The Hild Sequence
by Nicola Griffith

Reviewed by Galen Strickland
Posted January 1, 2022, edited November 30, 2023
More edits and Addendum on December 17, 2023

Hild / Menewood

Buy from Bookshop or Amazon. A purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

In spite of the fact that Nicola Griffith's Hild was a finalist for both Nebula and John W. Campbell Memorial awards, it is not science fiction or fantasy, although the hint or expectation of magic always lies just below the surface. It is historical fiction, but also speculative fiction, since almost nothing is known of the early life of the woman who would later be known as Saint Hilda of Whitby. What little we do know comes from the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, written by the Venerable Bede some fifty years after her death. She lived during a time of transition, as Christianity was making inroads into the British Isles, and while she was baptised, this story says she still had respect for older beliefs, even harboring and defending pagan priests. Those pagan beliefs are what drive the notion that magic, the influence of older gods, might show up in the story, and in a couple of cases people believe that they did. Not much is known about the everyday lives of people in 7th Century England either, other than a few details concerning kings, and wars, and invasions. Griffith provides a brief introduction explaining that the narrative is her own invention, although certain historical events can be verified. There is also a glossary and pronunciation guide at the end. The United States has been dubbed a "melting pot," but so were the British Isles. Angles, Saxons, Scots, Picts, Celts, Irish, most of whom descended from various Germanic tribes who came to the islands either before the Romans or after. Marriages, alliances, and wars shifted borders and family powers multiple times.

We can't know with certainty where and when Hild was born, but wikipedia says in the Kingdom of Deira circa 614. There were many kings (always lowercase), ruling over various areas. Hild was the second child of Hereric, a nephew of Edwin king of Deira. I may have missed some detail, but I'm not sure why or by whose command Hereric was in exile in the court of Ceredig king of Elmut (now West Yorkshire). It didn't seem it would have been Edwin, since Hereric only had two daughters, so no threat to Edwin at that time. Hild was three when her father was assassinated by poisoning. She and her mother, along with a few loyal servants, were able to escape and find refuge in Edwin's court. Hild's mother, Breguswith, began the myths of her daughter from a dream, although it is possible she fabricated that to give weight to her words. Hild was to be the "Light of the World," a seer. Even at a very early age, Hild became a close advisor to Edwin. From that came the accusations that she was a hægtes (witch), and also that she might be descended from an etin (giant), due to her taller than average stature. But she wasn't a witch, and she was completely human. Her pronouncements of future events derived exclusively from her brilliant mind, her ability to absorb details and extrapolate from them. She was also an avid observer of nature, which gave her insight into animal behaviour, animal migrations, and potential weather patterns. Her advice aided Edwin in his campaign against Berenicia to the north, which he combined with Deira to form Northumbria, and he was determined to be hailed as overking of the Angles.

There are many other fiction books on my to-be-read pile, but if not for that I would love to do more research into this period. I've already learned several things of which I was previously unaware. According to the appendix and glossary, the Angles spoke Anglisc, which is what we think of now as Old English. British was spoken by the Saxons in the south and others in the west, but it is closer to modern day Welsh. Hild was taught from an early age by an Irish priest named Fursey, who was nominally a slave, captured during a previous conflict. He also knew Latin, so Hild learned at least four languages, which she used to her advantage in dealing with various peoples later. One is more inclined to listen to a stranger if that stranger speaks your language, and it also helped that Hild could listen in on conversations of people who did not realize she knew their language. As I said earlier, Hild was not a fortune-teller, but she could interpret events to get a good idea of what lay ahead. She knew Edwin wouldn't be king forever, so she had to think of herself too, maneuver and manipulate things to her own advantage. Part of that was persuading Edwin to let her have sovereignty over a parcel of land most people would think was worthless. It was an almost hidden valley she remembered from her childhood in Elmut, mostly just a bog, but she could see its potential if properly maintained. She sent one of her pagan priest allies there, both for his own protection, but also to begin the rehabilitation of that land, which she named Menewood. That will be the title of the second book in this series, which the author says she is currently editing, with a projected publication sometime in 2023. I would love to start reading it now. [EDIT, November 30, 2023: Menewood came out October 3. I hope to read it before the end of the year.]

It is written in third person, but everything is from Hild's perspective, things she observed personally, or news she heard from various sources from all corners of the country. Her mother told her to be quiet and listen, which she did for the most part, until she either volunteered information she thought Edwin needed to hear, or when he pressed her for advice. The times she was quiet resulted in many being suspicious of her, wondering what she might be plotting. When she spoke, her message was not always received in the manner intended. She often phrased things in a way that might have seemed she was a true seer, but that was just her method of reinforcing her position. Edwin also continually leaned on the advice of Paulinus of Kent, a Catholic emissary. Edwin was baptised on Easter Day, 12 April 627, along with many of his court, including Hild. She would have been thirteen at that time. [EDIT #2: In Menewood it is said her birthday was 4 November, so if she was born in 614, then she would have only been twelve at her baptism.] At least two more years followed in this book. Nothing I've found elsewhere indicates she ever married, but she does here. The book ends on her wedding night, when she would have been at least fifteen, maybe sixteen. Unlike so many other marriages of the time, her husband is the person she has loved the longest, although she had almost resigned herself to losing him to someone else. We'll have to wait and see how long that marriage lasts, but we do know from history that Edwin's rule will end about three years later.

