PODCAST · history
Anglo-Saxon England
by Evergreen Podcasts
Anglo-Saxon England is a podcast looking at the history of Anglo-Saxon England, beginning with the end of Roman Britain and ending with the Norman Conquest. We will not only talk about the history but also the literature, culture, and historiography of the Anglo-Saxon period. This show strives to offer an accessible but scholarly rigorous overview that will appeal both to beginners and to experts.
Episodes
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Anglo-Saxon Paganism: Redux
I recently became a dad for the first time and the needs of caring for a newborn have moved podcast production back slightly. To make up for it I am releasing here a Patreon exclusive episode: Anglo-Saxon Paganism - Redux. In the years since my first look at Anglo-Saxon paganism, my thinking on…
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The Rebellions of 1067-69
William faces resistance to his new regime. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anglosaxonengland Facebook:...
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The Battle of Hastings
October 12th 1066, the day Anglo-Saxon England ended. Our journey, though, is far from over. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon:...
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William the Conqueror
We meet the Duke William, the man who would end Anglo-Saxon England. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anglosaxonengland Facebook:...
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The Battle of Stamford Bridge
King Harold faces off against the first of the challengers for his throne: King Harald Hadrada of Norway. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon:...
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Harald Hadrada
Harald Sigurdsson, who would invade England to claim her throne in 1066, was, by his mother Åsta, half-brother to King Olaf Haraldsson, aka St Olaf, by whose side he fought at Stiklestad in 1030 when Olaf unsuccessfully tired to reclaim the Norwegian throne from Cnut. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall'…
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Harold Godwinsson
When Edward the Confesor died leaving no children or close male blood-relatives it opened a succession dispute that was to lead to the end of an independent Anglo-Saxon England. Of course, no one knew that at the time but with hindsight the succession dispute provoked by Edward was the short term...
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Re-run: Alfred the Great?
Due to an unexpected medical issue there isn't a new episode this week, but in light of recent news around remains found in Winchester, it seemed like an ideal time to look back at our assessment of King Alfred and his legacy. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening...
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Vita Ædwardi Regis
Today, we are diving deep into the Vita Ædwardi Regis, or The Life of King Edward who rests at Westminster. Written in Latin right on the knife-edge of the Norman Conquest of 1066, this text is not your standard medieval hagiography. It is a complex artefact of its time and an embodiment of how…
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Edward the Confessor: The Final Years
We come to the end of Edward the Confessor's reign, storm clouds gather. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anglosaxonengland...
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Edward the Confessor: Rebellion
Edward faces all-out rebellion spearheaded by Godwine. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anglosaxonengland Facebook:...
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Edward the Confessor: The Fall of the House of Godwine
In 1049, Edward massed his fleet on the coast of Sandwich and events careen towards conflict that will change the fate of England. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media -...
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Edward the Confessor: The Early Reign
We begin our look at Edward the Confessor by looking at his early reign in the 1040s. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon:...
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Encomium Emmae Reginae
The Encomium Emmae Reginae is an 11th-century Latin encomium – a work meant to praise a person – in honour of the English queen Emma of Normandy. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening...
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Harthacnut
When Harold Harefoot died on 17 March 1040, Harthacnut was well underway preparing an invasion of England to depose his brother. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media -...
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Harold Harefoot
King Harold Harefoot emerged into a contested political landscape following the death of Cnut in which the influence of two powerful women was decisive. Both sought to secure the English throne for their own sons and built rival political factions to do so. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund...
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Ælfric of Eynsham
We look at the works of perhaps the most accomplished author in the Old English canon: Ælfric of Eynsham. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon:...
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A Brief Introduction of Old English Prose
Unlocked bonus episode: A very brief intro to the history and focus of Old English prose. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon:...
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Wulfstan and the Sermon of the Wolf
I want to take a short detour from a strictly chronological telling of events to loop back and focus on the lives and works of two men who were particularly influential in shaping the legal, religious, and literary world of late Anglo-Saxon England: Wulfstan of York and Ælfric of Eynesham.…
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Canute's Empire
We look at Canute's wider realm encompassing Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Dublin. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon…
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Æthelstan Special
In honour of the on-going discussion in the UK about recognising 927 as the official beginning of England I wanted to seize the opportunity for engaging in this dialogue by releasing a special compilation episode on Æthelstan covering his entire reign. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund...
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Christmas Unlock: The Advent Lyrics
In honour of the season I present an unlocked episode from the bonus feed covering the poem known as 'The Advent Lyrics' or, more traditionally, 'Christ I'. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening...
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King Canute
Canute's reign profoundly transformed England and set the stage for the final decades of Anglo-Saxon rule. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon:...
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Canute's Childhood
We introduce Canute, one of Anglo-Saxon England's most successful and powerful rulers. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
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Edmund Ironside
We look at the brief reign of King Edmund Ironside. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anglosaxonengland Facebook:...
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Æthelred Unready?
How 'unready' was King Æthelred? Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anglosaxonengland Facebook:...
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Æthelred’s Final Decade
We conclude our narrative of Æthelred’s reign with his final catastrophic decade. Next time we will take a look at the reign as a whole and consider whether Æthelred’s reputation is warranted. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening...
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Æthelred’s Mature Reign
We continue our look at Æthelred’s reign at its peak: 993 to 1006. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anglosaxonengland Facebook:...
