Fortune's Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story

SEASON 2: Here Come the Normans! EPISODE 20: Tancred the Fertile Season 2 begins! We head south to Normandy, where a new power is rising. In  Here Comes the Normans , we follow a hungry, ambitious family as they launch a conquest-fueled saga across medieval Europe. Wealth, land, legacy—it all begins here. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history...

In the final episode of our medieval horror series, we travel to the haunted borderlands between the Holy Roman Empire and the Slavic frontier—where even death couldn’t stop the fight. Based on Bishop Thietmar’s chilling account (with a creative twist), this ghost story is perfect for Halloween! ⚠️  Content warning: Contains graphic and unsettling material. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in...

Zombies aren’t new—not by a long shot. Long before modern horror, medieval Europe harbored its own tales of the restless dead: rotting, cursed, and hungry for the living. In this episode, we explore how the undead haunted the medieval imagination… centuries before Hollywood caught up. ⚠️  Content warning: Includes disturbing themes not suited for younger or sensitive listeners. No More Paywalls! H...

What can a 12th-century English monk teach us about ghosts? That they’re real—and part of everyday life. In this episode, we explore chilling medieval accounts where the spiritual and secular worlds collide, and the dead are never too far from the living. ⚠️  Content warning: Some spooky material may not be for the faint of heart. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – br...

Welcome to the darker corners of the Middle Ages. In this special series, we explore the myths, fears, and supernatural forces that haunted medieval minds. Today’s tale takes us to the frozen north, where winter nights brought more than cold—some believed they brought the dead, riding with Odin’s ghostly host. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared his...

SEASON 2: Here Come the Normans! EPISODE 15: Normandy Stirs Normandy has been dismissed, mocked, and underestimated—until now. In this episode, we explore how Robert of Normandy steps out of the long shadow of his Viking past to demand respect among the great powers of Europe. The age of Norman hesitation is over. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared...

SEASON 1: The Danish Conquest of England EPISODE 14: Emma of England...Again Emma of Normandy doesn’t break—she adapts. In this episode, we watch her become queen  again , this time to a Danish conqueror ruling the same kingdom her late husband once did. She is power in motion—always forward, always surviving. Keep your eye on Emma. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here –...

SEASON 1: The Danish Conquest of England EPISODE 13: Emma of England Emma of Normandy steps onto the English throne—and into the storm. In this episode, we follow her journey from duke’s sister to queen consort of a fractured kingdom, watching the chaos of the 1000s and 1010s unfold through her sharp and steady eyes. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our sha...

SEASON 1: The Danish Conquest of England EPISODE 12: Emma of Normandy We rewind to the chaotic year of 1002 to meet a teenage girl thrown into the storm of Aethelred’s England—Emma of Normandy. In this episode, we begin the story of one of the most extraordinary women of the Middle Ages… a queen who outlasted kings, chaos, and conquest. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening her...

SEASON 1: The Danish Conquest of England EPISODE 11: Cnut (Not Quite) the Great Edmund Ironside is dead. Long live King Cnut. In this episode, we witness the brutal, brilliant rise of England’s new ruler—a man who once mutilated his enemies but now shows surprising skill as king. It’s the start of something unexpected… and maybe even beautiful. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happe...

SEASON 1: The Danish Conquest of England EPISODE 10: Because Aethelred Aethelred gets a second chance to rule—so naturally, he does the most  Aethelred  thing possible: he listens to Eadric Streona. Again. In this episode, we explore the tragically on-brand decisions of England’s least-ready king and the chaos that follows. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing...

SEASON 1: The Danish Conquest of England EPISODE 9: A Snake in the Grass Meet Eadric Streona—the ultimate medieval backstabber. In this episode, we dive into the life of the man known as Aethelred II’s treacherous right hand… and one of the most reviled figures in English history. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, f...

SEASON 1: The Danish Conquest of England EPISODE 8: Sermo Lupi ad Anglos As Vikings tighten their grip on England, one fiery voice rises from the chaos—Wulfstan, Archbishop of York. In this episode, we unpack his legendary sermon, a rare Anglo-Saxon document that blames England’s collapse not just on the Danes... but on the English themselves. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happen...

I'd like offer a little mid-week BONUS episode! What's it about? Well, it's a BONUS episode, so I guess you're just going to have to download and listen. Seriously, I'm really excited about this one as it just ties so much..."background information"...into our larger narrative so far. As always, please continue to Download (and Subscribe) on your favorite podcast app or site, such as Apple Podcast...

SEASON 1: The Danish Conquest of England Miniseries: 11th Century Ireland EPISODE 6: Imparator Scottorum Brian Boru’s story comes to a close—but not quietly. In this episode, we follow Ireland’s legendary High King to his final stand and ask a deeper question: What does true revolution look like in the medieval world? No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our sh...

SEASON 1: The Danish Conquest of England Miniseries: 11th Century Ireland EPISODE 5: The Rise of Brian Boru Vikings came to Ireland—but the real drama was already there. In this episode, we explore how Norse traders reshaped the coasts while the Irish clashed endlessly inland. Enter Brian Boru, the rising warlord who aimed for nothing less than the High Kingship of all Ireland… Vikings included. N...

SEASON 1 : The Danish Conquest of England Standalone: Viking Exploration EPISODE 4: Off the Map While England thrashes in chaos, we head west—aboard Viking longships. In this episode, we explore how Norse explorers settled Iceland and Greenland, and how Leif Eriksson reached the New World centuries before Columbus. Meet legends like Erik the Red and discover the wild, windswept edge of medieval hi...

SEASON 1 : The Danish Conquest of England EPISODE 3: A Storm In Every Port Between 991 and 1012, England enters a slow-burning crisis. As King Aethelred II fights to hold his throne and Sweyn Forkbeard presses his claim from across the sea, the stage is set for a clash that will upend the Anglo-Saxon world. We explore the military, political, and personal threads that define this era—including the...

SEASON 1 : The Danish Conquest of England EPISODE 2: The Battle of Maldon, 991 It’s 991 in the marshes of Maldon. Ealdorman Byrhtnoth faces a brutal Viking force—likely led by the future king of Norway, Olaf Tryggvason—gathered on Northey Island. Undermanned but undeterred, Byrhtnoth has a plan. A brilliant one. But will it be enough to drive the raiders back into the sea? No More Paywalls! How? I...

SEASON 1: The Danish Conquest of England EPISODE 1: The Saxon & the Viking In 991, as Vikings ravage Europe and empires clash from Iberia to Anatolia, a band of Norse raiders land on England’s southeastern coast. In a small Essex village near the North Sea, one Saxon noble rallies his countrymen for a battle that—quietly but profoundly—shifts the course of English and Western history. No More...

THANK YOU so much for joining us! Let this stand as a re-booted introductory episode for the podcast! No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee ! With opportu...