[EDIT #3: I have re-read Hild in anticipation of the next book. Something I didn't notice the first time on the family tree of Edwin and Hild's line, the Yffings, as well as the rival Idings: there are asterisks by the names of the man Hild marries, as well as his mother, indicating they are fictional, creations of the author. Something else that struck me on the second reading; I recalled how many of the common folk adored, almost worshipped, Hild, but there were also many who feared her, and were wary of her influence on Edwin. She may have been the Light of the World, but she had her dark streak too, and could be violent and cruel if the circumstances warranted it. During a campaign against bandits menacing Elmut, she became known as the "Butcher-Bird."]

Even if the second book is again mostly fiction, I still want to experience more of Hild's life, not the least of which will be finding out how her previous actions and beliefs led her to becoming a Catholic saint. This is a beautifully written account of a harsh and brutal history, mainly because Hild is in love with the land and its peoples (plural). It was her influence that got Edwin to grudgingly accept wealh (outsiders/strangers, which eventually morphed into the word Welsh) as fellow citizens of his kingdom. But there would always be petty grievances between the various kingdoms, no matter how many women were married off to form new alliances. In those cases, the women were called "peaceweavers," yet peace was rarely the result. It's hard to say how accurate this is concerning the life of common folk, the farmers, herdsmen, weavers, brewers, and bandits. It was real enough for me as I read, whether the events were positive or less so. The second book might be mostly about Menewood, but I'm sure other events will be featured too. Hild is highly recommended, and I can't wait for more.

.

*     *     *

Buy from Bookshop or Amazon. A purchase through our links may earn us a commission.

Posted December 17, 2023
My comments for this second book will be briefer than above, not because I don't have a lot to say about Menewood, but it would be too easy to spoil things. Yes, I hit some of the high points, but the beauty of the book is more than those historical events. Hild's life, her loves, desires, and ambitions, are more important, even if mostly fictional. A great book, yet at the same time it was not the one I expected. Griffith got the idea for the story from Bede's account of Hilda of Whitby, when he said she was frequently called on by kings, princes, and others for advice. How and why would a woman of this period have gained such influence? Bede wrote only of her term as Abbess of Whitby, not her earlier life. I frequently forgot, no matter how much had happened to her and to her world, she is still very young in these books. Wikipedia says after the fall of Edwin at the Battle of Hæðfeld (Hatfield Chase) in 633, when Hild would have been just shy of her nineteenth birthday, she escaped to Cent (Kent) with Edwin's queen, his second wife Æthelburh. Not in this book though. She was close to death herself, saved by her bodywoman Gwladus, and another faithful retainer, and in addition to Edwin, she had lost two others most dear to her. I won't speak of them again since they are fictional characters. Hild is harboured by people in a marshland south of the battle, where she slowly recovers and works through her grief. She does eventually return to Menewood, but doesn't stay there for long, which is what I expected. The rest of the book encompasses a little more than another year, so at most Hild is only twenty at the end.

Cadwallon king of Gwynedd of the west, allied with Penda king of Mercia in the south, had defeated Edwin. Penda apparently retreated south, letting Cadwallon kill, pillage, and burn his way through Deira and Bernicia. Rhin, Hild's pagan priest caretaker of Menewood, had developed a wide-ranging network of other priests to gather and spread word of the goings-on across the land. Hild had previously stated she was done with war, she wanted to stay and hide in Menewood, yet her desire for revenge was strong. Cadwallon apparently felt he had destroyed all opposition and didn't leave any soldiers garrisoned in those towns, including York. Hild leaves Menewood and contacts other survivors, other potential allies, to regroup and attempt to overthrow Cadwallon. The time and place of Cadwallon's death is also documented, but by whom is debatable. Griffith places Hild there, in support of her new king, Oswald, whose father was an Iding, his mother an Yffing, so acceptable to both groups. Oswald, along with many others, did not believe Hild when she said she did not want any power. Now that her revenge was complete she wanted to return to Menewood, but it is likely she will feel the need to venture forth again, depending on what Oswald and others do.

The only thing I can criticize is it didn't seem logical that Cadwallon would not also have spies and messengers everywhere, and be aware of the gathering of forces against him. Otherwise, this is an exciting narrative, and being mostly fictional about Hild, also unpredictable. Griffith varies her style with Hild's activities, her personal relationships and her love for the land rendered in lyrical prose. Then come the action sequences, handled as well as I've ever read, especially the chapter of Edwin's fall, and the killing of Cadwallon. It is a long book, but those differences of mood helped move the plot along at a good pace, with sequences that allowed a brief respite, others that got my heart pumping following the very fast pace of battle. Something else that Griffith has said is she doesn't know how many more books she will write about Hild, but however many there will be, she hopes they aren't as long as Menewood. I don't care how long or short they are, or how long I have to wait, I just know I will read them when they appear. How Hild moves from where she is at the end of this book to later become a saint will be interesting, but weirder things have happened in the realm of politics and religion. Another very hearty recomendation.

 

We would appreciate your support for this site with your purchases from Amazon.com, Bookshop.org, and ReAnimusPress.