YE OLDE STORY

IF BRIDA TOLD HER STORY:
I decided that I could not stay on with Uhtred. I am after all, a Dane in my heart. I followed Ragnar the Younger to keep him company and keep him out of trouble. The English Christian life bores and at the same time frightens me, for Danish Gods and Warriors is all I know, and all that knows me.
I have become quite skilled with the tools of war and Ragnar is amused by my interest in acquiring such skills, so he allows me to practice with the young men and boys and even furnished me with my own short blade. Though I am a woman, I fight like a man. I am free like a man and I take my bed with whom I please, like a man. Though I miss Uhtred, Ragnar has become a close companion to me and even promises one day to make me his wife, though I am not sure that I am interested in caring for a home. I have birthed 4 children, none on which survived beyond a week. The wives of some of the warriors helped me with the births, but I am not thick and overfed and the wives tell me the Gods will not let a child live without a home and father or milk. The English slave girl tells me it is a punishment from her God, for my sins that all my children die.
One day, I hope to have a little girl and I hope that she is free, like myself, and I hope that she will learn to read and write and fight like a man and love whatever God protects us and we will have house and our dog will live with us too. Uhtred will visit with his wife and son and maybe my daughter and his son will grow to love each other the way Uhtred and I loved each other. For now, I am content with my warrior studies and bedding with Ragnar and traveling and fighting. For now, I am content to be a Dane warrior woman.

NOW FOR MY ATTEMPT AT AN OE TRANSLATION-WARNING: IF I COULD NOT FIND A WORD IN THE DICTIONARY, ITRIED TO DESCRIBE WITH THE NEAREST SYNONYM AVAILABLE. I NOTICED FEW VERBS IN THE PRESCRIBED DICTIONARY TOOL-I WAS FORCED TO BE VERY CREATIVE, HOWEVER I LEARNED TO APPRECIATE THE KENNINGS AND THE COMPLIMENTARY PAIRING OF WORDS TO DEEPEN MEANING. THIS IS AN INTERESTING PHENOMENA IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE.

Ic ceosan ic no licgan aet Uhtred. Ic ac Dane innan mineheorte. Ic laestan Ragnar Aede for geferscipian aegnweoer leas abisgung. Angle Cristen lif no galdar mine aegnweoer andlang gebryddan mine, for Gods Danen aegnweoer Cempa Danen is mine andgiet aegnweoer ghaelwic andgiet mine.
Ic lǽred camping aegnweor Ragnar néotan mine gamen. For Ragnar lǽtan mine lufian wit cniht aegnweoer lǽstan mine gúðsweord. Ic gefǽmne ac campian angelic ac ceorl. Ic ac cyre angelic ac ceorl, ic slǽpan ac cyre angelic ac ceorl. Ic langung Uhtred, mine innemest Ragnar, ná gehálsian ceorlian. Nis ic mine geféra. Ic cenning féor cnafa, wá lá wá déadian ǽr án wek. Geféras camping mine helpe is ic nis gefættig aegnmeor geféras mine átellan for nis ámelcan and nis fæder and nis ærn. Angles lýtle mine áboden is néadwíte for mine ǽgylt from Angles God for mine cnafa deadian.
An dæg mine áhopian for an gefǽmne cnafa, mine áhopian she is cyre angelic ac mine, mine áhopian she leornian árǽdan, áwrit, herenes God us áscildan. Mine áhopian she gefǽmne ac campian angelic ac ceorl. We lifen in ærn æt docga. Uhtred and geféra and cnafa cumin and Uhtred cnafa and gefǽmne cnafa lufian angelic mine and Uhtred lufian. Núna, mine áblissian Cempa Danen gefǽmne.