Æthelwulf, father of Alfred the Great, was perhaps the most innovative king Wessex had seen since the reign of Ine. Although he would dedicate much of his reign to securing the throne, through the dual impact of intense Viking raiding and personal hubris his experiment would finally explode in his face casting a permanent shadow on his legacy but also setting the scene for the rise of his mighty son. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&...
Dec 21, 2022•23 min
In 786 King Cynewulf was murdered throwing Wessex into disorder. In the midst of the feuding that followed King Offa of Mercia moved in to secure the West Saxons’ passivity by elevating a puppet to the throne. He did this in the form of his son-in-law Beorhtric. This manoeuvre did not go unchallenged, though, and Beorhtric faced opposition from at least one West Saxon nobleman, Ecgberht, who warred against Beorhtric but wa ultimately driven into exile in Francia for his troubles. Upon Beorhtric’...
Dec 07, 2022•23 min
Following Ine’s abdication in 726, the rest of the eighth century was a time of uncertainty for Wessex. It is a period that is not well served by the primary evidence, and we don’t really get detailed accounts of the kingdom’s history again until the rise of Ecgberht in 802. It is a period in which Wessex was often threatened by the ascendant power of Mercia to the north and by internal instability as new dynasties vied for the throne. I have called it the ‘dark’ eighth century and that is a del...
Nov 23, 2022•20 min
In this episode I interview author and historical reenactor John Fletcher about his book 'The Western Kingdom: The Birth of Cornwall'. It's an accessible and fascinating history of Cornwall in the early middle ages and well worth picking up if you are at all interested in the history of south-western Britain or in Cornwall since it really dives into the political, cultural, and military history of the region. Find John at: https://www.instagram.com/authorjohnfletcher/ Find the book: https://www....
Nov 09, 2022•43 min
Of all the kings of Wessex prior to the reign of King Alfred, Ine is the one with probably the greatest reputation. This rests mostly on the respect afforded to his law code by King Alfred in the preface to his own collection of legal rulings. There Alfred explicitly set himself in a tradition following from Moses and Ine in making laws for his people. This is high praise and surely must attract the interest of readers. Who was this Ine? Why were his laws so notable? And does the reality live up...
Oct 26, 2022•25 min
Upon the abdication of Centwine in 685 the Gewisse were thrown into chaos. From the forests on their eastern frontier came news of an exiled noble massing an army to press his claim to the throne. He had already cut his teeth on the South Saxons by driving out their king and facing a revolt by his nobles, but now he was looking to return home to seize the opportunity of an empty throne. His name was Cædwalla and though he would reign for only three years, they would be some of the most transform...
Oct 12, 2022•16 min
The period between Cynegil’s baptism in 636 and the rise of Cædwalla in 685 is one in which the political history of the Gewisse becomes extremely complicated. This is because the political structure of the Gewisse that had developed by this time was one in which any male heir of Cerdic was entitled to claim the throne. Thus while the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is committed to presenting a unified dynasty linking King Alfred to Cerdic, it cannot totally hide the fact that the political situation amon...
Sep 27, 2022•18 min
Our first secure historical date for the people who became the West Saxons occurred at some point in the 630s when a missionary called Birinus baptised their king, Cynegils, at his royal palace near Dorchester on Thames. According to traditions which circulated among later generations of West Saxons they already had a century of history prior to this date, but this history as it has come down to us is often vague and contradictory. In this episode I will go over that history. Credits – Music: 'W...
Sep 13, 2022•24 min
Following the Battle of Ellendun, Mercia entered an uncertain new phase in its history. No longer the supreme power in England, it was forced to regroup and rebuild amid dynastic strife and encroaching threats from without. It would survive for only a further half century after Beornwulf's death, but rather than being solely a time of decline, that last fifty years saw the emergence of something new which was brutally snuffed out before its time. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening ...
