The British History Podcast

496 – That’s Me In The Corner

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:25:03 +0000

For the first time since William the Conqueror, there was going to be a primatial council at Westminster Abbey. This was a HUGE deal. Like… enormous. Anselm had been trying to hold a major reform council for years, but King Rufus had refused. Reform, as you may remember, wasn’t something that the red king was […]

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495 – Power Struggles: Part Two

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 22:29:20 +0000

Ok, let’s return to 1101 and 1102, because Henry’s fight with Anselm, and fight between Henry and the Pope (and the fight between Anselm and the Pope) were …amazingly….only half of the story.

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494 – Power Struggles: Part One

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 20:40:35 +0000

In early February of 1102 Queen Matilda was giving birth.

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493 – The Price of Peace

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:40:23 +0000

The Treaty penned at Alton had avoided outright war, but it wasn’t truly official. It needed to be finalized at Winchester.

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492 – The War for Perception

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:19:28 +0000

In 1668, John Dryden became England’s very first Poet Laureate. But he had a rival. No, not just a rival. A nemesis. This man’s name was Thomas Shadwell, and I can’t overstate how much Dryden hated him.

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Project 1095

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 02:11:24 +0000

Much respect to u/AnnieCamOG for coming up with this title.

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491 – All Hats On Deck

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 22:08:23 +0000

Duke Robert Curthose was back in Normandy, having reclaimed the Duchy unopposed… and now he was looking to assert his claim on England.

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490 – Messengers from France

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:00:51 +0000

King Henry’s first Christmas Court in the closing days of 1100 had felt…off.

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489 – From Normandy With Love

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 23:08:39 +0000

Ok, let’s face it, last year was a lot. Rampant corruption, threats of war, tyrannical leaders, actual war, a greedy feckless aristocracy, rulers weaponizing the legal system, rulers completely disregarding the legal system, rulers making grandiose promises they had no interest in actually delivering on, international intrigue, at least one incredibly suspicious death, and finally […]

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Bonus Episode: The Authoritarians

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:16:17 +0000

By popular request, we’re releasing the full member’s episode on The Authoritarians.

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488 – The Year 1100

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 21:25:12 +0000

We did it, it’s the year 1100…which means it’s time for us to take a moment and place our story in the broader context of global human history. Now, as always, this won’t be exhaustive… nor ultra detailed. Our only intent is to break the myopia that’s inherent in any history podcast and give you […]

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487 – Stealing a Wife From God

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:02:56 +0000

Edith, the daughter of King Malcolm Canmore, has appeared from time to time in our story and (by this point) she was about 20 years old… and many of those years had been weird ones.

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Pilgrimage Sample

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:45:27 +0000

It’s time to hit REI and get some gear… because we’re going on a journey of self discovery in this sample of the newest Member’s Episode.

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486 – Stealing a Crown from your Brother

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 00:56:38 +0000

The cart carrying the body of King Rufus eventually reached the cathedral at Winchester. And if we are to believe Malmesbury, blood had been dripping from it from the forest all the way into the Cathedral. Though, at some point it must have stopped. I mean, even if no one… ya know… sorted it out, […]

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The First Crusade Sample

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 18:27:57 +0000

Zee runs us through the events and it’s… a lot.

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485 – What Happened?

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 21:37:58 +0000

It was a calm August afternoon in Winchester. The Royal Palace (or potentially the Conqueror’s castle… our scribes aren’t precise when discussing the location, but probably the Palace)… either way, Winchester would have been full of activity, but nothing out of the ordinary. Just Royal functionaries carrying out their duties while the King was away, […]

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484 – Final Destination: The New Forest

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 21:10:03 +0000

Ok, when we left off, Rufus threw a big “look at me” celebration… and the prevailing response appears to have been “yeah, man. We see you.” And that wasn’t even the worst part of his year.

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483 – Standing on Ceremony

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 22:47:30 +0000

The final two years of the 11th century feel like someone was trying to tie up a bunch of plotlines before the start of season 12. Things are moving fast, everybody is suddenly in different countries, and inevitably…some of these characters aren’t having their contracts renewed.

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482 – Eye for an Eye

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 21:32:23 +0000

Alright. When we left off, I mentioned that while Rufus was in Normandy, things in England had been getting interesting in his absence. Let’s start with Bishop Walkelin.

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481 – Operation Baguette Storm

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 23:36:25 +0000

When we left off, Rufus and Robert of Belleme were marching upon Maine. Specifically, Count Helias’ fortress at Danguel. This fortress made military incursions and raids into Maine insanely difficult. Which Rufus and Robert found deeply inconsiderate, so it would have to be brought down or, at the very least it would have to be […]

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480 – All Gas, No Brakes

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:22:34 +0000

Alright, so when we left off Edgar (the eldest living son of Malcolm Canmore) had claimed the throne of Scotland. But, in classic medieval style, the way that Edgar had gone about that was anything but simple. Edgar had taken the throne from his Uncle, King Donald III, and to pull that off Edgar had […]

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479 – Be Like Water

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 22:44:03 +0000

For years, Normandy had been wracked with internal conflict, war, and political unrest. The Duchy had nearly been the end of Duke Robert countless times… and if there was a single defining characteristic of Normandy under Robert, it would be “chaos.”

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A Quick Update on the Show

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 20:34:12 +0000

Don’t panic, we aren’t quitting. But we are making a change that might affect you.

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Medieval Rise and Grind Sample

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 17:39:51 +0000

It turns out hustle culture is nothing new.

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478 – A Fire Sale for the Faithful

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:13:20 +0000

It’s September of 1096, and Duke Robert was setting out on Crusade, intent on taking the main pilgrim road to Rome and Norman Italy. Joining him were his retainers, soldiers, and supporters… including high ranked figures like Bishop Odo of Bayeux, Count Robert of Flanders, and Stephen of Aumale (who was the forgettable guy that […]

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477 – Deus Did Not Vult: The People’s Crusade

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:59:37 +0000

Everyone in England was angry with Rufus. He was fining, taxing, and now torturing his way through the country. And Rufus was mad at everyone in England. Which was why he was fining, taxing, and torturing his way through the country.

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Lords and Landlords Sample

Fri, 30 May 2025 18:56:05 +0000

And the full version even includes a drinking game! You can hear the full episode by signing up for membership.

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476 – The Crackdown

Tue, 20 May 2025 17:00:50 +0000

In 1096, Robert de Mowbray, the former Earl of Northumbria, was living in Windsor. And he better get comfy, because his majesty seemed quite happy to keep him there as a permanent resident.

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Medieval Urbanization Sample

Tue, 13 May 2025 19:38:56 +0000

We strive in this one to prove you can be urban without being urbane. You can hear the full episode by signing up for membership.

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475 – The Fall of Mowbray

Mon, 05 May 2025 20:48:43 +0000

Night fell… and gradually, everything within Bamburgh and the Malvoisin went quiet. Sure, there were the occasional patrols, and the occasional muffled voice as two people shared a moment, or simply tried to keep themselves awake while on watch… but for the most part, there was no sound except for that of the waves lapping […]

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474 – Malvoisin, the Evil Neighbor

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 23:09:57 +0000

Rufus was marching North to directly challenge de Mowbray and anyone foolish enough to follow him. And of course he was. There was only one response this King was ever going to have to de Mowbray’s instigation. War.

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473 – Stage Management

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 19:30:55 +0000

So, when we left off, Anselm finally had his Pallium, and Rufus got… well… Rufus got all the independence and freedom from Church interference that he could have hoped for. Even better, his Bishops were on the same page as him and were supporting the King’s independence from Rome.

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472 – Radicals

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 20:02:51 +0000

We have spent a lot of time with the situation between Anselm and Rufus, and all their messy interpersonal drama, but we haven’t really discussed the true elephant in the room. Radicalism.

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471 – How To Lose Friends and Irritate People

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 22:59:45 +0000

It was January of 1095 and Rufus was still at war with his eldest brother, Duke Robert. A war that could have been avoided if the Red King had simply kept his word… or even just apologized. But he wasn’t interested in doing either of those things, so people were dying in Normandy.

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470 – Tough Treaty

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 15:23:06 +0000

As I’ve mentioned a few times… we are discussing one of those periods of history where everything was kind of happening all at once. This presents a challenge when trying to create a clear narrative that you can follow, while also staying true to the order of events. And that’s assuming there is a clear […]

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469 – Robert of Rhuddlan

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:03:04 +0000

In the space of less than a year, the Norman barons had surged deep into Wales and were further entrenching themselves using castles and other fortifications.

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468 – Regicide’s Back On The Menu Boys

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 20:12:34 +0000

King Malcom Canmore hit his breaking point.

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Medieval Childhoods

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 19:56:43 +0000

If you think that video games are too violent, wait until you hear about Face Slap.

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467 – Saint Anselm

Sat, 25 Jan 2025 01:01:14 +0000

Ok, I know at the end of that last episode I kinda sorta promised you a fight. And we are definitely going to have one. But we are pausing real quick to cover some SERIOUSLY good gossip…and possibly a murder?

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466 – The Bachelor

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 23:17:59 +0000

All of those promises Rufus made to be a better man had finally convinced God. After about two months of being bedridden, the King finally recovered from his mysterious illness. And now that the Divine had delivered its side of the bargain… well, there was really no point to any of those promises anymore. So […]

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465 – Anselm Arrives

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 02:09:29 +0000

Rufus was once again the only brother in England.

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Medieval Education Sample

Sat, 14 Dec 2024 19:31:00 +0000

Come get schooled.

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464 – Rufus’ Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Campaign

Sat, 14 Dec 2024 00:04:10 +0000

We don’t really know precisely what Henry got up to once he fled Mont Saint Michel. What few records we have are incomplete and some contradictory. But from those records we /are/ able to glean some details… and when we take the accounts in total, what immediately becomes clear is that, just because Henry was […]

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463 – Finding Out

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

After Robert kicked Henry out of Rouen, the Duke tried to restabilize his position in Normandy. And his first move was to make an alliance with Robert of Belleme.

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462 – Defenestration Nation

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:55:25 +0000

You’ve probably heard the phrase “it takes money to make money,” and while usually the person telling you that is just trying to sell you something you don’t need….there is some truth to it. At least in the way our economy works. It’s also true of how feudal economies worked.

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461 – Destabilizing a Nation: A How-To Guide

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 03:02:10 +0000

We’ve been spending a lot of time with Rufus and Robert. And that was the way things were back in the 11th century, too. Rufus and Robert got the attention, while Henry… the youngest, and apparently most forgettable brother… was often left out. And this reality was made most clear when their father died… and, […]

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460 – The White Tower

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 01:38:56 +0000

It’s one of the most famous landmarks in the world. The White Tower, or more recently, the Tower of London. If you’ve visited London you likely took time to go see it.

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459 – Lashing Out

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 16:12:11 +0000

With Count Henry and Robert of Belleme imprisoned under his tender care, Bishop Odo had free rein to guide the impressionable Duke Robert in whatever direction he wanted. And he had a direction in mind.

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458 – Henry’s Story

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 23:47:30 +0000

The last two episodes have been focused on how King William Rufus handled the aftermath of the rebellion, and the political moves being made. But Rufus didn’t exist in a vacuum… and across the Channel, his brothers were also making moves.

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457 – The Bachelor King

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:34:25 +0000

William the Conqueror had not set his sons up for success, and at the heart of it was land. Obviously, the way he distributed those lands in his Will had been a bit of a disaster, as it had set his two eldest sons up for war.

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Medieval Magic Sample: Shout at the Devil

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 20:18:17 +0000

I’ve gotta be honest, some of these spells seem a bit rude.

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456 – Law and Order: Durham

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 19:10:00 +0000

William Rufus’ first year as King had probably not gone down as he hoped. And as Bishop Odo and his co-conspirators boarded their ships and sought sanctuary in Normandy…Rufus could only return to court and count the rest of his problems..

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Medieval Magic Sample: We Read the Latin

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 18:54:58 +0000

Got a jealousy problem and a spare leek? Boy, do we ever have a cure for you.

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455 – Odo’s Rebellion: Lord of the Flies

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 23:29:47 +0000

Word of Rufus’ army, and the destruction of the rebel forces at Tunbridge, had no doubt reached Pevensey and its commander, Robert of Mortain… and I think it’s highly likely that the messengers also reported that the King’s army had turned north, towards Rochester. Bishop Odo’s stronghold.

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454 – Odo’s Rebellion: Worst Easter Ever

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 22:44:51 +0000

It was Easter of 1088. This was, typically, a time when the most powerful figures of England would gather at Court. But this wasn’t a typical year.

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453 – Odo’s Rebellion: The Cold War

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 22:29:33 +0000

Primogeniture, the practice of handing all wealth and power from father to the eldest son, had done a lot to consolidate power along single family lines. But it created all manner of problems for …well, pretty much everyone else.

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Medieval Medicine Sample: Trotula Edition

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 16:30:16 +0000

We’re joining the Sisterhood of the Travelling Uterus for this one.

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452 – Odo? Oh Yes.

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 19:00:50 +0000

Somewhere around the time William the First was bursting out of his tomb like roasted chestnut and William the Second was making it rain with his dead dad’s money….something was turning in western culture as a whole.

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451 – The Lucky Few

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 01:41:10 +0000

You know, I almost titled the last episode “The Gang Goes To A Funeral” but the trouble was that the gang /didn’t/ go to the funeral. All of them decided they had somewhere else to be.

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450 – Begin With A Bang

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:05:45 +0000

It was early September of 1087, and for weeks…nearly two months, in fact… people had been discussing William’s impending death, and worrying about what would happen next. And for good reason. This family, which ruled over Normandy, had a history of infighting and civil wars, especially during times of succession.

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449 – Chapter Ten: The Boys

Thu, 30 May 2024 22:02:20 +0000

Strap yourselves in. These kids are something else.

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448 – The Death of William the Conqueror

Sat, 25 May 2024 00:02:57 +0000

The story of William and the conquest has been a long road, and I’ve heard from some of you that this season has been challenging to listen to. I get it. No matter how awful William is he never seems to face any real consequences…

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Medieval Medicine Sample

Thu, 09 May 2024 23:08:09 +0000

That’s right, just like big pharma, we’re giving out a free sample.

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447 – The End of the Conquest

Fri, 03 May 2024 23:08:49 +0000

If the last few episodes have seemed a little confusing, then you’re hearing them right. Europe at the end of the 11th century was a rapidly changing world and it is all going to have a profound impact on the history of Britain. I want you to really have a good understanding of what is […]

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446 – Death and Taxes

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 16:32:00 +0000

When we left off, things were looking pretty bad for William and William’s hope of a legacy. Maine was once again in rebellion against Normandy. But this time half of France seemed to be looking for an excuse to join them. Denmark was preparing an invasion of England … and even William’s brother-in-law, Count Robert […]

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445 – Feeding Frenzy

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 22:52:05 +0000

Matilda was dead and now things were coming apart at the seams.

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444 – Holy Beef

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 22:48:12 +0000

Based on the e-mails I have been getting, some of you are having a hard time understanding why on god’s green earth did Odo think he could just trot down to Rome and become the new Pope. The truth is he was less crazy than we might think, and I’m going to take a moment […]

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443 – We’re Bigger Than Jesus

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 20:25:05 +0000

In this episode we delve into the tumultuous reign of King Gruffydd ap Cynan of Gwynedd and the political intricacies of William’s relationship with Matilda and his ambitious half-brother, Bishop Odo. It is an intricate web of power struggles, betrayals, and shifting dynamics between church and state that will only grow more complex and dangerous. […]

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442 – Mynydd Carn

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 19:10:10 +0000

Norman interventionism into their neighbors was only just beginning… and the events at Mynydd Carn gave them just the excuse they needed.

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441 – God Bothering

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 00:13:00 +0000

Tensions rise as rebellion and violence sweep through Northumbria. As news of the uprising reaches the south, King William, though initially absent, takes action and sends his half-brother, Bishop Odo, to deal with it. Odo’s reputation for cruelty was well earned and the people of Durham suffer greatly at his hands. In the midst of […]

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440 – This is Fine

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 00:30:20 +0000

King Malcolm and the Scots have been raiding the northern reaches of England, leaving the Northumbrians to deal with the aftermath. Meanwhile, William is not speaking to his son Robert and is spreading rumors about him to anyone who will listen. Robert’s enemies are enjoying the show, but not everyone is amused. The powerful members […]

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439 – Juggling Responsibilities

Sat, 03 Feb 2024 03:34:00 +0000

William, the Duke of Normandy and King of England, has been humiliated by his son Robert. Despite years of mocking and disrespect from William, Robert has defeated him in battle and spared his life. This has weakened William physically and reputationally. Meanwhile, Robert travels through Europe, attending tournaments and gaining support from powerful nobles who […]

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438 – Robert’s Rebellion

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 22:12:23 +0000

In a fit of rebellion, Robert, the eldest son of William the Conqueror, marches out on his own, defying his father and seeking adventure. However, reality sets in as he realizes the challenges and consequences of his actions. With the support of his companions, who are wealthy and politically connected, Robert launches a rebellion against […]

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437 – Everyone’s Pissed

Sat, 06 Jan 2024 02:43:08 +0000

Crown Prince Robert and his knights had been humiliated by Rufus and Henry and the royal hall erupts into chaos. This unprecedented public disgrace challenges the honor culture deeply ingrained in Norman society, sparking outrage and a quest for vengeance. The altercation underscores a volatile rivalry within the royal family, exposing deep-seated tensions and ambitions […]

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436 – Taking the Piss

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 20:16:41 +0000

William the Conqueror, preferring Normandy over England, spends his later reign focusing on continental politics and property disputes, often resolving them personally alongside his politically influential wife, Matilda. Meanwhile, their heir Robert grows increasingly frustrated by his limited role and lack of authority within his family’s dominion, feeling sidelined in critical military and political decisions. […]

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435 – Trials and Tribulations

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 23:11:50 +0000

In the turmoil of William the Conqueror’s reign, Waltheof, the last English-born Earl, becomes entangled in a complex web of loyalty, rebellion, and the pursuit of justice. His long imprisonment and eventual execution for alleged treason showcase the intricate dance between Norman law and the expectations of nobility, highlighting the deep divisions and political maneuvers […]

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434 – The Boys

Sat, 09 Dec 2023 01:40:47 +0000

As William the Conqueror’s sons grow, their future roles and the weight of their lineage come into sharp focus. Robert, William’s eldest, faces disappointment and tension with his father, revealing cracks in their relationship and Robert’s struggle for recognition and Normandy’s control. Richard, the second son, embodies the chivalric ideal but meets a tragic fate […]

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433 – North Wales: I Love Mess

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 19:22:12 +0000

In 1075, King Bleddyn of Gwynedd and Powys, a formidable leader aiming for Welsh unification, finds himself embroiled in a complex web of power struggles. His aspirations clash with King Caradog and the turbulent politics of southwestern Wales. Amidst these tensions, King Bleddyn is cunningly assassinated in a meeting, plunging Gwynedd into a succession crisis. […]

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Bonus Episode on Courtliness

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 20:53:56 +0000

Here’s a 15 minute sample of what we’re talking about on the Member’s feed.

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432 – The Revolt of the Earls

Sat, 11 Nov 2023 00:55:01 +0000

In 1075, Earl Roger and Earl Ralph lead a significant rebellion against King William, spurred by personal grievances and political ambitions. This insurrection, ignited at a wedding, quickly evolves into a major crisis, challenging the king’s authority. The plot thickens with Waltheof’s involvement, revealing intricate alliances and betrayals among the nobility. The uprising, marked by […]

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431 – The Gang Has A Wedding

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 21:11:55 +0000

In 1075, amidst the backdrop of William’s strained relations with England and his noble court, a grand wedding intertwines political machinations with matrimonial celebration. Earl Roger and Ralph de Gael, leveraging their noble statuses and familial connections, conspire to challenge William’s authority. Their plot, hatched under the guise of marital bliss, seeks to capitalize on […]

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430 – Is It Good To Be King?

