Hi Bernard, Thanks very much for answering my previous query. I have since been to Bamburgh Castle and walked in Uhtred’s footsteps. Something I found interesting was that King Ida believed himself descended from Woden, which is obviously Uthred’s belief to presumably Ida and Uhtred are meant to be the same family line, and by extension yours as well? This did make me appreciate how intensive your research is for your books, way beyond the snippets you provide in your historical notes at the end. I assume there are loads of “in-jokes” like this scattered throughout you work?

Anyway the real question I’d like to ask , which is on the same theme really, regarding the Bamburgh Sword on display in the museum there. This is supposed to be Serpent Breath, or at least the inspiration for it. Am I correct? Comparing the detail of it’s making in The Last Kingdom with the description in the Bamburgh tour guide they appear slightly different (without going into detail). However I would love to think I have actually come face to face with Serpent Breath. Are they one and the same?

Adam Porter