The British History Podcast

In 1075 King Bleddyn’s star was on the rise. He ruled over both Gwynedd and Powys. He struck fear into those he met on the battlefield. He had demonstrated himself such a threat that the Normans actually tried to assassinate him…repeatedly. But he was still very much alive, kicking ass and taking heads. The post 433 – North Wales: I Love Mess first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Here’s a 15 minute sample of what we’re talking about on the Member’s feed. The post Bonus Episode on Courtliness first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It was 1075 and Waltheof, the last remaining English Earl, was not in England. He was on a boat, headed for Normandy. And when word of his trip reached the Earls Roger and Ralph, they probably panicked. The post 432 – The Revolt of the Earls first appeared on The British History Podcast.

From 1066 to 1071, William had been at war with the English. Five long years of conquest, insurrections, and rebellions. And here’s the thing about that. William didn’t even really seem to like England that much. Not the culture, definitely not the people. The post 431 – The Gang Has A Wedding first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We’ve been spending a lot of time with England lately… and there’s a good reason for that. England was the main target of the Norman invasion, and everything changed for the Kingdom when William arrived. Furthermore, the nature of our surviving sources is that they were more likely to survive if they were Norman sources. […] The post 430 – Is It Good To Be King? first appeared on The British History Podcast.

To the North, in Scotland, reigned King Malcolm Canmore. We have been following his story for a long time now, and for good reason. After all, it literally intersects with the infamousMacbeth… But King Malcolm Canmore was and remains one of the most powerful, and longest reigning, Scottish Kings to date. The post 429 – Power Brokers and Power Breakers first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Five years of fighting. The conquest of England wasn’t something that was resolved on a single day in October of 1066. William had been fighting this thing for five years… and they were long years. The post 428 – Tightening the Grip first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Thirty thousand pounds. That’s what the Gesta claims Hereward charged the Normans for the return of their warlike Abbot Turold. The post 427 – Hereward: Back Into the Mist first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The once mighty Godwinson dynasty was gone… The post 426 – Everyone Has Their Limits first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It was late October of 1071, and Hereward was out with a column of his rebel fighters, foraging and pillaging Norman allied settlements for supplies. The post 425 – Hereward: The Fall of Ely first appeared on The British History Podcast.

If the story of Hereward wasn’t what you were expecting, you’re not alone. Researching this tale has been just as wild an experience as hearing it. In fact, between this episode and the last one, I came across another fascinating tidbit about our favorite French witch. The post 424 – Hereward: ft. Judas Priest first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, when we left off William hired a witch to help with his rebel problem, Hereward disguised himself as a potter and infiltrated the Norman camp while William was out hunting, and in the end a bunch of Normans were slain and Hereward barely escaped with his life thanks to the speedy hooves of his […] The post 423 – Hereward: The Lion, The Witch, and the War Hero first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The situation in Ely was getting out of hand. The Liber Eliensis speaks of how Hereward and his army carried out raids far and wide, bringing with him bands of a hundred men or more. The post 422 – Hereward: The Man, the Myth, The Legend first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Word soon reached King William’s Court that Hereward remained free. Even worse, the man tasked with capturing the Wake (William de Warenne) had barely escaped with his life. The post 421 – The Wake at Ely first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Hereward was returning to Ely with his men. The upside was they were taking literal boatloads of treasure with them. The post 420 – The Wake and the Earl first appeared on The British History Podcast.

You may have noticed that Hereward the Wake seems to keep disappearing from the story and then reappearing again. This reflects the actual record, where he pops up only to vanish back into the mist just as quickly. His life appears to have been enigmatic. We only know him by these tidbits. But, even those […] The post 419 – The Wake at Peterborough first appeared on The British History Podcast.

When we left off, William (satisfied with the damage he had inflicted upon the people of the North) marched south towards Chester. And as he rode off, King Malcolm III of Scotland took the opportunity to ravage what was left of Northumbria. The post 418 – God’s Chosen first appeared on The British History Podcast.

When we ended the last episode. William and his knights had ravaged the North. He had spared nothing and no one. Men, women, children, animals, buildings, even the plants. Everything between York and Durham was annihilated, a stretch of nearly 100 miles. The post 417 – The (far more than four) Horsemen first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Weeks in the rain and cold, marching through mud and picking through forests, had finally – in spite of Northumbria’s best efforts – ended with William reaching his goal. The King arrived in York. The post 416 – The Harrying of the North first appeared on The British History Podcast.