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Then the gleemen hushed their song, and Alsi stood up with the gold-rimmed horn of the king in his hand, and high he raised it, and cried, "Waeshael!" And all the guests rose up, cup in hand, with a wonderful flashing of the glorious English jewels, and cried with one voice, "Drinc hael, Cyning!"
This is Edmund, the son of Ealdorman Eldred, a valiant cyning of East Anglia, who, after fighting bravely against the Danes near Thetford, joined Earl Algar, and died by his side on the fatal field of Kesteven.
In fact, in barbarian language, the word konung, koning, or cyning synonymous with the Latin rex, had no other meaning than that of a temporary leader or chieftain of a band of men. The commander of a flotilla of boats, or even of a single pirate boat, was also a konung, and till the present day the commander of fishing in Norway is named Not-kong "the king of the nets."
So I plucked up heart and took the cup from the hand of the king, trying to collect my thoughts into some sort of fitting words. "Drinc hael Cyning," I said, while my voice shook. "Here do I vow before all the Saints and before this company that I will do my best to prove myself worthy of this honour that has been set on me!"
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