uhtred of bamburgh

In his youth, Uhtred is described a restless child, resisting his education and playing with armour and the harp. After his capture by the Danes, his restlessness is shaped into a warrior's fierceness. Uhtred is forced to hate the Saxons because as a "Dane" they are his enemy. After the Danes win battle after battle against the Saxons, he becomes disgusted at their weakness, their relying on prayers, and their failing to produce decent warriors. He also grows to genuinely love Ragnar the Elder as a surrogate father and his family as his own.

During the Danes' first attempt at capturing Wessex, Uhtred experiences a tinge of pride after a rare Saxon victory, and feels remorse when his uncle is killed in battle. After Ragnar's death deprives him of his family, he realizes he must rejoin the Saxons, where he develops friendships with several comrades that prevent him from returning to the Danes.