Best Uhtred Quotes & Sayings

Tell Ragnall," I told him, "that the Saxons of Mercia are coming. Tell him that his dead will number in the thousands. Tell him that his own death is just days away. Tell him that promise comes from Uhtred of Bebbanburg. — Bernard Cornwell

My name is Uhtred. I am the son of Uhtred, who was the son of Uhtred and his father was also called Uhtred. — Bernard Cornwell

It was the year 878, I was twenty-one years old and believed my swords could win me the whole world. I was Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the man who had killed Ubba Lothbrokson beside the sea and who had spilled Svein of the White Horse from his saddle at Ethandun. I was the man who had given Alfred his kingdom back and I hated him. So I would leave him. My path was the sword-path, and it would take me home. I would go north. — Bernard Cornwell

I hated Alfred. He was a miserable, pious, tight-fisted king who distrusted me because I was no Christian, because I was a northerner, and because I had given him his kingdom back at Ethandun. And as reward he had given me Fifhaden. Bastard. — Bernard Cornwell

The other held a hand toward the wretched boy in the dung-heap. "Father Uhtred," he said. "His name is not Uhtred," I snarled, "and if he dares call himself Uhtred," I looked at him as I spoke, "then I will find him and I will cut his belly to the bone and I will feed his lily-livered guts to my swine. He is not my son. He's not worthy to be my son." The man who was not worthy to be my son clambered wetly from the dung-heap, dripping filth. He looked up at me. "Then what am I called?" he asked. "Judas," I said mockingly. — Bernard Cornwell

I am Uhtred, son of Uhtred, and this is the tale of a blood feud. It is a tale of how I will take from my enemy what the law says is mine. And it is the tale of a woman and of her father, a king.
He was my king and all that I have I owe to him. The food that I eat, the hall where I live, and the swords of my men, all came from Alfred, my king, who hated me. — Bernard Cornwell

You should always plan your battles form the enemy's point of view. — Bernard Cornwell

Serpent-Breath was famous ... Wasp-Sting, short and lethal. — Bernard Cornwell

I look at those parchments, which are deeds saying that Uhtred, son of Uhtred, is the lawful and sole owner of the lands that are carefully marked by stones and by dykes, by oaks and by ash, by marsh and by sea, and I dream of those lands, wavebeaten and wild beneath the winddriven sky. I dream, and know that one day I will take back the land from those who stole it from me. — Bernard Cornwell

You bastard!' he shouted. He was quick. No warrior stays alive by being slow. — Bernard Cornwell

We were three ships in a summer's dawn, and we were going to battle. — Bernard Cornwell

Earsling,' a harsh voice challenged me from beside the Wheatsheaf's heart. 'What rancid demon brought you here to spoil my day?' I stared. And stared. Because the last person I had ever expected to see in AEthelred's stronghold of Gleawecestre was staring at me. 'Well, earsling?' he demanded, 'what are you doing here?'
It was my father. — Bernard Cornwell

Uhtred of Steapa - He might be dumb as a parsnip but he knows how to fight. — Bernard Cornwell

The church, we're to meet in the church. Do try to wipe that blood off your mail, Uhtred. We're an embassy! — Bernard Cornwell

And you, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Uhtred of Nothing, will die last and die slowest because you have betrayed the gods. You are cursed. You are all cursed!" She cackled then, a mad sound, before pointing the blade at me again. "The gods hate you, Uhtred! You were their son, you were their favourite, you were loved by them, but you chose to use your gifts for the false god, for the filthy Christian god, and now the real gods hate you and curse you! I speak to the gods, they listen to me, they will give you to me and I will kill you so slowly that your death will last till Ragnarok! — Bernard Cornwell

All you need to know, boy," Finan growled, "is that Lord Uhtred's side is the one that wins. — Bernard Cornwell

There is a greater war, Uhtred. Not the fight between Saxon and Dane, but between God and the devil, between good and evil! We are part of it! — Bernard Cornwell

Cnut Longsword had near killed me with his blade Ice-Spite and it was small consolation that Serpent-Breath had sliced his throat in the same heartbeat that his sword had broken a rib and pierced my lung. — Bernard Cornwell

Alfred has trapped you, Uhtred."
"No," I said, "the spinners did that." Ur r, Ver andi, and Skuld, the three women who spin our threads at the foot of Yggdrasil, had decided my fate. Destiny is all. "I shall go to my woman," I said. — Bernard Cornwell

Choose your battles,' I snarled at Aethelstan. 'That space between your ears was given so that you can think! If you just charge whenever you see an enemy you'll earn yourself an early grave.' Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg — Bernard Cornwell

Win your war, Lord Uhtred," he said, "then take her away from us priests and give her lots of children. She'll be happy, and one day she'll be truly wise. That's the women's real gift, to be wise, and not many men have it. — Bernard Cornwell

We are going to soak this rock with blood! I am Uhtred! I am the lord here. This is my rock! — Bernard Cornwell

I think only one man in three is a warrior, and sometimes not even that many, but in our army, Uhtred, every man is a fighter. If you do not want to be a warrior you stay home in Denmark. You till the soil, herd sheep, fish the sea, but you do not take to the ships and become a fighter. But here in England? Every man is forced to the fight, yet only one in three or maybe only one in four has the belly for it. The rest are farmers who just want to run. We are wolves fighting sheep. — Bernard Cornwell

What happens to you, Uhtred, is what you make happen. You will grow, you will learn the sword, you will learn the way of the shield wall, you will learn the oar, you will give honor to the gods, and then you will use what you have learned to make your life good or bad. — Bernard Cornwell

Idle men make mischief, especially idle men supplied with ale, whores, and weapons. — Bernard Cornwell

It had happened to me once, long ago. I had been named Osbert by my father, who was called Uhtred, but when my elder brother, also Uhtred, was slaughtered by the Danes my father had renamed me. It is always thus in our family. The eldest son carries on the name. My stepmother, a foolish woman, even had me baptized a second time because, she said, the angels who guard the gates of heaven would not know me by my new name, and so I was dipped in the water barrel, but Christianity washed off me, thank Christ, and I discovered the old gods and have worshiped them ever since. — Bernard Cornwell

He thinks with his heart, Uhtred,' Alfred said, 'not his head. You can change a man's heart, but not his head. — Bernard Cornwell

All those separate people were a part of my life, strings strung on the frame of Uhtred, and though they were separate they affected one another and together they would make the music of my life. — Bernard Cornwell

I'm not his man, Father. I'm Uhtred of Bebbanburg, and the lords of Bebbanburg don't marry pious maggotfaced bitches of low birth. — Bernard Cornwell

You're a bastard," I said.
"Uhtred," he began, but could find nothing more to say.
"You're a piece of weasel-shit," I said, "you're an earsling."
"I'm a king," he said, trying to regain his dignity.
"So you're a royal piece of weasel-shit. An earsling on a throne. — Bernard Cornwell

I had the arrogant confidence of a man born to battle. I am Uhtred, son of Uhtred, son of another Uhtred, and we had not held Bebbanburg and its lands by whimpering at altars. We are warriors. — Bernard Cornwell

The Lord Uhtred sought to annoy you, bishop," the king said, "and it is best not to give him the satisfaction of showing that he has succeeded. — Bernard Cornwell