The Last Kingdom

For the TV series, see The Last Kingdom (TV series).
The Last Kingdom

First edition cover
Author Bernard Cornwell
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series The Saxon Stories
Genre Historical novel
Published October 4 2004 HarperCollins
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 400 pp (hardback edition) & 384 pp (paperback edition)
ISBN 0-00-714990-5 (first, hardback edition)
OCLC 56647847
Followed by The Pale Horseman

The Last Kingdom is the first historical novel in The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2004. This story introduces Uhtred Ragnarson, born a Saxon then kidnapped by raiding Danes who raise him from age ten, teaching him how to be a warrior. When his Danish father is killed, Uhtred joins King Alfred of Wessex.

Plot summary

866 - 876: Osbert is the 10 year old second son of Ealdorman Uhtred, Lord of Bebbanburg in Northumbria. Despite being raised a Christian, he shows dislike towards the religion and fascination towards the Pagan Old Saxon Gods, loving to hear stories of Woden and Thor from Ealdwulf, Bebbanburg's blacksmith, a secret pagan. He also takes pride in his father's claim that they are descended from Woden, which is the reason why his father flies the banner of a wolf's head, rather than a cross like most Saxons. One day, from Bebbanburg's ramparts, Osbert, his father, his unlce, Ælfric, and his stepmother, Gytha, witness three Danish ships sail past Bebbanburg, and Osbert is intrigued by the sight of a Dane leaping across the oars on one of the ships. Lord Uhtred sends his eldest son, also named Uhtred, to scout the Danes, but Uhtred is trapped and killed when he attacks the Danes. Osbert is now the heir to Bebbanburg and is renamed Uhtred, as family tradition dictates the heir always be named Uhtred. At Gytha's insistence, Uhtred (formerly Osbert) is baptised a second time by Father Beocca, the family priest. Knowing that the ships are travelling to support the Danish army that has recently captured the city of Eoforwic (York), Lord Uhtred raises his men to support the Northumbrian army that is gathering to retake Eoforwic. Uhtred travells with his father and Beocca to Eoforwic, while Ælfric remains behind and garrisons Bebbanburg. In the ensuing Battle at Eoforwic, the Northumbrians are defeated and Lord Uhtred is killed. Uhtred bravely charges and attacks Earl Ragnar the Fearless, the Danish warlord whom he witnessed leaping across the oars earlier, but is knocked unconscious. Father Beocca manages to escape, but Uhtred is captured by the Danes. Earl Ragnar, amused by Uhtred's display of fearlessness, allows him to live and leaves him with his father, Ravn, a blind Skald who can speak English. Ravn is impressed by Uhtred's claim to be descended from Odin, and explains that the Danish leaders, brothers Ivar, whom Ragnar serves, and Ubba, have appointed a Saxon Ealdorman, Egbert, King of Northumbria and that he will be their puppet in order to keep the Saxons in tow. Uhtred then presents himself before Egbert, Ivar and Ubba and is allowed to live. Afterwards, Ravn warns Uhtred to never fight Ubba.

Uhtred is taken in as a slave by Ragnar, being forced to perform tasks such as cleaning the bottoms of the Danish ships, and even cooking their meals, though the Danish women soon arrive, relieving him of this responsibility. Uhtred befriends Ragnar's son, Rorik, and daughter, Thyra and finds an enemy in Sven, the son of Kjartan, a shipmaster serving Ragnar. He learns that Ragnar has another son, Ragnar the Younger, who is away fighting in Ireland. Uhtred gets into many brawls with Danish boys, and learns how to fight. He abandons Christianity in favour of the Danish Gods, and steals a pendant of Thor's hammer from a boy he beats in a fight. The family builds a hall in Lodis (Leeds) and Uhtred celebrates Yule, which he finds much more enjoyable than Christmas and learns that Ælfric has usurped Bebbanburg, which is rightfully his. One day, while playing with Rorik and Thyra, Sven and his friends attack, and Uhtred and Rorik run when they see that Sven wields a real sword. The boys soon realise they have left Thyra behind, they travel back to find Sven has stripped her half-naked and is trying to convince her to touch him sexually. Infuriated, Uhtred attacks, picking up Sven's sword, which he he had left on the ground whilst abusing Thyra, slashes at his side and badly beats him, despite Sven being much bigger than him. The three run back to Ragnar's hall and tell inform of the incident. Offended and angered, Ragnar travels to Kjartan's home, where he forces the shipmaster to bring out his son. As retribution, Ragnar smashes one of Sven's eyes out with the pommel of his sword and banishes Kjartan from his lands. Ragnar is proud of Uhtred for his bravery in defending his daughter, and adopts him as a son.

