Folklore & Fantasy

Poem 964 – Frederic’s Plot (The Ballad of the Wake cont.)

/ BenDQ / Leave a comment

Now at this time one Frederic
Searched high and low and far,
Enquiring of our Hereward’s presence,
With plans to seize him with mighty menace,
To hand him over to pay his penance,
Or lift his head upon a high fence,
Thus demonstrate his deeds as offence,
The motive of his heart.

His plan? To earn King William’s favour,
Secure himself a seat,
Within the Conqueror’s noble court,
Thinking that he surely ought,
Be found therein and highly thought of
By surf and lord apiece.

But Hereward heard of this attempt
Upon his life and freedom,
And so he raised a warrior band,
And with them searched throughout the land,
Until he found him plotting plans,
To work out how to seize him.

And so he turned things upside down
And jumped on Frederic
And before he had the chance to fight,
He swung his sword with all his might,
And caused his head to swift alight,
With only one fast flick!

Time to get back to The Ballad of the Wake. Settling down tonight, I realised I’d jumped a key scene that is referred back to later when William de Warenne seeks revenge for his brother, Frederic’s, death.
(06.08.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by Henry Hustava on Unsplash

Poem 959 – The River

/ BenDQ / Leave a comment

The river undulates,
a snake-like peristalsis
wrapping around the city.
It lets us ride upon
its rolling back, for now,
but don’t forget it isn’t
tame – at any time
the Thames may turn and bite,
a bitter serpent bite.

Enjoyed a day upon the Thames today, but on the final stretch noted how its movements seemed alive.
(01.08.26)

© Ben Quant 2026

Poem 949 – Ely Hears the News (The Ballad of the Wake cont.)

/ BenDQ / Leave a comment

The news of Hereward’s return soon spread
And reached the Abbot Thurstan,
Who wrote from Ely deep in the Fen,
Where he and other most resolute men,
Were set upon a brave defence,
Against King William and contend,
His stubborn decision to impose a French monk
Over every one of them,
Down to the very last person.

O Ely, island of the marsh,
Beloved by Mother Fen,
Whose towers stand above its mists,
And tenderly its wetlands kiss,
Concealing paths and trails that twist,
From eyes of devious men.

Word of Hereward’s return reaches the Isle of Ely.
(22.07.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo Bob Jones / Ely Cathedral / CC BY-SA 2.0

Poem 945 – Hereward Rounds Up His Troops (The Ballad of The Wake cont.)

/ BenDQ / Leave a comment

Now fresh returned to England’s shores,
He set at once to home,
To see how fared his father’s lands,
And to gather up a noble band,
Of men still faithful to his commands,
And happy to with him roam.

Great joy! His home had been left alone!
No man had dared to tread,
Within its grounds or tear it down,
And friends of old were scattered around,
Who swiftly gathered when they found out
What he had dared to pledge:

‘I have returned to stand against
The foe that’s stormed our land,
I will not sleep until they’re sent
From hill and moor and sand.’

Will you brave knights join in my fight
For faith and freedom stand?
Together we can spread the light,
A courageous merry band!

The short in stature but strong Wynter,
Robust in every way,
His nephews also, brave Godwin,
With Outi and Doti the famous twins,
And many others from across the kingdom,
Gathered without delay.

‘We’ll fight with you!’ they boasted, proud,
‘Defend our fathers’ realms,
And tear that William’s throne right down,
The Normans overwhelm.’

The list of men was far too long
For me to fully number,
But know for now that many hold,
These knights as the best in all the world,
Of their bold exploits such tales were told,
That will never be outdone.

Taking advantage of a Saturday with a bit of time to get Hereward’s band of outlaws together. Once again I’m reminded of how Hereward has always seemed like a prototype for Robin Hood.
(18.07.26)

© Ben Quant 2026

Poem 944 – The Lovers Meet (expanded) (The Ballad of the Wake cont.)

