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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Nov 14, 2026 · 8:28
Returned from the newborn trenches, we look at the bloodiest part of the Norman Conquest: the Harrying of the North. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Oct 31, 2026 · 13:58
I am still very much in the newborn trenches so I need a little more time to get production back on schedule, we will be back to regular programming on November 18th. In the…
Oct 17, 2026 · 39:44
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…
Oct 3, 2026 · 13:49
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%B0m…
Sep 19, 2026 · 10:54
October 12th 1066, the day Anglo-Saxon England ended. Our journey, though, is far from over. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Sep 5, 2026 · 15:15
We meet the Duke William, the man who would end Anglo-Saxon England. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Aug 22, 2026 · 11:20
King Harold faces off against the first of the challengers for his throne: King Harald Hadrada of Norway. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Aug 8, 2026 · 13:35
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…
Jul 25, 2026 · 10:14
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.…
Jul 11, 2026 · 12:08
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…
Jun 27, 2026 · 8:34
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…
Jun 13, 2026 · 11:19
We come to the end of Edward the Confessor's reign, storm clouds gather. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
May 30, 2026 · 14:17
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%C…
May 16, 2026 · 19:56
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…
May 2, 2026 · 18:32
We begin our look at Edward the Confessor by looking at his early reign in the 1040s. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Apr 18, 2026 · 7:04
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…
Apr 4, 2026 · 10:32
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…
Mar 21, 2026 · 12:24
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…
Mar 7, 2026 · 18:42
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…
Feb 21, 2026 · 6:56
Unlocked bonus episode: A very brief intro to the history and focus of Old English prose. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Feb 7, 2026 · 23:10
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…
Jan 24, 2026 · 16:13
We look at Canute's wider realm encompassing Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Dublin. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Jan 10, 2026 · 55:24
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…
Dec 27, 2025 · 12:05
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:…
Dec 13, 2025 · 24:40
Canute's reign profoundly transformed England and set the stage for the final decades of Anglo-Saxon rule. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Nov 29, 2025 · 8:40
We introduce Canute, one of Anglo-Saxon England's most successful and powerful rulers. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Nov 15, 2025 · 8:13
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%8…
Nov 1, 2025 · 8:45
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%8Dd…
Oct 18, 2025 · 14:17
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…
Oct 4, 2025 · 18:07
We continue our look at Æthelred’s reign at its peak: 993 to 1006. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Sep 20, 2025 · 20:00
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…
Sep 6, 2025 · 12:47
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…
Aug 23, 2025 · 18:03
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…
Aug 9, 2025 · 18:41
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…
Jul 26, 2025 · 20:15
We wrap up our look at possibly the greatest of all Anglo-Saxon monarchs. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Jul 12, 2025 · 41:16
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…
Jun 28, 2025 · 13:20
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…
Jun 14, 2025 · 15:52
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…
May 31, 2025 · 13:24
The Benedictine reforms in England were, in the traditional narrative, spearheaded by three key ecclesiastics: Dunstan, Æthelwold, and Oswald. The exact relationship of these…
May 17, 2025 · 11:15
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…
Apr 26, 2025 · 17:41
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…
Apr 5, 2025 · 9:13
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…
Mar 22, 2025 · 18:00
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…
Mar 8, 2025 · 14:03
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…
Feb 22, 2025 · 17:33
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…
Feb 7, 2025 · 9:30
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…
Jan 25, 2025 · 15:03
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…
Jan 11, 2025 · 13:48
