Stamford Bridge: The Final End of the Viking Threat
Harald Hardrada, the King of Norway, and the two were itching for a fight, with an eye toward gaining the throne of England. The...
Hoarding: A Bronze Age Conundrum
The Agricultural Revolution was already a century old when the Bronze Age began. Bronze tools helped further farming efforts. Remains of agriculture implements and...
Patrick and Columba: The Beginnings of Celtic Christianity
The names of Patrick and Columba are giants in the study of the spread of Christianity in Britain.
Patrick it was who came to Ireland...
A King Is Burnt to Death: What Caused It?
A curious entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle from 687 spurs this question: When is a king not in charge of his kingdom?
The entry in...
Danegeld: Another Word for Blackmail
One term used throughout the years of the Viking settlements in Britannia was the Danegeld. This meant any payment made to the Danes (or...
Vikings: Mobile Fighting Machines
One thing the Vikings did seemingly better than the Saxons was fight on the run. By this is meant that the Vikings (and Norsemen)...
Harold and the Beginning of the End
With the accomplishments and death of Edward the Confessor, the final piece of the puzzle that is the Norman Conquest is now ready to...
Harald Harefoot and Hardacanute: The End of the Danish Line
By the time that Canute died, the people of England were tired. They were tired of fighting. They were tired of conquest. They were...
Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People
The Venerable Bede, noted scholar at the Jarrow monastery in Northumbria, was the most learned man of his time. His knowledge of the world...
The Weapons of War in Anglo-Saxon England
War was a way of life to the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes who invaded and settled in Britain. They were fleeing the encroaching Romans,...