Saga of Ealdor and Wulfstan: The Mead of Might

Hear now a short song, a truth-telling tale, of two Thanes in the hall, and the choice that did prevail.

In the strong mead-hall of King Æthelred, by the shore of the churning sea, dwelt two mighty Thanes, Ealdor the Bold and Wulfstan the Keen. Both held lands, both guarded kine, and both sought the favour of the Ring-Giver.

Ealdor saw the world as a Fixed Feast. "The King's gold is limited," he boasted, "and if Wulfstan's hoard grows heavy, then mine must lighten. We hunt the same deer; we share not the spoils!" Thus, Ealdor hoarded his grain, paid his fyrdwith grudging hand, and when the spring thaw came, he steered his ships not for trade, but to raid the smaller farms of Wulfstan's tenants, taking by force what he believed was rightfully his portion.

Wulfstan, however, spoke a different wisdom. He said, "The earth is great, and our strength is for making, not merely taking. If my neighbour's grain grows tall, our whole shire is less hungry. If his axe-blade is sharp, our comitatus is stronger." Wulfstan saw the world as a Growing Grove.

When the Norse longships, dragon-prowed and fell, came to land, Ealdor's men were thin and ill-equipped. They were weary from fighting their own neighbours, and their shields were chipped from petty raids. Ealdor held his few spears close, saying, "Let Wulfstan spend his strength; what he loses is my gain in the King's eye."

But Wulfstan had taught his men Shared Strength. He had traded his surplus iron for the tools of Ealdor’s smiths, making a better-tempered steel for all. He had paid good silver for the weaving skills of Ealdor's wives, clothing all his warriors in thick wool. When the Vikings landed, Wulfstan's host, well-fed and well-armed with gear of mutual making, met them with a roar.

Ealdor saw Wulfstan’s thriving fyrd fighting fiercely. His own few, fearing their lord's harsh greed more than the enemy's axe, wavered. Then, seeing Wulfstan's strength hold the line, Ealdor at last saw the truth: a full shield-wall benefits allstanding behind it. Shame overcame his self-interest. He cast his small spear-band into the fray, fighting for the life of the whole, not the slice of a small pie.

The invaders were repelled, though the cost in blood was dear.

When King Æthelred praised them both, he gave Wulfstan the largest ring, saying, "Your gain was the gain of all, and your hoard has made our land safe." To Ealdor he gave a sword, but sternly spoke: "Your hand held the blade, Thane, but your mind was an enemy to your kin. Learn this, son of the Saxons: The world is not a full cup from which one man's drink must lessen another’s. Together, we dig the well that feeds all our mouths."

Ealdor bowed low, his spirit humbled. From that day, he traded his fears for foresight, and the two Thanes joined their strength, making the shire a beacon of plenty, its fame sung by all the Skalds. Thus ends the Lay of the Mead-Hall's Might.