The British History Podcast

Duke William was experienced at wielding terror. Whether he was at home or on campaign, William often employed terror tactics. The people of France were well aware of this, and now the English were learning his skill first hand.

It was autumn of 1066 and after weeks of deliberation, political wrangling, and arguing the English nobility had finally selected their next King. This may seem like a long time, considering there was a whole invasion happening at the time. And it was. But, to be fair, the politics were very confusing.

The Battle of Hastings had been brutal - even for the Normans. The invading army had suffered terrible losses.

Here is how you probably heard the story of the Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror boarded a ship, won a battle at Hastings, and was crowned King. Kingdom. Conqueror. Conquered.

Chaos. The orderly rhythm of attacks… and the steady wall of the war hedge had dissolved, and it was replaced by a raging melee.

A New Shoptalk Just Dropped

The King is dead. 

Stamford Bridge had been a nightmare.  Thousands of dead… untold numbers of wounded. And the fallout was just beginning. All over Britain, all over Europe, families would slowly be learning the fate of their loved ones. Word was spreading across England and up to Orkney. Out to Flanders, and Norway.

King Harold, his Huscarls, and the fyrd of Wessex were driving north as fast as they could.

The shores of Saint Valery must have been quite the sight. Looking at the records, which discuss the size of this fleet and other notes that let us estimate the size of the original fleet launched from the River Dives, and comparing those to the records of the fleet following it’s mooring at Saint Valery…historians estimate William lost somewhere in the region of 100 ships. Some were shipwrecked....

We left off in the Court of Harald Hardrada. And you probably feel like you know a lot about this man by now.

War was coming.  That much was clear.

William had secured his promises. Each Baron and lesser noble of Normandy swore to serve him faithfully and take part the invasion of England. And William made sure the nerds wrote every single oath down on paper.

Dear Harry, I was saddened to hear of King Edward’s death. but, I am writing to inform you that my beloved cousin promised me the throne a while back. Don’t worry if this is news to you, it was a secret so I understand if you are a little surprised.

Edward was dead. Harold was King. Edith was sidelined. And as far as the Vita Edwardii was concerned, this was the moment where the wheels came completely off the wagon.

Christmas of 1065 would have been a grim affair. And as 1066 approached, the Court was likely consumed with anxiety. The King was childless and the throne was being eyed from all sides by foriegn dynasties and, according to sources like William of Poitiers, the King had been terribly ill for quite some time. Poitiers tells us that this illness had become so severe in 1063 that the King had made pr...

A 14th century monk

It was 1065. And King Edward was falling ever more ill.

Well, their King had been assassinated and their lands were carved up between rival nobles who were subservient to England.

Up in the hills of Snowdonia, pinned between the sea and the English midlands, King Gruffydd fought against the invading forces of the Godwinsons.  And he was giving the English such a hard time that even  the Life of King Edward admits it in the record.

Earl AElfgar and his alliance with King Gruffydd of Wales was likely the one true barrier that stood between Harold Godwinson and the throne of England.

On the year 1059, there is an enigmatic entry in the Welsh Chronicle.

Water, and the ability to control water ways, was an important aspect in the Welsh imagination. In fact, the importance of Welsh power on the seas even appears in the Mabinogion.

Things are moving quickly in our story, now. Pieces are moving into place, and the board is shifting rapidly. Thanks to the benefit of hindsight, we can see where this is going and see how these events are leading to a calamity in just a few years.

For the first time in a long time, Wales was experiencing a time of internal peace, thanks in large part to its unification under King Gruffydd.