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 23:02:53 +0000

As King William navigates the complexities of ruling England, he faces the challenges of governance, church reforms, and foreign affairs with mixed outcomes. His interactions with the newly installed continental clergy and the ecclesiastical restructuring reflect his struggles with power dynamics, cultural integration, and administrative burdens. William’s ventures into Maine and dealings with internal and […]

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429 – Power Brokers and Power Breakers

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 18:23:05 +0000

In 1072, the landscape of power in England and Normandy is tumultuous, with William’s conquest still facing resistance. King Malcolm III of Scotland, with ties to the English throne through his marriage to Margaret, sister of Edgar the Ætheling, poses a subtle threat to William. This period sees a blending of cultural and political norms […]

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428 – Tightening the Grip

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 23:19:37 +0000

Five years post-Hastings, England remains embroiled in resistance against William’s rule, witnessing widespread rebellions across its towns and cities. Despite facing unrelenting opposition, William’s ruthless strategies and disregard for societal norms have enabled him to maintain control. His actions reveal not just a desire for kingship but an imperial ambition, aiming to forge a new […]

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427 – Hereward: Back Into the Mist

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 19:11:00 +0000

Thirty thousand pounds. That’s what the Gesta claims Hereward charged the Normans for the return of their warlike Abbot Turold. Thirty thousand. It is such an obviously inflated number that it almost feels like the scribe is looking directly in the camera and saying “Hey, don’t forget, some of this story is legendary… but we […]

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426 – Everyone Has Their Limits

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 21:05:37 +0000

In 1071, amidst the backdrop of Norman conquest and resistance, the narrative unfolds around the tragic fall of the English nobility and the calamitous effects of William’s policies. This year witnesses the catastrophic fallout from the Battle of Cassel, where pivotal Norman figures, entangled in Flemish civil strife, suffer greatly. Simultaneously, William’s manipulation of English […]

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425 – Hereward: The Fall of Ely

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 22:14:35 +0000

In 1071, the betrayal by Abbot Thurstan to William, revealing Ely’s defenses, marks a pivotal moment in Hereward’s resistance. Despite starvation and siege hardships, Hereward’s refusal to surrender underscores his unyielding spirit against Norman dominance. William’s struggle to amass a willing army for the final assault, due to past failures, reveals his reliance on promises […]

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424 – Hereward: ft. Judas Priest

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 22:24:07 +0000

As the siege of Ely intensifies, the story takes unexpected turns with witchcraft, cultural beliefs in the power of water as a spiritual portal, and Hereward’s tactical mastery against Norman forces. William’s repeated failures to breach Ely, despite superior numbers and resources, underscore the resilience and ingenuity of the defenders. The narrative delves into the […]

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423 – Hereward: The Lion, The Witch, and the War Hero

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000

William’s efforts to conquer Ely, hindered by the resourceful Hereward, climax with a bold yet flawed strategy involving commandeering all boats for a siege. The narrative weaves through a series of mishaps, including an incendiary sabotage by Hereward, resulting in a disastrous loss for the Normans. This account not only highlights the cunning and resilience […]

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422 – Hereward: The Man, the Myth, The Legend

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 21:38:57 +0000

Hereward the Wake, embodying the essence of a folk hero, engages in a daring operation to infiltrate King William’s camp, armed with only his wit and courage. Disguised as a potter, he navigates through enemy lines, gathering intelligence on the King’s plans. Despite the threat of exposure and the dire consequences of his mission, Hereward’s […]

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421 – The Wake at Ely

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 01:35:16 +0000

King William’s siege of Ely, motivated by Hereward’s defiance, epitomizes the struggle between Norman conquest and English resistance. William’s frustration peaks as he witnesses Hereward not just surviving but thriving, bolstering his legend. The king’s attempts to storm Ely through a makeshift causeway and incentivized bravery culminate in a disastrous and almost comical failure, as […]

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420 – The Wake and the Earl

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 03:00:17 +0000

Hereward’s raid on Peterborough and subsequent alliance with Danish forces highlight a critical phase in his resistance against Norman oppression. Seeking to protect the Abbey’s wealth from Norman plunder, Hereward’s actions inadvertently lead to the town’s devastation and capture of monks, complicating his mission. This episode reflects the complex interplay of politics, loyalty, and strategy, […]

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419 – The Wake at Peterborough

Fri, 26 May 2023 19:31:13 +0000

Hereward the Wake, a figure of enigmatic life and legendary prowess, reemerges into the historical narrative with stories filled with feuds, exile, and resistance against Norman oppression. After a period of political turmoil, he returns to England to avenge the injustices against his family by the Normans, showcasing his military skill and leadership. Hereward’s actions […]

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418 – God’s Chosen

Fri, 12 May 2023 21:19:29 +0000

Following the Harrying of the North, King William’s grueling campaign through the Pennines during winter reflects the harsh conditions faced by his army, marred by low morale, severe weather, and logistical nightmares. Despite these challenges, William’s strategic manipulation and insistence on pushing forward underscore his determination to consolidate power. The campaign, marked by extreme violence […]

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417 – The (far more than four) Horsemen

Mon, 01 May 2023 22:59:43 +0000

In the aftermath of William the Conqueror’s devastating Harrying of the North, King Malcolm III of Scotland seizes the opportunity to raid Northern England, capitalizing on the chaos and destruction. Amid the scorched earth and displacement caused by William’s campaign, Malcolm’s forces engage in systematic pillaging, exploiting the vulnerability of the English countryside. The narrative […]

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New Member’s Episode on the Wild Hunt

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 03:31:00 +0000

416 – The Harrying of the North

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 22:58:41 +0000

In 1069, William the Conqueror’s brutal campaign, known as the Harrying of the North, devastates Yorkshire and surrounding areas. This scorched-earth strategy aims to quash northern rebellions, leading to widespread destruction, famine, and a significant reduction in population. The campaign, criticized even by contemporaries for its ruthlessness, leaves a lasting impact on the region, altering […]

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415 – Cry Me a River

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 23:55:21 +0000

In 1069, William the Conqueror faces a strategic nightmare as his march north is stymied by natural obstacles and a well-coordinated Danish-led resistance. The rebels’ tactical use of geography, destroying bridges and leveraging seasonal weather, forces William into a difficult position. Amidst a backdrop of widespread rebellion and a lack of local support, William’s attempts […]

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414 – The Uprising

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 18:29:02 +0000

In 1069, the victory at York ignites widespread rebellion across England, challenging Norman dominance. The English, bolstered by alliances with the Danes, leverage this triumph to inspire uprisings, symbolizing a significant shift in resistance against Norman control. This period highlights a critical juncture where experienced leadership emerges, altering the dynamics of English resistance. The narrative […]

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413 – The D

Sat, 04 Mar 2023 21:45:18 +0000

In the fall of 1069, King Swegn of Denmark launches an invasion of England with a massive fleet, motivated by ambition and the lure of wealth rather than revenge for Hastings. Despite the impressive size of the invading force, their raids along the English coast face unexpected resistance, leading to a series of repelled attacks […]

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412 – The B Word

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 00:32:44 +0000

Harold Godwinson’s sons, continuing their family’s tradition of piracy, return to England with a fleet from Ireland to challenge the crown. Despite the questionable success of this approach in the past, they inflict generational damage on the southern English coast, highlighting a mix of political motivation and opportunistic plunder. The campaign, however, ends disastrously for […]

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411 – Tell it to St. Peter

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 22:35:26 +0000

The 1069 turmoil in the North of England sees a chaotic blend of failed leadership, noble mismanagement, and dramatic confrontations with King William. A successful rebellion quickly disintegrates into a farcical retreat as English nobles, initially seizing the moment, falter spectacularly in their strategic endeavors. William, seemingly untroubled, returns to his southern domain, throwing an […]

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New Members Episode and a Site Update

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 20:47:59 +0000

410 – The F Word

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 22:35:11 +0000

In 1069, William the Conqueror’s sudden assault on York with a formidable army takes the city by surprise, exploiting strategies learned from previous battles. The city’s defenders, comprising mostly non-combatants, are thrown into chaos, highlighting the harsh realities of warfare on civilian populations. The narrative further delves into the political complexities of the time, including […]

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409 – The First Sparks

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 22:08:07 +0000

In 1068, a pivotal moment unfolds in Northumbria, where the assassination of Earl Robert at Durham sparks a large-scale rebellion against Norman rule. This event signifies a shift in English resistance, transforming disparate uprisings into a coordinated army ready for rebellion. The construction of a castle in Durham underlines the strategic shift, emphasizing preparedness and […]

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408 – Kerosene

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 04:08:19 +0000

Happy New Year! It was 1069… nice… and as the new year dawned…things in England were getting a bit weird.

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407 – Robbing the Hood

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 22:51:33 +0000

I feel for the English commoners in the late 1060’s. They had nothing to do with the arrival of the Normans… everything they suffered was the result of the actions of the nobles. Exclusively.

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406 – King’s Rook Takes Pawn

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 23:12:15 +0000

In early 1068… as William was preparing for the tactical Coronation of Matilda… the three sons of Harold Godwinson were in Ireland. They had come to meet with King Diarmad of Dublin and prepare an invasion force to re-take England.

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405 – Hereward the Wake: The Bourne Identity

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 22:48:15 +0000

Here is the beginning of Hereward the Wake. And to tell this story, we have to begin with the legend, because nothing in this story is straightforward. Probably because at least some of it is true.

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404 – The Coronation of Queen Matilda

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 22:36:15 +0000

Gytha and her supporters had fled into the Severn Estuary, and it was the final nail in the coffin of the Exeter rebellion. With no help coming, they were forced to negotiate a peace. But this wasn’t exactly a victory for William, either. He’d been on the throne for scarcely over a year, and he’d […]

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403 – The Siege of Exeter

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 21:34:09 +0000

Exeter stood in open defiance against William and his army.

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402 – Fire Sale

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 02:58:24 +0000

Earl Osulf II of Bamburgh was a Northumbrian, and he had earned his seat ruling over the region North of the Tyne in true Northumbrian fashion.

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401 – Norms and Normans

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 19:20:03 +0000

Last week we left off with Dover with some good old fashioned french on french violence… Count Eustace had attacked and attempted to seize the Southern Town… and lost. In fact, he had lost so badly that his poor young nephew (who had never fought in battle before but, trusting his uncle, joined him on […]

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400 – William: This is Fine

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 22:53:45 +0000

Feudalism had officially come to England, courtesy of the Normans…

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399 – Into the Wild

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 23:52:45 +0000

1067 was a time of incredible change within England. Fortresses were being constructed everywhere. Existing fortresses were seized and then manned by foreign mercenaries. Estates and farms in the surrounding areas were being seized and handed over to many of these same foreigners.

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398 – William: Winning Friends and Influencing People Is For Suckers

Sat, 20 Aug 2022 00:47:40 +0000

Do you remember the holy man who asked Edgar the AEtheling to confirm him as the Abbot of Peterborough, just after the Battle of Hastings? Well, that guy’s name was Brand. The previous Abbot of Peterborough, Leofric, had actually marched to Hastings with Harold. But Leofric didn’t make it. So the job fell to Brand, […]

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397 – William: The Devil Inside

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 22:25:03 +0000

It was Christmas Day of 1066 and England was crowning it’s new King. In celebration, the King’s men…heavily armed and backed by divine authority, were going from building to building… taking whatever they wanted, doing whatever they felt like to the people inside, and then lighting it all on fire. The first act of Norman […]

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396 – King William I of England

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 20:47:43 +0000

Duke William was experienced at wielding terror. Whether he was at home or on campaign, William often employed terror tactics. The people of France were well aware of this, and now the English were learning his skill first hand.

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395 – Rearranging the Deck chairs on HMS England

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:22:34 +0000

It was autumn of 1066 and after weeks of deliberation, political wrangling, and arguing the English nobility had finally selected their next King. This may seem like a long time, considering there was a whole invasion happening at the time. And it was. But, to be fair, the politics were very confusing.

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394 – Godwinson’s Revenge

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 03:48:35 +0000

The Battle of Hastings had been brutal – even for the Normans. The invading army had suffered terrible losses.

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393 – To Kill a Legend

Fri, 20 May 2022 18:14:15 +0000

Here is how you probably heard the story of the Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror boarded a ship, won a battle at Hastings, and was crowned King. Kingdom. Conqueror. Conquered.

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392 – The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors

Thu, 12 May 2022 22:17:00 +0000

Chaos. The orderly rhythm of attacks… and the steady wall of the war hedge had dissolved, and it was replaced by a raging melee.

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A Quick Update From Zee

Mon, 02 May 2022 21:20:01 +0000

A New Shoptalk Just Dropped

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Chapter Nine – The Normans

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 19:38:58 +0000

The King is dead.

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391 – The Battle of Hastings

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 06:29:56 +0000

Stamford Bridge had been a nightmare. Thousands of dead… untold numbers of wounded. And the fallout was just beginning. All over Britain, all over Europe, families would slowly be learning the fate of their loved ones. Word was spreading across England and up to Orkney. Out to Flanders, and Norway.

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390 – Stamford Bridge

Sun, 20 Mar 2022 01:34:15 +0000

King Harold, his Huscarls, and the fyrd of Wessex were driving north as fast as they could.

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389 – The Tyrant and the Muddy Crossing

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 04:07:57 +0000

The shores of Saint Valery must have been quite the sight. Looking at the records, which discuss the size of this fleet and other notes that let us estimate the size of the original fleet launched from the River Dives, and comparing those to the records of the fleet following it’s mooring at Saint Valery…historians […]

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388 – The Stupid Before The Storm

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 21:23:57 +0000

We left off in the Court of Harald Hardrada. And you probably feel like you know a lot about this man by now. There’s the stories about the empress, and his time as a Varagian, and about his reputation as a seductive warrior poet. And all of the “oh my god this guy is hot” […]

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387 – The Douche is Cast

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 23:05:26 +0000

War was coming. That much was clear.

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386 – God’s Messenger

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 23:49:44 +0000

William had secured his promises. Each Baron and lesser noble of Normandy swore to serve him faithfully and take part the invasion of England. And William made sure the nerds wrote every single oath down on paper.

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385 – The Audacity of Boats

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 22:43:01 +0000

Ok nerds, take this down. Dear Harry, I was saddened to hear of King Edward’s death. but, I am writing to inform you that my beloved cousin promised me the throne a while back. Don’t worry if this is news to you, it was a secret so I understand if you are a little surprised. […]

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384 – King Harold Godwinson

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 21:58:57 +0000

Edward was dead. Harold was King. Edith was sidelined. And as far as the Vita Edwardii was concerned, this was the moment where the wheels came completely off the wagon.

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383 – The Death of King Edward

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 22:04:01 +0000

Christmas of 1065 would have been a grim affair. And as 1066 approached, the Court was likely consumed with anxiety. The King was childless and the throne was being eyed from all sides by foreign dynasties and, according to sources like William of Poitiers, the King had been terribly ill for quite some time. Poitiers […]

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2021 Halloween Special

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 20:20:29 +0000

A 14th century monk made it weird. Or Wyrd? I dunno… it’s weirdly wyrd, though.

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382 – Bros Before Thrones

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 18:59:11 +0000

It was 1065. And King Edward was falling ever more ill.

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381 – Weekend at William’s

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 01:21:43 +0000

After the traitorous murder of King Gruffydd, Harold returned to England victorious… and as for Wales. Well, their King had been assassinated and their lands were carved up between rival nobles who were subservient to England.

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380 – Everybody Is Killing Everybody Else And Nobody Is Talking About It: Part 3

Sat, 04 Sep 2021 01:28:20 +0000

Up in the hills of Snowdonia, pinned between the sea and the English midlands, King Gruffydd fought against the invading forces of the Godwinsons. And he was giving the English such a hard time that even the Life of King Edward admits it in the record.

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379 – Everybody Is Killing Everybody Else And Nobody Is Talking About It: Part 2

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 18:04:44 +0000

Earl AElfgar and his alliance with King Gruffydd of Wales was likely the one true barrier that stood between Harold Godwinson and the throne of England.

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378 – Everybody is killing everybody else and no one is talking about it

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 01:00:31 +0000

On the year 1059, there is an enigmatic entry in the Welsh Chronicle.

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377 – The King of Wales

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 20:03:10 +0000

Water, and the ability to control water ways, was an important aspect in the Welsh imagination. In fact, the importance of Welsh power on the seas even appears in the Mabinogion.

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376 – Lost Years and Lost Lands

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 21:55:45 +0000

Things are moving quickly in our story, now. Pieces are moving into place, and the board is shifting rapidly. Thanks to the benefit of hindsight, we can see where this is going and see how these events are leading to a calamity in just a few years.

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375 – Life and Death Politics. But Mostly Death.

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 20:48:35 +0000

For the first time in a long time, Wales was experiencing a time of internal peace, thanks in large part to its unification under King Gruffydd.

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374 – Be Careful What You Wish For

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 00:51:40 +0000

1055 had been an absolutely crazy year. But, for the Godwinsons, it hadn’t been all bad. Having clearly given up on King Edward, Queen Edith was now fully on team Godwinson and bending all of her political and diplomatic talent towards advancing her brother’s positions…and since then they’d made significant advancements with large numbers of […]

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373 – The First King

Sat, 05 Jun 2021 01:35:46 +0000

Earl AElfgar was having a rough time. The clergy and local lords of East Anglia had never really warmed up to him since his appointment to the post in 1053. Their loyalty to Harold went so deep that we can still see evidence of their loyalty to the House of Godwin in surviving records.

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372 – Hostile Takeover

Thu, 20 May 2021 22:35:33 +0000

If I could interview one figure from this period, I think it would be Queen Edith. That woman had a WEIRD life. She was married off to a King. Then she watched that King try to destroy her family…As thanks she got stuffed into a nunnery by said King… then got to watch as her […]

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371 – Naked Ambition

Thu, 13 May 2021 01:33:52 +0000

Godwin was dead, and now Harold Godwinson found himself leading the family. Befitting this new role, he was due to inherit the wealthy and politically potent Earldom of Wessex. His father’s Earldom. And according to the Vita Edwardi, the Kingdom rejoiced at Harold’s impending promotion.

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370 – Breaking Bread

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 19:17:02 +0000

Earl Godwin and his family were back, baby. Well, mostly.

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Bonus Episode from the Archive: The Poet’s Curse

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 19:32:28 +0000

This is an old one, but it was specifically requested. Please forgive the audio quality and delivery.

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369 – Move or You Will Be Moved: Part 4

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 02:48:10 +0000

When you come at the King, you best not miss… and now the Godwins had the King of France and the Holy Roman Emperor acting as their surrogates while they were constructing no less than two invasion fleets just off of two separate English coasts … which means Edward probably realized he had went at […]

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368 – Move or You Will Be Moved: Part 3

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 23:13:00 +0000

“O happy earl, in bairns and forebears blessedSiring four guarantors of England’s peace.First, Edith, gem-link on the kingdom’s brest,All virtues’ friend, fit daughter for the earl,Her sire, and also her spouse, the king;By her advice peace wraps the kingdom roundAnd Keeps mankind from breaking pacts of peace.Thus from your single fount, O Paradise,You part in […]

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367 – Move, or You Will Be Moved Part 2

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 21:15:38 +0000

Swegn Godwinson was exiled….again. Only this time it was for life. As that judgment came down, the Godwins must have realized they had been maneuvered into blind dependence on the King’s mercy.

