Conquest

William led the procession into the broad cloisters of Ely Abbey, long since deserted by the citizens of Ely. Still under the care of Bishop Aethelwine, they had dispersed to their homes around the burgh — safe, for the time being, from the King’s wrath.

Hereward was on the threshold of death as he was dragged into the Chapel of St Etheldreda and thrown at the base of her tomb. Gunnhild and Estrith were pulled from the others, dragged into the chapel and spreadeagled over the image of the virgin martyr. Once more, Hereward was revived. This time, cold water was not sufficient and they had to use hot torches on his feet until he regained consciousness sufficiently to hear the King’s enraged voice.

‘Will you, Hereward of Bourne, sacrifice your children for the Oath of the Brotherhood?’

Hereward failed to respond and the King bellowed more loudly.

‘Will you sacrifice your brood for the Oath of the Brotherhood?’

As Hereward raised his head, he could see two of William’s henchmen, each with a sword to the throat of his girls.

‘They will die here and now on the Virgin’s tomb unless you renounce the Oath of the Brotherhood.’

William was shaking and sweating, his voice tremulous with rage. Estrith and Gunnhild screamed as he shouted his demands; their cries echoed around the abbey.

Hereward summoned enough strength to speak. ‘I will not renounce the Oath! Too many have died for our cause for me to reject it now. Spare my children. They are innocent of any crime; they have not offended you in any way.’

The King stepped forward and placed a gold piece on the breast of St Etheldreda. He grabbed the Talisman from Hereward’s neck and placed it over the rosary beads on her hands. One of his knights brought him the Great Axe of Goteborg and William clasped it firmly in both hands.

‘With this offering to St Etheldreda, I, William, King of England, Duke of Normandy, strike down this traitor and his kith and kin. In so doing, I bring to an end this Brotherhood and all it stands for. So help me God.’

William raised the Great Axe of Goteborg above his head and aimed it at Hereward’s neck. His two knights pulled back their swords, ready to strike at the throats of Gunnhild and Estrith, who screamed in horror.

‘My Lord King, spare my girls. Strike me down, but spare them.’

‘Renounce the Oath!’

‘I cannot! Saying the words to save my children will not negate the Oath. You cannot deny truth with an act of violence. And I cannot reject it with an act of expediency.’

‘So be it.’ William flexed the Great Axe, ready to swing it.

At that moment, a shaft of sunlight burst through the window, caught a reflection from the Great Axe and illuminated the opposite wall. The chapel shone with an amber glow. The light reflected on the crucifix of St Etheldreda’s rosary, casting a beam through the Talisman that lay on her hands. William looked at the amulet and saw the crimson flash across the face of the Devil. He was horrified, but transfixed by it, unable to turn away until, after several moments, he blinked and shook his head, trying to gather his senses. As he did so, he was blinded by the dazzling sunbeams now pouring in through the windows, filling the chapel with light.

Suddenly panic-stricken, the King dropped the Great Axe, sending it crashing to the stone floor with a deafening clang that reverberated around Ely like a bell ringing in Hell. The knights who were about to strike the girls dropped their swords, multiplying the discordant clash of steel on stone. All the King’s men took flight and spilled out into the cloisters, leaving William alone.

Moments later, he staggered breathlessly from the chapel, his ruddy, blotchy countenance suddenly deathly white. He felt a vice-like pain tightening around his chest, jagged jolts running down his arms and, no more than five yards from the chapel, he collapsed to the ground, uttering just one sentence before slipping into unconsciousness.

‘Seal the chapel; no one goes in or out.’

31. The Reckoning

Gunnhild and Estrith were locked in the virgin martyr’s chapel with their stricken father. They soon gathered their composure and began to think about how to cope with their confinement. Outside, the Normans ran around in disarray, convinced their King had been struck down by a holy visitation wrought by St Etheldreda.

William was hurried away to his headquarters on Belsar’s Hill, where his physicians attended him. Guards were posted outside the chapel, while, inside, the girls began to care for their father. They covered his nakedness with the altar cloth and kept him warm by cutting a hole in the thatch above and starting a fire, using candles as kindling and benches as firewood. They cleaned his wounds with communion wine, prepared a crude vegetable soup from the harvest offerings at the foot of the martyr’s tomb and washed him with water from the baptismal font.

Gradually Hereward gained some strength; not so, William.