A Chronological History of Britain
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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 to completely destroy Penda’s dynasty.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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 heavy hitter in England. Mercia. As Northumbria lost steam faster than a boy band approaching its 30’s… Were the Mercians going through a similar collapse?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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 extras from Clan of the Cave Bear.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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 banished Wilfrid out of Northumbria. And then, when Wilfrid fled to Mercia and became the Bishop of the Middle Angles, King Aldfrith reclaimed the lands at Ripon which were once held by Wilfrid.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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 Aethelred – King of Mercia, son of Penda, brother of Wulfhere, and (despite his rather pious upbringing) he really was his father’s son.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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 was ruling over Northumbria.
Then we have King Hlothere of Kent – He was the brother of Ecgberht, who was the former King of Kent.
And we’ll also be talking about Eadric – who was the son of King Ecgbert of Kent, and was also the nephew of King Hlothere. So he was a claimant to the throne… but you’ll note that he’s not a King.
And then we have Caedwalla – Who was the exiled son of a former King of Wessex and also a staunch Pagan.
and finally we have Bishop Wilfrid – Yep… he’s back. He was the former Bishop of Northumbria, the same guy who got involved in Northumbrian politics and even had his own army, and then when it didn’t work out he went and complained to the Pope , and despite having the Pope on his side, he still found himself imprisoned and then exiled. Apparently he also got into a fight to the death with some of the southern English after a shipwreck… this guy had a hell of an eventful life. And currently, he’s operating in the south and is rather grouchy with the Archbishop of Canterbury for not backing him up when he started throwing elbows in Northumbria.