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The Battle of Maldon
As I work on the rest of the Æthelred overview, I wanted to highlight one of the major events and poems of the period: The Battle of Maldon. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening…
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Æthelred’s Early Reign
There are few kings in English history that are as maligned as Ethelred. Forever remembered as ‘the Unready’, Ethelred’s reign was regarded even by those writing only fifteen years after its end as a time of chaos when England was beset by a renewed Viking menace and the king himself was forced…
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History from Below
This episode I wanted to look back at where we have been from the perspective of the high-water mark of Anglo-Saxon history that was the reign of Edgar. In this retrospective analysis, I want to consider some aspects of ‘history from below’ that were not focused on as much in earlier episodes,...
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Edward the Martyr
Following Edgar’s death, we enter into what would be one of the most turbulent periods of Anglo-Saxon history which would see murder, renewed Viking activity, and invasion bring England to its knees. It all began with a dispute over the succession. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening...
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King Edgar: Part 2
We wrap up our look at possibly the greatest of all Anglo-Saxon monarchs. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anglosaxonengland...
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The Ideology of Benedictine Reform
Oswald of Worcester (d.992) is usually viewed as one of three episcopal leaders of monastic reform in tenth-century England, but this interpretation conflates Oswald’s motivations and interests with those of Dunstan (d.988) and Æthelwold (d.984). This article uses the surviving source-material to...
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Oswald
We look at the last of the Big Three reformers, Oswald, and set up a discussion of what exactly the reformers in England wanted to achieve. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Learn...
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Æthelwold
If you read about the English Benedictine Reforms today, the older narrative focused on Dunstan as the its spearhead will have been largely replaced by a view that positions his student Æthelwold as the driving force behind reform. It is Æthelwold who composed the main source texts of English...
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St Dunstan
The Benedictine reforms in England were, in the traditional narrative, spearheaded by three key ecclesiastics: Dunstan, Æthelwold, and Oswald. The exact relationship of these three has been subject to regular revaluation since the late tenth century and I will offer my own revaluation in due…
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The Beginnings of Benedictine Reform
Although the Benedictine reform movements that found royal favor in England in the late-tenth century are usually associated with King Edgar, their origins predate him quite substantially with roots going all the way back to the reign of Æthelstan. The true origins of Benedictine reform, though,...
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The Church in Late Anglo-Saxon England
Since a major part of King Edgar’s legacy is based on his advocacy of church reform, it is reasonable to spend some time considering the state of the Church in the mid-tenth century and the role it played in society. It’s easy to fall into rhetoric which assumes that the Church is the same in all...
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King Edgar
Edgar, son of Edmund, is not that well known today to those not already interested in Anglo-Saxon history, yet there can be no doubt that he, along with Alfred and Æthelstan, is one of the most important rulers in terms of their contribution to the formation of the English kingdom. Through his...
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King Eadwig
Following Eadred’s early death the eldest son of Edmund, Eadwig, was finally of an age to become king. Through his uncle’s years of intensifying illness, the court had become adept at governing with minimal royal input. The young and healthy Eadwig was not content to let things proceed as they…
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King Eadred
When Edmund was killed in 946 his two sons, Eadwig and Edgar, were still just infants. Thus, the witan chose to elevate Edmund’s brother, Eadred, to the throne so as to avoid the dangers of having a child king. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening...
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King Edmund
Edmund was an important ruler in shaping the future course of English history whatever his personal failings. In the end he died too soon to know how he would have fared without his mother or when powerful nobles began to chafe under his authority. Perhaps that is for the best since as it stands…
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Æthelstan and the Continent
Last time we looked at how Æthelstan ruled his kingdom but this is only half of the story of his reign. Much like his grandfather Æthelstan sought to forge close links with rulers and ecclesiastics throughout western Europe in an effort to solidify the intellectual, cultural, and political…
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Æthelstan’s England
Æthelstan is routinely regarded as one of Anglo-Saxon England’s greatest kings. This is a reputation ascribed to him not only for his military and political achievements, but also for the remarkable impression that his decades on the throne have left in the historical record. The abundance of...
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Æthelstan: The First King of England (Part II)
We look at the second half of Æthelstan's reign from its peak to its complex end. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon…
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Æthelstan: The First King of England (Part I)
The story of Æthelstan from his debated birth to his becoming the first King of England. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening Social Media - Patreon:...
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Æthelflæd: Lady of the Mercians
Æthelflæd, one of the most important women in Anglo-Saxon history, ruled Mercia during the reign of Edward the Elder. Through her military endeavours, she was instrumental in securing the reconquest of the southern Danelaw and securing the Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons from future attack. Credits –...
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Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder (899-924) is often overlooked given the towering fame of his father and son. When we look at his career, though, we find a king whose actions earn him acclaim and criticism. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening...
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The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle we have not only an account of Anglo-Saxon history but also an attempt at identity creation which served part of the mission to forge a new united English identity from the disparate collection of tribes and kingdoms that was the base of Anglo-Saxon society. Even…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Anglo-Saxon England is a podcast looking at the history of Anglo-Saxon England, beginning with the end of Roman Britain and ending with the Norman Conquest. We will not only talk about the history but also the literature, culture, and historiography of the Anglo-Saxon period. This show strives to offer an accessible but scholarly rigorous overview that will appeal both to beginners and to experts.
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