"
And my mother would say, "It is likely that the burden was lighter for
her blessing."
And, truly, if the love of poor folk did help, Havelok's burden weighed
naught, great though it was.
Yet we thought little of the blessings of the Welsh folk of the marsh in
those days, for they blessed not in the names of the Asir, being sons of
the British Christians of long ago, and many, as I think, Christians
yet. Witlaf and all the English folk were Odin's men, as we were, having
a temple at the place called Thor's Way, among the hills. But we had
naught to do with the faith of the thralls, which was not our business.
Only Withelm was curious in the matter, and was wont to ask them thereof
at times, though at first they feared to tell him anything, seeing how
the Saxons and English had treated the Christian folk at their first
coming. But that was forgotten now, by the English at least, and times
were quiet for these poor folk. There was a wise man, too, of their
faith, who lived in the wild hills not far from the city, and they were
wont to go to him for advice if they needed it. They said also that the
king of Lindsey had once been a Christian, for he was Welsh by birth on
his mother's side, and had been so brought up. It is certain that his
sister Orwenna, who married Ethelwald of East Anglia, was one, but I
have seen Alsi the king at the feasts of the Asir at Thor's Way when
Yuletide was kept, so it is not so certain about him.
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