Now comes the remarkable story of that exceptional and splendid man Britnoth. The Anglian historians tell in glowing terms of his life and his deeds. We shall take up the story of just a few of those deeds , to the best of our ability and with the reader's indulgence. It is a great story and its telling deserves better treatment than we , with this dry narrative , and with some trepidation , can bring to bear. Anyway , BRITNOTHwas the most noble and brave leader of the Northumbrian people . On account of his remarkable wisdom and the physical bravery with which he protected himself and his people , he was known in the English language as the Alderman , that is to say , the elder or leader. He was fluent of speech , physically strong , and of great stature ,and in war against the kingdom's enemies he was an outstanding champion with remarkable absence of concern for or fear of death. He was also respectful towards the holy church and the ministers of God and put his talents at their disposal. He placed himself as a bulwark for the religious foundations, against those who sought to disturb the holy places. There were some church leaders who were seeking to expel monks and to call back into the churches those who had previously been expelled by Edgar and St Aethelwold. This devout man , a member of synod resisted these leaders' greed and venality , saying that he could not tolerate the expulsion from the kingdom of the monks who were the custodians of the kingdom's religion. [ It seems that St Aethelwold of Winchester had been responsible for religious reforms , in Stenton he is reportedly "the adviser who induced King Edgar to expel clerks from monasteries and set others in their place." He even pledged his life to the defence of the freedom of his country , for as long as he lived , and was totally devoted to the objective that he would rather die than allow an outrage against his country to go unavenged. It was a time of frequent incursions by the Danes against the Anglian Kingdom. They came in their ships , in a range of locations , and caused great devastation. All the chieftains of the region bound themselves to BRITNOTH , as an apparently invincible leader , on account of his great personal integrity , in the hope that with his overlordship they would better defend themselves against a hostile tribe. So when he heard a report that the Danes had appeared near Maldon , he hastened to meet them with an armed force and killed most of them at the bridge over the river. A few managed to get away and sailed home to tell their story. After this victory , BRITNOTH quickly returned to Northumbria ,and the Danes , deeply distressed at the news , reassembled their fleet and in the 4th year after their defeat sent another force to Maldon , led by Justin and Guthmond to avenge their kinsmen. When they reached Maldon and realised just what BRITNOTH had done to their kinsmen , they immediately announced that they had come to avenge them and that they would class BRITNOTH as a coward if he was not prepared to do battle. The news stung BRITNOTH into bold action. He gathered together his old colleagues for the enterprise and with a small band of warriors set out for battle , driven on by hope of victory and fierce hostility. He hurried in his anxiety to ensure that the enemy should not even make the smallest step of progress
in his absence. On the way , he came to Ramsey abbey and asked the abbot , W , to provide food and lodging for him and his companions. The abbot replied that he could not accommodate such a large number but was prepared to accede to B's request in respect of himself and 7 of his companions. BRITNOTH is said to have made the elegant rejoinder "The lord abbot should understand that I do not wish to dine without my men because I am unable to fight without them." With that , he changed his route towards the church at Ely and sent prior word to the abbot , Alesio , that he was passing through the area with a host of warriors on their way to battle and that if it pleased the abbot he would dine with him accompanied by his army. The abbot , with the full agreement of his council , said that when it came to works of benevolence he was not intimidated by any numbers but was in fact gratified by their arrival. And so he was entertained , together with all his companions. Because of the attentive hospitality of the monks he developed a strong affection for the place and seemed unable to do anything for his personal benefit while the service of the monks remained unrewarded. He was fully aware of how much his company had cost the community and the following day , in the cause of fellowship , he joined them in the Chapter House and expressing his thanks to the abbot and the community for their genreous kindness he bestowed upon them , on the spot , in recompense for their munificence , the important manorial holdings of Spaldwick, Trumpington, Ratendune, Hesberie, Soham and Acholt. And then setting our the business on which he was going, granted these other manors, namely Fulborn, Teversham, Impetune, Papworth, Crochestune, Fineberge, Triplow, Hardwick and Somersham with appendages, and as well as this 30 marks of gold and twenty pounds of silver, under the condition that if he should be struck down in battle his body should be brought to this place for burial.

He also added to his gift, two crosses of gold and two folds of cloth richly worked with gold and adorned with jewels together with skilfully worked gloves of twofold cloth, all given to the church at Ely. Committing himself to the orations of the monks, he hastened from that place to war.

When he arrived neither the smallness of his own troop nor the multitude of his enemy stirred him to fear. But immediately he engaged with their army and through 14 days he fought eagerly against them. On the last day, few of his men remaining, he realised that he would die, but this did not reduce the fight in him, great slaughter of his enemy being made and they were nearly turned to flight when his adversaries minded at the weakness of his army, united to make a wedge formation and as one rushing at him, with great difficulty cut off his head and carried it from there away to their home country.

The Abbot, hearing of the events of the war, went to the battlefield with several of his monks and coming upon his body, brought it back to their church and buried it with honour. However in place of the head, they placed a round lump of wax by which mark from that day and thereafter he would be recognised and honoured amongst others ain that place. He was a godly man in the turbulent days of Edgar, Edward king and martyr and Etheldred king of the English and he died in the fourteenth year after the coronation of the aforesaid Ethelred, the year of our Lord, 991.