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366 – Move, or You Will Be Moved: Part 1

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 02:50:13 +0000

The summer of 1051 must have felt like some sort of nightmare. A French aristocrat rode into Dover, picked a fight and then slaughtered the townsfolk. And that man’s cousin, the King of England, told the townsfolk’s lord (Earl Godwin of Wessex) to go back and finish the job…by butchering his own people on behalf […]

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365 – The Red Cliffs of Dover

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 01:16:37 +0000

In 1050, Thorrfinn the Jarl of Orkney went to Rome. And no trip to Rome is complete without a visit with the Pope. And when Thorrfin had his meeting, we’re told that Pope personally absolved the Jarl’s sins.

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364 – Reconciliation

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:42:10 +0000

Complex societies are able to do incredible things. By having an interconnected civilization, with people from all over the place contributing to it, people are able to specialize… and that specialization allows for entire classes of people who can do things that would be impossible if they had to meet their own basic needs all […]

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363 – Treason!

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 22:35:05 +0000

Piece by piece, the board was being set for a comeback. The Godwin family had been thrown from power decades ago. But Godwin knew how to be patient and grind it out. And now he was back on top, the second most powerful person in England.

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362 – Meet the Godwins

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 05:24:51 +0000

History is just the story of humans across time. Therefore, like humanity, history is varied, it’s emotional, it’s complex. And often it’s just f*cking messy.

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361 – W A Poet

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 23:04:10 +0000

King Edward came to England with a political migraine.

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360 – The Long Game

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 00:28:55 +0000

In 1040, while England was dealing with the chaos of Harthacnut’s reign and the threat of yet another succession mess, Scotland was dealing with its own set of problems. The northern Kingdom just lost its king. And that wasn’t anything new for Scotland… their Kings rarely lasted long.

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359 – Play Autocrat Games; Win Autocrat Prizes

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 18:51:58 +0000

In 1040, England once again had a new King. But England was finding Harthacnut a tough pill to swallow.

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The Witch of Fife

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 22:02:52 +0000

Happy Halloween!

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358 – King Harthacnut

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 20:03:19 +0000

Today’s story starts in 1039. It’s a big year, and a lot has happened to get us here. So let’s recap very quickly. The death of Cnut caused a cascade of consequences that reached up to the tip of Scotland and even into the continent. It was an empire crumbling just as it had been […]

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357 – Walter Map’s Courtly Trifles

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 21:27:32 +0000

The early 11th century was an unlikely time of heroes. By heroes I unfortunately don’t mean people of good character and brave deeds, but just people who perform extraordinary feats for their time. One of these was the very first King of Wales, Gruffudd ap Llewelyn.

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356 – Macbeth

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 21:35:29 +0000

Here is the story of Macbeth. If you have just tuned into this episode because of the title, know that it is the second episode in a two-part series. You will want to go to the previous episode, Double Double Toil and Trouble, and listen to that first. There you will learn about the peculiar region that spawned this shadowy highland King.

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355 – Double, Double Toil and Trouble

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 23:12:30 +0000

As we have been covering the Dark Ages, we have been at the mercy of the scribes. If they don’t write something down, there is almost no way for us to know about it. One of the biggest casualties in this dynamic has been Scotland.

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354 – The West, after Cnut

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 22:29:29 +0000

The death of Cnut and the fall of his near-Empire would obviously have impacts on his own dynasty. But while Harold was trying to secure England, Emma was trying to regain power, and poor Edward was trying to stay out of the whole mess, the political tsunami was roaring over the shores of the Irish […]

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353 – Mother of the Year

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 03:04:46 +0000

The Medieval chronicler, Adam of Bremen, was writing at around this point in history and among the many things he tells us he also includes how Cnut planned his almost empire. And Adam tells us that Cnut intended Sweyn to rule Norway, Harthacnut to rule Denmark, and Harold Harefoot to rule England. And that might […]

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352 – Chaos

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 21:33:29 +0000

It was November 11 of 1035 and King Cnut was dead. He was buried at Winchester Cathedral. Cnut, and likely the Court, seemed to anticipate his death. Possibly because he had been ill for some time. But the ruling classes of Europe were still completely unprepared for the chaos that followed.

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351 – Collapse

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 23:02:07 +0000

I wonder if Cnut could see what was coming. All the signs were in front of him. Everything was starting to line up. But was he actually putting it together?

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350 – A Tough Cnut to Crack

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 22:53:08 +0000

We have another mystery on our hands. We have a missing year. And I don’t think it was because nothing was happening.

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349 – AElfgifu’s Tale

Mon, 25 May 2020 20:09:56 +0000

Successful Kings don’t rule alone. This is especially true for Kings with as much going on as Cnut. And one of Cnut’s most influential right-hand men was actually his Queen. And Emma was more than just an advisor. She was wielding considerable power in her own right, power that likely expanded every time Cnut journeyed […]

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348 – Ruling Hard or Hardly Ruling

Tue, 12 May 2020 23:31:31 +0000

Europe was in chaos in the 1020s. Crises just kept coming, and the powerful were trying to capitalize on disorder. And in times like these, actions can have outsized impact, even the smaller ones. For example, if you sat in Leicester during the 1020s, the last thing you would have been paying attention to would […]

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347 – Aggressive Diplomacy

Sat, 02 May 2020 01:06:50 +0000

What we call history was, at one point, just current events. And world affairs never happen in a vacuum. It’s never just one thing happening after another… it’s a whole mesh of events that, while they might happen in their own sequences that look very much like just one thing happening after another, they’re actually […]

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346 – Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Drakkars

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 17:32:00 +0000

It’s 1025 Cnut had a problem on his hands. Barely a year after putting down Thorkell’s rebellion, Cnut was sailing for Denmark… again. To war, again.

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345 – Building Blocks

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:06:41 +0000

In the early 11th century, the English were crushed by the Scots in the Battle of Carham. We are told that King Malcolm of Scotland, supported by King Owain of Strathclyde, brought their combined armies to bear against the forces of Ealdorman Uhtred of Bernicia in 1018… and there, they slaughtered the English. But there’s […]

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Bonus Episode: Slavery

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 22:31:26 +0000

More material is coming, but here is a bonus episode to keep you company while you’re practicing social distancing.

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344 – Cnut’s Mad Lads

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 23:29:42 +0000

In the year of 1021, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle tells us two things. A Bishop died. And Thorkell the Tall was expelled from the country. And that’s all it tells us.

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343 – By Thorkell’s Beard

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 23:45:13 +0000

This is a story of palace intrigue, murder, and atypical alopecia… and it all begins where these things usually do… with a real estate transaction.

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Bonus Episode: Shrove Tuesday

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 22:44:51 +0000

Today is Shrove Tuesday. And if you’re not in Britain, you might be wondering what Shrove Tuesday is, and even if you are British, you might be wondering why you’re celebrating it.

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342 – King Cnut of Denmark and England

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 00:29:34 +0000

If you have heard of King Cnut, what you probably heard was the story of Cnut and the Tides. The most common version of it goes like this. “Canute, the greatest and most powerful monarch of his time, sovereign of Denmark and Norway, as well as of England, could not fail of meeting with adulation […]

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341 – King Cnut of England

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 20:04:58 +0000

Cnut made a lot of smart moves in a very short amount of time. He outlawed much of the corruption that had plagued the courts of AEthelred. He scrubbed his new kingdom of the loyalists to Edmund Ironsides. He granted key lands to key followers. Executed the main claimant to the throne, Eadwig. He executed […]

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340 – A Bit of a Cnut

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 20:16:50 +0000

When we left off, Cnut had managed to get Eadric to go on the record calling for the execution of the English claimants to the throne… and then Cnut rejected the suggestion, and instead outlawed Eadwig, and exiled the sons of Edmund to Sweden. What the public likely didn’t know was the fact that Cnut […]

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339 – Cnut the Conqueror

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 00:20:55 +0000

It’s been a strange few years. The fall of the House of Wessex and the rise of Cnut looks like a simple story of conquest. After all, it’s right there in the title. Virtually every book on this era has a chapter called “The Conquest of England.” And for good reason… Cnut /was/ a conqueror. […]

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338 – The Fall of King Edmund Ironsides

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 20:37:20 +0000

Edmund hadn’t lost, and for now that was enough. He had shown himself to be a contender. So Ironside took his remaining men and marched East… but the accounts are careful to point out that he stayed north of the Thames…. And this decision has lead scholars to believe that Mercia may have already been […]

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337 – The Rise of King Edmund Ironside

Sun, 22 Dec 2019 00:54:58 +0000

Can you feel it? It feels like there is a lull before the storm. AEthelred Unread is now gone, and Normandy is now officially on the board. 1066 is on the doorstep. But the lull is an illusion you experience because you know what is coming next. For the people living it, things are heating […]

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336 – The End Is The Beginning Is The End

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 23:21:21 +0000

Christmas is old. Older than Christianity, in fact. As a consequence, there’s a lot to it. Symbols and traditions that come from all over the world, and from all across time. It’s a complex event that, predictably, can provoke a complex set of emotions from people. But when you look past the trees, and the […]

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335 – Acts of Spasmodic Violence

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 22:21:21 +0000

Morcar and Sigeferth were under a lot of stress. These two noble brothers from the North had only just managed to join the Wulf dynasty through Sigeferht’s marriage to Ealdgyth, the niece of the powerful Ealdorman AElfhelm of York and Wulfric Spot. And that really should have been a smart move, given how powerful that […]

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334 – No Cnut November

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:00:00 +0000

There are worse things than spending a holiday in Normandy. And one of those things is spending a holiday in Normandy because you just lost your entire Kingdom to the Danes. Support the Show

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333 – The Conquest of England

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 01:20:35 +0000

England in 1013 was a Kingdom begging to be conquered. Decades of bad decisions have eroded its foundations and now it sat as a mere shadow of its former glory. It had none of the military prowess established by King AEthelstan. None of the political stability enjoyed under King Edgar. And none of the smart […]

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Teig O’Kane and the Corpse

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 00:56:34 +0000

Happy Halloween

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332 – The Jomsvikings

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 21:28:49 +0000

So here we are. With two full companies of Jomsvikings laying waste to southern England… and in response, the nobility… the people tasked with defending the population and the Kingdom… decided that this was an excellent chance to fight among themselves, do a bit of pirating, and arrange a political marriage. And at the same […]

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331 – Thoughts and Prayers

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 20:04:58 +0000

AEthelred, for the first time in quite a while, had a chance for a breather. King Sweyn Forkbeard, having been paid a king’s ransom, had withdrawn his forces with a promise never to return.

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330 – The Purge

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 05:07:52 +0000

The Court of AEthelred had turned over three times during his reign. First, there was his regency council. Then, when he took full power he replaced his regency council with his young friends and corrupt enablers. Then the old guard reasserted itself, along with the powerful Wulf dynasty of the midlands in the 990s. And […]

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329 – Forkbeard

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 00:21:35 +0000

When you go to your local grocery store there’s a pattern. You go down your usual aisles, grab your bread, your tea, that thing you know you’re not supposed to eat but do anyway because it is delicious and you have no self control. And then, when you head to the register, something happens. You […]

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328 – The St Brice’s Day Massacre

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 00:29:23 +0000

The year 1002 was still 64 years away from 1066, but The House of Normandy had already begun a coup upon the Kingdom of England. The dynasty held only a minor Duchy, and for a fairly short amount of time, as it was only Duke Richard’s great grandfather Rollo who had established it. And in […]

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327 – Sail Away Sail Away Sail Away

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 01:34:48 +0000

Now that we’ve checked in with the rest of the world, let’s get back to our story…which lately hasn’t been going so well. In the space of 70 years the Kingdom went from a preeminent power in the West to little more than a viking hunting preserve. By the year 1000, things had become so […]

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326 – The Year 1000

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 00:58:32 +0000

It’s so easy to lose the forest for the trees. This show is a show about one small island which, even at this part of the story, is still at the edge of civilization. It is very easy to forget that there is a whole other world out there… and, it is a world that […]

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325 – From Bad to Worse

Sat, 24 Aug 2019 19:56:27 +0000

When we left off, England was reforming its legal structure. Now, law isn’t known for being a sexy subject…neither are lawyers for that matter. But law shapes our societies in ways that are so fundamental that they are often invisible to us. And these reforms are no exception. These codes go on to transform English […]

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324 – Law and Lawlessness

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 17:13:51 +0000

With the Scandinavian raiders gone, and with AElfric of Hampshire defanged, England was free to get back to work. And, as we saw last episode, this meant that the King was once again redistributing wealth from the have-a-lots to the have-even-mores.

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323 – Brotherhood of the Wolf

Sat, 10 Aug 2019 01:30:09 +0000

The Dowager Queen AElfthryth has returned to the King’s inner council following what looks like a political coup against AElfic of Hampshire and his faction. And just because it was political doesn’t mean it was bloodless. All of AElfric’s allies were dead. Only AElfric himself, who appears to have been too big to fail, remained […]

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PSA: Are We Dead?

Sat, 03 Aug 2019 19:07:51 +0000

(We aren’t)

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322 – We’re Absolutely Forked

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 20:00:21 +0000

Ealdorman AElfirc of Hampshire was out… and Ealdorman AEthelweard the Chronicler was in. He would now be the King’s chief councillor… and he would be supported by his son, AEthelmaer… the King’s uncle, High Reeve Ordwulf of Devon, and the King’s mother, AEthelthryth.

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321 – Course Corrections

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 22:41:29 +0000

992 was a bad year. There was treason, Vikings, the King’s closest advisor absconded with half the navy, and tipped off an enemy invasion with just enough time to let them escape.

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320 – Our Wooden Wall

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 20:08:02 +0000

The Battle of Maldon was a catastrophe. The brave last stand of Ealdorman Byrhtnoth was never going to change that fact. He was the leading man of Essex and the second most powerful Ealdorman in England and now he was dead. And his Fyrd was defeated.

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319 – The Battle of Maldon

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 00:12:58 +0000

Battles don’t appear out of thin air, not even in honor cultures. There’s a reason, a context, that develops long before soldiers or warriors enter a field prepared to do violence. And the Battle of Maldon comes with a lot of context. We left off in 988… and on that year, Archbishop Dunstan, who had […]

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318 – Chaos is a Ladder

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 16:36:18 +0000

By 984 the Regency council had been broken and a new inner circle of nobles had been elevated. And this development was accompanied by a rapid series of changes at the highest levels of the kingdom. The political rivals of this new council were rapidly losing power, with titles (and even lands) of wealthy dynasties […]

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317 – A Culture of Corruption

Thu, 30 May 2019 21:38:03 +0000

At 16 years old, King AEthelred was considered fully grown by Anglo Saxon standards. And as a bonus graduation present, the powerful Bishop AEthelwold of Winchester… who appears to have been the defacto head of state while AEthelred was a child… had died.

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316 – The Old Guard

Thu, 23 May 2019 22:58:02 +0000

Before we get back to our story, I’ve been seeing your conversations online and it made me realize I need to clarify something. Some of you took the discussion of AEthelred’s unflattering nickname, and how he caught hell for some things that were out of his control or part of the common culture, and […]

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315 – The Cracks in the Foundation

Thu, 16 May 2019 22:24:57 +0000

“Under AEthelred nothing was done; or, more truly, throughout his whole reign he left undone those things which he ought to have done, and he did those things he ought not to have done.” That is the damning conclusion of Edward Augustus Freeman, a Victorian historian, and epic beard grower.

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314 – Æthelred: Are You Ready?

Fri, 03 May 2019 00:16:36 +0000

King Edward, like those before him, had died under mysterious and apparently violent circumstances. And the next in line for this increasingly bloody throne of England was his 12 year old little half-brother. Æthelred.

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313 – How to Make a Martyr

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 21:00:30 +0000

“No man can make himself king, but the people have the choice to choose as king whom they please; but after he is consecrated as king, he then has dominion over the people, and they cannot shake his yoke from their necks.”

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312 – King Edward

Sat, 20 Apr 2019 19:31:27 +0000

King Edgar is Dead… and in his place reigned his son, King Edward of England. And you’d think that we’d be referring to him as King Edward the First. Or, if you wanted to fudge it a bit and give Edward the Elder some credit for forming the Kingdom of the Anglo Saxons… maybe King […]

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311 – Team Edward

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 18:05:22 +0000

King Edgar the Peaceable was buried at Glastonbury in 975. But weirdly that isn’t the end of his story. William of Malmesbury tells us that nearly a century later, in 1053, the Abbot Ailward re-opened the King’s tomb. Malmsbury doesn’t tell us WHY the monk opened the grave, so I suppose we can just assume […]

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310 – Political Theater

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 01:30:11 +0000

Human beings can’t really be summed up in a nickname. Usually we are more complicated than a word or two. And sometimes, the nickname just doesn’t reflect reality. If you take Edward the Elder, for example, the name probably conjures up an image of Gandalf. But Edward was only in his early 50’s when he […]

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309 – Size Doesn’t Matter (until it does)

Fri, 22 Mar 2019 00:28:29 +0000

You would think that someone named Edgar the Peaceable enjoyed a good reputation. But the closer you look, the more things start to look…off. And if you look closer than that, you start to get the sense that maybe things WERE off.

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308 – A Thirst for Reform

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 23:23:22 +0000

Across the North Sea, in Scandinavia, a man named Harald Greycloak was struggling for dominance in the region. He wasn’t just any man, he was a son of Erik Bloodaxe and Gunnhilde. And his fight brought him into direct conflict with King Haakon.

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307 – Cleaning House

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 00:49:25 +0000

The King is dead. Long live the King. Eadwig, the 18 year old King known for his beauty, had died. Somehow.

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306 – King Eadwig

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 23:00:48 +0000

The King is dead, long live the King. So … last episode was a bit of a shocker wasn’t it? After it launched, I got an email from a listener (who hilariously, is the daughter of a Judge that once scared the hell out of me in Court)… small world. Understandably, she was confused that […]

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305 – A Very Special BHP Valentine’s Day Episode

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 19:51:32 +0000

History is known as a field for being a bit of a slog. Tracing events, and people, and social movements through decades and centuries is a huge task and the results are usually dense at the best of times. But once in a while, in between all the battles and the politics and the dynasties, […]

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304 – A Kingdom Divided

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 22:49:29 +0000

Northumbria was always the hot mess of the heptarchy. There are a few exceptions where they manage to pull it together long enough to produce something important, like Bede, or when Leeds United won the premiership in 1991.

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303 – Eric Bloodaxe

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 02:18:05 +0000

We can probably assume that Harald Fairhair, the King of Norway, had fantastic hair. It was either big, or really long, or super glossy, and it was almost definitely blonde. But it wasn’t the only trait he was known for. Harald Fairhair was also known for getting around… and around… and around. According to records, […]

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302 – King Eadred

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 15:56:09 +0000

Ok, where were we? With all this focus on culture, it’s been a little bit since we last talked about the political situation in Britain. So lets remind ourselves of where things were politically.

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Chapter Eight – Twilight of the Anglo Saxons

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 16:00:43 +0000

This isn’t going to end well.

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301 – Common Folk

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 01:39:03 +0000

Today, we’re going to wrap up this cultural series with a focus on my favorite group of people. The people who rarely, if ever, get talked about. The commoners.

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300 – Noble Lives

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 20:42:28 +0000

When we left off, we were talking about Thegns. Specifically, we were talking about King’s Thegns and how they could wield degrees of power that could rival even the formidable Ealdormen.

