214 – National Lampoon’s Viking Vacation
It’s 872 and Halfdan’s year has been a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, he had received a major Danegeld from Mercia, to add to the one he received from Wessex in the previous year. And now he was...
4 Sep 201624min
213 – Danegelds, Peace, and Shame
Last time we left off, Alfred… who we have been following since his earliest days, and whom we now know the most intimate details of, including the state of his butt (which was swollen) and the state ...
24 Aug 201633min
212 – Alfred the Last AEtheling
It’s mid April of 871. For four long months, the House of Wessex has been battling against an invasion army of Danes who are holding the Royal Tun of Reading. Battle after battle had resulted in bruis...
12 Aug 201630min
211 – The Battles of Basing and Meretun
It’s January of 871, still… A tremendous amount has happened in the last fortnight, and the year had barely even begun. People tend to compress the past… especially periods they are unfamiliar with… i...
28 Jul 201628min
210 – The Battle of Ashdown
“God, in his goodness and justice so much offended by our sins, had thus worn down the lands and kingdoms of the Christians.” That’s a quote from Prudentius of Troyes, who was struggling to explain wh...
19 Jul 201634min
209 – The Battle of Reading
When we left off, the Danes had occupied Reading, fortified it for several days, and then sent a detachment West along the river Kennet… In response, Ealdorman AEthelwulf of Berkshire had raised the l...
8 Jul 201620min
208 – The Battle of Englefield
When we left off the Great Heathen Army had conquered East Anglia, established their dominion, and then a good portion of it returned to their territory of Jorvik. However, not everyone returned north...
1 Jul 201621min
207 – Christianity in Early Danelaw
Here is part two to our story of religion and religious life at the age of the Great Heathen Army and the Danish invasion of Britain. Last episode, I told you about how the stories we’re often told – ...
23 Jun 201633min
