The History of England: Kings, Empires, and the Birth of Britain — Fexingo History

Epizódok

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  The Black Death's First Stroke: England 1348 20.08.2026 7p

  In 1348, the bubonic plague arrived in England through the port of Melcombe Regis. Within two years, it had killed perhaps half the population. This episode follows the path of the pestilence from its first suspected case in Dorset to the mass graves of London, and asks what it actually did to the people who lived through it. Lucas and Luna examine the accounts of chroniclers like Henry Knighton and Thomas Brinton, the desperate measures of towns and bishops, and the stark numbers recorded in manorial rolls. They discuss how the plague reshaped the countryside, loosened the bonds of serfdom, and opened the door to the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. But they also pause over the human texture of the catastrophe: the flagellants, the scapegoating of Jews, the abandonment of the sick, and the strange resilience that followed. This isn't just a story of death counts — it's about how a society coped when its certainties collapsed, and how the survivors rebuilt a different England. #BlackDeath #BubonicPlague #1348 #MedievalEngland #Plague #HenryKnighton #ThomasBrinton #MelcombeRegis #PeasantsRevolt #Serfdom #Flagellants #Jews #MassGraves #ManorialRolls #Epidemic #FexingoHistory #History #Medieval Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Reeve's Tale: Justice and Corruption in Medieval England 19.08.2026 11p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna step away from kings and battles to explore the everyday world of the medieval English reeve — the man who ran the manor and collected the lord's dues. Through the lens of Chaucer's 'Reeve's Tale' and real records like the Pipe Rolls and manorial court rolls, they uncover how reeves balanced duty and self-interest, how they were audited, and how corruption was punished. The conversation touches on the Statute of Laborers, the famous case of the reeve of Cuxham, and the broader system of manorial justice. Along the way, they discuss the roots of the word 'reeve', the Sheriff's role, and how these local officials shaped English law and administration. It's a fresh look at the people who made the medieval system work — and sometimes break it. #Reeve #Manorialism #MedievalEngland #Chaucer #ReevesTale #PipeRolls #ManorialCourts #StatuteOfLaborers #Cuxham #Sheriff #MedievalJustice #Feudalism #EnglishHistory #MedievalLaw #LocalGovernment #History #FexingoHistory #MedievalLife Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Royal Wardrobe: Cloth, Status, and Power in Medieval England 18.08.2026 8p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the surprisingly political world of medieval English clothing. From the sumptuary laws that tried to freeze social rank in cloth, to the economics of the wool trade that made England rich, to the Great Wardrobe that dressed kings and armies alike, they uncover how a simple garment could signal loyalty, rebellion, or ruin. Along the way they meet Edward III, who made English wool the backbone of royal finance, and the Flemish weavers who brought their looms to Norfolk. They also consider what medieval people actually wore — linen, wool, fur, and the occasional daring fashion statement — and how kings used cloth as a tool of patronage and control. It's a story of luxury, labor, and the threads that held a kingdom together. #MedievalEngland #RoyalWardrobe #SumptuaryLaws #WoolTrade #EdwardIII #GreatWardrobe #FashionHistory #ClothAndPower #MedievalEconomy #EnglishHistory #FlemishWeavers #LiveryAndMaintenance #MedievalTextiles #HistoryOfFashion #Plantagenet #1348Ordinance #WoolAndFinance #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Great Famine of 1315: When England's Sky Fell 17.08.2026 7p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Great Famine of 1315-1317, a catastrophic climate event that struck England and northern Europe, killing millions and shaking the foundations of medieval society. They trace how relentless rain and cold ruined harvests for three years, leading to soaring grain prices, mass starvation, and even reports of cannibalism. The hosts examine the science behind the famine, including volcanic eruptions that may have caused the 'Little Ice Age' weather, and how contemporaries like chronicler Johannes de Trokelowe described the horror. They discuss the social and political fallout: the reign of Edward II, already plagued by conflict with his barons, faced riots, food riots, and a rise in crime. The episode also touches on attempts to control prices and the long-term effects, including a shift in agricultural practices and a precursor to the more famous Black Death. Through vivid details—like the haunting image of a father eating his own child, or the official records of parish grain shortages—Lucas and Luna bring this forgotten catastrophe to life, showing how a single climate shock could unravel a kingdom. #GreatFamine #1315 #MedievalEngland #EdwardII #ClimateHistory #LittleIceAge #JohannesDeTrokelowe #HarvestFailure #VolcanicWinter #FoodShortage #MedievalWeather #EnglishHistory #Famine #CropFailure #HistoryPodcast #MedievalEurope #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Domesday Book: William's Great Survey 16.08.2026 7p

