Hartmold the Great

Hartmold the Great, also known as Hartmold de Mure or Hartmold the Sobre, was King of Nortend and Cardoby from A. D. 756 to 798. Hartmold, born in 720, was the ruling prince of the House of Mure which administered Mure, a vassal fief of the Kingdom of Nortend and Cardoby on the Isle of Cardoby. Though born a heathen, Hartmold converted to Christianity in 750. He led the northern armies in the War of the Interregnum after the death of Egbert de Lanort in 754, succeeding against Oswald de Lanort, Egbert's cousin. He was declared King in 756 and was crowned in the first Christian coronation in Great Nortend in 759.

Name

The name „Hartmold” is of Arlethic origin, equivalent to the German „Hartmut”. It is a compound of the Old Cardish „hearde” (hard, strong) and „muolde” (courage, mind, mood). It is typically rendered in its modern English form as „Hartmold”, although this is somewhat anachronistic, the contemporary spelling being more akin to „Heardemuold”, or in Latin, „Heardemoldus” as evidenced on some surviving coinage. Possible owing to Hartmold's fame in Nortish history, it is a popular name for Nortish boys. It is also the code word for „H” on the Standard Spelling Alphabet.

The epithet „the Great” was first recorded in writings from the 13th centuries. It is likely a reference to his role in Christianising Nortend and Cardoby in his failed canonisation cause. Hartmold is also known as “Hartmold the Sobre”, apparently a pun on his territorial title of „de Mure”, which sounds like „demure”, which in the 14th century had the meaning of „sobre” or „calm”.

War of the Interregnum

After Egbert de Lanort was killed in battle with the Hambrian kingdom of the Cothens leaving no direct heirs, Hartmold amassed support in the partly Christianised northern regions of Nortend and Cardoby, which had been conquered by the southern Kingdom of Norts over the centuries. In the War of the Interregnum, he led his army against the Nortish armies of Lanort, Suthort and Dunricia commanded by Oswald de Lanort. Though his army sustained several defeats in the early months of the War, being pushed back into Poltland and Aceshire, there was change of fortunes when Cuthbert de Lanort, Oswald's half-brother, was killed, according to legend in a heavy storm by a bolt of lightning immediately after mocking his Christian opponents. At Carrenthorp, Hartmold's forces overran the Nortish army who were pushed back to Polton and thence to Litford where they surrendered.

Hartmold's army marched into Lesser Erbonia where he was declared King of Nortend and Cardoby in 756. Oswald having abandoned his army and fled to Swent attempting to raise another force, was captured by Rudolph de Enley to be taken before Hartmold's court. However, Oswald committed suicide outside Keanford when he realised there was no chance of his regaining the throne. Hartmold established the first church in Lendert, now St. Mary's Church on Tolfast Street, where he was crowned by the Archbishop of Sulthey in 759, the first Nortish king to be ever crowned in a Christian ceremony.

Reign

Hartmold's reign saw the beginning of the complete Christianisation of the Kingdom of Nortend and Cardoby, a process which continued until the reign of Edmund the Good who died in 894.

Issue

Hartmold married Brunswitha, the daughter of a heathen nobleman who converted, and had five children who survived to adulthood. Æthelfrey, his heir apparent, claimed the Nortish throne upon Hartmold's death in 798. He is known for founding St. Peter's Cathedral in Lendert-with-Cadell in accordance with Hartmold's wishes.

See also

• History of Great Nortend
• Monarchy of Great Nortend