Aug 31, 2022•27 min•Ep. 26
The Mercian Supremacy collapsed within just five years of Coenwulf's death, a dramatic reversal of fortune. Why did this happen and what role did the political instability which gripped Mercia at this time play in the course of events? This episode, follow me as we look at how something as successful as Mercia could come crashing down in such a short span of time. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=H...
Aug 16, 2022•16 min•Ep. 25
In this episode we look at the reign of the last king of the Mercian Supremacy: Coenwulf. We look at how he rebuilt a fractured Mercian dominion in the wake of Offa's death, how he struggled to incorporate the Church into his overlordship, and how a 10th C legend about his son's death was used to explain the whole collapse of the Mercian supremacy that had been a fact of Anglo-Saxon politics for almost 200 years at the time of his death. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://w...
Aug 03, 2022•21 min•Ep. 24
Tamworth in Staffordshire proudly announces it's history as 'capital of the kingdom of Mercia' to all who visit. In this episode we look at the history of the town and how it's origins as a major royal site rest decisively with King Offa, who cemented its place in history as the heart of Mercia. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon: https://www.pat...
Jul 20, 2022•12 min•Ep. 23
Offa of Mercia is one of the great figures of Anglo-Saxon history. Casually known in English textbooks, his true greatness is often only alluded to. He was a great visionary king who aspired to remake the political system of Mercia, to centralise it, and even to found an empire in Britain. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon: https://www.patreon.c...
Jul 06, 2022•29 min•Ep. 22
Athelbald of Mercia was yet another Anglo-Saxon king to return from exile and rejuvenate a stagnating kingdom. More than any king we've discussed so far, he fundamentally altered the way politics in his kingdom worked through daring use of royal power to cement the position of the king of Mercia as a legal warrior diplomat at the head of an economic powerhouse. It ended in betrayal from within, but at its peak he ruled gloriously as the de facto overlord of southern England. Credits – Music: 'Wæ...
Jun 22, 2022•22 min•Ep. 21
After Penda's death in 655, Mercia faced a grim future. Cowed by a dominant Northumbria and ruled by a puppet king there seemed to be little hope for the people of march. But, in the shadows, nobles plotted with Penda's second-born. The puppet was killed and when Oswiu's attention was elsewhere, they raised their banner in rebellion to expel the Northumbrian officials and set Wulfhere on the throne to rule them as a free people. Wulfhere would rebuild his father's supremacy and use the tools ope...
Jun 09, 2022•27 min•Ep. 20
Penda's career is one of the most dramatic in Anglo-Saxon history yet very little is known about him apart from what others tell us about him. In this episode I cut through the uncertainty to give you a glimpse of this man, what he accomplished, and how he not only helped forge a singular Mercian identity but also set the stage for future Mercian supremacy. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D...
May 25, 2022•26 min•Ep. 19
Mercia, the kingdom which grew out of the English Midlands, dominated England south of the Humber from the 620s until its final fall in the late 800s. It was a military and cultural powerhouse for much of that time, yet its origins are mysterious, even more mysterious than those of the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. In this episode, we begin our look at the history of Mercia by considering its origins in the distant past of legend and using archaeological and literary analysis to chart its history ...
May 11, 2022•22 min•Ep. 18
The collapse of Northumbria in the ninth century was a result of long standing crises being compacted by the sudden arrival of a new threat the likes of which they could not have imagined. The memory of Northumbria would echo down the centuries, but as the smoke cleared a whole world had come to an end and the future seemed more ominous than ever. Credits - Sound effects created by Michael Ghelfi Studios: https://michaelghelfi.com/ Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/w...
Apr 26, 2022•32 min•Ep. 17
Even as its glory days slipped into the past, Northumbria was still able to produce one last great mind who would have a profound impact on the rest of the world. Alcuin of York came from an obscure family but would go on to find success in the court of Emperor Charlemagne as one of his advisors and teachers. Here he would help formulate new standards for education that would shape the future of Western education. Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g...