  In 1085, William the Conqueror commissioned a survey so thorough that his own subjects compared it to the Last Judgment. The Domesday Book recorded over thirteen thousand settlements, every manor, every ox, every acre of England. But why did he do it? How did a kingdom recovering from conquest and rebellion submit to such an audit? And what can the dry columns of parchment tell us about ordinary lives—women, slaves, towns, and the brutal logic of the new Norman order? Lucas and Luna dig into the origins of the survey at Gloucester, the circuits of royal commissioners, the Anglo-Saxon geld system that made it possible, and the human cost behind the neat entries. They explore what the book was for, what it left out, and how it became the most complete snapshot of any medieval kingdom. From Little Domesday to the Exeter Domesday, from the devastation of the Harrying of the North to the thriving port of London, this episode is a map of England in 1086—and a portrait of a king who wanted to know everything. #DomesdayBook #WilliamTheConqueror #1086 #NormanEngland #MedievalHistory #GreatSurvey #HarryingOfTheNorth #LittleDomesday #ExeterDomesday #AngloSaxonEngland #Geld #SuttonHoo #EnglishHistory #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #MedievalEurope #NormanConquest #KingsAndEmpires Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Tower of London: Fortress, Palace, and Prison 15.08.2026 8p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna step inside one of England's most storied buildings: the Tower of London. From its beginnings as William the Conqueror's wooden fortification in the 1060s to its role as a royal palace, menagerie, and prison, they trace how the Tower became a symbol of Norman power and later a stage for some of history's most dramatic moments. They discuss the building of the White Tower, its use by Henry III to house his royal menagerie, and the stories of prisoners like Ranulf Flambard, who escaped in 1101 using a rope smuggled in a wine cask, and Sir Thomas More, who was held there before his execution in 1535. The episode also explores the Tower's infamous reputation during the Wars of the Roses, including the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower, and touches on the legend of the ravens. Throughout, Lucas and Luna consider how this single structure evolved from a statement of conquest to a theater of power, punishment, and myth. #TowerOfLondon #WhiteTower #WilliamTheConqueror #HenryIII #RanulfFlambard #ThomasMore #PrincesInTheTower #MedievalEngland #NormanConquest #RoyalMenagerie #Ravens #WarsOfTheRoses #EnglishHistory #BritishHistory #Fortress #Prison #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Great Seal: England's Medieval Identity Machine 14.08.2026 8p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the medieval Great Seal of England — the wax impression that made royal authority tangible. They trace its origins from Edward the Confessor through the Norman Conquest, showing how William the Conqueror and his successors used the seal to project power. The conversation covers the two-sided design: the king enthroned on one side, mounted on the other. They discuss the role of the Chancellor, who guarded the seal and became one of the most powerful officials in the realm. Lucas explains how the seal was used to authenticate charters, writs, and treaties, and how forgery was a serious crime — punishable by mutilation or worse. They touch on Thomas Becket's time as Chancellor, when he held the seal under Henry II, and the dramatic moments when kings lost or broke their seals, like King John and Henry III. The episode also reveals the practical side: the dies, the wax, the cords, and the 'great' seal versus the 'privy' seal. Luna asks how a piece of wax could carry such weight, and Lucas connects it to modern signatures and digital identities. By the end, listeners understand how a single object held the English state together for centuries. #GreatSeal #MedievalEngland #RoyalSeal #Chancellor #ThomasBecket #WilliamConqueror #HenryII #KingJohn #HenryIII #SealHistory #Charters #WaxSeal #MedievalDiplomacy #Monarchy #BritishHistory #History #FexingoHistory #MedievalEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Royal Forests: Kings, Poachers, and the Greenwood 13.08.2026 7p

