Eadric the Grasper: Sons of Mercia: 1

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Essentially the man broke every law of hospitality and as such he wasn’t terribly popular even in his own lifetime, let alone with a poll of modern readers. Around the New Year, Eadric accompanied Cnut into Warwickshire, where they plundered, burned and slew all they met.

it was told the king, that [the Danes] would beshrew him of his life, and afterwards all his council, and then have his kingdom without any resistance. She brings to life the violence and skullduggery of the age in exciting scenes of action and intrigue, while vividly rendering the mindsets and motives of this distant era. The book follows Eadric through his life beside the King as an advisor, and watches Eadric grow in prosperity and power. After an invasion of the Danes in 1009, Aethelred was prepared to retaliate with force but was persuaded by Eadric to take a different course. It is believed that Eadric had the intention of betraying Edmund, but when their forces came together he could not.

Edmund went on to assemble a further army and, with the assistance of Uhtred the Bold Earl of Northumbria, plundered Eadric's lands in Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire. Take the example of Earl Uhtred of Northumbria, Thurbrand murdered him, Uhtred’s son Ealdred killed Thurbrand, Thurband’s son Carl killed Ealdred and Ealdred’s grandson Waltheof then killed nearly all Carl’s sons and grandsons. William of Malmesbury describes Eadric Streona as "the refuse of mankind and a reproach unto the English". So they kept riding, but by the time the daylight had dissolved into a dim red haze, they remained in the thick of the woods. She has written nine novels and five feature-length screenplays, but this year she is releasing a book for the first time.

Cnut destroyed a fleet of 30 ships of rebel vikings and in December Eadric Streona was killed by Cnut`s men because of his treachery. Godwin chuckled as he walked back to the main path, his boots crashing carelessly through the underbrush. This artful dissembler, capable of feigning anything, was accustomed, by pretended fidelity, to scent out the King’s designs, that he might treacherously divulge them. Eadric was a true historical figure of the 11th century and regarded as the greatest traitor of Anglo-Saxon history. A surprisingly easy and quick read considering the epic nature of the novel, "Eadric the Grasper" takes the reader through the twisted journey of an intelligent peasant (a swineherd) .The next year he betrayed Kings Ethelred, Edmund and Canute, almost certainly having Earl Uhtred and King Edmund slain, but he himself was executed by Canute, who distrusted the slimy chap.

Yet the drama here occurs in small increments, season by season, following nature’s rhythm through deaths and births, moments of joy and deep sorrow. This artful dissembler, capable of feigning anything, was accustomed, by pretended fidelity, to scent out the king's designs, that he might treacherously divulge them. Other parentage advanced for Eadric are Wulfric Spot (which would make Aelfhelm of York whom he assassinated, his own uncle) or Aethelric, Ealdorman of Mercia who was his predecessor as Ealdorman. This Englishman, at the start of the 12th century, might have thought that if only Edmund Ironside, as he came to be known, had beaten Cnut at the Battle of Assandun the world would have been a more English place. Edmund then succeeded in rescuing London from the invaders, driving Eadric and Cnut out of the city and defeating them after crossing the Thames at Brentford; but he suffered heavy losses.

Eadric ingratiated himself enough with the new king to remain Ealdorman of Mercia but by the following Christmas, 1017, the mood had changed: Canute either suspected Eadric of treason or had already accused him of such. After getting reinforcements Edmund drives off Cnut’s second attack on London and then defeats Cnut in Kent, Cnut then crosses the river Thames and moves into Essex. Eadric followed Aethelred and his family back from Normandy and once again set himself up as the king’s enforcer. The first appearance of Eadric’s name on a charter is in 1002, where he stood as witness along with his father and brother.