Statues - Hither & Thither

BYRHTNOTH THE EARLDORMAN OF ESSEX
—
byrthnoth, represented by the figure standing on
this monument, was the principal voice in rejecting
the policy of appeasement which dominated the court
of king ethelred in the closing years of the
10^th century.

the leading military figure of his time;
he was probably aged 68 when he confronted
the vikings at the battle of maldon.
he surrendered his life in defence of
the people, religion and way of life represented
in the lower relief panel of the column.
above it you will see aspects of the battle
in which he died.

around the base is a quotation from his final prayer
as recorded in the surviving fragment of the poem
"the battle of maldon."