THE FIRST WAVE OF CAPTURE

​On the evening of the seventeenth day of the month known to the Saxons as Ærra Liða, in the year of our Lord two thousand and fifteen, before the evening star dipped low in the west, a band of nine brave warriors, from the district known as Somersetshire in the kingdom of Wessex, made a friendly excursion southwards to the neighbouring district of Devonshire. All nine warriors were respected elders of the Court of ÆÐELRED, number sixty-six in the records of our noble king Æthelstan Rex Totius Anglorum. This Court is situated at Burnham, on the south shore of the sea that divides the Saxon Kingdoms of Wessex and Magonsætan.  On entering the district of Devonshire, they made their way to the market town of Honetone, meaning a farm belonging to Huna, now known as Honiton, and from thence to the Court of King Cerdic, recorded as number eighty-two. The reason they assigned for this visit was to develop a bond of friendship between the two Courts. But their true aim was to remove the Beehive, a potent symbol in the kingdom of Wessex, and to carry it back to their own Court at Burnham. This important emblem of industry had remained undisturbed since its discovery at Honiton in the Saxon month of Ðrimilcemonað, in the year of our Lord two thousand and fourteen. The elders of the Court of King Cerdic greeted the visiting warriors with much good ceremony and, when formal Court matters were at an end, the leader of the nine Somersetshire warriors acquainted the Court of King Cerdic with their true aims and, according to ancient laws that bind, put forth a forceful argument for the Beehive to be placed in the keeping of the Court of ÆÐELRED. The nine warriors were successful in their mission and, after much feasting, merriment and honorary toasting, transported the Beehive back to Somersetshire in a steel chariot, where it now has pride of place in the Court of ÆÐELRED at Burnham on Sea

THE SECOND WAVE OF CAPTURE

The date of the eighteenth of October 2016 heralds a new awakening, for capture is on the minds of those from Wiltshire, mainly those fearless Saxon mercenaries from Malmesbury. Having attended an assembly of warlords from the host ÆÐELRED REX number sixty-six it came to pass that one of the fearless warriors Mervyn of Pucklechurch stood and demanded possession of the ancient and sacred Beehive that stood on the grounds within Burnham. He charged the assembly that five mercenaries from his village demand possession of the Bee-hive. The elders and scribes of importance within the temple rejected the claim saying that on this Installation assembly it was not allowable to demand such an imposition and that they should withdraw their claim. They having been rejected but not outstanding, the mercenaries at that evenings feast, summoned the scribe Ragnor Wright who rose with fury and announced that the parchment that he held in his possession confirmed that a legal take of the bee-hive was mandatary  and demanded the handing over of this rightful possession to be taken to Malmesbury for safe keeping. ÆÐELRED executive having examined the document relented and agreed that the document was in good order and they would honor the text within. The Saxon mercenaries from Malmesbury rejoiced with acclamation and on this occasion, they declared that there would be no blood spilled on this day. Having placed the Beehive in their chariot they eventually returned to the place of their abode.

THE THIRD WAVE OF CAPTURE

​On Tiwesdæg (Tuesday) the twelfth day of Haligmonað the Saxon name for September in the great year of two thousand and seventeen, a brave band of warriors from the Court of King Cerdic numbered eighty-two in the records of our noble king Æthelstan, Rex Britannicus, rode feverishly from the ancient Devonian market town of Hunytown to Malmesbury the oldest borough in England to join an assembly of warlords within the local Court numbered one hundred. 

The members of the Malmesbury Court greeted their visiting warriors with much good ceremony and, when formal Court matters were at an end, one of the Elders of the Court of King Cerdic, scribe Christopholus of Wilmington, declared that the document held in his possession confirmed that the required number of warriors were present and could legally mount a challenge to remove the ancient and sacred Bee-hive from Malmesbury and return it to its rightful place of construction in Hunytown. The Court of King Cerdic’s leader, a fearless warrior called Roburt of Colytown, stood and demanded possession of the ancient and sacred Bee-hive that was safely held within the Court. As an offer of appeasement he promised to release the inhabitants, declaring them inferior to Colytown bees, but would retain the honey in case it was any good! He was accompanied by David - D’Whiskers of Exmouth the Bee-Hive’s co-creator and six other noble warriors all heavily armed for battle. After much hearty feasting, drinking and merriment, the noble warriors from Hunytown returned with their trophy to be kept safe from marauding vagrants and scurvy knaves to await the challenge from another Court to claim its capture in the true spirit of visiting.