  In this episode of The History of England, Lucas and Luna step off the beaten track and into the royal forests — the vast, legally protected woodlands that William the Conqueror and his heirs used for hunting and, just as importantly, for power. We meet the forest law, a harsh and separate jurisdiction that punished ordinary folk for taking a deer or cutting a tree, and the officials who enforced it: the wardens, the regarders, the verderers, and the justices of the forest. We hear how the Norman kings created a 'new forest' out of whole villages, why Henry II's forest eyres were so hated, and how the Forest Charter of 1217 — the sister document to Magna Carta — finally loosened the king's grip. Along the way we'll encounter legendary outlaws like Robin Hood, historical poachers who really existed, and the curious legal terms like regard, agistment, and assart. By the end, you'll see the greenwood not as a romantic backdrop but as a stage where medieval England's deepest tensions between crown and commoner played out. #RoyalForests #ForestLaw #WilliamTheConqueror #HenryII #ForestCharter #MagnaCarta #RobinHood #Poaching #MedievalEngland #NormanEngland #Plantagenet #ForestEyre #NewForest #Verderer #Greenwood #History #FexingoHistory #England Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Royal Mint: How England's Coins Were Made and Counterfeited 12.08.2026 9p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the world of medieval English coinage, from the reign of Henry II to the thirteenth century. They discuss the role of the moneyer, the technology of hand-struck coins, the Exchequer's control over the currency, and the brutal punishments for counterfeiting. Along the way, they touch on the Trial of the Pyx, the sterling standard, and the royal mint at London. The conversation also covers the practicalities of everyday transactions and the surprising extent of coin forgery in medieval England. A light-hearted aside about listener support keeps the mood warm as they delve into a topic that shaped the economy and the crown's authority. #RoyalMint #MedievalCoinage #Sterling #HenryII #Exchequer #Moneyer #TheTrialOfThePyx #Counterfeiting #HistoryOfMoney #MedievalEngland #Numismatics #LondonTower #Mint #CoinClipping #12thCentury #13thCentury #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Magna Carta's Aftermath: The Charter's First Years 11.08.2026 6p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the turbulent first years after King John sealed Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215. They trace how the charter was annulled by the pope within weeks, plunging England into civil war, and how it was resurrected and revised after John's death. Through the eyes of William Marshal, regent for the boy-king Henry III, they follow the reissue of 1216, the modified charter of 1217, and the famous 1225 version that became law. Along the way, they meet the archbishop Stephen Langton, hear the story of the Charter of the Forest, and uncover how a failed peace treaty morphed into a cornerstone of constitutional history. #MagnaCarta #Runnymede #KingJohn #HenryIII #WilliamMarshal #StephenLangton #CharterOfTheForest #1215 #1216 #1217 #1225 #EnglishConstitution #MedievalEngland #Angevin #Barons #CivilWar #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Angevin Empire's Greatest Treasure: The Royal Treasury at Westminster 10.08.2026 8p

  When Henry II inherited the English throne in 1154, he also inherited a kingdom drained by civil war and a crown that was nearly bankrupt. Yet within a decade, the Angevin kings had built the most sophisticated financial administration in medieval Europe, centered on the Exchequer at Westminster. This episode follows the rise of the Exchequer from its Anglo-Saxon and Norman roots through the reforms of Henry II, the innovations of Richard I and John, and the creation of the Pipe Rolls — the continuous financial records that still survive today. We meet the Treasurer, the Chancellor, and the barons of the Exchequer, explore the famous chequered cloth that gave the court its name, and follow the money through the great campaigns of the Angevin Empire, from the Crusades to the loss of Normandy. Along the way, we uncover how the Exchequer's methods — from auditors to tallies — shaped the very concept of government, and how the same institutions that financed Richard the Lionheart's ransom also funded the Magna Carta. This is the story of how England learned to count, and how counting made England. #Exchequer #HenryII #PipeRolls #Westminster #MedievalFinance #Angevin #RichardI #KingJohn #Treasury #RoyalFinance #Domesday #NormanEngland #12thCentury #13thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #England #Medieval Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Angevin Empire Collapse: King John and Bouvines 1214 09.08.2026 6p

