power since the Middle Ages. Behind it, there was a tragic and soul-stirring history story, that illustrated the early sense of nationalism in Medieval England.
The main characters of this story are two Anglo-Saxon Kings: Ethelred II the Unready, and Edmund II Ironside. Let’s go back to the year 1016, the year when Denmark invaded England.
A summer day, in 1016, king Ethelred II stood on the London tower, watching that thousands of Danish soldiers stepping towards London, from the plain not far away from the city.
“Dad,” Said Edmund II, the co-ruler of his father, “What had happened to our country?”
“Oh, so terrible!” Replied king Ethelred, “Those Danish people, those Vikings, are invading our country! They are now not far from London!”
Edmund thought for a while, said, “I suppose that we have the city moat, don’t we?”
Ethelred, sighing that, “For sure, but those Vikings are good at swimming, they won’t be affected too much by the river!”
“But, we have our long-bowers, we can shoot them down even though with far distance, can’t we?”
“Yes, there’s nothing wrong for your statement,” Ethelred said, “but they are heavily armored, which means our longbows would not make sense.”
“So, if we just…cut down the London Bridge?”
“That’s simply stupid, my son!” Ethelred answered angrily, “You are trying to cut off the only bridge to the outside!”
“Listen to me, dad,” said Edmund moderately, “let me fight with the Danish, let me be the sacrificer, please! You just please follow my instructions! I know what to do!”
Ethelred had no other choices, but to let Edmund, do what he wanted. “All right, I will always support you.”
Edmund led an army of 500, saying goodbye to his father, then got out of London. Following his instructions, Ethelred cut down the London Bridge, making sure that Edmund and all the Danish soldiers could not enter the city by the bridge.
Canute, the king of Denmark, looking at Edmund and laughed. “Who let you out, you little boy?Where is your father and whether you have a…father!”
Edmund was furious. “My dad is in the palace, I sent myself out to fight with you savages, you robbers, you pirates, you invaders! So, let the battle start!”
The fierce fight ended in Anglo-Saxons’ disaster. Edmund died with a body full of blood. No one in his army survived. After the battle, under Canute’s order, Danish soldiers entered London through the city moat.
King Ethelred, hearing about his son’s death, wailed in grief. “My son, you had
done your best to guard the country, that’s not you fault, that’s mine!”
Rushing out the palace, Ethelred fought with the invaders. An arrow from the Danish suddenly stabbed through his head.
That was Canute I’s full victory. But for the Anglo-Saxons, it was totally a failure.
They had to fight for independence through years until 1042, when Canute II, son of Canute I, was overthrown. The new King, Edward the Confessor — son of Ethelred and younger brother of Edmund — was restored by the English people as the new King.
Many years after the conquest of Danes, an old lady talked about the story of London Bridge, telling children the nursery rhyme:
“London Bridge is falling down, falling down…”