In Christian Europe, bigamy was officially forbidden, and for the wedding to be valid, it had to be solemn. So much in theory. Practice - especially among the poorest - was governed by its own rules. Concluding a marriage contract in an inn and other controversial customs did not surprise anyone ...
Among the rusty old tools left by the previous farmer was a scythe - a blade mounted on a long spar, thanks to which it was possible to reap grain without bending down. Edgar cleaned the blade, sharpened it, and set it on a new shaft. The brothers took turns mowing. It wasn't raining so the grass dried up and my mother sold Bebbe hay for a fat pig, a barrel of eels, a rooster and six hens.
After mowing the oats, it is time to thresh. From two sticks Edgar made a flail with a long tee and a short hammer connected with a leather thong, which he forgot to return to Bebbe.
He tested the flail on a windy day under Brindle's watchful eye. He spread the oats on an even patch of dry earth and began to strike them. He was not a farmer, so he listened to his mother's advice. The tool was doing its job:the small, dry grains detached themselves from the shells and were blown away by the wind.
Edgar rested for a while, enjoying the sunshine. The eel meat in the stew gave him strength. The mother smoked most of these fish by hanging them from the rafters above the hearth. When they eat it, they can kill the pig and smoke the bacon. Then it would be the hens' turn, but before that happened, they could eat the eggs. There was not enough food to feed four adults, but with oats they might survive the winter and not starve to death.
Poor harvest from poor land
The house was now habitable. Edgar patched the holes in the walls and roof, and the floor was paved with fresh bulrushes. They had a stone hearth and a pile of brushwood from the forest. Edgar didn't want to live like that, but he had a feeling that he and his family had survived the worst (...).
- I'm doing okay? - he asked.
- Yes. And the flail works as it should. But I can see the grains are quite small. We will go hungry in winter. (…)
- Maybe next year it will be better.
- We haul the earth before we plow it up again. This should help, although the harvest will be low from poor soil.
The mother was as bright and energetic as ever, but Edgar was worried about her. After her father died, she changed. It seemed more fragile. She had always been strong, but now he came to her aid when she tried to lift a heavy log or came back from the river with a bucket full of water.
The text is an excerpt from Ken Follett's book "Let there be light", which was published by the Albatros publishing house
He did not tell her about his fears, because he knew she would not like what he heard. In that way, she resembled a man. But he couldn't help but think that someday they would live without her.
Biting on Brindle pulled him out of his thoughts. Edgar frowned:dogs sense that something is wrong earlier than humans. A moment later he heard screams - not raised voices, but furious screams. It was his brothers who were arguing about something (...). Out of the corner of his eye he saw his mother hurriedly picking the oat grains to keep them from the birds.
Wife is not for everyone
Erman and Eadbald were rolling on the ground in front of the barn, punching each other and screaming in rage. Eadbald's freckled nose was leaking blood, and Erman's forehead was rubbed. - Stop it! Edgar shouted, but they ignored him. What fools, he thought. We need strength to survive on this damn farm (…).
- Stupid kids, stop it now! Mother thundered, coming out from behind the house. Erman and Eadbald froze.
- You ruined the fun! - Cwenburg said indignantly.
- Get dressed, you shameless girl Mildred rated her.
For a moment, Cwenburg looked as if she wanted to oppose her and send her to hell, but she didn't dare. She turned and walked into the barn and bent to pick up the dress. She did it slowly so everyone could see her bare buttocks. Immediately afterwards she turned around again and put the dress over her head, lifting her arms and exposing her breasts (…).
- I am the oldest Erman said. - I should get a wife first.
- Who told you such stupid things? Eadbald snorted with a scornful laugh. - I will marry when I want, not when you let me.
- But I can afford a wife and you can't. You have nothing. One day I will inherit the farm.
Concluding a marriage contract in an inn, kidnapping the bride or other controversial customs did not surprise anyone ...
Eadbald was boiling with anger. - Mother has three sons He reminded his brother. - When he dies, although I hope he will live for many, many more years, we will divide the farm among ourselves.
- Don't be stupid Eadbald Edgar interjected. - It's hard for us to stay here now. If each of us tries to feed our own family in a third of the earth, we will all starve.
- We are to be celibate then, like the monks in a monastery?
- I hope not.
- So what are we going to do?
Edgar was surprised by his mother's reply. - We'll talk to the parents of Cwenburg. Come on.
Everything has to be shared…
Edgar wasn't sure it would help. He was afraid that Dreng, who was not a rational man, would become smart. Leaf was smarter and nicer. But my mother had something up her sleeve, though he had no idea what. Leaf spoke:- Cwenburg must get married soon. Otherwise, she would become pregnant with one of the hikers passing by, who would disappear and leave us a bastard to raise.
The bastard who will be your grandson, Edgar wanted to say, but carefully bit his tongue (...).
- We all want her to get married, but how will she live? Mildred interrupted him. - My farm won't feed another mug, let alone two. - (...) she was silent for a moment. - Cwenburg must marry Erman and Eadbald She said finally. (...) - I have heard of such marriages Mildred continued calmly. - This happens when two or three brothers inherit a farm that is too small for more than one family.
- But how does it work? Eadbald asked. - I mean… at night…
- The brothers take turns sleeping with their wife Explained the mother. (…) - It should be like that Mildred ruled. - When the children are born, no one will know which brother is father and which is uncle. And if they have some oil in their heads, they won't care. They will just raise their children as theirs (…).
- So get married? Leaf asked.
- Tomorrow Mildred replied. - Noon (…).
- The wedding can be with us Edgar interjected. - People will find out about it later.
- Agreed She replied and stood up. - Then we are expecting you at noon tomorrow.
Her three sons got up as well, and all four headed home. I'm no longer a farmer, Edgar thought.
Source:
The above text is an excerpt from the latest novel by Ken Follett, "Let There Be Light", which has just been released by Albatros. Set in England at the dawn of a new era:the medieval book tells about the events leading up to the story described in the best-selling Pillars of the Earth.