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299 – The Shape of Power

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 20:09:31 +0000

Ealdormen… Thegns… Ceorls. These were the important cogs in the machine of government. They had powerful roles, and held powerful spaces within anglo saxon culture. And it’s time we get to know these roles like the back of our hand. Support the Show

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The Achavanich Beaker Burial Project: Ancient DNA with Maya Hoole

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 00:01:46 +0000

Links to material referenced in the show. The Achavanich Beaker Burial ‘Ava’: a Beaker-associated woman from a cist at Achavanich, Highland, and the story of her (re-)discovery and subsequent study, Published in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe at Nature.com A summary […]

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298 – Uptown Ceorl

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 18:19:07 +0000

Long ago there was a settlement that had been occupied and farmed by the British and the Anglo Saxons for centuries. In fact, by the time that the Scandinavians arrived on the island, this village known as Wharram Percy was already well established, and had been inhabited continually for centuries. And it held strong for […]

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297 – The Hundreds and the Wapentakes

Sat, 10 Nov 2018 00:48:14 +0000

We have spoken a lot about the life of a handful of individuals – namely the rulers that have descended from the line of Alfred. There are a couple of reasons for that. The first is the simple fact that by virtue of how limited literacy was during this era, these are the lives we […]

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The Halloween Special

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 13:00:50 +0000

I love Halloween. I think it might be my favorite holiday, and it’s not really because I like spooky things. I actually kind of hate horror movies. The reason I love Halloween is because in the pantheon of modern holidays it stands out. Most holidays in the western world have been rebranded and repackaged to […]

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296 – Darkening Skies

Fri, 19 Oct 2018 21:59:50 +0000

It begins in France. The struggle for power between King Louis IV and Hugh the Great had been raging for quite some time… When we last visited the continent, , Hugh the Great, King Otto of Germany, Duke William of Normandy, Count Herbert II, and various other supporting characters were allied against King Louis IV, […]

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295 – The Return of England

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 23:24:06 +0000

You know the pieces on a chessboard? There’s the knight, and the queen, and the castle….and then there’s the bishop. There’s a reason why a game that simulates medieval power strategy has a piece called the bishop. Bishops had power. And it was a power that didn’t flow from the monarchy. And in britain, it […]

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294 – It All Comes Crashing Down

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 00:14:13 +0000

The story of the last few episodes is a story about a lesson that humanity has had to re-learn again and again throughout history. When your society is ordered around a single figure it’s likely to descend into chaos the minute that figure goes away. And finding a new balance in the midst of sudden […]

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293 – The Beacons are Lit

Sun, 23 Sep 2018 21:11:48 +0000

When we left off, AEthelstan had recently died, Olaf had returned from Dublin and been crowned King of Jorvik (which meant that the Kingdom of Jorvik was back). The English Fyrd was still recovering from the bloodbath at Brunanburh. And the English Navy were currently sailing up and down the French Coast shouting “Liberte, Fraternite, […]

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292 – King in the North

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 21:08:49 +0000

How we understand any event comes down to what angle we are able to view it from. And the story of AEthelstan is no exception. On the one hand, it is easy to see AEthelstan as one of the greatest kings in English history, one to place on our shelf of real-life legends along with […]

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291 – Pandemonium

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 23:13:29 +0000

When King Edward died, the plan was that his second son would take the throne. By all indications, neither Edward nor the power structures within Wessex, wanted AEthelstan. The young AEtheling had been discarded and sent to be raised in Mercia far from the halls of power. The throne of Wessex wasn’t for him. It […]

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290 – This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 23:43:42 +0000

Brunanburh had been a titanic struggle. The Anglo Saxon Chronicle speaks of how the fighting lasted from morning to night, until “the field grew dark with the blood of men.” Blood spilled from warriors of no less than four separate kingdoms. The scribes speak of how the ground was littered with men impaled upon spears. […]

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289 – Brunanburh

Sat, 18 Aug 2018 23:49:27 +0000

You can’t just go to war. I mean… I guess you can. But it’s not a good idea. War takes work. It takes planning. It takes preparation. War, to put it simply, is a pain in the ass. You really have to want it. And the workload only increases with the number of people involved. […]

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288 – Extracurricular Activities

Fri, 10 Aug 2018 22:41:05 +0000

I wonder if King Rudolph of France resented his crown. I mean, seeking the crown probably seemed like a good idea at the time but the whole thing had been turning out to be an enormous headache. And it all started when Rudolph’s father in law (Robert) rebelled against King Charles and drove him into […]

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287 – The Conquest of Scotland

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 00:15:06 +0000

For the last six years, AEthelstan had been ruling in a manner that hasn’t been seen in Britain for generations. Beyond being a warlord, or even a King… AEthelstan was acting more like an Emperor. All of the Anglo Saxon territories were annexed into his new Kingdom of England, the Kings of Wales were now […]

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286 – Noble Pursuits

Sat, 21 Jul 2018 19:23:54 +0000

After generations of devastating war, England has found itself at peace. Which leaves a question we haven’t had to ask in a while. What did the Anglo Saxons actually do during peacetime? Support the Show

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285 – Full Court Press

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 08:00:24 +0000

The Era of AEthelstan is one of contradictions. His behavior, his policies, his wars… pretty much everything that is happening during this period seems to have an element of duality. This man was discussed by scholars of his time in terms of his piety and his generosity both with the church and also with his […]

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284 – AEthelstan the Victorious

Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:37:13 +0000

Last week, we ended with King AEthelstan’s aggression towards Kingdoms of Wales and Cornwall. We don’t know precisely what occurred, or why AEthelstan demanded crippling tributes from the Welsh and then violently expelled or executed the Cornish of Exeter. Support the Show

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283 – The Kingdoms of the Foreigners

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 23:34:38 +0000

Imagine that you went from being a disfavored bastard with little power, to the most powerful English king that had ever existed, in the space of just a few years. Support the Show

The post 283 – The Kingdoms of the Foreigners first appeared on The British History Podcast.

282 – How To Win Friends and Influence Jorvik

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 23:10:42 +0000

AEthelstan had completed his annexation of Jorvik, and in doing so he had outperformed every last one of his predecessors, including his grandfather, Alfred the Great. But there were a few loose ends that he still needed to knot up. And as he watched the defenses of Jorvik burn and dolled out Jorvik’s wealth to […]

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281 – England

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 21:03:55 +0000

The last couple of episodes have focused on the political tools that AEthelstan had at his disposal. Marriage alliances, fostering, dynastic cults and diplomatic entreaties were all powerful pieces moving on a huge dark age chess board. And the thing I want you to realize about these things is first, that they took time. A […]

The post 281 – England first appeared on The British History Podcast.

280 – King AEthelstan’s Love Life

Fri, 25 May 2018 21:17:59 +0000

What is a King’s most important duty? Is it the defense of the realm? Or perhaps the growth of the kingdom’s borders? What about developing the economy? Fostering strong diplomatic alliances? Shepherding the souls of his subjects to Christ? How about just keeping his subjects happy and healthy? Support the Show

The post 280 – King AEthelstan’s Love Life first appeared on The British History Podcast.

279 – Dynastic Cults

Thu, 17 May 2018 22:53:58 +0000

Want to know something strange? When Edward died, the Irish annals said nothing. Not a mention about his death, nor the circumstances of it. And it’s not like the Irish Annals were disinterested with what was happening in the Anglo Saxon kingdoms. After all, they’re the source for our story about AEthelflaed’s defense of Chester. […]

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278 – The Thunderbolt

Thu, 10 May 2018 23:17:26 +0000

There’s a dirty secret to history podcasts, and it only becomes clear when you actually start one. The truth is that many people will SAY that they want to learn something new, and hear new stories and hear new facts. But every time, without fail, the most popular episodes – and the most popular history […]

The post 278 – The Thunderbolt first appeared on The British History Podcast.

277 – King AEthelstan: Say Yes to the Dress

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 13:00:47 +0000

It’s important to hit the ground running when you start a new job. Especially if it is one that carries a lot of responsibility. When you’re new, people are often trying to work out who you are and how you’ll fit into the system, and the best way to put people at ease is to […]

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276 – The Bastard Rebel King

Fri, 20 Apr 2018 23:29:15 +0000

The story of Edward is one of contradictions. There’s something about his rule that seems … complicated and requiring more nuance than many of our earlier rulers. Here we have a King that did what must have seemed impossible… he began his rule holding dominion over Wessex and Kent. Huge portions of his kingdom were […]

The post 276 – The Bastard Rebel King first appeared on The British History Podcast.

275 – King Edward the Almost First King of England

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 17:23:15 +0000

The story of Edward is undeniably odd. There are events that are at best, unexplained and at worst look potentially horrible. But he’s also a man of contradiction, because the one thing we haven’t talked about is the one thing you’re probably not expecting. He was an effective king. Support the Show

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274 – The Missing Shire

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 23:38:30 +0000

In the last several episodes I’ve been breaking down the weird evidence that surrounds Edward towards the end of his reign. It’s been a deep dive and has been focused on some pretty granular details, and the reason why I’ve done that is because I can’t conclusively make a statement on what he did… it’s […]

The post 274 – The Missing Shire first appeared on The British History Podcast.

273 – I Do… Do I?

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 17:11:45 +0000

Last episode we talked about the rapid growth of AEthelflaed’s power, Edward’s militarizing AEthelflaed’s borders, Edward visiting her at her capital city and bringing his army with him… the fact that she died shortly thereafter and Edward ordered his army to occupy the city… and then the signs of rebellion coming out of Northern Mercia, […]

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272 – The End of the Age of AEthelflaed

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 23:35:30 +0000

Trying to tell the story of AEthelflaed is like trying to study gravity. We know her indirectly, by the impressions she left and the political shifts that happen around her. We can see the impact she left both on her lands, and in the devotion of her subjects. And so in many respects, we know […]

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271 – How to Break a Kingdom in Six Months

Sun, 11 Mar 2018 21:52:34 +0000

For the last several years, the Anglo Saxons had been on a true war footing. AEthelflaed and Edward had been showing skill and audacity in the field, and it had paid dividends. Under their leadership, the Anglo Saxon kingdoms of the south had been taking the fight to the Danish controlled lands and were seizing […]

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270 – War in the Five Boroughs

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 02:03:29 +0000

There’s an entry from the Irish Fragmentary annals that caught my attention. It talks about the defeat of Hroald and Ohter at the hands of AEthelflaed… and it specifically gives credit to AEthelflaed for this battle, and then goes on to say that following that victory her fame spread in all directions. Support the Show

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269 – The Western Front

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 02:08:20 +0000

Wessex and Mercia have had a busy decade. Both kingdoms militarized their borders, fought off invasion forces, and even took the offensive and marched into neighboring kingdoms. And even though the Chronicle is mysteriously tight lipped on all of these fights, it’s clear that way more than just construction work was going on at all […]

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268 – Viking Invasion

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 00:19:56 +0000

AEthelflaed, Lady of Mercia, and her brother, King Edward, had been bringing the fight to the Danes… they had been stretching their borders into Danish controlled lands and they haven’t just been on the offense… they’ve been winning. When an army was raised out of Leicester in 913 for the express purpose of countering the […]

The post 268 – Viking Invasion first appeared on The British History Podcast.

267 – The Southern Expansion

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 15:00:05 +0000

O potent elfleda! Maid, men’s terror! You did conquer nature’s self; worthy The name of man! More beauteous nature’s form of A woman; but your valour shall secure Man’s higher name. For name you only need Not sex to change: unconquerable queen, King rather, who such trophies have obtained! O virgin and virago both farewell! […]

The post 267 – The Southern Expansion first appeared on The British History Podcast.

266 – The Rise of AEthelflaed and the Breaking of Northumbria

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 00:00:18 +0000

The Battle of Tettenhall, as we discussed last episode, remains a mystery to us. We aren’t certain of the circumstances that started the battle, exactly where the battle took place, nor which Anglo Saxon leaders actually fought in it. But one thing scholars agree upon is that Mercia and Wessex won a resounding victory – […]

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265 – The Battle of Tettenhall; and Zombies, maybe.

Sat, 13 Jan 2018 01:46:55 +0000

There is so much that the Chronicle hides from us after the death of Alfred. Edward’s apple seems to have fallen fairly far from the tree, because the record his court produces during his reign is spare even by Anglo Saxon standards. But even with all of its contradictory statements and black holes, the Chronicle […]

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264 – The Lost Rebellion

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 00:36:36 +0000

In the year 909 we get an odd entry from the Chronicle. “This year St. Oswald’s body was removed from Bardney into Mercia.” It’s an weird entry that caps a very strange section of the Chronicle. In the seven year period from 902 to 909 we’ve got three blank years, two star gazing entries, one […]

The post 264 – The Lost Rebellion first appeared on The British History Podcast.

263 – AEthelflaed and Ingimund

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 21:11:54 +0000

When we left off last episode, war had come to Mercia. Ingimund and his Scandinavian allies abandoned their peace treaty and were seeking to expand their borders, but according to the Irish Annals and the Welsh annals, it wasn’t AEthelred Lord of Mercia who was organizing the defenses. It was AEthelflaed, Queen of the Saxons. […]

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262 – AEthelred and AEthelflaed

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 22:29:33 +0000

A year after Edward took the throne – in year 901, while he was still fighting AEthelwold’s rebellion – something strange appeared in the Charters. This event doesn’t get discussed in the Chronicle. But these Charters reveal that in 901, there was an enormous gathering of the important political figures of Wessex. This gathering took […]

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261 – The Anglo Saxon Chronicle and the Mercian Register

Sat, 25 Nov 2017 22:21:07 +0000

I hope that after the last few episodes (and honestly, the last few years) have dispelled the myth of elegance that surrounds monarchy. Especially medieval monarchy. Support the Show

The post 261 – The Anglo Saxon Chronicle and the Mercian Register first appeared on The British History Podcast.

260 – King Edward’s Forgotten Love Life

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 22:26:18 +0000

Sometimes life comes at you fast. So much happens in such a short space of time that you barely have a chance to take note of where you’re at and, only after it’s all passed, only /then/ do you have a chance to say “oh my god, what /was/ all of that?” I wonder if […]

The post 260 – King Edward’s Forgotten Love Life first appeared on The British History Podcast.

259 – The Last Stand of the House of AEthelred

Sat, 04 Nov 2017 00:22:52 +0000

It was an audacious move. To take possession of two towns, to fortify himself inside the Royal Estate of Wimborne (the resting place of his father), and to do all of this after taking an unnamed nun as his wife. But that was what AEthelwold son of AEthelred did. As we discussed last week, we […]

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258 – The Rise of King Edward I of Wessex

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 23:10:52 +0000

On October 26th, 899, Alfred the Great died. He left behind his wife, Eahlswitha, as well as his grown children. I imagine that the loss of Alfred was probably quite difficult on all of them. It’s always hard to lose a family member. But for Edward… the designated heir… what must that have been like? […]

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257 – Political Accommodation Within The Danelaw

Sun, 22 Oct 2017 00:31:18 +0000

Things in Britain are changing rapidly. In Scotland the MacAlpin dynasty is rising, and with it comes the merging of the Scottish and Pictish cultures. A similar blending is happening in the Anglo Saxon regions. As we’ve see in the last few episodes – cities are changing, economies are emerging. And the sudden appearance of […]

The post 257 – Political Accommodation Within The Danelaw first appeared on The British History Podcast.

256 – Scandinavian Settlement in England

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 21:28:06 +0000

For the last few episodes we’ve been discussing the way life has been changing in Southern Britain. While the dramatic battles and political maneuvering dominated the story of the last season, you’re now learning of the many of the changes that were changing how lives were lived on the island, and some of them weren’t […]

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255 – Londonwic to London

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 18:45:46 +0000

London is a world unto itself, and it has been for most of its very, very long history. One of the weirdest things about the city is that it contains its own separate city – distinct from the rest of London. It has its own laws, its own government, its own walls. The City of […]

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254 – Worcester

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 18:34:01 +0000

If you read of old Britain… even if you read of modern Britain… you’d be forgiven if you thought it was all London. And London does soak up a ton of the spotlight. It’s like the Stonehenge of the non-neolithic period. You can’t avoid it. And we won’t here, either. London will be covered regularly, […]

The post 254 – Worcester first appeared on The British History Podcast.

253 – Anglo Saxon Market Towns in the Viking Age

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 15:23:25 +0000

Cultures change all the time – yours is changing right now, in ways you may or may not realize. It’s a completely normal, everyday fact that has been with humanity since we began. Probably before we began. And yet, telling the story of how a culture changed is extremely challenging. Cultural shifts are messy, they’re […]

The post 253 – Anglo Saxon Market Towns in the Viking Age first appeared on The British History Podcast.

252 – The Coming of the Anglo-Scandinavians

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 03:24:33 +0000

At the start of 867, there were four major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in Britain. By 874, three of the four – Northumbria, East Anglia, and Mercia – had lost their independence. That’s a timespan of only 7 years, and in that 7 years the political landscape of Britain had changed dramatically and permanently. That’s insane. For […]

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251 – Chapter Seven: England

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 15:18:00 +0000

We are entering a new era in the BHP. Support the Show

The post 251 – Chapter Seven: England first appeared on The British History Podcast.

250 – The Year 900

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 21:33:33 +0000

It’s the year 900. We’ve closed out another century, and the 900’s are looking as tumultuous as the 800’s. But before we move forward in our story of our Island – still in many ways at the end of the world – the BHP is going to take a moment to look at what is […]

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249 – Kenneth MacAlpin and the Birth of Scotland

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 23:56:29 +0000

We’ve reached the end of an era. It was late 899, and Alfred (who has been our central figure for dozens of episodes) was at last at rest. But with his death, there was a sudden opening at the top levels of West Saxon politics and Alfred’s son, Edward, was a top contender for that […]

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248 – The Death of Alfred the Great

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 21:43:26 +0000

By 897, everything Alfred had known…. changed. He was barely in his 20s when he took the throne and he hadn’t had a chance to stop for a breath for the decades that followed. He had been king for over half of his life, and in those years he’d proven himself to be an energetic […]

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247 – Our Wooden Wall

Sat, 08 Jul 2017 21:42:28 +0000

The Danes encamped at Bridgnorth had been campaigning for years. Many had come here with Haesten and the Appledore fleet. They were the veterans of the continental campaigns. And for years now they had been fighting tooth and nail with the Anglo Saxons. But despite all the time they had spent here. Despite their massive […]

The post 247 – Our Wooden Wall first appeared on The British History Podcast.

