Valor
The principal theme of this work is that of valor. This is the quality that the key character, Byrhtnoth, displays and it is this which affects his soldiers the most. When he is seen to be fighting a seemingly unwinnable fight for King and country, they follow, despite the fact that the task seems doomed. However, when they see his horse riding away into the distance and wonder whether the man they considered to embody courage and valor is turning into a coward and deserter they are de-motivated and do not want to go into battle. Valor is shown to be important not just for the person who has this quality but also for those who admire them. This is also demonstrated when Godric plunges into the middle of a huge wall of Vikings determined to fight to the death. The writing's tone heralds those with valor and is scathing when it comes to those without it.
Political Threats
The prevailing threat to Anglo-Saxon England came from the Vikings, a marauding army whose acts of rape and pillage are almost the stuff of legend. One of the themes of this writing is the threat that they posed and the overwhelming force they presented. The threat from the Nordic nations was not just a theme in writing but also a major pre-occupation at the time. Because it is an island, Britain could only really be invaded by sea, yet this put them at greater risk for a Viking invasion since seamanship was the great skill of the Viking nation. The political map at the time is a theme of the work.
Loyalty to the King
A sub-theme that carried an important message in this work was loyalty to the King. This is almost a subliminal message in the writing as well; loyalty to the King is to be put before loyalty to country or to self-preservation. This is shown when Byrhtnoth does not take the peace deal offered by the Viking messenger. Peace would preserve the life of his men and also most likely of himself but it would not preserve the role of the King or the lands that he owned, therefore the peace deal is t ejected at what turns out to be considerable human cost. Loyalty to the King is emphasized a second time when Godric goes forth into battle in the name of his King.
