Elene; Judith; Athelstan

The Danube is crowded with Huns, and Constantine’s smaller Roman army waits beneath a sky full of ravens, wolves, and war-horns. Then the emperor dreams of a radiant cross—and hears a promise of victory.

James Mercer Garnett gathers English translations of Anglo-Saxon poems shaped by faith, battle, and the hard choices of rulers and warriors. In “Elene,” fourth-century emperor Constantine faces an invading host and a vision whose meaning will send his mother, Helena, on a search for the Cross. Elsewhere, Judith confronts a dangerous enemy, warriors meet at Brunanburh and Maldon, and the Cross itself speaks from the heart of the collection. These are poems of bright banners and grave resolve, where victory may come by the sword—or by a sign from heaven. What will the vision ask of Constantine and Helena?

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