“Courage must be the firmer, heart the bolder, spirit the greater as our strength lessens.”
— The Battle of Maldon, lines 312–313
When the shieldwall broke, only the man remained.
Without the shield beside him, the ceorl had to choose: retreat or stand. And many stood, though the line was gone.
In that moment, the battle became something else—closer, dirtier, more desperate. Short strikes, seax to the chest, mud and blood underfoot.
These miniatures capture that turning point—when duty gives way to raw courage and the fight becomes personal.
