Historical Setting: Jarrow, 794 C.E. Asking Ousbert for a King’s law written for ealdorman to know and use, he scoffed at what he calls an “outdated” reliance on books, reminding me in these times kings are made on the battlefield, not amid the dusty law books. Kings are, after-all. appointed by God. We differ. IContinue reading “#78.12 Thursday, March 26, 2026”
Category Archives: lazarus-ink.blog/blog-2/
#78.11 Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 794 C.E. Ousbert wonders why a temporary ealdorman, whose task is to settle minor disputes and send everyone’s taxes on to the king, should want to find a dusty old book of laws? He asks, “Why a book, when we have a God appointed king?” “How will I know whatContinue reading “#78.11 Wednesday, March 25, 2026”
#78.10 Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 794 C.E. The king’s man, Ousbert, assigned to Jarrow to protect this monastery and village from Viking attack is now focused on saving the village from the graft of an ealdorman also assigned his post by the king. Yesterday this ealdorman was carted away to the king’s dungeon along with the evidenceContinue reading “#78.10 Tuesday, March 24, 2026”
#78.9 Thursday, March 19, 2026
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 794 C.E. On this morning, my new “best friend,” Ousbert, is tapping on my door. “Eleazor! Wake up! I have a great idea!” “I was already awake.” “Let’s walk back to the ealdorman’s quarters and I will tell you what I have in mind.” I wonder, whyContinue reading “#78.9 Thursday, March 19, 2026”
#78.8 Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 794 C.E. Ousbert and I return to our cells in the guest quarters. Tonight, I don’t light a candle. There is nothing I need to read and nothing else that needs to be written. I can just sit here in the darkness and sort through the shady corners of this day —Continue reading “#78.8 Wednesday, March 18, 2026”
#78.7 Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 794 C.E. Ousbert and I are walking back to Jarrow passing through the pauper’s wood, this night. This is the path no one chooses. It is that dark place, imagined, but never visited — a wilderness of poverty that wilts the wings of angels and dirties the hems of their gowns. We’veContinue reading “#78.7 Tuesday, March 17, 2026”
#78.6 Thursday, March 12, 2026
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 794 C.E. We are approaching the pauper’s wood, now in the dark. It is our instinct to follow the river more closely here to avoid crossing through this dreary wilderness at night. Watching our steps with the light puddle of the lantern, Ousbert’s soldier’s boots and my finely stitched shoes seem ill-suitedContinue reading “#78.6 Thursday, March 12, 2026”
#78.5 Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 794 C.E. Ousbert and I make our way through the dark, step-by-step with only the light of his lantern. We are considering the nature of the King’s justice. “So, you would say that the people who know very little of this king trust him to judge righteously; while you, who areContinue reading “#78.5 Wednesday, March 11, 2026”
#78.4 Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 794 C.E. Ousbert finished emptying the ealdormen’s house and now his men have left with the full cart of the squandered and pilfered remnants of his loveless evil. All the people’s losses were the shabby little treasures that this ealdorman had collected from people seeking justice in their times of hardship. ItContinue reading “#78.4 Tuesday, March 10, 2026”
#78.3 Thursday, March 5, 2026
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 794 C.E. I make my way through the scribbles of an untrained, barely literate scribe, in order to read these cases and judgements brought before the Jarrow ealdorman. The log book is page after page of squabbles over sparse material things. Who owns the fishnet woven with stolen string? Is it theContinue reading “#78.3 Thursday, March 5, 2026”
Lazarus Ink 