Uhtred travels with the Danes as they begin to move into the rest of England, starting with Mercia. At a point when the Danes are besieged at Snotengham (Nottingham) by the Mercians and their allies from Wessex, Uhtred volunteers to spy on the Saxon camp in order to find out if the Saxons intend to attack them. In the Saxon camp, he first encounters Alfred, who marches in the army of his brother King Æthelred and who is accompanied, to Uhtred's surprise, by Father Beocca. Overhearing their conversation, Uhtred learns that the Saxons do not intend to attack and relays this information to Ubba, Ivar and Ragnar. The next morning, after negotiations, the Mercians and West Saxons retreat and the Danes subsequently gain control of Mercia. Uhtred returns home to Northumbria with Ragnar, Ravn and Rorik, who has taken ill, and narrowly avoids being killed by an arrow while hunting, though Ragnar puts this down to a simple accident. Uhtred then goes Viking, raiding in East Anglia with Ragnar in preparation for an invasion. During a raid on a village, he kills his first man and meets and befriends Brida, an East Anglian girl who is taken in by the Danes after the village is destroyed and who, like Uhtred, grows to love the Danes. Uhtred, while exploring with Brida, is attacked by Weland, who reveals that he has been hired by Ælfric to kill him. Uhtred escapes and Weland runs away before Uhtred and Brida can inform Ragnar. The Danes make a final push against the East Anglians and their King, Edmund, is captured by Ivar and killed in the manner of Saint Sebastian after he enthusiastically tells Ivar the story. Returning to Northumrbia, Uhtred travels to Lindisfarne, which lies close to Bebbanburg and enters the monastery. He finds that the monks are harbouring Weland, who has been wounded. Uhtred kills and beheads him in retribution and Ragnar burns the monastery. Uhtred rides with Brida to Bebbanburg and taunts Ælfric with Weland's head. At that moment, Ealdwulf, Bebbanburg's blacksmith and Uhtred's friend, leaps from the walls and rushes to join Uhtred. He is accepted by Ragnar as a smith and sets up a forge in Lodis. From Ealdwulf, Uhtred learns that he has an Uncle, Æthelwulf, who is an Ealdorman in Mercia. In the Yule of that year, Uhtred meets Young Ragnar when he returns for a short time from Ireland and he and Brida are taught by Ealdwulf how to make charcoal for him to use in his forge to make steel. During the nights that they spend together, Uhtred and Brida become lovers, and in the darkness Uhtred likes to think he is a sceadugengan, a shadow-walker. With Ealdwulf, Uhtred forges the two swords he will possess for the rest of the series, Serpent-Breath and Wasp Sting. Uhtred leaves Northumbria with Ragnar again, this time as part of the Danish attempt to conquer the last kingdom of England, Wessex. In a battle at the site of Aesc's hill, the Danes engage the Saxons and Uhtred feels remorse when he watches his uncle, Æthelwulf, die. As the battle progresses, the overconfident Danes are led into a trap by the Saxons and though King Æthelred of Wessex is killed in the battle, the Danes are defeated, and Uhtred feels a strange tinge of pride at the rare Saxon victory. As the Danes and Saxons negotiate following the battle, Uhtred and Brida are captured and spirited away by Father Beocca, but manage to escape. When they return to Ragnar, they find a sorrowful atmosphere as Rorik, who was sick again, has died. However, moods are brightened when it is revealed that Thyra is to be married and a wedding party is thrown by Ragnar. Uhtred, however, does not attend and stays out in the woods with Brida, making charcoal for Ealdwulf. The two notice a band of men heading towards the hall and realise that they are led by Kjartan and Sven. Uhtred and Brida follow them back to the hall and helplessly watch as the attackers set it aflame, causing chaos and panic. Most, Ragnar, Ravn and Ealdwulf included, die in the fire, but some escape and are taken captive by Kjartan and Sven, including Thyra. Uhtred is left with no choice but to flee South with Brida, but not before he recovers Ragnar's wealth.

