Hello Mr. Cornwell,

First I would like to say I have enjoyed reading all of your stories from Uhtred to Sharpe and everything in between.  I was re-reading The Saxon Stories and I ended up with a much different perspective about Osferth’s behavior at the battle of London.

Uhtred and his men have their shield wall holding the gate. Father Pylrig and Osferth are on the walls above tossing stones and dead bodies on the Danes attacking Uhtred. This is Osferth’s first fight and he is behaving somewhat underwhelmingly. He’s mostly terrified and so far all he has done is spear a cripple for which Uhtred mocks him. Then at just the right moment, a huge crash of stone falls behind the Dane leader and Osferth “jumps” down behind it to stab the Dane in the leg crippling him.

Heroically jumping off the wall to attack a strong enemy from behind just doesn’t seem to fit Osferth’s character at all. He’s timid and scared, he’s been training to be a monk for ages and everyone thinks he fights badly and will die in his first shield wall.  Later on we come to know Osferth’s character even better.  Uhtred acknowledges him as a smart and cautious like his father.  When he attacks the slavers in Lundene Uhtred thinks how Osferth disapproves of Finan and his rash actions and attacking before thinking it through.  Also, when Uhtred needs a commander to lure away the Dane’s away from Caester so he can visit the Erce’s grandma, Uhtred picks Finan because he believes Osferth would be too cautious and retreat to quickly.  Osferth just doesn’t seem at all like a man who throws all caution to the wind and jumps.

It seems most likely to me that Osferth was pushing the rocks off the wall and accidentally fell behind Sigurd, but then no one ever says anything about it in the rest of the books and they all think he jumped? Uhtred seems to think he jumped and changes his opinion of him, but I’m now convinced that dude fell pushing the rocks off and just luckily recovered quickly.  Would you be able to share what you think happened?

Thanks,

Louis