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Hæstingas: A retelling of the valiant fall of England in verse
Dragons, mythical beasts, mighty warriors and perilous forests. This is England in 1066. The Anglo-Saxon king, Harold, is bound north to repel a strong force of Norsemen - unaware of the approaching threat upon the southern shores of his kingdom. Among his army of thousands, from noble thegns to battle-hardened housecarls and staunch fyrdmen, is the ambitious, loyal and proud Leofwin. Eager to defend his brother's kingdom and carve his name in the annals of history, he battles in earnest against famed warriors, ravenous wolves and wicked sorcerers. However, his ambitions soon come to naught when his beloved wife's life is in danger. His whole world and home are approaching an inevitable downfall.
194 pages, Hardcover
Published May 28, 2021
About the author
James Moffett
13 books14 followersJames Moffett discovered his love for reading at a later stage than usual. Since then he has been absorbing all kinds of facts and histories, going as far back as the Roman era and as recent as the Victorian age. During his brief writing career, he has published a collection of short stories and a stand-alone novel on the character of Sherlock Holmes, including short story submissions to two anthologies about the same literary character. He also maintains an online blog on the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien: atolkienistperspective.wordpress.com as well as a YouTube channel: Brewing Books. In his spare time, James engages in copious amounts of reading, tea drinking, and practising archery.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 16, 2021
This is poetry in the line of... Beowulf? The Lay of Sigurd and Gudrun? It doesn’t matter. It’s amazing; it’s epic poetry centered around real history (with some additional fantastical elements). It’s epic, it’s beautiful, it’s amazing.
Note: I’ve never read anything by this author before, but I found his Kickstarter for a hardback edition because I’m a Tolkien fan. So, I purchased a hardback copy through Kickstarter (and they shipped this out super fast, by the way). If you like Tolkien, you’ll probably like this book.
Note: I’ve never read anything by this author before, but I found his Kickstarter for a hardback edition because I’m a Tolkien fan. So, I purchased a hardback copy through Kickstarter (and they shipped this out super fast, by the way). If you like Tolkien, you’ll probably like this book.
October 12, 2022
Non-spoiler review:
I found this gem of a poem by stumbling on the author’s YouTube page. I was researching the conventions of epic poetry and I happened to find this brand new book, published only a few years ago.
The poem narrates the events of the Battle of Hastings, seen through the eyes of Leofwin (brother of the king, Harold Godwinson.) It is also punctuated with some classic British elements of fantasy as well as a hero who is aching for his true love while he is separated from her in battle.
The poem is a real treat for anyone who craves new literature in the classic epic poetry style. The author shows extreme discipline by packing so much action and emotion in the format of octosyllabic couplets! The story not only adheres to the conventions of epic poetry (formatted rhythmically, based on a hero of high birth, involving a string of conflicts both internal and external, both divine and mundane) as well as the conventions of a typical war story (the pain of losing characters you grow attached to, gory battle details and moments of extreme anticipation).
The pacing is perfect. It is well-balanced between battle scenes, fantasy scenes and scenes of personal reflection.
My only real critique is that it’s not longer! Personally, I would’ve liked to see just one more arc or “canto”. Other than that, I only have minor critiques about word usage.
🚨Review with SPOILERS🚨
The story arcs of the poem are quite easy to follow. There are action-packed, white-knuckle battle scenes between the Norsemen and the Normans. There are fantastical obstacles to overcome, such as a dragon, a demonic black dog from classic British lore, a malicious and seductive fairy and antagonizing wraiths. There is also a romantic subplot in which Leofwin is given strength by the prospect of seeing his wife Elvyn again, even though he tragically loses her.
The battle between the dragon and St. George is a little on the nose with symbolism. Nevertheless, it didn’t interfere with the battle against the Norsemen. If anything, it served to heighten the stakes a bit for both sides.
There are a few lines that I didn’t find particularly inspirational. (But, when you’re writing in this kind of format, it’s impossible for all the lines to be perfect. Sometimes, they just need to take you from one conflict to another.)
Some of the word usage was a bit awkward. For example, the author used “hoofs” as a plural for “hooves”. There were times when he switched between the use of “thou” and “you”. And I found some of the adjectives preceded by “all” to be a bit awkward. (For example, “all grey”.)
