Category: Chapter Four

164 – Shadow Governments in Britain

on By 1 Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

When we last left off, King Egbert was ruling over Wessex, King Cuthred (Coenwulf’s brother) was ruling over Kent… and Emperor Coenwulf held Mercia. I call him Emperor, by the way, because that’s what he called himself. And also because he does seem like he was a king of kings. His brother answered to him, the minor kingdoms like the Hwicce and Magonsaete answered to him, and it seems that Essex also answered to him (with their leaders appearing in his charters as dux or subregulus… sub king).

Sign up for membership to read the full transcript.

Support the Show

163 – The South of Britain Grows Restless

on By 3 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

There’s a shift that’s happening in Anglo Saxon politics that’s occurring… we’ve had powerful queens in the Anglo Saxon kingdoms (especially in Mercia, where Queens were more powerful than most). But something is happening in Wessex that will impact around the next several hundred years. West Saxon Queens were getting demoted. Women on the throne, or next to it, were no longer referred to as Queens in Wessex. They were merely Ladies or the King’s wife.

Sign up for membership to read the full transcript.

Support the Show

162 – Emperor Coenwulf, Emperor Charlemagne, and The World

on By 1 Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

So today, lets briefly talk about the world context since we’ve largely just focused on our main character. No not Coenwulf, or Offa… the main character is and has been Britain… but sometimes it feels like it’s an island adrift and alone, when in actual fact there’s a whole world out there that’s been going on. And happily, it’s the year 800, so I think I’ll make this a tradition that we’ll do these check-in’s, giving you a rough outline of where the rest of the world is, at least once every 100 years. Here we go.

Sign up for membership to read the full transcript.

Support the Show

Q&A: How to Start a Podcast

on By 2 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

I’ve gotten this question a lot over the years and after quite a lot of thought, I’ve come up with a few basic pieces of advice. I talked it over with some fellow podcasters and they gave it the thumbs up, so hopefully it will help you out if you’re looking to launch your own show. And if you’re not looking to start a show, it might give you a bit of an insider’s view on what it’s like behind the mic.

161 – King Ceonwulf’s Rise in Power

on By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

While Offa was an effective leader in Mercia during his life, his dynastic purge was a disaster. Looking at what followed, it appears that he heavily targeted extended members of his own family. Now this placed his immediate family in a very good position to pursue power… and we did see a seamless transfer of power to his son, as well as the placement of his daughters in prestigious positions (both through marriage, and also within the church, which was rapidly becoming an extension of royal power). And actually, the dynastic policies during Offa’s reign were so effective that even Queen Cynethryth (who was quite powerful while her husband was alive) continued to wield considerable power in Mercia after his death. Even managing to take possession of the monastery of Cookham.

Sign up for membership to read the full transcript.

Support the Show

160 – An Offa Inheritance

on By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

King Offa of Mercia has died after a surprisingly long and productive reign. The degree of power he had gathered for himself was truly something to behold. While his reach didn’t stretch into Mercia’s ancient enemies beyond the Humber, Northumbria, he had a stunning degree of influence over the English Kingdoms in the south. Throughout the history of Britain, Offa will continue to stand out as one of the great island rulers. Really, the only southern English kingdom that appears to have had any degree of independence at the end of Offa’s reign was Wessex. But even Wessex was closely tied and allied to Offa, as it’s current king held the throne thanks in no small part to Offa’s intervention in their civil war.

Sign up for membership to read the full transcript.

Support the Show

159 – An Offa End

on By 3 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Lets start with Christmas Day 795. That’s the day Pope Hadrian died… so uh… Merry Christmas?

Hadrian was actually a pretty decent Pope… not Pope Francis level of awesome, though really who is? But he was still pretty good, and upon hearing of his death, Charlemagne commissioned Alcuin to write a poem that was carved into a black marble gravestone that said “I shed tears for the father. I, Charles, had these verses written for him. I weep for you father my heartfelt love. I unite the names with shining titles: Hadrian and Charles, I a king, you a father. You who pray here and read these humble verses, speak: God show mercy and take pity on these two.”

Sign up for membership to read the full transcript.

Support the Show

158 – Offa With His Head

on By 2 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Last week was dark, wasn’t it? Not only that, but it only covered the first half of 793. The end of the 8th century was an eventful period so lets pick up right where we left off and talk about what else was happening in the other half of 793… and specifically with King Offa and Charlemagne.

Sign up for membership to read the full transcript.

Support the Show

157 – Lindisfarne

on By 1 Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Northumbria was no stranger to problems… blood feuds, regicide, and kinslaying… they really have it all up there. But as 793 began, it was clear that things were taking an even darker turn. As the new year dawned, a massive whirlwind slammed into the northeastern coast. The sky was ignited with flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder could be heard throughout the land.

Sign up for membership to read the full transcript.

Support the Show

156 – An Offa Marriage

on By 2 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

When we left off things were looking pretty good for Mercia. Wessex was now acting as a subkingdom, with their King (Beohtric) married to Offa’s daughter… Kent was thoroughly dominated, East Anglia appears to have been brought fully under Offa’s control. Really, Offa’s only neighbors that he didn’t have command over, appear to have been the Northumbrians and the Welsh. He had his own Archbishopric located in Lichfield, the Papacy was interested in maintaining a good relationship with Mercia. All in all, it was pretty good.

Sign up for membership to read the full transcript.

Support the Show