The Danelaw (Or, How to Gain on Your Neighbors While Claiming to Protect Them)
Alfred’s victory at Edington gave him a unique position. He was quite a success on the battlefield, and he had routed the seemingly invincible...
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...
The Dooms of King Ine
King Ine of Wessex was a strong and popular king. He reigned for many years as the strongman of southern England. He is most...
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,”...
Glastonbury: More Christian “Borrowing”
The abbey at Glastonbury and the inclusion of the Tor as a whole into the Arthurian tradition is yet another example of the Christian...
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...
Offa a Muslim? What Does This Question Really Tell Us?
It has been suggested that King Offa of Mercia, he who held sway for 40 years and had built the huge Offa’s Dyke to keep...
The Lindisfarne Gospels: A 7th-Century Thing of Beauty
The world of Anglo-Saxon England was often terrible and violent. People died in the blink of an eye, as the result of a mysterious...
Coenwulf: Mercian Overlord and Tyrant
Following Offa on the throne of Mercia was Coenwulf, who succeeded the great king in name and deed. He was indeed an overlord, much...
Bronze Age Surgery Evidence Found in Thames
You never know what you’re going to find when you fish stuff out of the Thames. The latest stunning discovery is evidence of brain...