The Dark Ages | The British History Podcast

The death of Duke Robert’s chief ally, William of Breteuil, and the succession crisis it kicked off, was destabilizing the duchy of Normandy.   And while I’m sure it was a relief that King Henry and Robert of Meulan had brokered a sort of resolution to the crisis… everyone watching knew their intrusion into Norman […] The post 498 – Power and Predictability first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It was 1103 and things were a mess. And…when are they not? But a major reason for this mess was (oddly) William of Breteuil. Now, as you might recall, William of Breteuil was the firstborn son of the Conqueror’s close friendWilliam fitz Osbern… and, thanks to this proximity to power, he was one of the […] The post 497 – That’s Me In The Spot. Light. first appeared on The British History Podcast.

For the first time since William the Conqueror, there was going to be a primatial council at Westminster Abbey.   This was a HUGE deal.   Like… enormous.  Anselm had been trying to hold a major reform council for years, but King Rufus had refused.  Reform, as you may remember, wasn’t something that the red king was […] The post 496 – That’s Me In The Corner first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, let’s return to 1101 and 1102, because Henry’s fight with Anselm, and fight between Henry and the Pope (and the fight between Anselm and the Pope) were …amazingly….only half of the story.   The post 495 – Power Struggles: Part Two first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In early February of 1102 Queen Matilda was giving birth.  The post 494 – Power Struggles: Part One first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The Treaty penned at Alton had avoided outright war, but it wasn’t truly official.  It needed to be finalized at Winchester. The post 493 – The Price of Peace first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In 1668, John Dryden became England’s very first Poet Laureate.  But he had a rival.  No, not just a rival.  A nemesis. This man’s name was Thomas Shadwell, and I can’t overstate how much Dryden hated him. The post 492 – The War for Perception first appeared on The British History Podcast.

By popular request, we’re releasing the full member’s episode on The Authoritarians. The post Bonus Episode: The Authoritarians first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It’s time to hit REI and get some gear… because we’re going on a journey of self discovery in this sample of the newest Member’s Episode. The post Pilgrimage Sample 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.

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.

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.

King Malcom Canmore hit his breaking point.

If you think that video games are too violent, wait until you hear about Face Slap.

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 Rufus immediately set about invalidating all his penitential acts.

Rufus was once again the only brother in England.

Come get schooled.

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.

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.

I've gotta be honest, some of these spells seem a bit rude.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 little guy's rebellion was about to get pretty big.

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 for vengeance. They wanted blood. And it’s hard to blame them. They were, after all, drenched.

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.

William the Conqueror reigns, but whispers of rebellion drift through England's halls. Earl Waltheof's imprisonment threatens to ignite a storm amongst the English. Meanwhile, William's half-brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, stands accused of heinous crimes by none other than the formidable Archbishop Lanfranc, and this conflict threatens to tear apart the very fabric of Norman dominance in England. As tensions rise and alliances shift, one question hangs heavy in the air: will William's iron grip on England falter? Dive into the medieval intrigue and courtroom clashes of 1075.

For years the sons of William the Conqueror have lived closed to power but never truly able to wield it. Things were beginning to change, though. As their father ages, opportunities for advancement arise. Join us as we peer into the web of intrigue, clashing wills, and ambition that rule the fates of the children of the Conqueror. But be warned, dear listener, for this is no fairy tale. In the game of thrones, only one brother can rule…

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thirty thousand pounds. That’s what the Gesta claims Hereward charged the Normans for the return of their warlike Abbot Turold.

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.

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 trusty horse.  Swallow.

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.

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.

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

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 small moments he appears in the record, he manages to stand out. Hereward was a man on the go.

When we left off, William (satisfied with the damage he had inflicted upon the people of the North) marched south towards Chester.

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.

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.

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

Gytha and her supporters had fled into the Severn Estuary, and it was the final nail in the coffin of the Exeter rebellion.

Exeter stood in open defiance against William and his army.

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.

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?