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Updated: June 5, 2025
There is every reason to believe that the Romans surrounded the city with a wall. Its strength was often tried. Hither the Saxons came under Ethelfrith and pillaged the city, but left it to the Britons, who were not again dislodged until Egbert came in 828 and recovered it. The Danish pirates came here and were besieged by Alfred, who slew all within its walls.
He sought Agitha with the rainbow smile, where she sat with her maidens, in the groves of Budle, ornamenting a robe of skins for her father, the mighty Ethelfrith. The sea sang its anthem of power along the shore, and the caves of the rocks resounded with the chorus of the eternal hymn. The farthest branches of the grove bent over the cliff that overhung the sounding sea.
Her beauty was the burden of the song of bards. In their chorus to swell the praise of others, they said that they were "lovely as the fair daughter of Gormack." The tale of her charms was heard by Ethelfrith. It was heard by the fierce in war the impetuous in love the victor in battle yea, even by Ethelfrith, king of Bernicia.
Where the battle raged fiercest, there was his voice heard, there was his sword seen; war-horses and their riders fell before it it arrested the fury of the chariots of war. Bards recorded his deeds in immortal strains, and Agitha sang them in secret. Yet would not Ethelfrith listen to the prayer of his kinsman, but his anger was kindled against him.
One of Ida's successors, Ethelric, overcame the tribe of Angles then established in the neighbouring district of Deira the Yorkshire of to-day. His successor, Ethelfrith, ruled over the united district, and married the daughter of Ella, the vanquished chieftain.
Ethelfrith beheld Bethoc the Beautiful; and the songs that he had heard in her praise were as an idle tale, for her loveliness exceeded the power of song. The soul of the fierce king melted within him. It was subdued by the sorcery of her charms. "Give me," said he unto her father and commandments ever fell from his lips "give me Bethoc to be my wife; for she is more lovely than the morning star.
And through everything, as the man of God had foretold, by the righteous doom of God it came to pass; and very soon after this Ethelfrith, king of the English, collected a great army, and led it to Legcaster, and there fought against the Britons, and made the greatest slaughter of the faithless people.
In the days of King Edwin, who succeeded Ethelfrith, Bamburgh was the centre of a kingdom which extended from the Humber to the Forth, and as Northumbria was at that time the most important division of England, the royal city of Bernicia was practically the capital of the country.
Now, the people of the land where the Chylde and his warriors landed, were stricken with terror at their approach. They fled before them, as sheep fly upon the hills when the howl of the hungry wolf is heard. He overthrew their king, he took possession of his kingdom. He took his crown, and he brought it to Ethelfrith, whose ambition was boundless as the sea.
Again the voice of the enchantress came forth from the cave, saying "In seven days come unto me again bring with thee the Princess Agitha; and Elgiva, the enchantress, will do towards her as Bethoc, the daughter of the weird thane, hath requested." Thus did the queen, while Ethelfrith, her lord, was making war against a strange king in a far country.
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