Fortunately, there were some decent lines that sounded beautiful. (My personal favorite within the text itself was “Shattering shrieks of shafts shrilling” Canto 5, Line 450. It perfectly captured the sounds of clashing metal.)
Because the poem is told from the Christian perspective of an ancient bard, I did find the ending to be satisfying, despite the Saxons losing the battle. There was a battle between Saint George and a dragon and Saint Michael disguised himself as an old man in order to give Leofwin a shield. So, a heavenly reunion with Elvyn was perfectly placed.
I especially appreciate the author’s decision to base his poem on a battle from the perspective of the loser. Understandably, we all want happy endings and a promise that we will triumph. But Leofwin’s personal journey underscores the purpose of this story. Originally, Leofwin wanted glory and fame, even if it cost him his life and his well-being. But, in the end, he lost his greatest motivation to keep fighting: Elvyn. Without her to spur him on, he was able to discover the true love that a warrior feels for the vulnerable people of their nation. He was able to continue fighting against a formidable enemy not because he needed to win, but because he couldn’t afford to lose.
Personally, I find “Hæstingas” to be a subversion of the typical triumphant war story. It shows that life can go on after defeat. History runs in circles. Battles aren’t linear events. They’re merely archetypes in the ongoing story of humanity.
Personally, my favorite line is a piece of paratext. In the dedication, James Moffett declares that the poem is for “the chroniclers of the past and the dreamers of the future”. If you find yourself in either category, you will find that this poem is transformative. It is indeed a story of how a nation can fall valiantly before they rise from the ashes again.
I found this gem of a poem by stumbling on the author’s YouTube page. I was researching the conventions of epic poetry and I happened to find this brand new book, published only a few years ago.
The poem narrates the events of the Battle of Hastings, seen through the eyes of Leofwin (brother of the king, Harold Godwinson.) It is also punctuated with some classic British elements of fantasy as well as a hero who is aching for his true love while he is separated from her in battle.
The poem is a real treat for anyone who craves new literature in the classic epic poetry style. The author shows extreme discipline by packing so much action and emotion in the format of octosyllabic couplets! The story not only adheres to the conventions of epic poetry (formatted rhythmically, based on a hero of high birth, involving a string of conflicts both internal and external, both divine and mundane) as well as the conventions of a typical war story (the pain of losing characters you grow attached to, gory battle details and moments of extreme anticipation).
The pacing is perfect. It is well-balanced between battle scenes, fantasy scenes and scenes of personal reflection.
My only real critique is that it’s not longer! Personally, I would’ve liked to see just one more arc or “canto”. Other than that, I only have minor critiques about word usage.
🚨Review with SPOILERS🚨
The story arcs of the poem are quite easy to follow. There are action-packed, white-knuckle battle scenes between the Norsemen and the Normans. There are fantastical obstacles to overcome, such as a dragon, a demonic black dog from classic British lore, a malicious and seductive fairy and antagonizing wraiths. There is also a romantic subplot in which Leofwin is given strength by the prospect of seeing his wife Elvyn again, even though he tragically loses her.
The battle between the dragon and St. George is a little on the nose with symbolism. Nevertheless, it didn’t interfere with the battle against the Norsemen. If anything, it served to heighten the stakes a bit for both sides.
There are a few lines that I didn’t find particularly inspirational. (But, when you’re writing in this kind of format, it’s impossible for all the lines to be perfect. Sometimes, they just need to take you from one conflict to another.)
Some of the word usage was a bit awkward. For example, the author used “hoofs” as a plural for “hooves”. There were times when he switched between the use of “thou” and “you”. And I found some of the adjectives preceded by “all” to be a bit awkward. (For example, “all grey”.)
Fortunately, there were some decent lines that sounded beautiful. (My personal favorite within the text itself was “Shattering shrieks of shafts shrilling” Canto 5, Line 450. It perfectly captured the sounds of clashing metal.)
Because the poem is told from the Christian perspective of an ancient bard, I did find the ending to be satisfying, despite the Saxons losing the battle. There was a battle between Saint George and a dragon and Saint Michael disguised himself as an old man in order to give Leofwin a shield. So, a heavenly reunion with Elvyn was perfectly placed.