  In 1214, King John of England faced a crisis that would define his reign and reshape the English monarchy. His grand continental strategy — a two-pronged attack on Philip Augustus of France — collapsed at the Battle of Bouvines in Flanders. With his allies routed and his own campaign in Poitou stalling, John returned to England to face rebellious barons, leading directly to Magna Carta the following year. This episode explores the build-up to Bouvines, the key players — including Emperor Otto IV, Renaud de Dammartin, and William des Roches — and the battle's aftermath, which not only ended John's hopes of reclaiming his Angevin inheritance but also strengthened the French crown and fueled tensions in England. We also consider how this battlefield defeat, so far from London, had profound constitutional consequences, setting the stage for the charter that would limit royal power. Join us as we untangle the politics, personalities, and pivotal moments that made 1214 a turning point in English history. #BattleOfBouvines #KingJohn #PhilipAugustus #AngevinEmpire #MagnaCarta #OttoIV #RenaudDeDammartin #WilliamDesRoches #MedievalWarfare #13thCentury #EnglishHistory #FrenchHistory #Flanders #Poitou #Capetian #Plantagenet #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Canterbury Tales: Chaucer's England on the Road 08.08.2026 10p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the world Geoffrey Chaucer captured in The Canterbury Tales — the pilgrims, the roads, and the society they rode through. They discuss the Tabard Inn, the shrine of Thomas Becket, and the pilgrimage route to Canterbury. They dig into the tales themselves: the Knight's chivalric romance, the Miller's bawdy fabliau, the Wife of Bath's bold prologue, and the Pardoner's cynical confession. They look at how Chaucer drew from Boccaccio's Decameron and French courtly romance, and how his English — the London dialect of the late fourteenth century — helped shape the literary language. They also talk about the real roads, the pilgrim traffic, the inns, and the dangers and delights of the journey. Along the way, they touch on the social tensions of the time: the rise of the middle class, the corruption of the church, and the stirrings of a new sense of English identity after the Black Death. The episode ends with a quiet reflection on what Chaucer's unfinished masterpiece still says about the human comedy. #GeoffreyChaucer #CanterburyTales #Pilgrimage #MiddleEnglish #TabardInn #ThomasBecket #WifeOfBath #KnightTale #MillerTale #PardonerTale #Boccaccio #London #14thCentury #MedievalEngland #EnglishLiterature #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Anarchy's Other Queen: Matilda's Escape from Oxford 07.08.2026 7p

  In 1142, England was tearing itself apart in a civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. Stephen had Matilda trapped in Oxford Castle, but she escaped on a snowy December night, crossing the frozen Thames to safety. This episode follows that dramatic winter escape and what it meant for the war. We piece together the evidence from the chronicles — William of Malmesbury, Henry of Huntingdon, and the Gesta Stephani — and separate fact from legend. We look at how Matilda, often remembered as harsh or proud, kept her cause alive through sheer determination, and how her narrow escape at Oxford shifted the war's momentum. We also touch on the wider context of the Anarchy: the castles, the sieges, the breakdown of order, and the shadow of earlier episodes on Stephen, Wallingford, and the eventual Treaty of Winchester that made Matilda's son Henry Plantagenet the next king. It's a story of winter, willpower, and the woman who nearly became England's first ruling queen. #EmpressMatilda #TheAnarchy #OxfordCastle #KingStephen #CivilWar #MedievalEngland #TwelfthCentury #Siege #Escape #Winter1142 #WilliamofMalmesbury #GestaStephani #HenryofHuntingdon #Thames #Wallingford #TreatyofWinchester #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Conquest of Ireland: Strongbow, Henry II, and the Norman Invasion 06.08.2026 8p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Norman invasion of Ireland, a pivotal yet often overlooked chapter in English history. They trace the arrival of Richard de Clare, known as Strongbow, in 1169, his alliance with the deposed king Diarmait Mac Murchada, and the dramatic siege of Wexford. The conversation covers the Battle of Baginbun, the acquisition of Dublin in 1170, and the subsequent arrival of Henry II, who sought to assert his lordship and prevent an independent Norman kingdom in Ireland. The episode examines the personal ambitions of Strongbow, the political maneuvering of Henry II, and the immediate consequences for both the Anglo-Normans and the Irish. It also touches on the early roots of the English presence in Ireland, the cultural and legal clashes that followed, and the long-term impact on Irish history. #History #FexingoHistory #NormanInvasion #Strongbow #HenryII #DiarmaitMacMurchada #MedievalIreland #Normans #AngloNorman #IrishHistory #Dublin #Wexford #BattleOfBaginbun #12thCentury #EnglishHistory #NormanConquest #Ireland #MedievalHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Wales Under the Marcher Lords: Lordship and Law 05.08.2026 12p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the Welsh Marches—the borderlands that were neither quite England nor Wales, where marcher lords ruled with their own laws, raised their own armies, and built castles that still dot the landscape. They explore how the Marches worked in practice: the power of lords like William fitz Osbern and Roger de Montgomery, the role of Offa's Dyke, the privileges that made marcher lords effectively kings in their own lands, and how the Crown tried to rein them in. They also trace the region's evolution from a violent frontier to the site of the first English-style parliament in Wales, and the cultural legacy of a place where languages and loyalties blurred. Expect names like Wigmore, Brecon, and the Mortimers, plus a look at the everyday realities of life under marcher rule—law, land, and the constant negotiation of power. #WelshMarches #MarcherLords #OffasDyke #WilliamFitzOsbern #RogerDeMontgomery #Mortimer #Wigmore #Brecon #LordshipOfBrecon #MedievalWales #NormanConquest #Borderlands #CastleBuilding #MarcherLaw #WelshHistory #EnglishMonarchy #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Welsh Marches: Lords, Law, and the Making of the Border 04.08.2026 6p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna step away from the great battles and royal dramas to explore the Welsh Marches — the turbulent borderland between England and Wales that shaped both nations. They follow the rise of the marcher lords, from the Norman conquest of Hereford and Shrewsbury to the brutal campaigns of Edward I, and the unique legal world where 'the king's writ did not run.' They meet figures like William fitz Osbern, Roger de Montgomery, and the Mortimers of Wigmore, and unpack the March's distinctive customs — the right to build castles, the power to declare war, and the notorious practice of 'widow-burning.' They also touch on the March's role in the Wars of the Roses, the rise of the Tudors from a marcher family, and the eventual dissolution of the March under Henry VIII. A conversation that reveals how a borderland, not a battlefield, truly defined the relationship between two kingdoms. #WelshMarches #MarcherLords #BorderHistory #EdwardI #WilliamFitzOsbern #Mortimers #WigmoreCastle #OffasDyke #LordshipOfBrecon #MedievalWales #NormanConquest #WarsOfTheRoses #Tudors #HenryVIII #CastleBuilding #MedievalLaw #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  King John's Lost Treasure: The Wash Disaster of 1216 03.08.2026 5p

