Tuesday, 28 January 2025

Britannia

The Boat Of A Million Years, VII.

Somewhere in the pages that I have recently reread was a reference to the galaxy as "the Winter Road." Maybe someone reading after me can find the reference?

In 1072, Cadoc wonders how long the wealth of Constantinople will last but thrusts sadness aside. He does not have a time traveler's knowledge of what is to come but has lived long enough to read the signs and has also said that the trade in which he is involved is spinning toward ruin.

He tells Athenais/Aliyat:

"'I have not been in Britannia, or England and Wales as they call it nowadays, for a rather long time.'" (p. 161)

England and Wales! We recognize a gradual approach to modern place names. Just six years before this, the Normans had conquered England. 

Cadoc also remembers the time:

"'...when Old Rome departed from Britannia...'" (p. 166)

This reminds us of other works by Anderson. For an sf writer, he has spent a lot of time in the past.

9 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

All too true, Cadoc's fears about Constantinople. By 1072 incompetence and misgovernment was leading the Eastern Empire to catastrophe, such as the Battle of Manzikert, which finally enabled a Muslim power, the Seljuq Turks, to break into Anatolia. The Comnenian dynasty, beginning with Alexius I (r. 1081-1118) managed a partial/precarious revival, but it did not last. The signs of long term decay were plain to Cadoc.

Yet another chronicle I read, in translation, was Anna Comnena's THE ALEXIAD, her biography of her father Alexius I. A good man, even a great Emperor.

I read somewhere there were English refugees/exiles, unhappy with Norman rule of England, who enlisted in the Varangian Guard in Constantinople.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

Hanno says that.

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

English soldiers in the Varangian guard?

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Yes.

S.M. Stirling said...

Sean: yes. After 1066, a lot of Anglo-Saxon aristocrats ended up in the Varangians.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

I checked, and you and Paul were right. Both dispossessed Anglo-Saxon aristocrats and household guards joined the Varangians. Which reminds me of the French Foreign Legion.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

NB: the term "England" (or Englalond, originally) dates to the 10th century, the 900's.

S.M. Stirling said...

nb: recent ancient DNA research has shown that the post-Roman migrations to England were quite massive -- 75% genetic turnover along the east coast and 40% as far west as Offa's Dyke, the border between England and Wales.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

Not in the least surprised! Easier for invaders to kill off the former inhabitants than trying to rule them.

Ad astra! Sean