Murder in Anglo-Saxon England: Justice, wergild, revenge

REVIEW BY RP

The early medieval period is often thought of as a hotbed of violence. It is perhaps, then, a surprise to learn that only around 90 reported murders exist from five centuries of Anglo-Saxon England. Annie Whitehead’s book attempts an in-depth, chronological guide to these cases. While the unfamiliar reader may initially struggle to get their head around the seemingly endless swathe of Æthel-s and Ælf-s, those with a sound understanding of the period are likely to enjoy the murderous tour, helpfully divided into chapters exploring time periods, kingdoms, and themes, each one headed by a list of the victims (or attempted victims) to be discussed. With grim revelations, from execution cemeteries to assassination to eye-gouging, what we learn from the book is perhaps simply that today’s penchant for true crime is not a new one, for – as the author points out – the Anglo-Saxon chroniclers seemed to enjoy a crime drama as much as the modern media consumer.