We look at the second half of Æthelstan's reign from its peak to its complex end. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Dec 7, 2024 · 15:12
The story of Æthelstan from his debated birth to his becoming the first King of England. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Nov 23, 2024 · 17:23
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…
Nov 2, 2024 · 14:09
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…
Oct 19, 2024 · 8:21
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…
Oct 5, 2024 · 12:08
We look back on the achievements of King Alfred and ask: how do we define someone as 'great'? Credits – Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening…
Sep 21, 2024 · 15:35
One day, when he was a boy, the future Alfred the Great, along with his brothers, was pulled aside by his mother, Osburh. She showed them a book filled with English poetry and…
Aug 31, 2024 · 9:38
In addition to his military and political achievements, King Alfred also undertook an ambitious plan for intellectual revival meant to restore learning and piety to his new…
Aug 17, 2024 · 19:04
Although he had no way of knowing it, in 878 Alfred secured for Wessex over a decade of peace from Viking attack. In that time, Alfred would set about remaking his kingdom so…
Aug 3, 2024 · 13:37
As discussed in the previous episode, the Viking invasion of England can be roughly divided into two phases, that which occurred prior to the arrival of the Great Summer Army in…
Jul 19, 2024 · 10:38
The Great Heathen Army that devastated England in the 860s and 870s was, tradition claims, spear-headed by three of the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok. As discussed last time, legend…
Jul 6, 2024 · 14:51
Viking activity in England evolved over time. What began as small-scale raids on vulnerable monasteries gradually evolved into attacks on key trading settlements and, ultimately,…
Jun 22, 2024 · 8:44
The Viking looms large over the early medieval period as a whole, despite only erupting onto the scene in the late eighth century, several centuries after the period is usually…
Jun 8, 2024 · 11:27
After just under 70 episodes, we come to a point that I have always imagined as the dividing line in this series: the Norse invasions. What is coming is a huge undertaking, so I…
May 25, 2024 · 10:33
Surrey, much like Hwicce and Lindsey, has a history that can only be told by looking askance at sources. What emerges, though, is a frontier kingdom that was often subject to the…
May 10, 2024 · 8:44
Everything, Everywhere Daily talks about the Dark Ages and whether they really were all that dark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy…
May 8, 2024 · 12:41
The great professor of Anglo-Saxon history, Simon Keynes, once called Lindsey a ‘kingdom without a history’. This is because there is no written evidence from the kingdom itself…
Apr 26, 2024 · 16:59
This episode we will be looking at one of the most elusive of the small kingdoms which proliferated in early Anglo-Saxon England. The Hwicce were located mainly in what is today…
Apr 4, 2024 · 16:06
With the death of Sighere in 688, Essex’s tendency for pagan reaction came to an end. This did not mean that the kingdom was left in peace, however. Credits – Music: 'Wælheall'…
Mar 20, 2024 · 17:41
The kingdom of the East Saxons was one of the mid-sized early Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and the last in our survey of the construct made by later historians called the ‘Heptarchy’. A…
Mar 1, 2024 · 12:41
Following Cædwalla’s death in 688 Sussex seemingly did not regain its independence. As with the early history of Sussex, the kingdom’s history post-688 is again one of long…
Feb 10, 2024 · 9:52
Last time I discussed the origin myth of Sussex and how this compares to the archaeological record for early Saxon presence in the southeast of England. According to legend, the…
Jan 24, 2024 · 12:10
Let us turn south from East Anglia and head back towards the English Channel. Down here, to the southwest of Kent, lies the region of Sussex. Among the oldest Anglo-Saxon…
Dec 27, 2023 · 15:12
In 869, when the Norse killed Edmund, East Anglia was left prostrate before them. Later legend tells us that they had demanded Edmund yield half of his kingdom to them, a demand…
Dec 15, 2023 · 14:11
(Apologies that this episode is a bit late. I recently started a new job and have been forced to rework my recording schedule. Going forward the episodes will be back to their…
Nov 29, 2023 · 7:39
Following the execution of Æthelberht II, Offa did in East Anglia what he had already done to the Hwicce: he assumed direct control. Thus began a period of Merican control in…
Nov 16, 2023 · 11:46
Following the fall of the Wuffingas dynasty in 749, East Anglia entered a period of political uncertainty. Such uncertainty often breeds instability, but in the case of East…
Nov 1, 2023 · 12:35
The rule of the Wuffingas dynasty in East Anglia came to an end in 749. Despite this, though, the end of the Wuffingas’ monopoly on power was not characterized by disruption or…
