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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. The post 406 – King’s Rook Takes Pawn first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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.  The post 405 – Hereward the Wake: The Bourne Identity first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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.  The post 402 – Fire Sale first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Feudalism had officially come to England, courtesy of the Normans… The post 400 – William: This is Fine first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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.  The post 396 – King William I of England first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 395 – Rearranging the Deck chairs on HMS England first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The Battle of Hastings had been brutal – even for the Normans. The invading army had suffered terrible losses. The post 394 – Godwinson’s Revenge first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 393 – To Kill a Legend first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Chaos. The orderly rhythm of attacks… and the steady wall of the war hedge had dissolved, and it was replaced by a raging melee. The post 392 – The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors first appeared on The British History Podcast.

A New Shoptalk Just Dropped The post A Quick Update From Zee first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The King is dead. The post Chapter Nine – The Normans first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 391 – The Battle of Hastings first appeared on The British History Podcast.

King Harold, his Huscarls, and the fyrd of Wessex were driving north as fast as they could. The post 390 – Stamford Bridge first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 389 – The Tyrant and the Muddy Crossing first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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” […] The post 388 – The Stupid Before The Storm first appeared on The British History Podcast.

War was coming.  That much was clear. The post 387 – The Douche is Cast first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. […] The post 385 – The Audacity of Boats first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 384 – King Harold Godwinson first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 383 – The Death of King Edward first appeared on The British History Podcast.

A 14th century monk made it weird. Or Wyrd? I dunno… it’s weirdly wyrd, though. The post 2021 Halloween Special first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It was 1065.  And King Edward was falling ever more ill. The post 382 – Bros Before Thrones first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 381 – Weekend at William’s first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 380 – Everybody Is Killing Everybody Else And Nobody Is Talking About It: Part 3 first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 379 – Everybody Is Killing Everybody Else And Nobody Is Talking About It: Part 2 first appeared on The British History Podcast.

On the year 1059, there is an enigmatic entry in the Welsh Chronicle. The post 378 – Everybody is killing everybody else and no one is talking about it first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 377 – The King of Wales first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 376 – Lost Years and Lost Lands first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 375 – Life and Death Politics. But Mostly Death. first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 374 – Be Careful What You Wish For first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 373 – The First King first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 372 – Hostile Takeover first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 371 – Naked Ambition first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Earl Godwin and his family were back, baby.   Well, mostly. The post 370 – Breaking Bread first appeared on The British History Podcast.

This is an old one, but it was specifically requested. Please forgive the audio quality and delivery. The post Bonus Episode from the Archive: The Poet’s Curse first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 369 – Move or You Will Be Moved: Part 4 first appeared on The British History Podcast.

“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 […] The post 368 – Move or You Will Be Moved: Part 3 first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 367 – Move, or You Will Be Moved Part 2 first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 366 – Move, or You Will Be Moved: Part 1 first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 365 – The Red Cliffs of Dover first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 364 – Reconciliation first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 363 – Treason! first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 362 – Meet the Godwins first appeared on The British History Podcast.

King Edward came to England with a political migraine. The post 361 – W A Poet first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 360 – The Long Game first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Happy Halloween! The post The Witch of Fife first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 358 – King Harthacnut first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 357 – Walter Map’s Courtly Trifles first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 356 – Macbeth first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 355 – Double, Double Toil and Trouble first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 354 – The West, after Cnut first appeared on The British History Podcast.