Anglasweorc

Anglasweorc
General information
Country	Anglei Hollona and Diorisia Yonderre
Construction started	1121

The Anglasweorc (literally "Ænglish Work") is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical western borders of medieval Anglei as protection against various Gothic peoples. While its primary function was as a military defense, the Anglasweorc more commonly served as a form of border control. Its existence allowed for the Ænglish monarchy to control flow of traffic and trade between Gothica and the Holy Levantine Empire. The ruins of the weorc are largely contained within modern Anglei, but small portions and secondary structures and earthworks are located in Yonderre and Hollona and Diorisia, as is the remains of weorc's northernmost terminus.

Today, the Anglasweorc serves as an important cultural and political symbol of the Ænglish people, and within Anglei the weorc represents the fortunes of the Ænglish state itself.

Etymology

The Anglasweorc takes its name from the Old Ænglish language and literally means "Work of the Ænglish". The exact meaning of "work" is twofold; it has a figurative meaning akin to great work or magnum opus and a more literal meaning in that it was a work built by the Ænglish. The Latin name is testified in an illustrated manuscript at the time of the Cuthbertweorc as the Opus Anglicum, and Dan Lärdmann testifies in his ninth century Chronica Gothica that the Gothic realm ends at Änglarswerkr (Old Gothic, compare with modern East Gothic Änglaswerk). Historians extrapolate from this that the name Anglesweorc was in use long before the expansion of the defences in 1121.

History

Origins and construction

The earliest border defenses in what would become modern Anglei were erected by Great Levantia in the first or second century BC. The northwestern boundary of Great Levantia ran through the region, but its defensive strategy relied on the use of nearby Levantine legions, rather than complex static defenses, to protect against threats from Gothica. While these defensive works are not traditionally considered part of the Anglasweorc, they served much the same function. Some of these structures, or dilapidated remains of them, were incorporated into the Anglasweorc once work began on it. As Great Levantia declined and the availability of manpower decreased, the area became under-garrisoned and subject to frequent Gothic incursions, serving as both a corridor of invasion and settlement within Levantia as well as a convenient area to raid. Historians have noted with considerable irony that it is likely that the ancestors of the Ænglish people were likely most responsible for the final undoing of Great Levantia's border defenses in the region.

The course of the weorc changed slightly over time. At Schifley Common, one of the few remaining examples of the Cuthbertweorc can be seen due to the later versions of the weorc moving westward by almost a half mile.

Centuries later, following the establishment of the Levantine Empire and its successor kingdoms, the Ænglish people were firmly settled in modern Anglei as part of an effort to protect the borders of those kingdoms from Gothica. The establishment of the Ænglish March in 1042 solidified the responsibilities of Ænglish rulers of protecting the Empire's borders. Despite this, the border remained relatively porous for the next century, as Ænglish lands were raided and Ænglish lords counter-raided as part of an overall strategy of defense against the Goths. In 1121, the third Margrave of the Ænglish - Margrave Cuthbert I - began construction of the Anglasweorc in an attempt to solidify the border and increase settled agricultural viability in the country. The "first" Anglasweorc, also called the Cuthbertweorc, included watchtowers along the March's river borders as well as a series of earthworks along land borders and a sparse variety of fortifications and hillforts. By the end of the 12th century, the first stone castles were built in Anglei, all of which were part of the Anglasweorc. While these castles were still largely linked by earthworks, the porous border of the past had been sealed. The Ænglish now controlled the Empire's northern border with Gothica and began to levy large tolls on traders coming and going through the weorc. The revenue would lead to an age of prosperity for the Ænglish that would last several centuries.

Golden age of the Anglasweorc

An illustrated cross-section of a typical section of the Wilfredsweorc.

Significant efforts were made to strengthen the weorc by the end of the next century. Due to the wealth and prestige the weorc afforded the Ænglish, the Ænglish realm was elevated to a Kingdom in 1278. The first King of the Ænglish, Wilfred I, greatly invested in the weorc. The Wilfredweorc for the first time built stone walls between fortified points, and other changes to the castles along the boundary were implemented. Additional walls and fortresses were constructed on potentially weak points behind natural features, and by around 1300 nearly all of the well known routes to bypass the weorc had been sealed. The new stone walls lining the weorc were polished, leading to the Ænglish realm gaining the name "Weissreich" among Goths - "White Kingdom". The Wilfredsweorc was built upon and largely replaced with larger, sturdier walls which soldiers could stand upon and shoot down at oncoming Goths throughout the 1360s and 1370s during the reign of Wilfred II; these additions are traditionally grouped in as part of the Wilfredsweorc, partly due to 19th century misconceptions about which Wilfred built what part of the wall.

