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. 

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 […]

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, […]

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.

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

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 […]

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. 

Exeter stood in open defiance against William and his army.

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 […]

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. 

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.

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.  

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

Earl Robert lay dead at Durham. Along with 700 of his men.   At least.  The Chronicle bumps the numbers up a bit, claiming Earl Robert had died 900 of his soldiers at Durham.  Either way, that's a lot of dead Normans.

They appeared as if from nowhere.  A great force of men and horses… armed to the teeth… charging towards the city of York.    Where the fuck did this army come from?  And who was that in the back?  Was… was that William the Bastard?  He was supposed to still be in Normandy.

Things in the North were dire. This was a problem, because as Orderic tells us, this wasn't just a minor local revolt.  This was intended to be much bigger.

The Godwinsons  are back in England. Harold's sons, along with a fleet of 64 Irish ships loaded down with fighters, have just hit the shores.  And it seems like they were students of history, because they were taking up the traditional family business.

It was Fall of 1069, and the Danes were coming.

News of the victory at York spread fast, and people everywhere were finding their courage.

William was charging North. If he was going to hold on to his new kingdom, he had to counter this threat in person.

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.

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.

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.

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 […]

Hereward was returning to Ely with his men. The upside was they were taking literal boatloads of treasure with them.

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 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.

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 […]

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.

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 once mighty Godwinson dynasty was gone…

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 […] The post 427 – Hereward: Back Into the Mist 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.

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.

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.

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. […]

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.

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.

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

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.

By the mid 1070's, the House of Normandy was struggling and I'm not talking about William here, I'm talking about his lineage – because as busy as William had been in his cross-channel land grabs, he had still found time to have A LOT of kids. The post 434 – The Boys first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Once in a while, the Chronicle has a hot take. Here is one of my favorites:  “the more men spoke about just law, the more unlawfully they acted.” The scribes dropped that one on the lines for 1087, but it could have easily applied to 1075 and 1076. The post 435 – Trials and Tribulations first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Welcome to the turbulent period of 1076 to 1078, where family tensions, political intrigue, and military challenges force William onto his back heel. And it all starts with the invasion of Dol… something that, in comparison with 1066, should be an easy victory for the aging Conqueror. The post 436 – Taking the Piss first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The hall exploded into chaos.   The knights sitting outside of the firing line stared in shock, trying to process what was happening. Men stuck closer in tried to dive out of the way.    The unlucky knights… the men standing right next to Robert when his brothers' opinions came raining down… Well, they were screaming […] The post 437 – Everyone's Pissed first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The little guy's rebellion was about to get pretty big. The post 438 – Robert's Rebellion first appeared on The British History Podcast.

There was no getting around it.  William had been humiliated. The post 439 – Juggling Responsibilities first appeared on The British History Podcast.

King Malcom and the Scots had spent the last several months raiding the northern reaches of England. They had murdered the English with impunity, took even more as slaves. But eventually they decided they had their fill and returned back to their homeland. And they took with them anything that hadn't been  nailed down. The post 440 – This is Fine first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Northumbria was back at it again.  The Continental Bishop turned Earl was dead.  Most of his men lay slain at Gateshead, or BBQed in that Church.  And any left alive were locked inside Durham Castle. The post 441 – God Bothering first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. […] The post 443 – We're Bigger Than Jesus first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 444 – Holy Beef first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Matilda was dead and now things were coming apart at the seams. The post 445 – Feeding Frenzy first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 446 – Death and Taxes first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 446 – Death and Taxes first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 447 – The End of the Conquest first appeared on The British History Podcast.

That's right, just like big pharma, we're giving out a free sample. The post Medieval Medicine Sample first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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… The post 448 – The Death of William the Conqueror first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Norman interventionism into their neighbors was only just beginning… and the events at Mynydd Carn gave them just the excuse they needed. The post 442 – Mynydd Carn first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Strap yourselves in. These kids are something else. The post 449 – Chapter Ten: The Boys first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 450 – Begin With A Bang first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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.  The post 451 – The Lucky Few first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 452 – Odo? Oh Yes. first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We're joining the Sisterhood of the Travelling Uterus for this one. The post Medieval Medicine Sample: Trotula Edition first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 453 – Odo's Rebellion: The Cold War first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 454 – Odo's Rebellion: Worst Easter Ever first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 455: Odo's Rebellion: Lord of the Flies first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Got a jealousy problem and a spare leek? Boy, do we ever have a cure for you. The post Medieval Magic Sample: We Read the Latin first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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.. The post 456 – Law and Order: Durham first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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.. The post 456 – Law and Order: Durham first appeared on The British History Podcast.

I've gotta be honest, some of these spells seem a bit rude. The post Medieval Magic Sample: Shout at the Devil first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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.   The post 457 – The Bachelor King first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 458 – Henry's Story first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 459 – Lashing Out first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 460 – The White Tower first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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, […] The post 461 – Destabilizing a Nation: A How-To Guide first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 462 – Defenestration Nation first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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.  The post 463 – Finding Out first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 464 – Rufus' Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Campaign first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Come get schooled. The post Medieval Education Sample first appeared on The British History Podcast.

2024 went out swinging. The post A Quick Update (ft. Nazgûl) first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Rufus was once again the only brother in England. The post 465 – Anselm Arrives first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 466 – The Bachelor first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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? The post 467 – Saint Anselm first appeared on The British History Podcast.

If you think that video games are too violent, wait until you hear about Face Slap. The post Medieval Childhoods first appeared on The British History Podcast.

King Malcom Canmore hit his breaking point. The post 468 – Regicide's Back On The Menu Boys first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 469 – Robert of Rhuddlan first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 470 – Tough Treaty first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 471 – How To Lose Friends and Irritate People first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 472 – Radicals first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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.   The post 474 – Malvoisin, the Evil Neighbor first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 […] The post 475 – The Fall of Mowbray first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post Medieval Urbanization Sample first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 476 – The Crackdown first appeared on The British History Podcast.

And the full version even includes a drinking game! You can hear the full episode by signing up for membership. The post Lords and Landlords Sample first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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. The post 473 – Stage Management first appeared on The British History Podcast.