Wolf Hall – or WulfHall?
8th June 2026 by | Uncategorized
Over the weekend, I noticed several posts about the Wolf Hall event, which I am sure those who attended enjoyed immensely.
I loved Hilary Mantel’s work and have read The Mirror and the Light five times. Her achievement in bringing Thomas Cromwell and the Tudor court to life was extraordinary.
However, if Hilary Mantel were still with us, there is one question I would love to ask her – although perhaps it was ultimately a publisher’s decision.
Why was the book called Wolf Hall when the historical name was actually Wulf Hall?
The Seymour family home began as Wulfhall Manor, later enlarged and improved with wealth and influence acquired during the reign of Henry VIII. Yet the spelling Wolf Hall has now become far more widely recognised than the original name.
Having now published two novels set in the Tudor period, I often find myself wrestling with an important question.
As historical novelists, we are expected to be creative. Our role is to bring the past to life, to create atmosphere, emotion and compelling characters. But how far should we go when it comes to altering historical facts?
If you attended the Wolf Hall weekend, did you know the house was originally called Wulf Hall? Or indeed before that Wolphall Farm Did you already know the history, or did you trust the author’s interpretation?
Maybe a literary reason as well as a historical one. For the alteration was that the title’s association with the Latin phrase homo homini lupus (“man is wolf to man”)
There is no right or wrong answer.
History is a wonderful subject, and perhaps one of the greatest challenges for any historical novelist is finding the balance between storytelling and accuracy.
Our duty is surely to make history vivid and engaging, whilst remaining faithful to the facts wherever possible.
What do you think?
Thank you for reading.
Gemma
Author of The Reflection in the Mirror (rated 5 stars by readers)
Author of The Wolf of Whitehall (rated 5 stars by readers)
The Queen’s Heart: Always – publication July 2026
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Thank you for reading my posts.
Gemma
The past is never silent.
Author: The Reflection in the Mirror (all 5-star rated on Amazon)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G4SLZ4T7