Answer

Clearly the Viking messenger is asking for treasure in exchange for peace, yet it is important that the poet chooses to include his speech and Byrhtnoth's forceful reply. Perhaps this is a clear indication of the poet's views on how one should (and should not) deal with such enemies. The Chronicle entry for 991 (M&R, p. 213) notes that in that year the English 'geald ²rest gafol Deniscan mannum' ('first paid tribute to the Danish men'); this is the same year as the disaster at Maldon. In this poem the messenger is clearly suggesting the English adopt such a policy, but Byrhtnoth's reply is scornful. It is a common misconception to apply the term 'Danegeld' to such payments during ¨þelr²d's reign. In fact the term (or more correctly 'heregeld') should only be applied to the tax introduced in 1012 onwards to pay for mercenaries. The term more commonly associated with what we are witnessing at Maldon is 'gafol', i.e. simply a tribute. Such tributes were often sizeable - £10,000 in 991, and £48,000 in 1012 to name but two examples.

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