201 – East Anglia’s Danegeld

When we left off last time, King Edmund of East Anglia had paid a Danegeld to the Great Heathen Army… and rather than leaving, the army had set up camp in his Kingdom. It was a situation that would have caused all manner of havoc for virtually everyone who lived in the small east ...  Show more

I’d like to start today’s episode with a poem. Not about my feelings, or about a tough breakup… but a skaldic poem from the 12th century. It’s called The Lay of Kraka, and it was probably recorded somewhere in Scotland. The reason why it’s important is that it contains what is cl ...  Show more

After an intense tournament featuring sixteen of the finest Kings and Queens this island has to offer, the people have decided the greatest king of England also happens to be the first. The 10th century grandson of Alfred the Great united the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and saw off the ...  Show more

Edward I is the new king of England, but he has ambitions far beyond that. He wants to be like his idol, the legendary King Arthur, and that means uniting all of Britain under the Plantagenet banner. His first target is Wales, but the people there have no intention of bending to ...  Show more

While Edward II mourns, his young Queen Isabella steps into the spotlight. She provides her husband with both an heir and the holiday of a lifetime, as they go to visit her father in France. While Edward finally starts to show some talent for ruling, Isabella’s actions in France ...  Show more

Henry is rocked by the death of his mother and mentor, the Empress Matilda. The grief-stricken king is left to solve the problems of succession alone. Meanwhile Henry’s marriage to Eleanor is falling apart. Will she look past his rampant infidelity in order to secure greater powe ...  Show more