Oct 18, 2023 · 8:50
Following Anna’s death at the hands of Mercian invaders in 653, East Anglia was left entirely at the mercy of King Penda and his forces. Having been put on the back foot by the…
Oct 4, 2023 · 15:31
Following Penda’s attack in 635, East Anglia became a pawn in the emerging cold war between Mercia and Northumbria. Keen to check the growing power of the midland kingdom, Oswald…
Sep 20, 2023 · 13:54
A common feature of early Anglo-Saxon history, at least as presented by Bede, is what is called ‘pagan reaction’. Since Bede was writing an ecclesiastical history, that is a…
Aug 30, 2023 · 25:49
The burial at Sutton Hoo is one of the enduring symbols of Anglo-Saxon England, but who is the man that is often said to be buried there? In this episode we take a look at the…
Aug 16, 2023 · 18:41
Of all the early Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, East Anglia has probably the richest legendary history. While the historicity of this history is of course questionable, I believe that it…
Aug 2, 2023 · 12:06
East Anglian history poses a particular problem for historians of Anglo-Saxon England. The Kingdom of East Anglia was one of just four kingdoms still in existence when the Great…
Jul 19, 2023 · 17:36
With Kent wrapped up, and while I’m working on the next part of the podcast, I wanted to do another patron request episode. I have been asked to talk a bit about good books and…
Jul 5, 2023 · 7:21
The history of Kent as a kingdom ends in the year 825. In one sense it was the result of Mercia's destruction of its native dynasty, but in another it saw the return of a…
Jun 21, 2023 · 13:27
Following the death of Wihtred Kent entered a period of instability which left it open to the expanding ambitions of Mercia. What followed was almost 50 years of on and off…
Jun 7, 2023 · 16:23
King Wihtred, the king who restored Kentish independence, had a long but largely mysterious reign. However from what survives we can tell that his rule marked a final restoration…
May 24, 2023 · 11:53
The late 680s in Kent are another of those periods that have become quite familiar to us in our study so far: a period of upheaval following on the heels of war. In this case,…
May 10, 2023 · 13:31
After the death of Ecgberth in 673, the throne of Kent passed to his younger brother Hlothhere. There is some debate as to whether Hlothhere succeeded Ecgberht immediately or…
Apr 26, 2023 · 17:40
With the death of Eadbald, we find ourselves square in the middle of a complicate textual history regarding the foundation legend of the monastery of Minster-in-Thanet. The…
Apr 12, 2023 · 14:49
Despite Æthelberht’s official adoption of the new Christian creed, he seems to have been largely unsuccessful in promoting it among his courtiers. His own son, Eadbald, refused…
Mar 29, 2023 · 20:42
Any list of the most consequential Anglo-Saxons would need to include King Æthelberht of Kent. As the king who welcomed the Augustinian Mission in 597 and gave them his…
Mar 15, 2023 · 13:41
Kent consists of a small spur sticking out of the south-eastern tip of England. To its north lies the mouth of the River Thames and to its south it the English Channel. As the…
Mar 1, 2023 · 19:39
As historians we thrive on the material culture of the past. You don’t need to be an historical materialist to recognize that without material culture our understanding of…
Feb 15, 2023 · 17:27
The period of West Saxon consolidation under Ine had major implications not just for Wessex but for peoples elsewhere in Britain and even on the Continent. One man who embodies…
Feb 1, 2023 · 18:54
Michael Lapidge called Aldhelm the first English ‘man of letters’ on account of his vast learning. Bede said of him that he was ‘most learned in every respect’ and that he was…
Jan 18, 2023 · 25:15
It’s probably no exaggeration to say the Alfred the Great is one of the most, if not the most, famous Anglo-Saxon of them all. The only British monarch given the epithet ‘the…
Jan 4, 2023 · 24:24
Æthelwulf’s will attests to his desire that upon his death Wessex would pass into the hands of his sons. This desire was fulfilled when his eldest surviving son Æthelbald became…
Dec 21, 2022 · 21:18
Æthelwulf, father of Alfred the Great, was perhaps the most innovative king Wessex had seen since the reign of Ine. Although he would dedicate much of his reign to securing the…
Dec 7, 2022 · 22:12
In 786 King Cynewulf was murdered throwing Wessex into disorder. In the midst of the feuding that followed King Offa of Mercia moved in to secure the West Saxons’ passivity by…
Nov 23, 2022 · 18:51
Following Ine’s abdication in 726, the rest of the eighth century was a time of uncertainty for Wessex. It is a period that is not well served by the primary evidence, and we…
Nov 9, 2022 · 41:57
In this episode I interview author and historical reenactor John Fletcher about his book 'The Western Kingdom: The Birth of Cornwall'. It's an accessible and fascinating history…
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