Apr 14, 2022•11 min•Ep. 16
This episode, ahead of the big episode on the Northumbrian collapse, we take a break from politics to look at one of the most important artefacts from Anglo-Saxon England: the Lindisfarne Gospels. It is my hope that this episode will give you a grounding in the history and features of this remarkable manuscript. I think you will agree that the details of its creation enhance the splendour of this already dazzling piece of craftmanship and devotion. Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://...
Mar 30, 2022•13 min•Ep. 15
After Osred's death in 716, Northumbria entered a period of political upheaval which eventually saw the emergence of a new dynasty to claim the throne. This family, descendants of Leodwald, quickly achieved prominence during a period of peaceful foreign relations and cultural dynamism. But just as quickly as they rose, equally quickly they fell back into the bloody feuding which typified Northumbrian politics at this time and thus brought to an end the first brief interlude of peace in Northumbr...
Mar 11, 2022•14 min•Ep. 14
This week we look at fallout of Nechtansmere and the end of Athelfrithing domination of Northumbrian politics. Ironically, this coincided with one of the more famous kings of the dynasty, famed for his wisdom and piety. But wisdom and piety cannot save a crumbling powerbase or end subjugation to external powers. Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Learn more about your ad choices...
Feb 23, 2022•14 min•Ep. 13
This week we meet the single most important Anglo-Saxon scholar of them all. Bede lived an extremely quiet life, but his intellectual world was fantastically productive. He produced works which provided the the framework for all subsequent English scholarship and fully established the Anglo-Saxons on a world stage as a people capable of producing excellent scholarship. Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%...
Jan 10, 2022•19 min•Ep. 12
This week we step back from royal politics to look at some of the main saints to emerge from Northumbria in the 7th C. We also look at how the distinctive culture that these people fostered set the scene of the flourishing of intellectual activity that would become known as the Northumbrian Golden Age. Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...
Dec 30, 2021•18 min•Ep. 11
Following the death of Oswald, Northumbria was reduced to a fragmented vassal of Mercia. But that was changed under the leadership of Oswald's brother, Oswiu. Oswiu reunited Northumbria and led it to a new period of power and hegemony... that all came crashing down very quickly and left the king reeling. Under him and his son, Ecgfrith, Northumbria's decline began; not because they were weak kings, quite the opposite, but because in the personality driven world of Anglo-Saxon politics, eventuall...
Dec 08, 2021•28 min•Ep. 10
After the death of Edwin, Northumbria was thrown into chaos by the ravages of Cadwallon who swiftly deposed the kings who rose to replace him. But, in 633, a young Northumbrian noble returned from exile in western Scotland and defeated the rampaging Welsh king. He soon established himself as a new overlord of the Northumbrians and exerted great political and religious power across Britain. He was Oswald, the first great saint-king of Anglo-Saxon England. Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening ht...
Nov 03, 2021•19 min•Ep. 9
This week we begin a miniseries on the Kingdom of Northumbria from the early 7th to the mid 9th C. We start with a look at one of the most famous Northumbrian kings: Edwin. The first Christian king and a ruler who established Northumbria's place as one of the most powerful kingdoms in Anglo-Saxon England. Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Oct 25, 2021•19 min•Ep. 8
After last week's absence, we return with a new chronological episode as we continue our journey. This week we turn to the beginning of the conversion of England. We meet a lot new figures and finally come to the first definite date in Anglo-Saxon history: 597. It's the start of a fundamental change which will totally reshape Anglo-Saxon England and influence the future of England as a whole. Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index...
Oct 11, 2021•20 min•Ep. 7
In this episode we take a big picture look at the working and development of Anglo-Saxon kingship. This is the first of two episodes meant to help you better follow what is coming in the podcast by introducing you to the history, ideas, and sources of Anglo-Saxon kingship. Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 28, 2021•21 min•Ep. 6
This week we take a dive into the mysterious and often complicated world of Anglo-Saxon paganism. We discuss what we mean by 'paganism' today and look at the ways people have attempted to reconstruct the beliefs of the pre-Christian Anglo-Saxons. The results may be unexpected, but they are guaranteed to be interesting. Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Learn more about your ad ...
Sep 20, 2021•29 min•Ep. 5
