Hereward the Wake: England’s Last Anglo-Saxon Rebel

In 1066, William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings. As he extended his control throughout England, his conquest was seemingly unstoppable. Yet, in the remote Fens, one man stood defiant; one nobleman led a valiant resistance against the Norman invaders. He was known by many names, including Hereward the Outlaw and Hereward the Exile. History has remembered him as Hereward the Wake. To many, his fight for freedom earned him the moniker Hereward the last Anglo-Saxon.

And yet, how much do we really know about this landowner-turned-rebel? How much is fact and how much is folklore? In other words, who was Hereward? We’re entering the fray to answer just that and to discover the true story of Hereward the Wake.

The details of Hereward’s life are shrouded in mystery, with much of what is known derived from medieval chronicles and legends. The two genres are often indistinguishable and different accounts conflict. What’s more, as with any primary sources, there’s room to argue that they may be skewed by the author’s views. For instance, the most detailed work on Hereward the Wake is the Gesta Herewardi, a biography thought to have been originally compiled by a priest of Hereward’s own household. Not only was the initial writer subjective, but the work itself underwent subsequent edits by many authors, and mixes historical events with legendary embellishments. With the objectiveness or otherwise of the sources in mind, let’s explore the life of Hereward, starting at the very beginning.

It’s generally believed that Hereward was born around 1035 possibly in Lincolnshire, though some sources mention Northamptonshire. His parentage, and even his nationality, is a matter of ongoing debate. According to the Gesta Herewardi, he was a descendant of the Anglo-Saxon earl, Oslac of York. A more recent study argued that he wasn’t Anglo-Saxon at all, but Anglo-Danish. One thing all of the accounts seem to agree upon however is that he was of noble birth.

As a youth, Hereward was said to be unruly and reckless. So much so in fact that his own father petitioned King Edward the Confessor to exile him. Edward did just that, banishing the then-18 year old and bestowing him with his first moniker, Hereward the Outlaw.

It’s during his banishment that the tales of heroism begin. At this time, Hereward the Exile travelled across Europe, particularly in Ireland and Flanders, honing his skills as a warrior and gaining experience. Tales of his exploits, especially in the Gesta Herewardi, include him fighting a giant bear, twice saving a princess from unwanted marriage, and several instances of him playing pivotal roles in various conflicts.

In 1066, the landscape of England changed irrevocably with the Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror’s victory over King Harold II marked the beginning of Norman rule. The Normans systematically dispossessed Anglo-Saxon nobility, seizing lands and imposing new governance. It was against this backdrop of upheaval and resentment that Hereward returned to England.

Discovering that his family’s lands had been confiscated and his brother slain, Hereward was propelled into action. The injustice he faced personally mirrored the broader displacement experienced by many Anglo-Saxons. Determined to resist Norman domination, he rallied fellow dispossessed nobles and commoners alike.

Hereward’s rebellion was characterised by guerrilla warfare and strategic raids. His intimate knowledge of the local terrain gave him an advantage over Norman forces unaccustomed to the marshlands and forests of eastern England.

One of his most notable acts was the sacking of Peterborough Abbey in 1070. Alongside a band of loyal followers and Danish allies, Hereward seized the abbey, seemingly to prevent its wealth from bolstering Norman power. While the act was controversial – even among his own supporters – it underscored his commitment to undermining Norman authority.

Hereward’s forces also targeted Norman settlements, supply lines, and garrisons. These actions disrupted the consolidation of Norman control and inspired other pockets of resistance. His leadership turned the Isle of Ely into a stronghold, leveraging its natural defences against enemy advances.

The Isle of Ely, surrounded by treacherous fens and marshes, became the epicentre of Hereward’s defiance. In 1071, William the Conqueror marshalled a substantial force to quell the rebellion once and for all. Faced with such formidable natural defences, the Normans eventually constructed a causeway to penetrate the marshlands.

Despite their best efforts, the initial Normal assaults were repelled by Hereward’s men, who used the terrain to their advantage. According to legend, Hereward employed impressive tactics, including disguises and surprise attacks, to outwit his enemy.

The turning point came when the Normans bribed local monks to reveal a secret path into the stronghold. With their defences compromised, the rebels were overwhelmed. Some accounts suggest that Hereward escaped the siege, continuing his resistance in the shadows. Others imply he was granted a pardon and lived peacefully thereafter.

The exact details of his fate remain a mystery.

So far, we’ve covered the origins of some of Hereward’s epithets. And yet, we’ve remained silent on the most famous of them all. Why was he known as Hereward the Wake? Well, for one thing, he wasn’t; not during his lifetime. The name seemingly emerged in the 14th century. As for the reason behind it, this is in dispute.

Some believe the name Hereward the Wake means “the watchful” or “vigilant,” reflecting his role as a guardian of Anglo-Saxon traditions. There’s an alternate theory, that it’s the surname of an Anglo-Norman family who later claimed him as their ancestor.

Over the centuries, Hereward’s tale has been retold in various forms, cementing his status as a folk hero. In the 19th century, Charles Kingsley’s novel Hereward the Wake: Last of the English reignited interest in his exploits. The book portrayed Hereward as a symbol of national identity and resistance against foreign domination. This romanticised version resonated with Victorian sensibilities and contributed to the mythology surrounding his character. In particular, his resistance represented the struggle to preserve a way of life in the face of overwhelming odds. Today, he’s often celebrated in local festivals, statues, and memorials, particularly in the regions where he fought.

Hereward the Wake remains an enigmatic figure in English history, his story perhaps not as popular or well known today as other towering figures from the time of the Norman Conquest. Yet his resistance to outside rule and the idea of noble defeat remains an intriguing example of defiance in the face of almost insurmountable odds.