[125] Oman (ibid.) seems to believe that Edmund retained his forces but went into Wessex to get reinforcements. But unless Edmund's victorious army had to a large extent melted away, it is difficult to account for Canute's prompt return to the siege of London.
[126] Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 1016. On this raid Eric seems to have met and defeated Ulfketel, who "gat ugly blows from the thingmen's weapons," as we are told by Thorrod in the Eric's Praise. Corpus Poeticum Boreale, ii., 105. The raid seems also to be alluded to in the Lithsmen's Song (ibid., 107).
[127] Florence of Worcester, Chronicon, i., 176.
[128] The account in the Chronicle of what occurred at Aylesford is ambiguous and has been variously interpreted: "and the King slew as many as he could come upon; and Eadric ealdorman turned against [or toward?] the king at Aylesford. Nor was there ever worse counsel adopted than that was." Some writers have interpreted this to mean that Eadric joined Edmund at Aylesford and not after Sherstone, as stated by Florence. But the Saxon gewende ongean has a hostile rather than a favourable colour. The probabilities are that Eadric opposed Edmund's plans at Aylesford and thus rendered further pursuit impossible. Such is Florence of Worcester's version (Chronicon, i., 177). For a different view see Hodgkin (Pol. Hist. of Eng., i., 397) and Oman (England before the Norman Conquest, 580).
[129] Encomium Emmæ, ii., c. 12.
[130] The Encomiast admits that the tale is hard to believe, but avers that it is true (ii., c. 9). The story of the raven is old and occurs earlier in the English sources.
[131] Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 1016. Florence of Worcester, Chronicon, i., 178.
[132] Snorre, Saga of Saint Olaf, c. 14.
[133] Jómsvikingasaga, c. 52.
[134] Encomium Emmæ, ii., c. 12.