246 – The Hard Edge of Soft Power

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 20:02:42 +0000

When I write an episode I begin by looking at what has happened in the past, then at what will come in the future, and only after that do I allow myself to focus on what is occurring for this episode. I do this because I want to know the context of these events. The […]

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245 – King Alfred: Infrastructure is Sexy

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 00:39:44 +0000

For the Viking army fleeing Shoebury, there wasn’t much to look forward to in a winter holiday at Chester. It would be wet. It would be cold. It would be creepy. The old Roman settlement had been abandoned for quite some time, and that probably didn’t sit well with the superstitious danes. And besides being […]

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244 – Haesten’s Advance

Wed, 31 May 2017 22:45:40 +0000

“Then came the king’s troops, and routed the enemy, broke down the work, took all that was therein money, women, and children and brought all to London. And all the ships they either broke to pieces, or burned, or brought to London or to Rochester.” That’s what the Chronicle has to say about AEthelred’s siege […]

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The Achavanich Beaker Burial Project: The Beaker People with Dr. Alison Sheridan

Wed, 24 May 2017 19:25:57 +0000

Learn more about Dr. Sheridan and her work Dr. Sheridan’s Wiki page Dr. Sheridan’s Great Archaeology page Dr. Sheridan’s Academia.edu page The Achavanich Beaker Burial Project Links Twitter: @AvaBeakerBurial Facebook: facebook.com/achavanichbeakerburial Website: https://achavanichbeakerburial.wordpress.com/ Support the Show

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243 – The Sieges of AEthelred of Mercia

Sat, 20 May 2017 19:32:13 +0000

Imagine that you’re in your 20s. You are a member of the royal dynasty… the next in line for the throne. But your future court is filled with powerful Ealdormen who expect their king to be a warrior. Given the mood of the nobles, and how some of them are chaffing at your father’s style […]

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242 – Edward AEtheling at Farnham

Fri, 12 May 2017 22:53:50 +0000

892 was not a very good year. Alfred’s gambit to pacify the forces of Hastein through the power of baptism and gifts had failed utterly, and now they were encamped in Benfleet Essex, launching raids into Wessex and (probably) Mercia. And as for the gargantuan fleet of 250 ships to the south at Appledore? It […]

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The Achavanich Beaker Burial Project: Discovering Ava with Maya Hoole

Wed, 03 May 2017 01:18:25 +0000

Twitter: @AvaBeakerBurial Facebook: facebook.com/achavanichbeakerburial Website: https://achavanichbeakerburial.wordpress.com/ Canmore: Canmore.org.uk Support the Show

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241 – Haesten

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 23:07:04 +0000

What was Alfred’s reaction to the news of a massive viking fleet crossing the channel? Was it a surprise? Did he just expect it at this point? Was he angry that he would have to fight for his kingdom yet one more time? Based on his apparent devotion to his religion, I imagine he wondered […]

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240 – Viking Roadshow: Rollo edition

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 22:37:49 +0000

A massive fleet was off the coast of Kent, heading directly for Alfred’s realm. It was a fleet of 250 ships teeming with skilled, highly experienced raiders. But fleets don’t materialize out of thin air. They come from somewhere… And curiously, over the last 14 years, the scribes of the Anglo Saxon Chronicle were actually […]

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239 – The Dying Time

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 23:07:17 +0000

Today we’re going to cover 5 or 6 years, and we’re going to cover a fascinating theory that (if true) should color virtually everything we know about the life of Alfred the Great… and that’s because the Life of Alfred the Great might not have been written for Alfred. But I’m getting ahead of myself. […]

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238 – A Patchwork of War

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 15:26:03 +0000

The Sons of Rhodri Mawr were in a difficult position. Their father had been a powerful ruler in Britain… he was a man who had gained vast swaths of territory for his dynasty and was one of the few kings in British history that could claim the title of “the great.” Now when he died, […]

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237 – Asser

Sat, 25 Mar 2017 03:13:54 +0000

The Sons of Rhodri, rulers of vast swaths of Wales, have followed in their father’s footsteps in their quest to bring all of the Western Kingdoms under a command of a single dynasty. Their dynasty. In aid of this, they sought common cause with the Danes of Jorvik and their new King… a man called […]

The post 237 – Asser first appeared on The British History Podcast.

236 – A Return to Scholarship

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 23:04:31 +0000

“I can not find anything better in man, than that he know, and nothing worse than that he be ignorant.” That’s a quote from Alfred, and I think it’s my favorite quote. The nice thing about Alfred is that he’s a man for all seasons. There’s something in his reign for everyone. He’s got an […]

The post 236 – A Return to Scholarship first appeared on The British History Podcast.

235 – Alfred’s Educational Reforms

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 01:20:39 +0000

One of the interesting things about piecing together the life of Alfred is that we find little windows into who he was in the strangest of places. Most kings of this era didn’t write much down for us to read… but Alfred did. In fact, he translated entire books (which we’re going to talk about […]

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234 – The Sons of Rhodri and AEthelred’s Beautiful Hair

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 00:46:17 +0000

This episode has been difficult to write. In fact, the last several have been difficult, and it all comes down to issues of time. Not space time flexing due to gravitational pull, and issues of whether a minute for Alfred in Wessex was the same as a minute for someone climbing the alps. Just good […]

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233 – Alfred’s Powerplay and the Restructuring of Wessex

Sat, 25 Feb 2017 02:06:43 +0000

While all of the political wrangling was occurring in Tamworth, Guthrum-AEthelstan was relocating to East Anglia, and he was bringing serious changes with him. Culture isn’t something that you can easily uproot in a person – it goes deep. Sure, Guthrum had spent 12 days feasting like and Anglo Saxon, and even gave that one […]

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232 – Fifth Century Britain with Dr. Catherine Hills

Sun, 19 Feb 2017 23:03:56 +0000

Dr. Hills discussed material culture, ethnicity, Anglo Saxon migration, and more in this fascinating interview. You can learn more about what Dr. Hills at her departmental website here. Support the Show

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231 – Anglo Saxon Economics and Money with Professor Rory Naismith

Sat, 11 Feb 2017 21:54:16 +0000

Follow Rory on Twitter @Rory_Naismith and make sure to follow him at his Academic page at Kings College London as well as on Academia.edu. This episode covers how the economy transitioned from food rent to coinage, how currency was a reflection of the soul, why King Offa had such funky hair, and much more. Support […]

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230 – Guthrum Gets a Bath

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 23:53:38 +0000

For Alfred, everything had changed at Chippenham. It was at Chippenham where he had lost his crown and his kingdom… it’s also possible that he was the victim of a coup, considering how Guthrum’s conquest had gone virtually unchallenged. Chippenham was a place of great shame for the House of Wessex. That is, until now. […]

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A Ten Year Old in WWII: A Memorial

Mon, 30 Jan 2017 22:05:49 +0000

Thank you for always being there for me, Nanna. <3 Support the Show

The post A Ten Year Old in WWII: A Memorial first appeared on The British History Podcast.

229 – The Battle of Edington

Sat, 14 Jan 2017 05:43:30 +0000

Four months is a long time. It might not seem it. And in many ways, four months can pass in the blink of an eye. But four months is around 120 days. It’s a full season. In four months, the harshness of winter can be replaced by the the bright warmth of spring. Four months […]

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228 – Alfred and Odda: The Audacity of Nope

Sat, 07 Jan 2017 22:45:46 +0000

In spite of everything standing against them, Alfred and AEthelnoth are bringing the war directly to Guthrum on a daily basis. We know this thanks to Asser and the Chronicle, but both sources neglect to tell us exactly HOW the rebel army was bringing the war to Guthrum. The one time I want more information […]

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227 – Alfred’s War for the Mind

Thu, 22 Dec 2016 03:15:04 +0000

The last episode ended with an account by Ethelweard which told us that after the arrival of AEthelnoth, Alfred was attacking Guthrum on a daily basis. Alfred was no longer just trying to survive, he was trying to take his kingdom back. Support the Show

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226 – Alfred and Legitimacy: The First Steps to War

Sat, 10 Dec 2016 17:42:13 +0000

Today, we are going to talk about the early steps of Alfred’s guerrilla war against King Guthrum. We will talk about the elements of this sort of war, the circumstances of the West Saxons under Guthrum’s rule, and the resulting fallout within Wessex. Support the Show

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225 – Alfred in Somerset

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 18:24:00 +0000

It was January of 878. The dead of British winter – and Alfred was running. Through fields, past hamlets, keeping out of sight whenever he could. He ran. He headed for the Somerset Levels. This was a coastal plane during the 9th century – a dense network of impassable marshes. It wasn’t ideal, but at […]

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224 – Chapter Six: Wessex

Wed, 23 Nov 2016 14:34:09 +0000

For generations, the Anglo Saxon dominance in eastern Britain has gone largely unchallenged. In the face of this, the warlike vagabonds that first came to these lands had been transformed into gentry. Power had calcified into the hands of a few, war had become a ritualized way for dynasties to settle arguments over wealth, and […]

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223 – King Alfred and Chippenham

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 17:34:28 +0000

How do you redeem a year like 877? If you’re Alfred, how do you fix something like this? Even if he cast it in the best possible light, the story of 877 would still be the story of how Wessex lost control of two of its major coastal strongholds, was unable to directly counter the […]

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222 – Viking Kings and The Black Pool

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 01:51:02 +0000

At some point early in the Viking Age, a group of Northmen came across a natural harbor on the western side of the Irish Sea. Being that they were a seafaring people, having places in foreign lands where they could safely make port was a significant advantage. Orkney was already showing its usefulness, and now […]

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221 – Alfred and Guthrum: The Price of Peace

Thu, 03 Nov 2016 22:32:17 +0000

When we left off, Guthrum had marched into the heart of Wessex without being noticed, lead his forces right past Alfred’s hold in Winchester, and seized the Royal tun of Wareham. In response to this, Alfred raised the Fyrd, marched upon the southern port town, and besieged it. Now all of our surviving sources are […]

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220 – Alfred and Guthrum: Magic, Madness, Heaven, Sin

Sat, 29 Oct 2016 01:19:04 +0000

It’s the year 876 and historians Dudo and Flodoard tell us that a fleet of Vikings slammed into the Frankish city of Rouen and nearly leveled it to the ground. In response to this attack, King Louis the Stammerer, brother of Judith, launched a campaign to oust them… but he never saw this completed because […]

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219 – The Halloween Special: The Statement of Randolph Carter

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 12:45:16 +0000

I repeat to you, gentlemen, that your inquisition is fruitless. Detain me here forever if you will; confine or execute me if you must have a victim to propitiate the illusion you call justice; but I can say no more than I have said already. Everything that I can remember, I have told with perfect […]

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218 – The Kingdom of Jorvik

Wed, 19 Oct 2016 23:56:58 +0000

Today we begin in Orkney. The history of Orkney is rather obscure, and that fact is reflected in the show… with it appearing only occasionally in the Scotcasts and Celtcasts. However, in the last 80 years, things have been changing rapidly for the inhabitants of this misty land, and the people of Orkney started to […]

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217 – Halfdan’s Ravaging of the North

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 21:39:50 +0000

We begin our story in Alt Clut. Alt Clut was an ancient British Kingdom and it could trace itself back to Roman Britannia – and possibly even further. At the center of this kingdom was an old fortress on a River, the River Clyde. The Kingdom’s name derived from the Brythonic name for the rock […]

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216 – The Great Heathen Army: Always Be Prepared

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 22:28:53 +0000

Click here to go the Summary of Zee’s PhD that I talked about. We are coming to a major turning point in the story of Britain.The Anglo Saxon kingdoms never had a chance of turning the Great Heathen Army back, and now it looks like they’re here to stay. There’s no denying it anymore. But […]

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215 – King Burgred and the end of the Danish Sausage Fest

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 00:56:50 +0000

It’s 873 and so far Halfdan has extracted THREE Danegelds from King Burgred in exchange for promising to not occupy Mercia. And, of course, he’s gone on to occupy Mercia… most recently in a town called Torksey. He also put down a rebellion in Jorvik and reclaimed the city. He pushed King Ricsige of Northumbria […]

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214 – National Lampoon’s Viking Vacation

Sun, 04 Sep 2016 19:58:20 +0000

It’s 872 and Halfdan’s year has been a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, he had received a major Danegeld from Mercia, to add to the one he received from Wessex in the previous year. And now he was residing within London. But on the other hand, he had just gotten word […]

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213 – Danegelds, Peace, and Shame

Wed, 24 Aug 2016 23:34:38 +0000

Last time we left off, Alfred… who we have been following since his earliest days, and whom we now know the most intimate details of, including the state of his butt (which was swollen) and the state of his libido (which apparently was also swollen)… well, by mid 871 his brother was dead and he […]

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212 – Alfred the Last AEtheling

Fri, 12 Aug 2016 00:26:02 +0000

It’s mid April of 871. For four long months, the House of Wessex has been battling against an invasion army of Danes who are holding the Royal Tun of Reading. Battle after battle had resulted in bruising defeats at the hands of these pagans. They had won against the Danes in Ashdown, true, but what […]

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211 – The Battles of Basing and Meretun

Thu, 28 Jul 2016 02:29:00 +0000

It’s January of 871, still… A tremendous amount has happened in the last fortnight, and the year had barely even begun. People tend to compress the past… especially periods they are unfamiliar with… into short blurbs. It’s why many people are completely willing to accept minute by minute accounts of World War II, but balk […]

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210 – The Battle of Ashdown

Tue, 19 Jul 2016 23:45:16 +0000

“God, in his goodness and justice so much offended by our sins, had thus worn down the lands and kingdoms of the Christians.” That’s a quote from Prudentius of Troyes, who was struggling to explain why the Franks met abysmal failure every time they fought the Scandinavians. While that quote came from from across the […]

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209 – The Battle of Reading

Fri, 08 Jul 2016 23:20:39 +0000

When we left off, the Danes had occupied Reading, fortified it for several days, and then sent a detachment West along the river Kennet… In response, Ealdorman AEthelwulf of Berkshire had raised the local Fyrd, killed one of the Danish lords, and for the first time in a very long time, at Englefield, the West […]

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208 – The Battle of Englefield

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 19:27:23 +0000

When we left off the Great Heathen Army had conquered East Anglia, established their dominion, and then a good portion of it returned to their territory of Jorvik. However, not everyone returned north or stayed in East Anglia. Their leaders, Ivarr and Ubbe… brothers in battle and sons of Ragnarr, departed. Some accounts state that […]

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207 – Christianity in Early Danelaw

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 23:55:29 +0000

Here is part two to our story of religion and religious life at the age of the Great Heathen Army and the Danish invasion of Britain. Last episode, I told you about how the stories we’re often told – of violent atrocities committed against Christian spaces and against Christendom itself – didn’t actually originate from […]

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206 – Did the Great Heathen Army Persecute Christians?

Sat, 11 Jun 2016 00:04:59 +0000

Last week we covered the events of 869. The situation was dire. We have at least one dead Anglo Saxon king, two Anglo Saxon kingdoms that were now under the thumb of the Danes, and as far as the record tells us, everyone else was just keeping their heads down. They may have taken comfort […]

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205 – Saint Edmund the Martyr

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 20:15:48 +0000

Last episode we ended with the engagement of Prince Alfred to Ealhswith, daughter of Ealdorman AEthelred Mucel of Mercia and descendant of King Coenwulf of Merica, and I briefly mentioned political implications of such a match. But there was a personal aspect to this as well. Not the marriage itself, though that was certainly personal… […]

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204 – Snottingham

Fri, 27 May 2016 23:42:13 +0000

At the end of last episode, the gates of Jorvik had opened and the Great Heathen Army marched forth. They were headed South, to the Kingdom of Mercia. Mercia makes sense for the Northmen. The leaders of the Great Army had already bolstered their northern border, through their puppet King Ecgberht. East Anglia had been […]

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203 – Jorvik

Thu, 19 May 2016 21:12:56 +0000

I’d like to start today’s episode with a poem. Not about my feelings, or about a tough breakup… but a skaldic poem from the 12th century. It’s called The Lay of Kraka, and it was probably recorded somewhere in Scotland. The reason why it’s important is that it contains what is claimed to be Ragnar […]

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202 – The Fall of Eoforwic

Wed, 11 May 2016 22:30:53 +0000

When we left off last time, King Edmund of East Anglia had paid a Danegeld to the Great Heathen Army… and rather than leaving, the army had set up camp in his Kingdom. It was a situation that would have caused all manner of havoc for virtually everyone who lived in the small eastern Kingdom. […]

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201 – East Anglia’s Danegeld

Mon, 02 May 2016 23:12:56 +0000

Here we are, with a new king in Wessex. King AEthelred, son of AEthelwulf, was now sitting the throne. He was in his 20s, and despite having a large family back when he was a child… now his only family left were his wife… Queen Wulfthryth (and good on you Wulfthryth for insisting on being […]

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200 – The Q&A

Mon, 25 Apr 2016 00:44:04 +0000

To celebrate the 200th episode, I took questions from the community which gave me a good excuse to complain about bad GI Joe villains, Rome, Lack of Sources, Rome, and a dearth of available female historical figures to crush on…. and Rome. (It was bad, you guys.) Guest spots from… Jamie Redfern of A History […]

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199 – AEthelred vs Alfred: One of the Most Exciting Moments in Probate History

Sun, 17 Apr 2016 20:29:52 +0000

It’s 865 and we just had yet another King of Wessex die. Alfred has been losing family members fast and furious, and this time it was his older brother, King AEthelberht. What’s worse is King AEthelberht seemed like he was a pretty decent fellow, and Wessex could have really used long reign by a fair […]

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198 – The Great Heathen Army Begins

Sun, 03 Apr 2016 00:12:28 +0000

On 864 or 865, a great Scandinavian fleet of Dragon ships, or Drakkars, beached themselves at Thanet in Kent. For the people of the south, this would have been terrifying It had been scarcely more than a decade since the last fleet of Drakkars landed in Thanet, and the army exploded forth from those ships […]

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The April Fool’s Episode

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 07:01:51 +0000

Things are changing at the BHP, and here’s a preview!

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197 – The Sons of Ragnar Lodbrok (versus Battle-Cattle)

Sat, 26 Mar 2016 23:22:15 +0000

We’re at a massive turning point for Britain. The Great Heathen Army is arriving on the Northern shores. I have been racking my brain for weeks trying to figure out how best to tell you this story deal with the Great Heathen Army, because it has all the elements that make a story nearly impossible […]

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196 – Vikings and Mercs and Franks. Oh My!