Decline and end of the Anglasweorc

The Anglasweorc would continue to receive upgrades through the mid 1400s until the Conquest of Joanusterra in the 1460s, which pushed the boundaries of militarized Christendom further west. While trade would still travel through the Anglasweorc, various economic concessions and agreements made with the new crusader state of Yonderre and mandated by the Pope lead to a sharp decline in toll revenue for the weorc. While it still provided some revenue, the weorc's raison d'etre was gone as Gothic raids had slowed significantly in past centuries and now ceased altogether due to the presence of the new state to the northwest. The lack of military necessity, decreasing revenue, and socio-religious turmoil in the Ænglish realm contributed to a lack of interest in furthering the weorc's role. By 1480, most of the garrisons and toll collection points were closed by the King of the Ænglish, and all work on the wall - be it new construction or maintenance - ceased after that point. Some tolls, mostly for local traders, were still being collected by the 1520s, but the weorc's relevance had long since declined.

A 1570s engraving of the bombardment of the Anglasweorc castles.

The Nordmontaine War which destroyed the Kingdom of the Ænglish saw the final end of the weorc in its original conception. As the Ænglish lost field battles and major sieges and the forces of the Emperor of the Levantines continued to advance, some of the Ænglish nobility held out in the castles of the weorc at the conclusion of the war, many of which were dilapidated by the time of the 1540s. These castles and fortresses were demolished by a large scale cannonade of over five dozen large guns, one of the first massed artillery actions in Levantine history. At the end of the War, the Ænglish Kingdom was divided into the Kingdom's constituent duchies, and the weorc began to fade into historical memory. By the late 16th century, a century of war, natural decay, and vandalism left much of the once-mighty weorc as forgotten piles of rubble and mounds which served as a curiosity to locals and travelers.

Vandalism by Yonderians

A child's marble made of Anglesweorc stone found in Oradelle, Yonderre, most likely carved in ca. 1570.

During and after the Great Confessional War that followed the Nordmontaine War, mercenaries from Yonderre traveling through the divided Ænglish duchies to other parts of the Holy Levantine Empire would readily destroy or otherwise vandalize portions of the wall, greatly accelerating the natural decline of the structure of the preceding century. Many mercenaries returning home would also take bricks of the weorc as a souvenir where they would be carved into other objects once reaching Yonderre, ranging from prized bowls and goblets to toys and other stone trinkets. The Weorcbrick Musèe in Collinebourg retains a large number of artifacts from this period related to this practice. Burgoignesc language graffiti stemming from the Great Confessional War is still visible on the Anglasweorc, having been etched into the brickwork. These graffitis range from simply names and greetings to rude slurs and depictions of penises.

Nationalist renewed interest and restoration

The ruins of the Anglasweorc would lay without notice for several centuries following the Nordmontaine War, with its structures continuing to crumble. Many local builders would use the remaining famous polished limestone for other structures, and by the early 19th century scholars noted the "palatial" nature of nearby Ænglish stables and feeding troughs. As Ænglish nationalism began to reemerge in the 19th century, Ænglish historians began to take an interest in the weorc. The first archaeological efforts began at sites along the weorc in 1864, and a small segment of wall was uncovered and partly restored by local authorities in 1872. Funds for these efforts were limited and would slow for the next half century. Interest in the project was bolstered in 1880 when the remains of the weorc's northernmost terminus on the Vandarch were demolished to build locks for the Carolina-Grand Canal, sparking public outcry among the Ænglish and condemnation by scholars worldwide. The creation of the first Ænglish state since the 16th century - established by 1884's Concordat of Donnebourg - lead to a significant influx of funds and attention for projects related to the archaeology and history of the Ænglish people. The new state of Anglei began to make these areas its priority by 1900, and a great deal of work uncovering the weorc began in 1907. Some efforts to restore the walls and forts were successful, providing for the organized wall and fort ruins visible today. The weorc was declared to be largely uncovered by Anglei's archaeoligcal authority in 1927. As much of the weorc was still in private ownership during the 1910s-20s restoration period, many owners took liberties in their restoration efforts to the weorc, misplacing historic stones to create a more impressive looking structure or introducing new material altogether.

Second Great War

During the Second Great War and following Urcean occupation of Anglei in 1935, Yonderre began work building defences towards its south east. The defences would run along the river Avonne alongside which the Anglasweorc in Yonderre stood. Yonderian planners contemplated converting the earthen wall into an anti-tank trench and assigned 31st, 35th and 42nd Engineer Battalions of the Yonderian Defence Force to carry out the work. Had the proposal been implemented, it would have destroyed the structure.

Hearing of the plans, Ænglish archaeologist James Teller immediately telephoned the head of the University of Collinebourg's archaeological department and was even put in touch with Grand Duke of Yonderre Joanus X de Martigueux himself. Teller argued strongly against the destruction of an important remnant of "Levantine civilization" and Joanus authorized him to stop the construction of the anti-tank trench. He informed Teller that a written order would be dispatched but that it would take several days to arrive. Teller then drove to the site and ordered the commanding YDF officers to immediately stop the construction process. When the local YDF commander refused, Teller threatened him with reprisals from the Grand Duke himself. Construction was called off and the Grand Duke's written order arrived two days later countering the YDF's original instructions.

Modern preservation efforts

Discovery and restoration of secondary defensive works is still ongoing.

Interest in the weorc waned slightly following the 1920s and 30s due to the majority of the weorc having been uncovered. Secondary defensive ditches and structures were discovered in 1967 in heavily forested areas, leading to a third wave of interest in the weorc. Through the 60s, much of the weorc was owned by private owners or municipalities and designated as parks, and a political effort to nationalize the weorc succeeded by 1976, creating the National Border Preserve (NDP) that year. With government ownership came an influx of new archaeologists and historians. Much restoration and preservation work began in the late 1970s, with a focus on undoing much of the earlier "restoration" efforts and creating a truly preserved historical weorc, and secondary defensive structures are continually found every few years. Historians have also begun to focus on the non-archaelogical side of the weorc's history, collecting primary and secondary source documents related to it, ranging from toll rate decrees to orders for conscript maintenance on the weorc issued in the medieval period. Today, the weorc remains part of the National Border Preserve and is Anglei's largest tourist draw.

Course

The Anglasweorc runs north to south, with its northern terminus being the Vandarch and its southern terminus being Lake Roseney. Today, the course of the weorc is nearly the same as that of the Carolina-Grand Canal, running north from Lake Roseney along the Cheshire River and Hartnell Creek up through the Vandarch, though the weorc at places curves inland away from the Canal. Historically, the Cheshire River's course diverged west approximately halfway between the Lake and Vandarch, and the Hartnell Creek had not been deepened or widened for navigation. Accordingly, a large expanse of land existed between the northern bend in the Cheshire and beginning of the Hartnell, which could be easily fordable prior to the creation of the Canal.

Small parts of the weorc are located in Hollona and Diorisia and Yonderre. The parts of the Anglasweorc in Yonderre lie chiefly south of the Avonne river which makes up much of the Yondero-Ænglish border. Like elsewhere, the Anglasweorc, primarily represented today by an earthen rampart, follow the local topography, making use of hills, streams and lakes to bolster the man-made defensive works. In Yonderre, the Anglasweorc has in places been undone during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to make way for farming.

Characteristics

Much of the Anglasweorc relied on Anglei's natural topography.

The Anglasweorc is not, despite popular misconceptions, a single wall running from Lake Roseney to the Vandarch. In every iteration the weorc took, natural topography was the primary feature used to impede travel and assault, and even in its final form extensive areas along the weorc were riverine boundaries with only wooden watchtowers or other "light" structures interspersed at varying intervals to watch the bounday. The most iconic and labor intensive portions of the weorc do include thick walls of limestone brick, sourced largely from the Vandarch area, which connect medieval castles as well as ancient Great Levantine incorporated within the defense. Most of the physical portion of the weorc likely included earthworks and moats infront and directly behind the line of walls, and in some places these are still visible.

Legacy

The Anglasweorc is viewed as a national symbol of Anglei and appears on the hundred Taler note as the iconic structure of Anglei. Most Ænglish people view the weorc fondly, and it is thought to be one of the great engineering and political achievements of the Ænglish people. Among historians and popular culture, the fortunes of the weorc are viewed to be directly correlated to the fortunes of the Ænglish state as a whole; its decline helped bring The Anarchy to the Ænglish Kingdom and signaled its future demise in a literal way, while in a symbolic way its restoration in the 19th and 20th centuries to a place of global esteem serves as an emblem of the fortunes of Anglei. In this way, the weorc is tied to the Ænglish national idea, and a popular contemporary Ænglish expression for a politician doing a good job while in office is to "keep the weorc stoned". Beginning in the 1920s, all major public offices in Anglei began to hold their swearing in ceremonies at sites along the weorc, symbolizing their responsibility to keep the Ænglish state strong and capable. This tradition continues today.

The Anglasweorc takes up a complex spot in Yonderian culture, tying directly into the idiom Anglei's final warning and being a metaphor all of its own. In everyday conversation, metaphorical references to the Anglasweorc suggest a thing or situation in which much effort has gone into something ineffective or downright useless. Similarly, "the weorc" is often used as a derisive metonym for Anglei and particularly its government.