Lev Grossman's Arthuriana fantasy 'The Bright Sword' makes the Saxons climate refugees crossing the channel in small boats (topical), fleeing floods. Can any Early-Englishers give me sources for the climate history this is based on? - ThreadSky

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rhyskamjones.bsky.social • 43 days ago

Lev Grossman's Arthuriana fantasy 'The Bright Sword' makes the Saxons climate refugees crossing the channel in small boats (topical), fleeing floods.

Can any Early-Englishers give me sources for the climate history this is based on?

Comments

yogalamb.bsky.social•41 days ago

Intriguing. I’m up to chapter 10 & will forward to the fleeing. 🍿

kaurifish.bsky.social•42 days ago

I kinda thought it was telegraphing the Doggerland flooding.

rhyskamjones.bsky.social•42 days ago

Couldn't be, given it's post-Roman!

rhyskamjones.bsky.social•43 days ago

Grossman's obviously well read but a bit inexact/out of date on things I do know about, e.g., the exact meaning of 'wealas' - want to know more in this case!

rhyskamjones.bsky.social•43 days ago

(@madeley.bsky.social as you've long been asking for a Culhwch-inspired modern Arthur - Ysbaddaden Bencawr alert)

ffredclegg.bsky.social•43 days ago

I think it's just the continuing post-glacial climate changes, receding ice in higher latitudes, rising sea levels affecting the eastern side of the North Sea, displacing Saxons who then crossed to the Britanniae and settled on the east coast.

cherylmorgan.bsky.social•43 days ago

It seems pretty widespread https://www.history.org.uk/primary/resource/3865/anglo-saxons-a-brief-history

rhyskamjones.bsky.social•43 days ago

Yes, I found that too but can't find many academic citations (and it's the kind of thing I can imagine being arguable!)

cherylmorgan.bsky.social•43 days ago

Agreed, but at least it isn’t something that Grossman made up.

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