The British History Podcast

Earl Godwin and his family were back, baby. Well, mostly.

22 Apr 202133min

This is an old one, but it was specifically requested. Please forgive the audio quality and delivery. The post Bonus Episode from the Archive: The Poet’s Curse first appeared on The British History Po...

12 Apr 202126min

When you come at the King, you best not miss… and now the Godwins had the King of France and the Holy Roman Emperor acting as their surrogates while they were constructing no less than two invasion fl...

26 Mar 202134min

This poem about Godwin and his children is found, not in the Chronicle, nor in a document dedicated to Godwin… but in the Vita AEdwardi… the Life of King Edward.

19 Mar 202123min

Swegn Godwinson was exiled….again. Only this time it was for life. As that judgment came down, the Godwins must have realized they had been maneuvered into blind dependence on the King’s mercy.

2 Mar 202122min

The summer of 1051 must have felt like some sort of nightmare. A French aristocrat rode into Dover, picked a fight and then slaughtered the townsfolk. And that man’s cousin, the King of England, ...

27 Feb 202131min

In 1050, Thorrfinn the Jarl of Orkney went to Rome. And on trip to Rome is complete without a visit with the Pope. And when Thorrfin had his meeting, we’re told that Pope personally absolved the Jarl’...

13 Feb 202138min

Complex societies are able to do incredible things. By having an interconnected civilization, with people from all over the place contributing to it, people are able to specialize… and that specializ...

31 Jan 202129min