Reply To: Brunanburh Battllefield

[Guy Farrish]

Dinges mere.

The Anglo Saxon says:

dreorig darotha laf, on Dinges mere

ofer deop waeter Dyflin secan,

 

which translates something like:

‘the sad spear leavings (survivors), on Dinges mere

seeking Dublin over deep water.’

So they legged it to Dublin over deep water.

on Dinges mere?

Here you get as many guesses/translations as translators/historians.

Nobody has the faintest what Dinges is. Could be a place we no longer recognise. Could be a corruption of ding – OE for dung – this has led to placing the battle at Foulness because of the discoloured water from iron deposits. Reaching probably.

It could be an odd transliteration of ‘thing’/þing meaning a meeting place – but as there were lots of these it doesn’t really narrow anything down.

There are lots of others but ‘mere’ we know means wetland. Or lake. Or Sea. No, not really helping.

So it could be a a wetland – still lots of meres in Cheshire today or it could be a skaldic term for the sea. Or a river. And just because the Mersey is about doesn’t necessarily help. The sea road could be a direct M56 to Dublin or a long winded round Cape Wrath by-road via the Humber.

Nothing suggests it ISN’T the Wirral. But nothing really suggests it is.

So possibly a boggy pool behind you as the allies, or maybe not. And probably not many trees. Or maybe lots if not the Wirral.

Gotta love Dark Age early medieval history.

I’d go with what gives a good game/historical outcome.