I especially appreciate the author’s decision to base his poem on a battle from the perspective of the loser. Understandably, we all want happy endings and a promise that we will triumph. But Leofwin’s personal journey underscores the purpose of this story. Originally, Leofwin wanted glory and fame, even if it cost him his life and his well-being. But, in the end, he lost his greatest motivation to keep fighting: Elvyn. Without her to spur him on, he was able to discover the true love that a warrior feels for the vulnerable people of their nation. He was able to continue fighting against a formidable enemy not because he needed to win, but because he couldn’t afford to lose.
Personally, I find “Hæstingas” to be a subversion of the typical triumphant war story. It shows that life can go on after defeat. History runs in circles. Battles aren’t linear events. They’re merely archetypes in the ongoing story of humanity.
Personally, my favorite line is a piece of paratext. In the dedication, James Moffett declares that the poem is for “the chroniclers of the past and the dreamers of the future”. If you find yourself in either category, you will find that this poem is transformative. It is indeed a story of how a nation can fall valiantly before they rise from the ashes again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2021
This poetry book is amazing and very well versed. The style of old English is fascinating to read. Kept me hooked till the last verse. Totally recommend!
February 16, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this poem. There were some brilliant verses and the story was suitably epic. It had everything I hoped for in the poem.
February 9, 2021
As the first to leave a rating for this book, I feel obliged to leave a comment too.
All in all this was an enjoyable read, though I suspect it will not be to everyone's taste, but then what is?
The most obvious thing to comment on is the use of verse. Moffet has my respect for writing something entirely in verse and, for the most part, this is something he pulls off. Not every line and rhyme landed well with me, but I did not find it tiresome overall which had been one of my fears starting out. In the 'about the author' section at the back of the book I was not surprised to learn that Moffet is a fan of Tolkien and, as one myself, I noticed several nods to (i.e. quotations/paraphrasing from) his style/works and I assumed those were deliberate. Whether these allusions work in Moffet's favour I shall leave to subsequent readers, as Tolkien is a hard man to match.
The story, that being the final battles of King Harold Godwinson as framed through the fictional deeds of his brother Leofwin, is compelling enough in a book of this length (about 160ish pages). Where this book scored most of its points with me, however, is in the battles. This is on account of the fact that this is where I think the quality of the verse lands consistently and once drawn into the flow you find yourself speeding up naturally and this adds to the intensity of the struggle depicted.
In short, one might find this book to be a refreshing change from the standard issue prose and its length means that the novelty doesn't wear off. I would be selective as to whom I would recommend it to, but generally I think it's worth a look.
All in all this was an enjoyable read, though I suspect it will not be to everyone's taste, but then what is?
The most obvious thing to comment on is the use of verse. Moffet has my respect for writing something entirely in verse and, for the most part, this is something he pulls off. Not every line and rhyme landed well with me, but I did not find it tiresome overall which had been one of my fears starting out. In the 'about the author' section at the back of the book I was not surprised to learn that Moffet is a fan of Tolkien and, as one myself, I noticed several nods to (i.e. quotations/paraphrasing from) his style/works and I assumed those were deliberate. Whether these allusions work in Moffet's favour I shall leave to subsequent readers, as Tolkien is a hard man to match.
The story, that being the final battles of King Harold Godwinson as framed through the fictional deeds of his brother Leofwin, is compelling enough in a book of this length (about 160ish pages). Where this book scored most of its points with me, however, is in the battles. This is on account of the fact that this is where I think the quality of the verse lands consistently and once drawn into the flow you find yourself speeding up naturally and this adds to the intensity of the struggle depicted.
In short, one might find this book to be a refreshing change from the standard issue prose and its length means that the novelty doesn't wear off. I would be selective as to whom I would recommend it to, but generally I think it's worth a look.
January 25, 2023
Hæstingas is a fantastic epic (in the true sense of the word, a-la Beowulf), a mythological history of England 1066 told in verse (iambic tetrameter). A remarkable achievement to portray such events in the fashion of a contemporary legend (imagined as a tale passed down through spoken verse). Solid 4.5/5 stars. Looking forward to what this author puts out next.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews