Hereward the Wake was the bane of the Normans. From his Isle of Ely in the Lincolnshire marshes, he lead his band of Anglo-Saxon rebels against the Norman invaders, causing much harm and damage to their occupation. He is in many fantastical tales, some of which will be recounted at later days on this page. This story begins with the abbot of Peterborough, a kind and gentle man who ran the cathedral with generosity. Because of this, Hereward and his band of warriors did not harm Peterborough cathedral, letting it alone. And in return, the abbot sent food and supplies to the soldiers, keeping their fight going. However, this relationship angered the new rulers, who soon imprisoned the kind Saxon abbot. He was replaced by a new Norman abbot, named Turold. He immediately ceased all support for the rebels and the local communities, using the money to pay for 150 guards stationed around the Cathedral, to protect it from the feared Hereward. But, without a Saxon abbot, nothing could protect the city, and the Cathedral was sacked within the following day. They carried off gold, food, weapons and even the abbot, proving a point to the Normans.
However, later that night, Hereward had a vision. Before him he saw the St Peter holding the keys of heaven, who commanded him to return the supplies to his abbey. Hereward awoke, and immediately told his men to return all the plundered items (including the terrified Turold!). So the following morning, the warriors marched back into the city with carts full of gold and food, handing them back to the abbey. The surprise of the locals was said to only be surpassed by the surprise of the monks, having presumed that they would never see poor Turold again.
Weeks later, Herewald and his band of warriors were returning from another successful raid on the Normans, when they realized that they were lost in the forest they had escaped into. They had been walking for what felt like miles round in the circles, and the dark night meant they had no possible reference point. And to make matters more urgent, the warriors began to hear the shouts of Norman soldiers, hunting for them in the woods. Desperate, Hereward began to pray, begging for the lord to save them. No sooner than he had though, a wolf appeared just ahead of them, staring into Hereward’s eyes. It then began to walk off into the woods, it paused, and then stared back at the men. Hereward decided, as a last option, to follow the wolf, and see where he led them.
They walked behind the wolf, stumbling and tripping in the pitch black dark, when the soldiers noticed something in the tree: a candle. They were understandably shocked, seeing a lit candle in the middle of the woods. One of the soldiers looked ahead, and he saw another. And another. And another. A clear path had been lit out before them all, stretching right to the end of the wood. They followed the trail, right out into the edge of the forest, delighted for their fortune. But Hereward spoke up, saying that this was no accident, and that it was a sign from saint Peter that he was pleased with their heralding of his commands. He then swore that he would never raid another church or abbey as long as he lived, in respect of the saint and God.
