Dear Bernard, I have enjoyed reading many of you books and have just finished “Sword Song”. I have particularly enjoyed this series and look forward to the last of these books. You have given me a good insight into Saxon history. I was very curious about the ritual you described when Alfred’s daughter had to drink holy water mixed with earth from the floor. I read the historical note and see that you got this from the Old Testament. Have you any evidence that this is a has ever been a christian ritual? The early church recognised very early that it was free of the ritual law of the Old Testament. They even stopped worshipping on the Sabbath and changed their holy day to Sunday. Many of your christian characters seem to be very legalistic and others seem to be ones under grace. The whole essence of Christianity is that since Christ we are under grace not the law. The Church of Rome and many other churches do reduce the gospel to one of ritual and works, but their is a freedom and joy in the simple gospel of grace, which says that salvation is a gift of God given to those who trust in Christ, Best wishes, Paul Rome