by Howard Pyle

Howard Pyle was a well-known children's author and illustrator during the late 1800s. He was the first graphic artist in the United States to be associated with high artistic standards. One of the first American artists to train solely in the United States instead of Europe, Pyle eventually founded the Brandywine school of art in Delaware. He was fascinated by the Middle Ages and immersed himself in English history and legend.

Events in History at the Time the Novel Takes Place

Angles, Saxons, Normans. The Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes were originally Germanic tribes who made inroads into England around the fifth century, when the lands were controlled by a weakening Roman Empire. An early form of English was spoken by these West Germanic invaders, who combined to form the Anglo- Saxon peoples. This...