Talk:Battle of Sherston

Thorkell’s involvement

It is logical to assume thorkell was present in the battle, cnut rewarded him with the ealdormanny of east anglia not for nothing. An excerpt from the Encomium Emmae Reginae not only claims thorkell was there, but also headed the army. And the Danes had the victory, which is why I think the results should be “inconclusive” the excerpt is as follows: 6. Then Thorkell, observing the time to have come when he could demonstrate his fidelity to his lord, said: "I will undertake to win this fight for my lord with my troops, and will not permit my king to be involved in this battle, very eager to fight as he is, inasmuch as he is a youth. For if I be victorious, I will win on the king's own behalf; but if I fall or turn my back, it will not be to the glory of the English, for the reason that the king will be left, and he will give battle again, and perhaps as a victor will avenge my injuries." Since this seemed to all to be good reasoning, he disembarked with the king's approval, and directed his force against the army of the English, which was then assembled at the place called Sherston. The Danish army had disembarked from forty ships and more, but still this number was by no means equal to half the enemy. But the leader, relying on courage rather than numbers, sounded the trumpets without delay, and advancing in the forefront and ever praying in his heart for the help of God, laid low all that came in his way with the sword's point. The English, indeed, were the more bold at first, and cut down the Danes with terrible slaughter, to such an extent that they nearly won the victory and would have compelled their enemies to flee, if the latter, held back by their leader's words and being mindful of their own bravery, had not regarded flight with shame. For he mentioned that there was no place to which they might flee, that they were, of course, foes in the land, and that their ships were far from the shore, and that accordingly, if they should not conquer, they would necessarily fall together. After they had been rendered of better courage by this, they forthwith showed in battle how dangerous a thing is desperation For despairing of a refuge of which to flee they raged on against the enemy with such madness that you would have seen not only the bodies of the dead falling but also of the living as they avoided the blows, accordingly they gained the victory of which they desired.” 2A02:9B0:5:EA4:B94C:C57C:4A2:F30D (talk) 13:37, 20 September 2024 (UTC)