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 23:09:59 +0000

When we left off last week we spoke about King AEthelberht’s ascension to the throne of Wessex in 860 and how, despite the insistence of the Chroniclers that his rule was marked by peace and tranquility, on that same year we had records of a Viking raid that struck the heart of the Kingdom of […]

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195 – Red Sea Rising

Mon, 07 Mar 2016 21:56:14 +0000

Today’s episode will focus upon the goings on in Britain for King AEthelberht, AEthelred, and Alfred. We will also cover what has been happening up in Northumbria… and predictably, it involves a lot of civil war. We will also have a quick discussion about stats, because why not? (History of Britain, History of England, History […]

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194 – My Big Fat Dark Age Wedding

Sat, 27 Feb 2016 01:59:31 +0000

King AEthelbald of Wessex, Queen Judith, Bjorn Ironsides, Prince Alfred, King Charles the Bald, Pope Nicholas I, Baldwin Iron Arm, Ivar the Boneless… this episode has it all! (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wessex, French History, Vikings, Roman History) NOTE ON RESEARCH I get a lot of questions about this episode asking […]

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193 – Alfred the Young Part Two

Sun, 21 Feb 2016 23:30:07 +0000

When we left off last week we were talking about Alfred’s upbringing and how he was a proficient hunter from a young age, and how he honed those skills throughout the rest of his life. But also how he lamented the fact that he was illiterate until he was twelve years old. Something which he […]

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192 – Alfred the Young

Sat, 13 Feb 2016 22:19:10 +0000

We’ve discussed Anglo Saxon propaganda, and what goes down in Anglo Saxon cities, now let’s get back to the main story. When last we checked in with the House of Wessex, King AEthelwulf had died, but thanks to his incredible fecundity he had a wealth of potential heirs. And the kingdom of Wessex, it was […]

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191 – Urban Fervor

Sat, 06 Feb 2016 00:03:36 +0000

You might not realize it, but we on the precipice of a major change in Britain. Alfred the Great is about to reach adulthood and enter the scene. The era of Danelaw is coming. Things are about to come to a head. But if I’m being honest, we’ve been seeing pretty big changes happening for […]

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190 – House (of Wessex): Everybody Lies

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 02:04:32 +0000

This episode is going to be a bit different from most, because I’m going to be addressing something which has been bugging me about the 800s, and Wessex in particular. I feel like I haven’t done a good job pointing something out. So I’m going to explain something crucial about the house of Wessex and […]

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189 – What on earth is an English

Sat, 16 Jan 2016 00:39:31 +0000

This episode is going to be a little different from most episodes. We’re going to break from the main story briefly and talk in larger terms about what is going on in Eastern Britain, because I realized that my slavish attention to the main storyline has probably allowed you to miss something truly astounding. And […]

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188 – Rebellion and Succession in the Kingdom of Wessex

Fri, 08 Jan 2016 23:52:10 +0000

Before we begin, I’d like to address something from our last episode. I told you about reports of Vikingr armies marching around the countryside near the Wrekin. I offered a variety of methods of reaching the Wrekin, all of which would have involved quite a bit of work. However, as some of you have noted […]

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187 – The Queen of Wessex: aka The Worst Midlife Crisis Ever

Sat, 02 Jan 2016 21:55:16 +0000

It’s Christmas day 854. King AEthelweard of East Anglia, a king who we know almost nothing about, is dead. The only evidence we really have that he was alive in the first place are his coins, and this is likely due to the fact that, throughout the Viking Age, succeeding bands of Scandinavian pyromaniacs destroyed […]

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186 – Wessex: A story of Myth building, Opportunism, and Annexation

Sat, 19 Dec 2015 02:07:43 +0000

This episode is getting a bit into the political weeds and it’s for a very important reason. We’re seeing the development of that dynastic juggernaut we all know and love, the House of Wessex, and I want you to see how and why it’s forming into what it will eventually become. Because the successes of […]

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185 – Building the House of Wessex

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 22:13:58 +0000

When we left off last time, we were taking a look at the problem facing Europe that no one wanted to talk about. And this wasn’t like plague of people mistaking tights for pants. In that situation, the only solution is to ignore it until it retreats back to the darkest recesses of fashion. The […]

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184 – The Chaos of Bad Governance

Thu, 03 Dec 2015 21:19:47 +0000

When we left off last time we discussed the viking raids of Paris and Hamburg… though they were far more than the raids we’d seen in the last 40-50 years. Now we’re looking at fleets that number in the hundreds and we’re seeing the nobility on the continent, especially the Frankish nobility, hiring many of […]

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183 – Ragnar’s Siege of Paris

Sun, 22 Nov 2015 01:21:15 +0000

This is a big event for Medieval Western Europe, and it doesn’t come out of nowhere. The surge of Northmen, and in particular the Danish attacks against Frankia, had a starting point. This wasn’t a simple matter of pagans picking a random point on the map and charging… the Vikingrs may have been motivated largely […]

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182 – Ragnar Lodbrok

Sun, 15 Nov 2015 02:35:38 +0000

Ok, when we left off, a fleet of 120 ships set sail from Scandinavia. And at their head, according to legend, was Ragnar Lodbrok. Ragnar Hairy Breeches. Support the Show

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181 – Vikingrs Gotta Viking

Sat, 07 Nov 2015 16:54:15 +0000

When we left off last week, the Vikingrs had established fortified bases in Ireland… Not only that, but after building the bases they decided to hang out there for the winter, choosing to stay in the relatively warmer climes of the British isles rather than return home to freeze in the long northern nights. Support […]

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180 – The Cracks in the Shieldwall

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 21:28:11 +0000

It’s 838. Only two years earlier the West Saxons were defeated by a fleet of Vikingrs, and they responded to this loss the way you would expect them to… by completely ignoring the loss and, instead, focusing on dynastic politics and making endowments to the church at Canterbury. And now another fleet of Vikingrs was […]

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Halloween Special: H.P. Lovecraft’s The Music of Erich Zann

Mon, 26 Oct 2015 18:54:07 +0000

The Music of Erich Zann By H. P. Lovecraft You can read a copy of the story at hplovecraft.com. Happy Halloween!

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179 – The Battle of Carrum

Sat, 17 Oct 2015 00:03:55 +0000

When we left off last week, 35 ships launched from Denmark and set their course for England. As we have been learning, the Anglo Saxon kingdoms were now seriously in danger of Vikingr attacks for the first time, having lost the protection of the Frankish coast guard. Not only that, but over the last approximately […]

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178 – Dereliction of Duty

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 16:27:17 +0000

When we last left off we were talking about what a big deal King Egbert of Wessex was. And for good reason. In 829, King Egbert of Wessex held virtually all of the south and even demanded the submission of Northumbria after a battle at the River Dore, an event that earned King Egbert the […]

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177 – The Road to 830

Fri, 02 Oct 2015 21:18:07 +0000

Last episode I gave you a forest view of where we are going and, roughly, who these Viking raiders were as well as the scale of the impact that they will have upon Europe. And it really is something to behold. The Viking Age isn’t very long, but Europe hadn’t seen this level of rapid […]

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176 – The Prophecy of Jeremiah

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 19:28:02 +0000

“Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not show mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea.” Jeremiah 50: 41-42 This passage of the […]

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175 – Chapter Five: A Sea of Blood

Thu, 03 Sep 2015 21:33:17 +0000

A sea of blood. Support the Show

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174 – CeltCast Part 3

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 20:07:01 +0000

We start today with a few bare statements in the record. They’re easy to overlook, and most people do, but they hint at a very important aspect of Pictland in the 700s. The absolutely enormous amount of political wrangling. Here’s what we know. In 725, King Nechtan stepped down from the throne of Pictland and […]

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173 – The CeltCast Part 2

Wed, 19 Aug 2015 21:35:50 +0000

I’m continuing my quest to organize and bring all the stories back together and so today we’re going to move the timeline forward (to get us closer to the Vikings) and we will also be talking more about the kingdoms that were active in the region that would later become scotland. There were several of […]

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172 – CeltCast Part 1

Mon, 10 Aug 2015 23:27:08 +0000

Today we’re beginning the process of creating a singular British history podcast. The side casts made sense when the story was first beginning, but now (rather than helping you understand the story better) they’re confusing it) and so today we are merging the Scotcast and Welshcast into the Celtcast. I’m eager to get the story […]

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171 – The Welshcast Part Seven

Wed, 29 Jul 2015 01:46:44 +0000

When we left off last time, we were talking about how we have a limited understanding of this area of history due to a combination of scarce resources and the victorians building a mythology of englishness. We also covered the early middle ages and the turn that was occurring in Southern Britain in the 6th […]

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170 – The Welshcast Part Six

Mon, 20 Jul 2015 23:25:32 +0000

It’s been two years since we checked in with the Britons of the West, and last time we spoke, a big part of our discussion was focused upon the people that Gildas hated. Which was pretty much everyone. Support the Show

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169 – The Rise of Wessex

Wed, 08 Jul 2015 23:19:10 +0000

This season we’ve seen the Anglo Saxons come incredibly close to forming an early unified English Kingdom… in fact they will continue their attempts in this episode. Though we can guess how that will go because we have seen their culture and governmental structure hamstring their previous attempts at unity. From our vantage point of […]

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168 – The Fall of Mercia

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 17:24:02 +0000

When we left off, King Beornwulf was reigning over Mercia. Beornwulf was the beginning of the creatively named B-Dynasty, due to the fact that Anglo Saxons seemed to denote their dynasties by selecting the same first letters for their kids. So Beornwulf had two kids named Berhfrith and Behrtric, a brother named Bynna, and it’s […]

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167 – The Beginning of the End

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 02:01:32 +0000

Season Four is called Anglo Saxon Ascendancy because we have been seeing mighty kings like Offa, AEthelbald, and Coenwulf acquire vast amounts of power in Britain that enable them to nearly become the first kings of England. Their hegemonies were so big and impressive that we have one Mercian leader getting into arguments with Charlemagne […]

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166 – Wulfred: The Rogue Archbishop

Sun, 14 Jun 2015 00:10:31 +0000

We start today with a death. On the 28th of January, 814, Charlemagne died and the throne passed to Louis the Pious. The death of Charlemagne was a big deal for early medieval europe, not just because it meant that we wouldn’t have anymore passive aggressive comments about the quality of British wool, or weird […]

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165 – Did Archbishop Wulfred Just Kill a Guy?

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 23:43:13 +0000

Last week we talked about the impact that the Church was having on internal politics within the Anglo Saxon kingdoms, and that is something we will continue to talk about today. However, before we begin, let’s talk about something strange that’s happening on the continent. Support the Show

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164 – Shadow Governments in Britain

Fri, 22 May 2015 03:23:02 +0000

When we last left off, King Egbert was ruling over Wessex, King Cuthred (Coenwulf’s brother) was ruling over Kent… and Emperor Coenwulf held Mercia. I call him Emperor, by the way, because that’s what he called himself. And also because he does seem like he was a king of kings. His brother answered to him, […]

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163 – The South of Britain Grows Restless

Sat, 16 May 2015 22:40:25 +0000

There’s a shift that’s happening in Anglo Saxon politics that’s occurring… we’ve had powerful queens in the Anglo Saxon kingdoms (especially in Mercia, where Queens were more powerful than most). But something is happening in Wessex that will impact around the next several hundred years. West Saxon Queens were getting demoted. Women on the throne, […]

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162 – Emperor Coenwulf, Emperor Charlemagne, and The World

Thu, 07 May 2015 22:06:23 +0000

So today, lets briefly talk about the world context since we’ve largely just focused on our main character. No not Coenwulf, or Offa… the main character is and has been Britain… but sometimes it feels like it’s an island adrift and alone, when in actual fact there’s a whole world out there that’s been going […]

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Q&A: How to Start a Podcast

Fri, 01 May 2015 23:11:32 +0000

I’ve gotten this question a lot over the years and after quite a lot of thought, I’ve come up with a few basic pieces of advice. I talked it over with some fellow podcasters and they gave it the thumbs up, so hopefully it will help you out if you’re looking to launch your own […]

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161 – King Ceonwulf’s Rise in Power

Thu, 30 Apr 2015 22:28:11 +0000

While Offa was an effective leader in Mercia during his life, his dynastic purge was a disaster. Looking at what followed, it appears that he heavily targeted extended members of his own family. Now this placed his immediate family in a very good position to pursue power… and we did see a seamless transfer of […]

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160 – An Offa Inheritance

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 22:05:34 +0000

King Offa of Mercia has died after a surprisingly long and productive reign. The degree of power he had gathered for himself was truly something to behold. While his reach didn’t stretch into Mercia’s ancient enemies beyond the Humber, Northumbria, he had a stunning degree of influence over the English Kingdoms in the south. Throughout […]

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159 – An Offa End

Thu, 09 Apr 2015 00:08:39 +0000

Lets start with Christmas Day 795. That’s the day Pope Hadrian died… so uh… Merry Christmas? Hadrian was actually a pretty decent Pope… not Pope Francis level of awesome, though really who is? But he was still pretty good, and upon hearing of his death, Charlemagne commissioned Alcuin to write a poem that was carved […]

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158 – Offa With His Head

Tue, 31 Mar 2015 21:38:53 +0000

Last week was dark, wasn’t it? Not only that, but it only covered the first half of 793. The end of the 8th century was an eventful period so lets pick up right where we left off and talk about what else was happening in the other half of 793… and specifically with King Offa […]

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157 – Lindisfarne

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 20:27:41 +0000

Northumbria was no stranger to problems… blood feuds, regicide, and kinslaying… they really have it all up there. But as 793 began, it was clear that things were taking an even darker turn. As the new year dawned, a massive whirlwind slammed into the northeastern coast. The sky was ignited with flashes of lightning and […]

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156 – An Offa Marriage

Fri, 06 Mar 2015 00:13:09 +0000

When we left off things were looking pretty good for Mercia. Wessex was now acting as a subkingdom, with their King (Beohtric) married to Offa’s daughter… Kent was thoroughly dominated, East Anglia appears to have been brought fully under Offa’s control. Really, Offa’s only neighbors that he didn’t have command over, appear to have been […]

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155 – Its Always Sunny in Mercia: The Gang Throws a Party

Thu, 26 Feb 2015 00:30:11 +0000

Back to our story, when we last left off, King Offa of Mercia was doing pretty well. He had just received Papal support for his plans of succession and he was demonstrating that he was a mover and shaker not just among the English kingdoms, but on the world’s stage. On his southern border, King […]

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154 – Having it Offa

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 00:58:15 +0000

Today we’re covering more about King Offa, and the reason is that he’s a really big deal. He reigned for about as long as King Henry VIII, he constructed one of the wonders of the world, he was the starting point for the continuous use of currency in England, Alfred the Great ranked Offa’s laws […]

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153 – An Offa You Can’t Refuse

Thu, 12 Feb 2015 02:45:24 +0000

As you might have guessed, today we’re talking mostly about Offa. But before we get into some of the cool things that were going on under Offa’s reign… lets start with something shady. Support the Show

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152 – Limited Time Offa

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:21:21 +0000

Today we begin in Northumbria. King AEthelred of Northumbria, son of AEthelwold Moll, was sitting the throne, having taken it from a man who claimed to be from the Line of Ida. And initially it seems that many people were quite happy with AEthelred, and we’re told that he was put in power with a […]

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151 – Offa and Acceptance

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 22:22:08 +0000

Alright, where did we leave off. We had a new Archbishop of Canterbury, King Offa of Mercia was on the rise, Kent was in decline, and the minor kingdoms were being brought to heel by… yep, Offa of Mercia. Support the Show

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150 – King Offa: The Turnover

Mon, 19 Jan 2015 23:53:05 +0000

Today’s episode is going to go all over the kingdoms of the Heptarchy. We have the Kings of Kent, Wessex, East Anglia, Northumbria, and of course, Mercia all involved. It’s a busy one. But Offa will continue to be our main character. Support the Show

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149 – King Offa Ascends the Throne

Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:40:00 +0000

Today we’re starting a series on one of the most influential Mercian kings in history. King Offa. But before we start this story, I need to fess up to a couple things. Support the Show

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148 – The Fall of King AEthelbald

Fri, 02 Jan 2015 21:27:03 +0000

Alright, as you already know, King AEthelbald of Mercia had a bit of a rough start… what with being exiled and living in a swamp. But once he was able to take the throne, he hit the ground running and it wasn’t long before he was the supreme power in the South with even Bede […]

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147 – The Twelve Days of Christmas

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 20:09:06 +0000

This year for our Christmas special, I thought I would give you an idea of what Christmas was like for some of the people in Middle Ages Britain. Now, Christmas in the middle ages was quite different from our modern experience in many ways. And like with everything else, it would have varied from location […]

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146 – King AEthelbald: A Whirlpool of Perdition

Mon, 15 Dec 2014 07:09:00 +0000

The first half of this episode is a combination of letting you know what is happening in the Heptarchy (basically, chaos unless you’re in Mercia) and it’s also setting the stage for the second half, which… I’m not going to lie to you… is going to get a little weird. But stick with me. Support […]

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145 – The Rise of King AEthelbald of Mercia

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 22:48:32 +0000

Ok, so we ended our last episode with the death of King Ceolred at a banquet. And he went out swinging… or at least gibbering and cursing the heavens. Let’s face it, Ceolred was a colorful character and really brought his A game right until the end. I mean, you really have to work hard […]

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144 – King Ceolred: A Lunatic Running the Asylum

Mon, 01 Dec 2014 20:56:25 +0000

Ok, so recently we’ve chatted about some cultural matters and I’ve also given you a broad overview of the failed dynastic politics of Northumbria and where this is all headed. But we really didn’t cover too much of what was going on elsewhere. We hinted at it, but I’m sure you’re curious about the other […]

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143 – Man Up: Gender in the Middle Ages

Wed, 19 Nov 2014 01:41:29 +0000

Often times, the way the Middle Ages are presented, are as an era where everyone was lily white and a time when men were men and women were women. A time of hyper masculinity where all the guys were muscle bound warriors with big bushy beards and a bone structure that makes them look like […]

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142 – The Failed Dynastic Politics of Mercia and Northumbria

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 02:39:55 +0000

Now today is going to be a little complex. But if you keep the theme in mind, you should be largely ok… and that theme is the bloody dynastic politics in the midlands and the north are getting completely out of hand. And Wilfrid is Wilfrid. Support the Show

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141 – King Aldfrith and St. Wilfrid

Wed, 29 Oct 2014 04:38:49 +0000

Ok, when we left off, Bishop Wilfrid was jilted out of the Archbishopric of Canterbury, and instead Abbot Beorhtwald became Archbishop Beorhtwald. So Wilfrid readjusted and made an attempt to reunify the Bishopric of York and then head it up. But King Aldfrith didn’t agree and, presumably because the Wilfrid wouldn’t let it drop, he […]

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140 – Wilfrid: How to Win Friends and Influence People

Tue, 21 Oct 2014 23:56:31 +0000

Today’s episode will take place in the turbulent years from 686 to 692 and the main characters will be… Aldfrith – King of Mercia, son of Oswiu, brother of Ecgfrith, and scholarly dude. Wilfrid – Former Bishop of York, friend of the terrifying pagan king Caedwalla, and man you really don’t want to cross. and […]

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139 – The Rise of Aldfrith and Caedwalla

Tue, 14 Oct 2014 23:10:02 +0000

This episode will roughly cover the eventful years between 685 and 689. The main characters today will be two kings, two wannabe kings, and a bishop… here we go: First we have King Aldfrith of Northumbria – He was the brother of the slain King Ecgfrith and also the son of King Oswiu, and he […]

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138 – Religious Lives in Britain

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 19:56:54 +0000

Alright, so last week we talked about how uneven and confused the conversion of Britain was. And how the beliefs of one village might not bare all that much similarity to the beliefs of another village even though they both might profess to worship the same god. Support the Show

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137 – Preaching in the Dark Ages

Mon, 29 Sep 2014 23:03:29 +0000

Today we’re going to cover the crazy environment that early Christian converts found themselves in during the Dark Ages, and some of the bizarre notions they might have gotten regarding their religion thanks to poor access, education, and stubborn attachment to old pagan traditions. Also: we learn why mothers don’t stuff their feverish daughters into […]

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136 – The Power of Mercia

Tue, 16 Sep 2014 00:15:10 +0000

This episode will cover the years 678 to 685 and its major characters will be… King Ecgfrith of Northumbria, the man who brought down Wulfhere, was wielding supreme power in Northumbria and was arguably exercising quite a bit of power south of the Humber as well. King AEthelred of Mercia, son of Penda and brother […]

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135 – A Reshuffling of Power

Wed, 10 Sep 2014 02:33:07 +0000

Today we’re going to cover the eventful years of 675 to 678, and our main characters will be… King Wulfhere of Mercia, Son of Penda and tough guy with a bloodied lip. King Ecgfrith of Northumbria, Son of Oswiu and guy who bloodied Wulfhere’s lip. And Bishop Wilfrid… the Northumbrian Bishop who was a key […]

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134 – The Power of Northumbria

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 19:38:35 +0000

This episode covers the years 670 to 685. The main characters are: King Ecgfrith of Northumbria – son of Oswiu, former hostage of the Mercians, and generally tough dude. King Wulfhere of Mercia – son of Penda, veteran warrior, and leader of a growing southern Hegemony. Queen AEthelthryth of Northumbria – Queen of Ecgfrith’s, unhappy […]

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133 – Scotcast: Part Ten

Tue, 26 Aug 2014 02:59:24 +0000

To start with, we have nine praise poems that tell us of a mighty king of Rheged named Urien, who reigned in the 580’s and 590’s. Urien was no slouch and from the records, it appears that his kingdom stretched all the way to the Solway and he was also given the title of “Defender […]

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132 – Scotcast Part Nine: St. Columba and King Brude

Wed, 06 Aug 2014 01:05:15 +0000

This episode will cover the years 506 to 584 and will focus primarily upon: King Brude (also known as King Bridie), the King the the Northern Picts … also referred to as King of Fortriu and St. Columba, the man credited with converting the Northern Picts… and lesser known monster expert. Support the Show

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131 – Scotcast Part Eight

Tue, 29 Jul 2014 03:40:08 +0000

So we will begin the account of what was going on with the Picts following the withdrawal of Rome with a rather discouraging fact… isn’t it nice when I can start an episode on an up note? In the Group A version of the Pictish Chronicle there are only 3 Pictish Kings before Kenneth MacAlpin […]

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130 – Scotcast Part Seven – Who Were The Picts?

