I've Rallied Thieves, Thugs and Low Lives...

I've rallied thieves, thugs and low lives,
My band of mercenary strays,
And when I'm King they'll deal my justice with the swiftness of a blade!

I wanna kill the King of Britain dead!
I wanna thrust a knife deep in his chest,
I wanna feel and see his blood run red!

I cannot rest till I am King,
For no man's fool am I!

I'll kill the King, I wanna see him dead!
I wanna seize his Kingdom, gonna take his head,
I wanna kill the King and rule myself instead!
"Kill the King", by Gary Hughes, from
"The Once and Future King, part II"

I love Gary Hughes's music, and his two albums inspired by Arthurian legend are favourites of mine. This track, the opener of the second album, is performed by D.C. Cooper, vocalist with Royal Hunt and Silent Force, in the role of the Saxon king, Aelle.

Well, before he got to be a king and was just a warlord, Aelle's warband, his "mercenary strays", looked like this.

I'll have a place like this, one day...

Aelle with his nobles and champion. Aelle in the middle, with his banner-bearing champion Eadwig at his shoulder, and his henchmen, the Aedligs Cenric and Sigebehrt to the left and right. In front of a borrowed mead hall, Aelle longs for the day when he swells his coffers and reputation enough to have one of his own!

 Round up the usual suspects.

Aelle's Gedridht, his elite hearthguard, two groups of six.

Light-fingered thieves.

Next, Aelle's warriors, a mix of Duguth and Geoguth. Three groups of six.

Definitely a bunch of thugs.

Finally, Aelle's four bowmen.

 
And low lives. Very low lives...

I think Arthur needs to watch out! Here's the whole warband. Aelle and Eadwig are front and centre with half of the Gedricht. Cenric is on one flank with the rest of the Gedricht, while Sigebehrt holds together two units of warriors on the other. The remains of the Deoguth and Duguth, without a noble, hang back a little. The archers are preparing to race forward.

I'm gonna kill the King of Britain dead!

Be afraid Arthur. Be very afraid...

Merry meet again!