/ BenDQ / Leave a comment

Now one year on it’s time to turn
To Flanders for his wife,
Who he’d left there with his nephews,
Siward the Red and White, these two
The noblest of his men both true
In caring for her life.

Oh what a joyful reunion!
Two lovers at last combined!
Their separation was so hard,
By circumstances kept apart,
But now true love’s restored at last,
Their lives as one aligned.

United in each others arms,
Eyes locked together fast,
Two lives entwined like ivy vines,
They celebrate, two glasses of wine,
A couplet, lines that are perfectly rhymed,
Two hands so tightly clasped.

And here they would have happily stayed
But alas it wasn’t to be,
Outside these walls the world span on,
And trouble brewed that impinged upon,
Their peace and joy so freshly won,
That longed to blossom free.

Expanding and placing in context the reunion of Hereward and Turfrida in yesterday’s poem.
(17.07.36)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by Will O on Unsplash

Poem 941 – Hereward Brings Turfrieda Home (The Ballad of the Wake cont.)

/ BenDQ / Leave a comment

So now renowned in far Flanders
Across the Narrow Seas, 1
He took Turfrieda in his embrace,
With arms now proven in strength and grace,
Declaring ‘No more should we be displaced,
Let’s live as family!’

We’ve been apart for far too long,
Let’s leave and forge a home,
Back in the Fens, my Father’s land,
Let’s up at once and go!

And so he gathered up his men
With Siwards Red and White,
The chaplain Hugo Britannious,
With prayer and sword a genius,
His brother too, one Withardus,
A knight of valour and might.

And so they sailed across the Seas,
Past France, back home again,
Where Old Man Heron patient stood,
And pike and perch swam in the brook,
And eels swam past the willow wood,
Back to his Mother Fen.

After sharing a few verses with my father yesterday, I’m feeling inspired to press on with this ballad, and determined to intertwine the tale of Hereward with the character of our shared fenland home.
(14.07.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Image public domain

  1. The Anglo Saxon Name for the English Channel ↩︎

Poem 939 – Appeasing Mother Fen (The Ballad of the Wake cont.)

/ BenDQ / Leave a comment

Old Mother Fen this is your tale
And so we greet you first,
We toss a sword into the wet,
Acknowledging your primal threat,
A humble token of respect
With which to slake your thirst.

Our sword is new and freshly forged
And never drawn in anger,
It’s made for you at great expense,
A blade that’s offered like incense,
To calm your hunger, make you content,
Receive us in your land.

And now our duty is performed
Our narrative can start,
With introductions of our cast,
A look back to a violent past,
To welcome Hereward at last,
To the tale of which he’s part.

Thinking about the setting off this ballad, I found myself remembering Flag Fen in Peterborough and the sword found there which formed some sort of offering. That significantly predates our tale, but it somehow felt appropriate to appropriate it for the start of my ballad, a memory echoed in Arthurian Legend now applied to Hereward, another resistance fighter.
(12.07.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by Maria Miguel Cardeiro on Unsplash

Poem 938 – The Passage

/ BenDQ / Leave a comment

Our kayak slides along the dark, still water.
Here no ripples form, all sound is dampened.
Distant lungs breathe in, the weighty air
constricts and reaching trees bow down in greeting.

We whisper, fearing to disturb this timeless
passage; what lies within its pulsing vein?
I sense some sentience observing me
within, some foreign mind forming judgements.

We’re steered forwards, towards the distant light,
invited by its possibility,
all the time suppressing the nagging doubt
that something is amiss. We close our eyes.

Within the ocean deep, they say, there lurk
treacherous creatures that lure their prey with bio-
luminescence. Attracted by unnatural
suns their victims swim into their mouths.

Inspired by a photo and discussion shared in an online forum I’m part of. Photo taken kayaking in Northern Winsconsin.
(11.07.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo Kris Smith / WickedDarkPhotography