"Widsith" is an anonymously written poem from the Anglo-Saxon era. It is a list poem, listing places, tribes and leaders that the speaker, Widsith, has visited. I always thought that illustrating it would help people see how cool it is. I think that its appeal to me is much like that of the random background characters of the first Star Wars films. Boba Fett had maybe one line in the early films, but everyone wanted to play him on the playground. All of those characters got action figures and everyone wanted to own them and know the random bits of information about them, all suggesting some sort of story and larger universe. "Widsith" is like that, to me, at least. I have about 100 images and will easily need thirty more to finish it. When people start to get the feel of it, I'll start asking for suggestions for portraits of my last groups and leaders.
Widsith spoke, unlocked his wordhoard...
He who had traveled most of all men through tribes and nations across the earth.
Often he had gained great treasure in hall.
He belonged by birth to the Myrging tribe.
Along with Ealhild, the kind peace-weaver,
For the first time, from the Baltic coast, he sought the home of Eormanric, king of the Ostrogoths…
…hostile to traitors.
‘I have heard of many men
who ruled over nations.'
‘Every leader should live uprightly,’
‘Rule his estates according to custom, if he wants to succeed to a kingly throne.’
Hwala, for a time was the best of all
And Alexander too, the noblest of men who prospered most of all of those that I have heard of across the earth.
Attila ruled the Huns
Eormanric ruled the Goths
Becca the Baningas
Gifica the Burgundians
Caesar ruled the Greeks
And Caelic the Finns
Hagena the Holmrycgas
Henden the Glomman
Witta ruled the Swaefe
Wada the Haelsingas,
Meaca the Myrgingas,
Mearc the Hundingas.
Theodric ruled the Franks
Thyle the Rondingas,
Breoca the Brondingas,
Billa the Waerne.
Oswine ruled the Eowan and
Gefwulf the Jutes,
Finn, son of Folcwalda, the Frisian race.
Sigehere for many years ruled the the Sea-Danes,
Hnaef the Hocingas,
Helm the Wulfingas
Wald the Woingas,
Wod the Thuringians,
Saeferth the Sycgan,
Aelfwine too: Eadwine's son.
Ongentheow the Swedes
Sceafthere the Ymbran
Sceaf the Langobards
Hun the Haetware
Holen the Wrosnan
Hringwald was called
the king of the Herefaran
Offa ruled the Angles
Alewih the Danes
He was the bravest of all those men,
but could not defeat Offa in deeds of arms,
and the noble Offa while still a boy
won in battle the greatest of kingdoms.
No-one of that age ever achieved
more glory than he did.
With his sword alone
he marked the border against the Myrgings
at the mouth of the Eider.
Angles and Swedes
observed it after that as Offa had won it.
Hrothwulf and Hrothgar, nephew and uncle,
held peace together for many years
after they had driven off the Heathobard tribe and beaten down Ingeld's line of battle,
cut down at Heorot the Heathobard force.
So I travelled widely through foreign lands, through distant countries...
