Northumbria: Battleground of Christianity
An undercurrent running through all of this talk of Christianity and conversions is the two forces at work Christianizing the Island: Celtic and Roman.
Pope...
Aethelwulf: Worthy Successor?
Following in the difficult footsteps of Egbert, first-ever king of all England, was Aethelwulf, Egbert’s son, who took the throne of Wessex in 839....
The Arthurian saga: fairy tale, folktale, mystery, morality play
I think the Arthurian story still fascinates so many people because it has all the good elements of a fairy tale, a folktale, a...
The Significance of the Hill-Fort: Economic
We have seen earlier how the hill-forts of ancient Britain provided the military chieftains of the time with excellent defensive and reconnaissance capabilities. Now,...
A True Miracle? Maybe Only in the Telling
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle has a curious entry for 797:
This year the Romans cut out the tongue of Pope Leo, put out his eyes, and...
The Beginning of the Dane-Norse Invasions
It has been mentioned that the first Viking raiders appeared on the shores of Britannia in 787. Now whether this is really the date...
Offa’s Dyke: Moving Earth and Earth
Along about 784, Offa, King of Mercia, decided that he had had enough of the Celtic invasions from Wales. Cant really blame him, really....
What the Romans Left Behind: Arthur?
Was Arthur a Roman? It is certainly one of the most vexing questions simply because it can be easily and pleasantly answered both yes...
Far-sighted Romans, Short-sighted Britons
In the second and third centuries, Roman Empire trade with Britannia was increasingly ravaged by seaborne pirates the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, all of...
Glastonbury Abbey: Christian Beginnings in Wessex
The name Glastonbury is associated with the Arthurian tradition in several ways. Most famously, Glastonbury is said to have been Avalon, the “apple isle,”...