354 – The West, after Cnut

on By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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 Sea.

And I guess the best place to start is in a region we haven’t heard much from lately. Wales.

353 – Mother of the Year

on By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Medieval chronicler, Adam of Bremen, was writing at around this point in history and among the many things he tells us he also includes how Cnut planned his almost empire. And Adam tells us that Cnut intended Sweyn to rule Norway, Harthacnut to rule Denmark, and Harold Harefoot to rule England.

And that might be true.

352 – Chaos

on By 1 Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

It was November 11 of 1035 and King Cnut was dead. He was buried at Winchester Cathedral.

Cnut, and likely the Court, seemed to anticipate his death. Possibly because he had been ill for some time. But the ruling classes of Europe were still completely unprepared for the chaos that followed.

349 – AElfgifu’s Tale

on By 1 Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Successful Kings don’t rule alone. This is especially true for Kings with as much going on as Cnut.

And one of Cnut’s most influential right-hand men was actually his Queen. And Emma was more than just an advisor. She was wielding considerable power in her own right, power that likely expanded every time Cnut journeyed out of England.

But Queen Emma wasn’t Cnut’s only wife.

348 – Ruling Hard or Hardly Ruling

on By 4 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Europe was in chaos in the 1020s. Crises just kept coming, and the powerful were trying to capitalize on disorder. And in times like these, actions can have outsized impact, even the smaller ones.

For example, if you sat in Leicester during the 1020s, the last thing you would have been paying attention to would have been the spat between dukes in Northern France. And even further below the things your list of interests would have been one of those Dukes taking a mistress and having a bastard boy.

347 – Aggressive Diplomacy

on By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

What we call history was, at one point, just current events. And world affairs never happen in a vacuum. It’s never just one thing happening after another… it’s a whole mesh of events that, while they might happen in their own sequences that look very much like just one thing happening after another, they’re actually interwoven with a massive web of other events (some seen and some unseen) that affect the outcomes of whatever was happening currently, and what could happen in the future.