Thu, 17 Jul 2014 22:17:13 +0000

The last time we had episodes focusing upon the Scotcast, it was at the end of Season Two… at the end of roman Britannia, and quite a lot of things have changed for our friends in the north. So, as is our custom, now that we’re changing gears and focusing on a new era in […]

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Chapter Four: Anglo Saxon Ascendancy

Mon, 07 Jul 2014 22:34:56 +0000

It began with Cassivellaunus. The first recorded King to have commanded the submission of most, if not all, of the British tribes and who fought valiantly against Caesar and his legions. And although the hegemony under Cassivellaunus didn’t last, it presented a tantalizing new possibility. Unity. A century later, the Romans returned… and this time […]

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129 – The Life of King Wulfhere

Fri, 04 Jul 2014 02:01:40 +0000

About a year and a half ago I did a series on the Staffordshire hoard. And talking with the experts and viewing the relics was easily one of my favorite moments from the entire experience of putting together the BHP. As you might remember, the hoard was found in Mercia and it is dated to […]

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128 – The End of King Oswiu’s Hegemony

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 08:49:57 +0000

The episode covers 664 to 670 and the major characters are… King Oswiu, ruler of Northumbria, son of AEthelfrith, and all around terrifying fellow King Alhfrith of Deira, Oswiu’s son and one of his probable rivals Wilfrid, abbott of Ripon, guy who argued for Rome at Whitby, and all around ambitious guy. and King Wulfhere, […]

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127 – The Synod of Whitby

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 19:59:29 +0000

The major players for today will be Hild (who was the daughter of King Edwin’s nephew, Hereric), King Oswiu of Bernicia, Bishop Colman of Lindisfarne, Wilfred the abbot of Ripon, and Bishop Cedd. And they will be, ostensibly, arguing over Easter. See? Once again, we’ve got Easter causing trouble in Britain. Cadburys chocolate can’t come […]

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126 – The End of an Era: The Triumph of Christianity in Britain

Tue, 27 May 2014 21:22:19 +0000

Today we’re going to tackle the history from 660 right up to the lead up to the Synod of Whitby… and we’re going to have a lot of moving parts, but the theme that is developing here is one of the last gasps of Paganism in Britain and the rise of two rival imperiums: one […]

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125 – King Oswiu: A Gathering Storm

Thu, 15 May 2014 20:07:08 +0000

So in late 655, following his victory at the Winwaed, King Oswiu occupied and ruled Northern Mercia and thus now ruled over an additional 7,000 households, according to Bede. Consider how much power that was conferring upon the King. We’re talking about 7,000 hides of land. Think of how many Ceorls and Thegns now answered […]

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124 – Social Mobility: Getting a Raise in Anglo Saxon Kingdoms

Fri, 09 May 2014 16:02:04 +0000

Today we’re going to wrap up this talk that we’ve been having on the development of social classes in Anglo Saxon britain. Hopefully, once we’re done, much like our talks on other matters like food, clothing, and warfare… you’ll have a fuller understanding of who these people were, what their lives were like, and where […]

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123 – Retail Therapy: The Rise of Anglo Saxon Towns

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 23:54:29 +0000

Alright, lets get to history. Specifically, lets talk about towns. And to start with, lets establish a couple terms I’m going to be using a lot. When I talk about towns and cities, what I’m largely talking about are larger communities that have a permanent population of traders and craftsmen and whose economy is focused […]

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122 – The Concentration of Power and Wealth

Mon, 21 Apr 2014 06:33:17 +0000

I’ll be talking in broad strokes today, but I want to give you a forest view of what we’ve been talking about over the last couple seasons. Support the Show

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121 – King Oswiu: The Aftermath of the Winwaed

Wed, 09 Apr 2014 22:26:15 +0000

The Battle of the Winwaed is over and Penda is dead along with 30 noble warleaders who had joined him in battle… with them was King Anna’s brother, King AEthelhere of East Anglia… and as for King AEthelwald of Deira… well, I’m not sure what happened to him. But he isn’t in the histories any […]

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120 – Penda and Oswiu: The Winwaed

Tue, 01 Apr 2014 19:51:03 +0000

So when we last left off, things were going crazy in the North and in the Midlands. But the very last thing I mentioned was that Honorius, the Archbishop of Canterbury, had died. Well, his seat remained vacant for about six months until March 26, 654 (or maybe 655) when a new Archbishop was ordained. […]

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119 – King Penda: No Posers

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 23:10:27 +0000

So where were we? Oswiu had arranged for the murder of his cousin, which is awkward in itself… but the slain King Oswine was also related to Eanflaed, Oswiu’s wife. So… even if Oswiu wasn’t fussed about kinslaying, chances are that dinner still had suddenly become a lot more awkward following that rather underhanded victory. […]

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118 – Oswiu and Oswine: There’s No Anglo Saxon Word for Take Backsies

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 15:59:52 +0000

When we left off Cenwalh of Wessex had left his wife, irritated Penda (since his wife was Penda’s sister), and gained a fancy new wife but lost his kingdom when Penda arrived to have a little chat with him. So he did what many nobles of the time seemed to do… he fled into exile. […]

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117 – Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Mon, 10 Mar 2014 07:17:12 +0000

Oswald was the King of Northumbria and son of AEthelfrith who was killed by Penda at Maserfield. Oswiu was his brother Osric of Deira was the King of Deira, and nephew of Edwin, who was killed by Cadwallon. and Oswine was the son of Osric… So to recap… Oswald and Oswiu are brothers and Bernician. […]

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116 – Wait, Where Are We? Part two of the history of Britain so far.

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 23:21:09 +0000

It’s been about 2 years and 100 episodes since I did a recap episode to remind you where we were, what the flow of history was, and give you a forest view of the whole thing. Seriously, 100 episodes! And since then, we have gotten to know the Anglo Saxons and their culture really well. […]

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115 – Maserfield: Blood Makes The Grass Grow

Wed, 19 Feb 2014 23:04:40 +0000

Edwin, Osric, Eanfrith, Eadfrith, Cadwallon, Sigeberht, Ecgric… Following Hatfield Chase, we have seen a blood letting of the aristocracy of Anglo Saxon Britain of epic proportions. And we are only hearing about the very highest echelons… but how many Thegns, AEthlings, and minor nobles have also lost their lives in these power struggles? If the […]

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114 – Oswald and Sigeberht: The Softer Side of Rule

Thu, 13 Feb 2014 08:06:22 +0000

This is going to be one of those episodes that has a lot of moving parts and you might want to listen to it twice. Just a heads up. Alright, so things have gotten pretty exciting. We’ve had the downfall of Cadwallon of Gwynedd and the rise of Oswald of Northumbria and the return of […]

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113 – Religious Ambitions: The Rise of Oswald (and Others)

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 04:41:23 +0000

When we last left off, Oswald son of AEthelfrith and Acha, defeated and killed Cadwallon of Gwynedd at the battle of Heavenfield. The defeat was a serious blow for the Northern Welsh kingdom. In fact, in the praise poem written about Cadwallon, we see the first use of the term which would become the modern […]

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112 – The Battle of Heavenfield

Wed, 29 Jan 2014 21:05:48 +0000

The year was 633 or 634, and the tide was turning against Northumbria for the first time in as long as anyone could probably remember. AEthelfrith’s victory at the Battle of Chester was not just a problem for the Welsh, it was also a problem for Mercia because it further established Northumbria domination. And while […]

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111 – Edwin: What Goes Around Comes Around

Thu, 23 Jan 2014 06:52:49 +0000

That’s something I’ve heard my entire life. When I was younger and picked on at school my father would sometimes say “Don’t worry, Jamie, what goes around comes around.” The problem with that bit of advice is that it requires a sense of fairness in the world that isn’t always there… not to mention a […]

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110 – Mercia: A New Contender Enters the Ring

Tue, 14 Jan 2014 21:37:50 +0000

Ok, last episode, we jumped forward a little to take the story of East Anglia to the point where Sigebehrt took the throne… but lets go back about 3 years… to 628 (ish)… and look at what is going on in Mercia. Mercia, the Midland kingdom, has been a bit of a backwater in our […]

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109 – Edwin’s Ambitions

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 00:30:15 +0000

When we last left Edwin, Bishop Paulinus finally had his prize. He convinced the great King of Northumbria… the Bretwalda!… Edwin… to abandon his gods and convert to Christianity. It had been a long hard road for the Bishop. Failed assassinations, war, marriage, magical visions, and some pretty astoundingly rude arguments regarding the weather had […]

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108 – The Christmas Special

Mon, 23 Dec 2013 21:21:24 +0000

Ever since I was a kid in Catholic school, I’ve been somewhat fascinated by the date of Christmas. I often wondered where it came from, given that it doesn’t appear anywhere in the Bible, and (as the feast is celebrating the birth of Jesus) it seemed rather odd to set the date so close to […]

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107 – Edwin’s Conversion

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 09:08:44 +0000

Ok, so when we left off, Bishop Paulinus thought he was about to get Edwin to convert… but then Edwin pulled a bait and switch, and said that god hadn’t jumped through enough hoops yet. And that he wanted to speak with his council and then deliberate privately before making a decision. Support the Show

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106 – If You Give Edwin an Inch…

Fri, 06 Dec 2013 23:11:02 +0000

Alright, so when we last left Edwin he was installed as King of Northumbria by King Raedwald, Bretwalda. And he had wielded his newly granted power to exact revenge upon King Ceretic of Elmet, probably in response to the British King poisoning Edwin’s Nephew. But for as powerful as Edwin was in the north, Raedwald […]

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105 – Sutton Hoo: Treasures of the Dead

Mon, 25 Nov 2013 20:05:07 +0000

Alright, so last episode we learned all about Edith and Basil’s experience at Sutton Hoo, and we covered the opening of four of the 18 mounds… and the excavation of the Burial Chamber of Mound 1. But we haven’t discussed what was actually found and what it means. So guess what we’re going to be […]

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104 – Sutton Hoo: The Finding of Raedwald… and Rabbits

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 21:49:30 +0000

Raedwald… King of East Anglia… Bretwalda. When he is mentioned, if you had heard that name before this show, chances are you heard it in connection with Sutton Hoo, which is possibly his burial site. And Sutton Hoo is one of the most famous archaeological digs in Britain. Just the name conjures images of the […]

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103 – Edwin the Conqueror

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 07:35:42 +0000

Alright, last week we finally saw the fall of AEthelfrith and the rise of Edwin of Deira and King Raedwald of East Anglia… Bretwalda! As you probably gathered, that was not the last would will hear of Edwin. Support the Show

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102 – Have Exile, Will Travel

Mon, 28 Oct 2013 23:46:06 +0000

Ok, when we left off, Edwin… the exile from Deira, had been on the run for quite some time. The King of Bernicia, AEthelfrith, now occupied the throne held by his father, and his father’s father, and so on and so forth. His sister, Acha, had given birth to a child with the man who […]

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101 – I Ran (So Far Away): The Life and Times of Edwin of Deira

Mon, 21 Oct 2013 20:29:33 +0000

Today we’re going to talk quite a bit about Northumbria. And actually, Northumbria is going to start to get really important in our story going forward. Now much of what we know of Northumbria during this period is due to the efforts of Bede, and other Northumbrians who maintained his tradition of keeping annals. And […]

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100 – There’s a New Barber In Town

Tue, 08 Oct 2013 02:53:10 +0000

So you might not know this about me… but I used to have long hair. Really long hair. That flowed down my back in ringlets and, if I left conditioner in it, sausage curls. Basically, I had captain hook hair. And of course, I had all manner of people taking an interest in my hair […]

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99 – False Starts

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 02:15:01 +0000

This episode is going to have a lot of moving pieces and a lot of AEthel’s. So many AEthels. I’ll do my best to keep reminding you who I’m talking about and what they rule over and why they’re important, but this might be an episode you’ll want to relisten to. A lot of important […]

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98 – The Zeal of Augustine

Wed, 25 Sep 2013 03:08:20 +0000

Ok, when we last left off, Augustine had become the Archbishop of England, had been given orders to make London the seat of the English Church, and had some Papal answers to some rather odd questions. Support the Show

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97 – Augustine and Gregory Make a Diocese

Tue, 17 Sep 2013 18:19:47 +0000

So last week we ended with Augustine converting the people of Kent to Christianity and AEthelberht coming out as Christian… was he converted by Augustine or had he already been converted? We just don’t know. Support the Show

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96 – The Conversion of King AEthelberht

Mon, 09 Sep 2013 22:37:16 +0000

In the last several episodes we’ve been speaking about religion. We’ve spoken about the paganism that existed on the island, the christians that lived on the island, the reasons why individuals and rulers might want to convert, and of course we’ve spoken about what the church in Rome was up to and what their plans […]

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95 – Two Old Men and a Slave Boy

Mon, 05 Aug 2013 07:01:01 +0000

Ok, so lets leave Britain for this episode and head to Rome. I hear it’s nice this time of year. Actually, I hear it’s really hot this time of year. But it seems like everywhere is right now… so Rome it is! Support the Show

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94 – Dark Age Beliefs

Mon, 29 Jul 2013 07:01:30 +0000

As we go forward in this series, what I hope you’re beginning to get a sense of from both the WelshCast and all the other shows focusing on the so called Dark Ages, is how fragmented life in Britain was at this point in history.

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93 – Chapter Three: The Warriors of God

Mon, 22 Jul 2013 07:01:45 +0000

It has been nearly two hundred years since Rome withdrew from Britannia setting this small island at the edge of the world on a course that could not have been predicted. Over the generations, a new culture has developed in the lands that will one day become England, and with that new culture came new […]

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92 – WelshCast Part Five: More People that Gildas Hated

Mon, 15 Jul 2013 07:01:18 +0000

Alright, so we have two more kings of Wales before we leave Gildas and his spittle flecked rantings. And something that you might notice as we go forward is that we don’t haven’t been provided a Tyrant of Powys nor are any of the Eastern Kingdoms listed. Sure, we don’t know where Aurelias Conanus ruled, […]

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91 – WelshCast Part Four: Three Kings of Wales Who Really Annoyed Gildas

Tue, 09 Jul 2013 22:41:02 +0000

Today, we’re going to talk about some of the people who were really pissing Gildas off. People that drove him so batty that he just couldn’t contain his rage. And since Gildas was Welsh, he was predictably focusing his ire upon the Welsh kings. Though, like I mentioned earlier, the term “Wales” isn’t something that […]

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90 – WelshCast Part Three: The Silent Treatment

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 19:10:32 +0000

As you probably remember from the main podcast, before we had the appearance of major Anglo Saxon kingdoms, there was an initial migration and invasion in the sub-Roman period, with famous Germanic leaders like Hengest, Horsa, and Aelle appearing in Kent and Sussex. But there was also a staunch British resistance to these incursions lead, […]

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89 – WelshCast Part Two: All The Comforts of Rome (well… some of them)

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 04:53:51 +0000

We’re now at the point where Rome has withdrawn from Britannia (and more important to our story, from Wales), and today we’re going to talk about the impact that had upon the people. Support the Show

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88 – WelshCast Part One: From the Stone Ages to the Withdrawal of Rome

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:22:34 +0000

Ever since I did the Scotcast I’ve been receiving messages on facebook, on twitter, on the forums, and I’ve even been getting personal emails asking for more about Wales. And my response has always been the same, I’ll do it but not yet. Support the Show

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87 – Concubinage and Apartheid in Anglo Saxon England

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:55:02 +0000

Ok, so last episode we ended at 597. For those of you who are really into Anglo Saxon history, you might recognize that date as the date that Christianity gets reintroduced to Anglo Saxon Britain. It’s a big deal. A huge deal, in fact. It will bring war, it will bring chaos, and it will […]

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86 – The Fall of Ceawlin… and others

Thu, 30 May 2013 18:46:19 +0000

Ok, from the title you might have gathered that we’re going to be talking about Ceawlin today. Now from all this discussion of various anglo saxon leaders, you might have noticed that while I’ve been saying Cynric, Cerdic, and Ceawlin… with C being a CH sound… we also have this Cutha fellow in Wessex, and […]

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85 – Ceawlin and the Sons of Ida

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:31:20 +0000

So it’s 568. And things in what will someday become England are still chaotic. Remember what was going on up north in Bernicia? Where Ida, who was probably part of some sort of Anglian group, had taken control of Bamburgh, then he died, and then his sons started taking over for him? Well, that’s still […]

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84 – The Q&A Episode!

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:34:35 +0000

We made it to 100! How awesome is that? (Well, it was the 100th episode before I combined a bunch of episodes… and now it’s the 84th episode). Support the Show

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83 – Dark Age Warfare Combo Episode

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:37:32 +0000

Ok, so last time we talked about how Aethelberht of Kent invaded the kingdom of Wessex and was pushed out by Ceawlin and his army. We don’t have a lot of facts regarding that conflict, we aren’t even told why they were fighting, but we know that they were both destined to become Bretwaldas and […]

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82 – War. What Is It Good For?

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:39:33 +0000

So the year is 586, and Ceawlin is the leader of the men of Wessex. Wessex has been expanding their holdings to the north and the west, and have been growing in power. Conversely, in the East are the men of Kent under the leadership of AEthelbehrt, who (we are told) has been ruling since […]

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81 – In Search of Unity: A Tale of Selective Memory

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 23:46:47 +0000

Ok, we have a battle coming up but things are still changing rather rapidly and there’s some interesting stuff to cover regarding that, such as language, religion, culture, warfare, and that question that’s probably nagging you at the back of your head… if we have wealthy powerful kings in England, why don’t we have anything […]

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80 – Bloodletting

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:25:19 +0000

Ok, when we left off, Ida had become king of Bernicia and we had the beginnings of regional cultural groups. These groups were the result of a whole host of influences including everything from geographical features, to political decisions, to things as simple as wealth and a sense of cool. But the point is that […]

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79 – Saint Patrick’s Day Special

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 07:01:11 +0000

We begin our story in Bannaventa Berniae, a small town somewhere in the West of Britain, probably along the coast. This was probably a small typical Roman style settlement laid out on a grid with small Roman houses and a villa, or villas, for prominent families in the area. Though it’s doubtful it would have […]

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78 – It’s Only Natural

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:05:50 +0000

I’m going to wrap up the discussion of the development of regional cultures with a talk on an omnipresent (yet often ignored) influence on all of human development. This subject is often ignored in most disciplines, and it is definitely undervalued (unfairly) in many treatises on history. I speak, of course, of Nature. Support the […]

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77 – Cliques: How the In Crowd Created Our Culture

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:22:18 +0000

Ok, when we last left off, we were talking about a new class of elites in sub-roman britain. A group of individuals we identify as anglo saxons and kings, and we also mentioned the class of nobles that was growing up around them. We also talked about how that change, the increase in social stratification, […]

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76 – Developing Class

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 03:40:22 +0000

Today we start with a death. Wihtgar, brother of beloved Stuff, warrior, conqueror of Cerdic’s-Ore, and ruler of the Isle of Wight died in 544. Or did he? Support the Show

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75 – Cerdic and Cynric: A Story of… well… Probably Farmers

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:56:07 +0000

Alright, so when we left off, Cerdic and his son had recently arrived on the island and the Battle of Mons Badonicus had just taken place. So that’s exciting. And Gildas says that it was followed by peace, and procopius tells us that Germans were fleeing from Britannia as late as about 30 years later. […]

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74 – When Neighbors Attack: A Story of “Kings”

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 02:13:40 +0000

Right, so here we are right in the middle of all the drama and bloodshed that has been called the Anglo Saxon invasion. We have famous names such as Hengest and Aelle showing up. Support the Show

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73 – And This Gives You Power Over Me?

