Havelok the Dane

Havelok the Dane:

Let me just first say that I really enjoyed this text. At times, I get so focused on reading Middle English texts for the theoretical, cultural, and historical items that I’m interested in that I don’t focus as much on just enjoying them. Once I got to the point where Havelok begins taking on responsibility, I actually just got really into the story. After all, who can’t love a boisterous guy like Havelok whose main desires revolve around trying to keep his ever empty belly full.

Furthermore, with this text’s interest in economics, class consciousness, and the adherence of contracts, I should have read it some time ago. There’s so much of this that I could write a chapter worth of material on it (and might later) but for now here are just the overall thoughts.

This text in general seems more interested in the third estate than the first, which is odd considering our hero is the son of a Danish king and marries the daughter, and heir, of an English king. Yet, despite the nobility of our primary figures the demonstration of their respective virtues comes in many ways through their treatment of the lower classes. Athelwold, king of England and father of Goldeboru, is described as loving four things: “God with al his micth, / And Holy Kirke, and soth ant ricth”(35-36). Rather than a general focus on justice as punishment of crime, however, the text goes on to describe that Athelwold’s reign severely punished outlaws and thieves, protecting merchants from their action, and even righting wrongs done against widows. Havelok himself recognizes the economic burden he puts on his adopted family, setting out to earn his part and, when food is stretched too thin, leaving to make his own way. Havelok even engages in labor in a wide range of professions including fishing, porting, and cooking (at least assisting therewith) before being knighted and engaging in general kickassery. Despite his noble heritage, Havelok is not only willing to engage in this labor but rather takes to it, comically carrying immense loads and knocking down other competitors for employment (which reads like a scene right out of Asterix and Obelix)

In addition to the interesting class elements at work here, the text at large pays a great deal attention to loyalty and the adherence to contracts. Both of the usurpers in this text, Godrich and Godard, make verbal contracts to care for and support their respective wards (it’s worth noting that these agreements follow the pattern of many medieval contracts as they each make a verbal agreement, conduct a ritual by swearing on the Bible, and do so before many witnesses). Despite the contracts, however, both Godrich and Godard prove false and forfeit their contracts as they attempt to seize power for themselves. Havelok, on the other hand, offers multiple deals to his enemies in exchange for peace, which are refused, and strives to uphold every agreement he makes. Havelok even pays his debts to those he has promised nothing, rewarding Ubbe and the Cook for their assistance. In this sense, justice is not only the punishment of crime but the maintaining of proper legal and social contracts, a matter that is emphasized by both usurpers being effectively tried by juries of their peers (2464-2485 and 2808-2816).

On a different matter, I found the manner in which Goldeboru is treated by other agents in the text as interesting. She is largely commodified due to her exchange value, involving not only her sexual value but the rights to the throne of England that marriage to her carries, and this perceived value leads to a great deal of violence while Goldeboru and Havelok are under Ubbe’s care. Furthermore, in marrying her to Havelok Godrich attempts to render that exchange value null, making her claim unviable as Godrich believes Havelok is simply a houseless “cherl.”

On matters of loyalty, the lesson at large from this text seems to be that trustworthy retainers are the keys to successful rule. Both Havelok’s and Goldeboru’s parents make the mistake of entrusting their kingdoms to stewards whose need for greater wealth and power supersede their loyalty (playing into a larger tradition of untrustworthy stewards in Middle English texts), and Havelok requires retainers in order to defeat the raid on Ubbe’s home (which is interesting in its own right due to Havelok and his retainers using staves, cudgels, and a large wooden beam rather than more traditional weapons of knighthood and that while highly skilled in arms Havelok is not able to defeat the entire force alone, unlike other romantic heroes who possess superhuman combat abilities). Rather than Havelok being the sole embodiment of martial efficiency, he requires the aid of others to ensure success.

In sum, Havelok is an interesting text that perhaps has more to say about the lower classes than the nobility, a trend I’ve not noticed in many other Middle English romances.

[Also, what is with the creepy scene where Ubbe has all of his retainers come and stare at Havelok while he is sleeping?]