Hereward the Wake

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Domains

Political Persons

Dates

Date of occurrence c.1070- c.

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

Resources

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Hereward the Wake was a Saxon who led a rebellion against the rule of William the Conqueror on the Isle of Ely. Most of the information we have about him comes from the

Gesta Herewardi

, a Latin text written at some point between 1109 and 1131. Hereward was exiled when he was eighteen, for disobedience to his father, and was declared an outlaw by the King, Edward the Confessor. He travelled to continental Europe and served as a mercenary soldier. In 1070, the Danish king Sweyn II sent a small army, including Hereward, to establish a military camp on the Isle of Ely. Because he led a rebellion against the Norman crown, legends about Hereward have often blurred with those about Robin Hood.

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120 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Hereward the Wake". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 July 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=505, accessed 25 April 2024.]

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