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Conrad I, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire

(Encyclopedia)Conrad I, d. 918, German king (911–18). As duke of Franconia he distinguished himself by military exploits and in 911 was elected successor to Louis the Child by the Franconian, Saxon, Bavarian, and...

Glastonbury, town, England

(Encyclopedia)Glastonbury glăsˈtənbərē [key], town, Somerset, SW England. It has a leather industry, but ...

Fens, the

(Encyclopedia)Fens, the, district, E England, a flat lowland, W and S of The Wash. Extending c.70 mi (110 km) from north to south and c.35 mi (60 km) from east to west, it is traversed by numerous streams. The area...

Holy Island

(Encyclopedia)Holy Island or Lindisfarne lĭnˈdĭsfärn [key], off the coast of Northumberland, NE England. At low tide the island is connected with the mainland by a stretch of sand. It is partly cultivated, and ...

Hameln

(Encyclopedia)Hameln hämˈəln [key], Eng. Hamelin, city, Lower Saxony, N central Germany, a port on the W...

Penda

(Encyclopedia)Penda, d. 654, king of Mercia (c.632–654). A noble of the Mercian royal house, he fought (629) the king of Wessex for lands along the Severn River. He then allied himself with Cadwallon of Wales, de...

Augustine of Canterbury, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Augustine of Canterbury, Saint ôˈgəstēn, –tĭn; ôgŭsˈtĭn [key], d. c.605, Italian missionary, called the Apostle of the English, first archbishop of Canterbury (from 601). A Roman monk, he w...

Layamon

(Encyclopedia)Layamon lāˈəmən, –mŏn, līˈ– [key], fl. c.1200, first prominent Middle English poet. He described himself as a humble priest attached to the church at Ernley (Arley Regis) near Radstone. His...

riddle

(Encyclopedia)riddle, puzzling question, specifically one that consists of a fanciful description or definition of something to be guessed. A famous riddle was asked by the Sphinx: “What goes on four legs in the ...

Danelaw

(Encyclopedia)Danelaw dānˈlôˌ [key], originally the body of law that prevailed in the part of England occupied by the Danes after the treaty of King Alfred with Guthrum in 886. It soon came to mean also the are...