Wordhoard: Anglo-Saxon Stories

by Jill Paton Walsh, Kevin Crossley-Holland

Eight stories of Anglo-Saxon times when raiders came from the North, and Paganism and Christianity struggled for recognition.

Genres: History, Anglo Saxon

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Jill Paton Walsh was born Gillian Bliss in London on April 29th, 1937. She was educated at St. Michael's Convent, North Finchley, and at St. Anne's College, Oxford. From 1959 to 1962 she taught English at Enfield Girls' Grammar School.

Jill Paton Walsh has won the Book World Festival Award, 1970, for Fireweed; the Whitbread Prize, 1974 (for a Children's novel) for The Emperor's Winding Sheet; The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award 1976 for Unleaving; The Universe Prize, 1984 for A Parcel of Patterns; and the Smarties Grand Prix, 1984, for Gaffer Samson's Luck.

Series:
* Imogen Quy
* Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane

Reviews

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea that these masters of literature had worked together on a compilation of eight stories set within the anglo-saxon period. Although each story is self-contained, they read in chronological order and weave within each other - some explicitly, others not so much. What I particularly liked (and preferred about these stories to other anglo-saxon tales I have read) is that they weren't about warriors or kings, battles or duels, these are stories about the everyman.

I enjoyed each story though some more than others merely because of my interest in the language and characters (Yes, I think I favoured JPW's). In my version, each chapter states which author wrote that particular story.

If you're interested in the word itself, I believe it's earliest recording is in Beowulf itself. When he arrives at the shores of the Danish king, Hrothgar, the eldest of the group 'unlocks his wordhoard':

'Him se yldesta andswarode,
Werodes wīsa, wordhord onlēac.'

A wonderful image and the book itself is an unfettering of Paton Walsh's and Crossley-Holland's own substantial and gifted trove and command of our language.

[Beth Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent recommendation by Mat. Thank you.
You sort of can tell whether Jill Paton Walsh or Kevin Crossley-Holland wrote the story and then sort of cannot.
The language used and the structure of sentences at times challenged me but in a good way.
I also learned a new word - susurrus - which, when i found out what it meant, made this sentence sing..."Then through the silken evening air Harold had heard the susurrus arrows, arrows, arrows, arrows."
See what I mean about sentence structure?
One that also jumped out the page at me was...
"Spear and shriek and shield and shout and sword and scream and scream tore apart the silken evening air. Hands and horses, helmets, heads were trampled underfoot."
Typing these out, I have only just noticed the repetition of "silken evening air", which i had not noticed when reading this particular story (The eye of the hurricane, Kevin Crossley-Holland).

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collaboration between two very well-regarded authors in the field of children's literature, Wordhoard presents eight short stories set during the tumultuous Anglo-Saxon period, from the withdrawal of the Romans in 416, to the Norman conquest of 1066. Here the reader will encounter many familiar figures, from Caedmon the poet-monk to King Alfred the Great, the venerable Bede to the defeated King Harald. Here also the reader will find ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events. Arranged chronologically, these stories provide an entertaining and sometimes moving introduction to the period. Included are:

The Woodwose by Jill Paton Walsh, in which a defeated "Bretman" lord appears after many years, and learns the fate of his people and family at the hands of the Saxon invaders...

Caedmon by Kevin Crossley-Holland, in which a young monk named Bede investigates the story of Caedmon, a man who awoke one day with a miraculous gift for poetry, and who was the first to combine Christian song with the older, heroic pagan style...

Asser's Book" by Jill Paton Walsh, in which an aged King Alfred recalls various moments from his youth...

Leof's Leavetaking by Kevin Crossley-Holland, in which an old court poet is dismissed from his position so that a young relative of the new king might take his place; and who, in a tragic twist, finds himself passing along his gift to a most unexpected person in his subsequent wandering...

The Horseman by Kevin Crossley-Holland, in which a young girl tells an unfortunate runaway from the Battle of Maldon just what fate awaits those who betray their oaths...

The Childmaster by Jill Paton Walsh, in which a reluctant young monk named Brother Oswald makes peace with his new place in the world, and with his abusive former teacher...

Thurkell the Tall by Jill Paton Walsh, in which a Danish Viking learns a new kind of courage from his captive, Archbishop Alfig...

The Eye of the Hurricane by Kevin Crossley-Holland, in which King Harald's life passes before his eyes as he lies dying on the battlefield at Hastings...

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

enchanting, quick read.
Action-packed, poignant handful of tales. Characters well-known, placed in likely turning points.

[Charlotte]

Short stories about Anglo Saxons, mostly kids, some referencing particular bits of Anglo Saxon literature, others historic events....not bad, and sometimes even moving. Child me would rather have read Rosemary Sutcliff, but having read all of RS would have accepted this and read it happily. Grown up me is more "yay I can shelve this after a decade or more spent in tbr purgatory"

[Alex Ankarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd, I didn't get all the stories, but was gripped by them. They must be so atmospheric.