History Literature / TheBalladOfTheWhiteHorse

* WarGod: When they’re not being presented as impotent, the Danish gods are shown this way.

* TheDragon: Ogier.

* FightingIrish: Colan.

* FiveManBand: Technically four members, but Alfred fulfills the role of TheHeart, keeping the conflicting ideals of the Chieftains together.
** TheLeader / TheHeart: Alfred.
** TheLancer: Colan.
** TheSmartGuy: Mark.
** TheBigGuy: Eldred.
* GodIsDead: Guthrum’s song.
* TheHedonist: Harold.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Alfred, Guthrum.
* HornyVikings: The Danes.

* KingIncognito: Alfred meets with the Danish leaders in disguise as a {{wandering minstrel}}
** There's also [[ModestRoyalty the woman in the forest]].
* LivingRelic: Mark is one of the last Romans still in England.

* TheLowMiddleAges
* MissionFromGod: Alfred’s quest to defeat the Danes.

* OmnicidalManiac: Ogier and his “gods behind the gods”.

* ThePessimist: Elf, [[TheBard Guthrum’s bard]].

* WarriorPoet: Elf, Colan and Alfred.

The Ballad of the White Horse is a 1911 {{epic poem}} by GKChesterton that follows King UsefulNotes/AlfredTheGreat as he rallies chieftains from all around England to defeat the invading army of Guthrum the Dane. It’s generally considered to be one of the last traditional [[EpicPoem epic poems]] written in the English language.

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Colan's part of the army, which is so poor and badly-equipped Harold compares them to scarecrows and says he'll shoot them like carrion, as they're not worth fighting like ''real'' men. Then [[FightingIrish Colan]][[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks throws a sword into his face]].

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Colan's part of the army, which is so poor and badly-equipped Harold compares them to scarecrows and says he'll shoot them like carrion, as they're not worth fighting like ''real'' men. Then he gets what is technically known as [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks sword-to-face]] courtesy of [[FightingIrish Colan]].

* WarGod: When they’re not being presented as impotent, the Danish gods are shown this way.

* TheDragon: Ogier

* EvilCounterpart: Each of Alfred's chiefs has a foil in the Dane's camp: Eldred's is Harold, Mark's is Elf, Colan's is Ogier, and of course, Alfred's is Guthrum
* EvilWeapon: Elf’s enchanted spear, a magical weapon forged "[[OurMermaidsAreDifferent by the monstrous water maids]]"
* FightingIrish: Colan

** TheLeader / TheHeart: Alfred
** TheLancer: Colan
** TheSmartGuy: Mark
** TheBigGuy: Eldred

* HeelFaithTurn: [[spoiler:Guthrum]] after the Battle of Ethandune

* NietzscheWannabe: Guthrum’s sings about how, finding that there is no God or great meaning in life, all he has left is to lay waste to whole nations. Because battle is the only time when he can forget the emptiness of existence.

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Colan's part of the army, which is so poor and badly-weaponed Harold compares them to scarecrows and says he'll shoot them like carrion, as they're not worth fighting like *real* men. Then he gets what is technically known as [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks sword-to-face]] courtesy of [[FightingIrish Colan]].

* WarriorPoet: Elf, Colan and Alfred

The Ballad of the White Horse is a 1911 {{epic poem}} by GKChesterton that follows King AlfredTheGreat as he rallies chieftains from all around England to defeat the invading army of Guthrum the Dane. It’s generally considered to be one of the last traditional [[EpicPoem epic poems]] written in the English language.

* RuleOfSymbolism: The titular White Horse represents the state of England - as the Danes ravage the country, it is overrun with lichen and weeds, and after Alfred wins, he bades the people preserve it.

The title refers to the Uffington White Horse, a figure carved into a hill over 3000 years ago depicting a rearing horse. Throughout the book, the Uffington Horse is metaphorical of civilized England. Under the rule of the pagan vikings, it became overrun with weeds and grass, whereas under Alfred's rule, it is tended to and kept clear. This also illustrates how constant work and vigilance must be maintained to keep anarchy at bay.

The title refers to the Uffington White Horse, a figure carved into a hill over 3000 years ago depicting a horse (or similar looking animal). No one really knows by whom.

* BeardOfBarbarism: Most of the Danes (notably Guthrum) are specifically described as bearded. In fact, Harold sings of how the English used to be fighters until they “bent to the shaven men”.
** Actually, the reference is to priests, who shave their heads, not their chins. Alfred had a beard. Harold is mocking the gentleness of the religion of Christ.

--> (actually, the reference is to priests, who shave their heads, not their chins.)

* BuryMeNotOnTheLonePrairie: Before the battle, each of Alfred's Chieftains says where they would like to be buried. Eldred wants to be buried on his farm, and Colan in the forest where he can hear the voices of the ancient celtic trees. Mark subverts this by requesting them to bury him wherever he falls as ''All the earth is Roman earth, and I shall die in Rome''.

* BookEnds: The poem begins and (pretty much) ends with the image of the White Horse.

AnAxeToGrind: What Alfred uses in battle after giving his sword to Colan.

* BookEnds: The poem begins and (pretty much) ends with the image of the White Horse.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Alfred, Guthrum,

-->''For the Great Gaels of Ireland/Are the men that God made mad/For all their wars are merry/And all their songs are sad''

* BuryMeNotOnTheLonePrarie: Before the battle, each of Alfred's Chieftains says where they would like to be buried. Eldred wants to be buried on his farm, and Colan in the forest where he can hear the voices of the ancient celtic trees. Mark subverts this by requesting them to bury him wherever he falls as ''All the earth is Roman earth, and I shall die in Rome''.

The Ballad of the White Horse is a 1911 {{epic poem}} by GKChesterton that follows King Alfred the Great as he rallies chieftains from all around England to defeat the invading army of Guthrum the Dane. It’s generally considered to be one of the last traditional [[EpicPoem epic poems]] written in the English language.