Wager of Battle: A Tale of Saxon Slavery in Sherwood Forest

Set in the tangled woodlands of twelfth‑century England, the story follows a young Saxon bound to a harsh Norman lord. When a daring escape thrusts him into the depths of Sherwood, he encounters a hidden community that lives by its own customs—some familiar, many startlingly foreign. As he navigates the forest’s dangers, the narrative weaves the daily realities of serf life with the larger legal dramas of the age, including the grim ritual of trial by battle.

Through vivid description of medieval manners, the tale paints the uneasy coexistence of Saxon and Norman cultures on the brink of a new English identity. The protagonist’s struggle highlights the moral weight of slavery and the nascent ideas that would one day reshape the legal system. Listeners are drawn into a world where personal courage collides with the rigid structures of law, offering a richly textured glimpse of an era long past.