Uhtred hopes to escape the assassins of Kjartan by sending out the lie that he too died in the hall-burning along with his adoptive family, but many soon realise that he survived the fire. He eventually settles in Mercia, in the hall of his uncle, Æthelred, and his cousin, also named Æthelred. Brida works in the kitchens while Uhtred serves as a warrior for his uncle and sees his first shield wall in a battle against Welsh raiders. Uhtred notices that the Lords of Southern Mercia are looking to the West Saxons for support, now that their Kingdom has been fractured by the Danes. An envoy from Wessex arrives in the form of a Priest, Father Willibald, whom Uhtred had previously met when he was abducted by Father Beocca. Willibald brings Uhtred and Brida to Wessex so that Alfred, now King of Wessex, may see them. Believing he can exploit the West Saxons to gain the wealth he needs to retake Bebbanburg from his uncle, Uhtred swears an oath of a year's service to Wessex and is placed on the Heahengel, a ship of the small fleet of Wessex, sent out to combat Danish Vikings. Uhtred takes a liking to Leofric, the captain of the ship, even though initially the feeling is not mutual. Alfred intends the harsh conditions on the ship to humble Uhtred and bring about his conversion to Christianity, but stubbornly, Uhtred remains a staunch Pagan. Ragnar the Younger eventually comes to Wessex in search of Uhtred and Brida, having heard the lie sent out by Kjartan that it was Uhtred that murdered Ragnar and his family. Uhtred, with Brida's confirmation, tells Ragnar the truth about how it was Kjartan who committed the hall burning. Ragnar is relieved at Uhtred's innocence, but enraged that he has been deceived and vows to have his revenge on Kjartan. Ragnar encourages Uhtred and Brida to come with him and leave Wessex and Brida, strong in her hatred of the Saxons, happily complies, while Uhtred, who is bound by oath to serve Alfred until the year ends, reluctantly turns Ragnar's offer down. He attempts to return Ragnar the Elder's wealth, but Ragnar the Younger allows him to keep it, as he has enough wealth from his exploits in Ireland. Returning to Wessex, Uhtred befriends Æthelwold, the son of King Æthelred and the nephew of Alfred, who is embittered over his uncle's usurpation of the throne, and learns from Beocca that Alfred wishes him to marry Mildrith, the daughter of a late shire reeve serving Ealdorman Odda, in return for control of the whole of the fleet of Wessex. Uhtred agrees and marries Mildrith, a pious Christian, and is granted the small farmstead of Oxton as part of the dowry. However, Uhtred is enraged when he learns that with her, Mildrith carries a massive debt owed by her father to the church, that he now carries as Mildrith's husband. Despite this, the couple are happy enough and Mildrith soon falls pregnant.

It is found out that Ivar, the most powerful Danish Lord, has been killed in Ireland and a new Lord, Guthrum, has taken his place. Uhtred leaves Mildrith to fight when Guthrum invades Wessex and captures the fortress of Werham, expecting Halfdan, the brother of Ivar and Ubba, to raise an army in the North to support him. However, Halfdan is killed before he has the chance to raise an army, leaving Guthrum in a vulnerable position: surrounded and outnumbered by the Saxons. Guthrum negotiates with Alfred and it is agreed that the Danes will leave Wessex by winter's end and will be given food and ale by the Saxons until then. To seal the agreement, both sides send hostages that are to be killed in the event of either side breaking the treaty. Uhtred is one of the hostages sent by Alfred to Guthrum in Werham and is delighted when he is reunited with Ragnar the Younger and Brida, who have since become lovers. While a hostage, Uhtred learns that Mildrith has given birth to a son, also named Uhtred, meaning he is now a father. An unexpected turn is then taken however, when it is learned that Ubba, who was in Ireland avenging Ivar, is sailing with a fleet to support Guthrum's invasion of Wessex. Learning this, Guthrum breaks the treaty with Alfred and orders all Saxon hostages killed. Uhtred is saved from death and allowed to escape when Ragnar protects him against Guthrum's men. Uhtred alerts the West Saxons of the imminent Danish attack and travels to his farmstead, only to find Mildrith gone, taken by Odda the Younger, son of Ealdorman Odda, who lusts after her. He rushes to confront Odda the Younger, who is with the force raised by his father at the fort Cynwit to defend against Ubba while Alfred fights Guthrum. On his arrival, he confronts Odda the Younger and learns that Mildrith is safe at Lord Odda's estate. Uhtred finds himself having to fight against the Danes, and realises the West Saxon army is at a disadvantage. Though the Saxons have the high ground, this has the effect of effectively cutting off their water supply, meaning they cannot hold the fort for long. Uhtred devises a plan to attack the Danes, who are camped below in front of their ships, which are moored in the river. In the dead of night, Uhtred fulfils his childhood fantasy of becoming a sceadugengan, and sneaks into the Danish camp and sets their ships aflame, causing chaos and panic among the Danes. With the Danes in disarray, the Saxons attack and in the ensuing Battle of Cynwit, Uhtred fights in a shield wall against Ubba's Danes and eventually meets Ubba himself. The novel ends with Uhtred fighting Ubba in single combat and killing him.

Characters in "The Last Kingdom"

Cover for the mass-market paperback.

Fictional

Historical

Television adaptation

In July 2014, the BBC announced that production would begin in autumn 2014 on a television adaptation, to be titled The Last Kingdom. Stephen Butchard is the writer. A series of eight 60-minute episodes was produced, and the series began airing on 10 October 2015.[1] BBC Two, Carnival Films and BBC America were involved in the production.

Publication details

References

  1. ↑ Una Maguire (9 July 2014). "BBC Two announces new drama series, The Last Kingdom". Retrieved 24 July 2014.
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