With nothing happening with the take over I thought I would put up something for the history buffs on here. I know there are a lot of Addicks on here interested in local history and I thought they would be interested in a film made by young people in Crayford about the Battle of Crayford which is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for 456AD. Last summer ( stupidly during the world cup so missed the France Belgium game) we staged a battle recreation on Mount Nod (St Paulinus School Fields) Crayford, between two local primary schools. Details of the project are on our new Crayford History website:
https://www.crayfordhistory.org.uk/The film was part of a community project by a small group I run in the summer holidays: CRAY. The film is called ‘A Spot Called Crayford: The Legend of Hengest.’ It takes its inspiration from an entry in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle. This describes how the Britons fought and lost the Battle of Crecganford (Crayford) against the legendary Anglo-Saxon warrior Hengest and his son Aesc, a future King of Kent:
A.D. 456. This year Hengest and Ash his son fought with the Britons on the spot that is called Crayford, and there slew 4000 men, and the Britons then left the land of Kent, and in great fear fled to London.
This is a significant event, as it is part of the foundation story of England. An ancient local legend would have us believe that the four thousand dead Britons were buried in Crayford beneath Mount Nod, which is the hill that runs between the River Cray and Iron Mill Lane near the site of St. Paulinus Church.This project investigates the importance of this battle, the legend of Hengest and discovers the stories of how the Anglo Saxons came to rule Kent.
You can see three films we created on the following links:
This is our documentary filmed at the British Museum and King's College London
This is a cgi film made by the talented Rob Nutter and British Museum archaeologist Kate Morton
https://youtu.be/7Xm7yXWjs-EThis is a short aniamtion of the battle created by children from St Paulinus CE Prmary and Holy Trinity Primary
Comments
Very relevant to the books he writes and probably very interesting to his readers.
Hengist and Horsa were also names of characters in Carry on Cleo and as ValleyGary says roads in North Heath opp the old Erith school west where I was allegedly edukatid.
The red dragon of the Welsc, (foreigner in old English) fights with the white dragon of England at the end of the Hengest story at the point Merlin comes into the story. This comes from Geoffrey of Monmouth and is where the story becomes complete fantasy. However, Geoffrey was writing in the 12th century and the Arturial myth that he promoted is so strong that it certainly links to the red dragon becoming the symbol of Wales.
Closing piece impressed me suggesting this generation having an opportunity to apply an open enquiring mind to history. The children of Cray are showing the way. Very impressed
Hengest’s story is a great one to consider what history actually is. All of the key sources show bias even the more reliable. ones like Bede. Children could easily pick up that Geoffrey of Monmouth was just a story teller. It was good to let them decide what was probable in the story and what was fantasy.
Interestingly, some representations of Sleipnir found elsewhere have extra pairs of hooves for added speed/awesomeness.
It is great to see young people taking an interest in their local history, as well as their origins. It amazes me that children in this country are not taught the origins of their country and culture as I was as a child. However, that is a can of worms which is best left unopened.....
This was an excellent example of using local history as a vehicle to study & understand the essential principles of good history, namely:
(i) Sources, their reliability, the objectiveness and how to responsibly interpret them,
(ii) Physical evidence, whether through topographical features or archaeological artifacts,
(iii) Legends & myths, how they evolved and whether they have any relevant basis on fact,
(iii) Historiography, why things were written or recorded and most importantly, understanding how the time they were written impacts on their slant
With all four of these bases covered it made for a compelling insight into such an important part of our nation and regions history, it was certainly something I knew nothing about and inspired me to discover more so well done to everyone who took part ensuring Hengest and Horsa remain part of our story today.
I look forward to your next project and can't wait to put the Nothern Picts of Peterborough to the sword in a couple of weeks now!