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:41:18 +0000

Ok, it’s been a while since we’ve spoken about the story. Instead, we’ve been chatting about the culture and the people, we’ve been speaking about digs and hoards, we’ve been discussed booze and horse dung. But we haven’t spoken too much about the politics of the time. Support the Show

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72 – Staffordshire Hoard: Wrapping Up with Kevin Leahy

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:55:18 +0000

Today we’re wrapping up the Staffordshire Hoard project. We have been given an amazing amount of depth and detail thanks to the wonderful experts who took the time to talk with us. And today, we’re going to hear from Dr. Kevin Leahy. You might have read his scholarly articles or his books, some of which […]

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71 – Staffordshire Hoard: Psychopathic Peacocks with David Symons

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:25:30 +0000

Today we’re going to learn more about the context and the craftsmanship of the Hoard. I think this will help shed some light on what makes this find so special, and also help you understand the sort of research that’s going into it and the number of mysteries it is revealing! The Staffordshire Hoard: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk […]

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70 – Staffordshire Hoard: Interpretation with Cathy Shingler

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 03:15:31 +0000

Today we have more from Cathy Shingler! Now that we’ve heard about the discovery of the Hoard and how it has been excavated and preserved, we’re going to talk a bit about how it is being interpreted. And Cathy has quite a lot of fascinating theories to share with us regarding the objects that have […]

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69 – Staffordshire Hoard: Conservation with Deborah Cane

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 01:35:08 +0000

Today we’re chatting with Deborah Cane about how the Hoard is being preserved for future generations. Some of this stuff is cutting edge work. I hope you’re as fascinated by it as I was. The Staffordshire Hoard: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk The Potteries Museum: www.stokemuseums.org.uk/pmag The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery: www.bmag.org.uk Support the Show

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68 – Staffordshire Hoard: A Bonus Update on the New Find

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 02:45:26 +0000

Deb Klemperer took the time to chat with us via telephone today regarding the treasury inquest that focused on the 81 new objects that were found and added to the hoard including a new cross and what looks like a “cheek piece” that matches the one originally found! Also, for my money, the most exciting […]

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67 – Staffordshire Hoard: Deb Klemperer on the Dig

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:52:02 +0000

I love the way Deb Klemperer tells stories, so today we’re going to hear more from Deb on the Hoard. As you might recall from the last episode, she is the head curator at The Potteries Museum at Stoke-on-Trent. She has quite a lot to share with us on what was going on, and some […]

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66 – Staffordshire Hoard: Receiving the Hoard

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 02:32:46 +0000

Today’s episode features Deb Klemperer, the head curator at The Potteries Museum at Stoke-on-Trent. We will be discussing the museum side of the Hoard, theories on the objects, and what it was like to be at the center of one of the biggest events in Anglo Saxon archaeology! The Staffordshire Hoard: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk The Potteries Museum: […]

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65 – Staffordshire Hoard: The Dig

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 02:28:04 +0000

Today’s episode features Stephen Dean, the principle archaeologist of the Staffordshire County Council. We will be discussing all things related to the first dig. And then, once the inquest is over in the new year, he will return and fill us in on the findings from the newest covert Staffordshire dig! The Staffordshire Hoard: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk […]

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64 – Merry Christmas (plus listener email)

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 18:01:04 +0000

I just wanted to record a short episode today to thank all of you (and also respond to some listener email). Thank you very much, everyone! And Merry Christmas! Support the Show

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63 – King Arthur Part One

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:37:58 +0000

We’ve reached 3,000 likes on facebook! So as promised, here’s a bonus member’s only episode. This time, I’m releasing an episode looking into the potential beginnings of the Arthurian myth. I hope you like it! Support the Show

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62 – Staffordshire Hoard: Rise Up O Lord

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 23:15:17 +0000

Today’s episode features Cathy Shingler, of The Potteries Museum in Stoke on Trent. She will be discussing with us the iconic band, possibly from a cross, with Latin inscriptions along both sides of it. We will also speak about the cultural significance of the materials used in many of the objects found in the Hoard, […]

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61 – Staffordshire Hoard: Introduction

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:50:16 +0000

Today we are beginning our project on the Staffordshire Hoard. We will be featuring interviews from major figures within the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, The Potteries Museum in Stoke on Trent, and with the Staffordshire County Council. The Staffordshire Hoard: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk The Potteries Museum: www.stokemuseums.org.uk/pmag The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery: www.bmag.org.uk Support the […]

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60 – The Return of the Kings

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:36:12 +0000

They’re coming… Support the Show

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59 – The Halloween Special

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:00:17 +0000

As you might imagine since I’m doing an episode on it, Halloween has a lot of British influence upon it. In fact, the name itself comes from Scotland, where All Saint’s Eve (also known as All Hallow’s Eve) was shortened in the 16th century to Halloween. And the name stuck. But as you have probably […]

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58 – Dark Age Medicine

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 22:54:49 +0000

This is a combination episode covering medicine in the Dark Ages! Support the Show

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57 – A Tale of Three Cities (sort of)

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 18:16:40 +0000

Ok, we’ve been getting pretty deep into the weeds and have been getting farther and farther from a coherent story. On the one hand, the culture is the story, but on the other hand it’s hard to get attached to a story if you forget who we are talking about and the people involved. So […]

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56 – Telling the Full Story (a Bonus Episode)

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 21:54:06 +0000

So I’m doing a short midweek episode because something’s been irking me. I’ve heard repeatedly from a variety of people that history is a guy thing. And that’s f#*king stupid. I mean, you could say that just on sheer mathematics, 51% of history is a female thing. But that’s not the truth of it. The […]

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55 – Anglo Saxon Construction

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 23:12:32 +0000

OK, So I had requests for an episode on construction. I actually had a surprising number of requests for it, actually. So we’re going to do a single episode on how things were built, and since we’ve been talking about feasts, we’ll talk about… of course… feasting halls. Support the Show

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54 – What Not To Wear: In The Dark Ages

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 23:47:46 +0000

Clothing… we all wear it. Well, most of us do. And in this episode we’re going to learn about what sort of clothing people were wearing in Britain during the Middle ages. Support the Show

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53 – Producing the BHP Full Time, a Proposal

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 03:15:06 +0000

Ok, so right now I’m in a situation where I might need to make some hard choices on where my time goes. The thing is that this has been one of the best experiences of my life, but for financial reasons I might need to go back to law full time. The problem there being […]

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52 – DRUIDS! (Bonus Episode)

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:13:15 +0000

Today we’re going to talk about Druids, who they were, and where our information comes from. Support the Show

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51 – Dark Ages Feasting

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 03:17:07 +0000

This is a combination episode covering everything to do with feasting in Anglo Saxon Britain! Support the Show

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50 – The Denbighshire Hill Forts

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:01:08 +0000

Today we have something pretty exciting. Listener Simon put me in contact with Erin Robinson and Fiona Gale, who are currently working on archaeological sites in Denbighshire north Wales, and they were kind enough to agree to speak to me via Skype. So today we are taking a break from our middle ages cultural discussion, […]

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49 – Dark Age Economics

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 04:20:33 +0000

This is a combination episode covering matters of economies and travel in the Dark Ages. Support the Show

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48 – Dark Age Diets Combo Episode

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:40:24 +0000

This is a combination episode focusing upon the food and drinks that the Anglo Saxons enjoyed. Support the Show

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47 – Was there an Anglo Saxon Invasion of Britain?

Sat, 19 May 2012 05:31:01 +0000

Ok, so last week I left you on a bit of a cliffhanger. We talked about the invasion stories and I alluded to how some people don’t believe that there was an invasion, but I didn’t really go into a serious analysis of the evidence as it relates to it. But worry not, this entire […]

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46 – Hengist and Horsa

Sun, 13 May 2012 19:58:52 +0000

So to start with I’m going to try to compile the various accounts and stories we have of the Anglo Saxon invasion into a single narrative. As you might recall from prior episodes, this means that I’ll be drawing from some rather unreliable sources. But I think that telling the story in a single cohesive […]

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45 – Britain: The Last Outpost

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:20:28 +0000

So today we’re going to do a forest view of what we’ll be talking about over the next few months. And then, after this episode, we’ll be getting down into the trees. I figure this is the best way for you to have a firm grasp of what is going on and what I’m talking […]

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44 – Sources of Confusion

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:37:48 +0000

Ok… the dark ages. This is going to be a hell of a project, so let’s talk about what we know, what we don’t and why. I want you to be able to trust the stories I’m telling you, and so it’s required that I let you know how unreliable damn near every source we […]

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43 – Le Mort d’Arthur (Bonus Episode)

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:50:26 +0000

Today we’re going to have a reading of Le Mort d’Arthur by Thomas Mallory, Book 1 Chapters 1 through 4. You can get a free Kindle copy of Le Mort de Arthur to read along with at Amazon.com. Friend of the show, James Cartwright, was kind enough to do the reading for us. You can […]

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42 – Wait, Where Are We? A summary of the history of Britain so far.

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:49:40 +0000

Today we are going to be recapping the story thus far. (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Welsh History, English History) Support the Show

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41 – Chapter Two: The Birth of Britain

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:45:25 +0000

Next week we will start our second season. So here’s a promo of what to expect! I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am. :) Support the Show

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40 – Scotcast Part Six

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:38:48 +0000

Here we have the sixth and final episode of the Scotcast. This will bring us up to 410, where we are in the main podcast, and we will be able to continue forward into the dark ages! (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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39 – Scotcast Part Five

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:36:50 +0000

We’re getting ever closer to uniting the two shows! Today we’re going to cover several hundred years (and about six months of podcasts) in a single show. (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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38 – Scotcast Part Four

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:37:02 +0000

We’re closing out the BC period. Which means we’ve got iron, Celtic culture, and Brochs. Good times! (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History) Support the Show

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37 – Scotcast Part Three

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:02:43 +0000

Bronze Age Scotland! (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History) Support the Show

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36 – Scotcast Part Two

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:53:32 +0000

We’re still in Pre-history… there’s a lot of it! (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History) Support the Show

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35 – Scotcast Part One

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:32:04 +0000

We’re catching up with what was going on beyond the Wall during all of this drama. And to start with, lets talk about how Scotland got its shape and talk a little about the early inhabitants who lived there. (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History) Support the Show

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34 – Cribs: Britannia Edition

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:42:41 +0000

We’re nearly done with the Romans! (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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33 – Strength and Honor(ius)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:22:57 +0000

This one was a beast, but we’re finally done with the Roman occupation of Britannia! But Rome isn’t going to let us go without a serious amount of chaos and general nuttiness. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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32 – Theodosius and Theocracy

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:20:40 +0000

With special guest Valentinian II. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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31 – Magnus Maximus

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:02:16 +0000

There’s some serious name envy going on in this episode. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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30 – What is Best in Life?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:02:20 +0000

Things in Britannia just keep getting worse! (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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29 – An End to Prosperity

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:10:57 +0000

Our luck could only hold out so long. And now Britannia is getting a taste of what the rest of the Empire had already come to know. Here’s a bust of Constantius II. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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28 – Constantine and Britannia Sitting in a Tree

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 02:20:16 +0000

Oh yeah, we’ve got a real love affair going on here. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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27 – York’s Revenge!

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:40:59 +0000

Constantius, throwing caution to the wind, follows in the footsteps of Severus. The featured image here is a bust of Constantius… And I thought I had a big nose. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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26 – Occupy Britannia!

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:42:03 +0000

I’m back and so is Carausius! Here we go! (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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25 – Listener Questions Special Episode

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:17:27 +0000

Next week we will return to the tale of Carausius and his British Empire, but today is our 25th episode and so I’ll be answering questions submitted by listeners! (I can’t believe it’s already been 25 episodes). Support the Show

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24 – Another British Empire

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:49:46 +0000

This time Carausius is going to try his hand at this empire thing and see if he can do better than Albinus and Postumus. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Lets talk about Diocletian really quick. Diocletian had claimed that he was divinely appointed by […]

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23 – We’re In Between Emperors at the Moment

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:03:55 +0000

Things are changing rather quickly on our little island. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) So the Gallic Empire has been defeated and now Britannia was back within the folds of Rome. That was probably more than a little disheartening for the Romano-British. Once again, […]

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22 – The Dim Ages – Part 2

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:10:16 +0000

(History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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21 – The Dim Ages – Part 1

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:42:26 +0000

Someone turn on the light! (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Alright, we are entering the third century. And as we enter it, we cannot help but have the feeling that a profound change has come to the Roman Empire. We will see run away […]

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20 – Dysfunction and Sibling Rivalry

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 02:06:11 +0000

The family of Severus brings their own particular brand of family bonding to the shores of our island. Busts of Caracalla, kept at the MET in NYC, where he’s showing his winning personality. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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19 – Britannia’s Emperor

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:12:08 +0000

Ok, this one is pretty heavy on Roman intrigue. But it’s necessary to get us to the all the fun stuff in the next one. And besides, while much of what occurs in this episode is on the continent, it is still heavily influenced by the legions in Britannia. So it still counts as British […]

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18 – Abandonment and Reoccupation

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:07:55 +0000

Today we’ve got Antoninus, Marcus Aurelias, Russell Crowe… we’ve got it all! And Members, check your email. You should have a link for how to get your Members-Only episode! A bust of Marcus Aurelias from the MET in NYC. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) […]

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17 – Advancement and Occupation

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:38:23 +0000

Rome is going to start expanding her borders. Why? Because why not? Well, it’s actually a little more complicated than that, and we’re going to get into it in this episode. Consequently, Emperor Antoninus will build his own wall in Britain far beyond Emperor Hadrian’s Wall. These Romans were nothing if not competitive. We will […]

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16 – Bonus Birthday Episode on the Celts!

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:11:00 +0000

So it’s my birthday this weekend, and so I’m not doing one of my gigantic episodes. However, I thought I’d give you all a present (especially since we now have 500 members on the facebook page) and give you a sneak peak at the members-only content I’m putting together. So here’s the first part of […]

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15 – Hadrian’s Wall

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:41:02 +0000

Have you ever wanted to know about Hadrian’s Wall? Have you ever wondered what life was like there, how it was constructed, or even just the basic question of “what exactly is Hadrian’s Wall?” Then this is the podcast for you! (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, […]

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14 – The Mystery of the Ninth Legion

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:02:29 +0000

Ok, I’ll be the first to admit this one is a little confusing. After all, the whole mystery is more than a little confusing. So here is a list of the bits of evidence we’re talking about. The Ninth was nearly destroyed in a night assault by the Caledonians during Agricola’s northern campaign. The last […]

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13 – Agricola

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 05:31:03 +0000

We’re going to talk about the governorship of Agricola, the Scots, the Irish, and I’m going to say “isthmus” an unreasonable number of times! Here’s a map of Agricola’s advance. HOWEVER the dates listed are the later of the two dates I mention in the podcast. Many historians think that these dates should be one […]

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12 – The Road to the North

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:24:13 +0000

70 CE to 78 CE. This episode we’ll be talking about how awful life under Roman Rule was in the first century, the year of the four emperors, and the events that lead up to Agricola. (History of Britain, History of England, History of Wales, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show

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11 – Boudica’s Rebellion, Part Two

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 22:59:59 +0000

60 CE Having burned several cities to the ground, Boudica and her army of enraged Britons are a seemingly unstoppable force. However, Governor Suetonius has returned from the West, and has marshalled his forces. It was a conflict is so famous that even Tacitus wrote of it… and only one general would come out on […]

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10 – Boudica’s Rebellion, Part One

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 23:54:29 +0000

This episode focuses upon the year 60 and the story of the queen of the Iceni. Rome’s chickens are coming home to roost. After nearly 20 years of conflict and domination, things are hitting a fever pitch in the first of two episodes that will cover one of Britain’s most famous warleaders, the woman who […]

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9 – Suetonius, Part-Time Mountain-Climber and Full-Time Jerk.

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:25:44 +0000

This episode covers the years 54 CE to 60 CE and the major characters are… Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes and unhappy wife Venutius, King of the Brigantes and unhappy Husband and Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, governor of Britannia… and probably unhappy as well. There is a new Emperor ruling over Rome. What impact will this […]

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8 – Caractacus, the Home-Wrecker

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:24:54 +0000

This episode will cover the years 42 to 54 CE The main characters will be… Caractacus, leader of the British resistance and exiled king of the Catuvellauni. Aulus Plautius, the general who took Britannia for Emperor Claudius Publius Ostorius Scapula, a Roman governor of Britannia Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigante and Venutius, King of the […]

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7 – The Claudian Invasion of Britannia

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:23:17 +0000

This episode covers the invasion of Britannia in 42 CE by emperor Claudius. The major characters we’ll be talking about today are… Emperor Claudius – Emperor of Rome and man in need of a serious PR campaign. Aulus Plautius – His General, and the man tasked with invading Britannia. Vespasian – Leader of the Second […]

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6 – The Heir of Caligula and the Son of Commius

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 21:22:46 +0000

We are rocking through about 100 years of history… from about 54 BCE to 42 CE, and we will cover the events that eventually lead to the Roman Occupation of Britannia. The major characters of this episode will be…. Octavius Augustus – the First Emperor of Rome Caligula – one of Rome’s more colorful Emperors. […]

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5 – The Island at the Edge of the World – Part 3

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 21:19:50 +0000

A storm rages across the Channel, mirroring the chaos brewing in Britannia. Caesar, Rome’s golden boy, returns with a vengeance, his legions thirsting for conquest. But this time, the Britons are ready. A cunning warrior king unites the tribes, whispering promises of freedom in the face of Roman might. Alliances shift like desert sands, betrayals […]

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4 – The Island at the Edge of the World – Part 2

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 21:17:39 +0000

Caesar’s Britannia invasion was a disaster with a victory party! Storms raged, chariots thundered, and near-annihilation loomed as Caesar battled Britons, only to escape with hostages and a twenty-day Roman rave. Though he achieved barely nothing, his PR machine spun the chaos into epic success, proving that even botched invasions could be a hit in […]

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3 – The Island at the Edge of the World – Part 1

Mon, 30 May 2011 21:17:17 +0000

Forget conquering Gaul! Julius Caesar, fueled by ambition and fear of the mythical Oceanus, sets sail across uncharted waters to tame the wild warriors of Britain. His landing turns chaotic as chariots clash with Roman swords on blood-soaked beaches. But fear gives way to discipline, and the empire’s ironclad legions crush the blue-painted defenders. Peace […]

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2 – Invasion of Giant Deer, Cannibals, and Celts!

Sat, 28 May 2011 20:48:29 +0000

Picture mammoths munching on tundra as Britannia cuddles with Europe, then picture it cast adrift by rising seas. From giant deer to flint-wielding humans, prehistory brims with tales of survival and innovation. Meet Cheddar Man, his skull scraped clean – was it cannibalism or ritual? Imagine Stonehenge rising, silent guardian of secrets, while Britons build […]

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1 – A History of Britain

Sat, 28 May 2011 18:46:00 +0000

My name is Jamie, and this show is a chronological retelling of the story of Britain, from its very earliest days when prehistoric man shared the island with Giant Deer and massive earth grinding glaciers… all the way to the dawn of the Second World War. This show focuses upon the people, the drama, and […]

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