  In October 1216, King John of England, already sick and retreating from a French invasion, watched his baggage train vanish into the quicksand and tidal waters of The Wash in East Anglia. Along with his gold and silver plate, his regalia, and his household goods, the disaster carried off the crown jewels and — more importantly — the administrative heart of his government. This episode digs into what exactly was lost, where it happened, and why it mattered. We follow John's final march from King's Lynn to Swineshead Abbey, examine the medieval accounts of the disaster from Roger of Wendover and Ralph of Coggeshall, and consider how the loss of the royal treasure and archives shaped the succession crisis that followed. We also look at the legend of the lost crown jewels, the modern searches for the hoard, and why the real story is less about gold than about the collapse of royal authority at the very end of John's reign. #KingJohn #TheWash #LostTreasure #MedievalEngland #CrownJewels #RogerOfWendover #RalphOfCoggeshall #1216 #SwinesheadAbbey #NewarkCastle #HenryIII #LouisVIII #EastAnglia #RoyalHousehold #Quicksand #HistoryOfEngland #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Angevin Empire: Henry II's Realm from Scotland to the Pyrenees 02.08.2026 9p

  In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the rise and fall of the Angevin Empire, the vast collection of territories ruled by Henry II in the twelfth century. They explore how Henry inherited Normandy, Anjou, and Aquitaine through his mother Empress Matilda and his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, creating a realm that stretched from the Scottish border to the Pyrenees. The conversation covers the administrative innovations that held this empire together—the exchequer, itinerant justices, and the use of scutage—and the tensions that ultimately tore it apart. They discuss the significance of the Assize of Northampton, the role of Thomas Becket in challenging royal authority, and the rebellions of Henry's own sons, including Richard the Lionheart and John, which were fueled by the French king Philip Augustus. The narrative culminates in the Battle of Bouvines in 1214, where King John's defeat sealed the fate of the empire, paving the way for the modern nation-state. This episode offers a vivid portrait of a medieval superpower and the personalities that shaped its destiny. #AngevinEmpire #HenryII #EleanorOfAquitaine #ThomasBecket #RichardTheLionheart #KingJohn #PhilipAugustus #BattleOfBouvines #MedievalFrance #Plantagenet #HenryI #Matilda #GeoffreyOfAnjou #Exchequer #Scutage #AssizeOfNorthampton #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Cnut the Great and the North Sea Empire 01.08.2026 7p

  In the eleventh century, England was part of a vast maritime empire stretching from the Orkneys to the Baltic. This episode explores how Cnut, son of the Danish conqueror Sweyn Forkbeard, ruled England after 1016. We look at his conquest, his marriage to Emma of Normandy, his division of the kingdom into four earldoms, and his pilgrimage to Rome in 1027. We also confront the legend of his 'canute and the waves' — a story that tells us more about medieval kingship than about Cnut himself. How did a Viking king become one of medieval Europe's most effective rulers? #CnutTheGreat #NorthSeaEmpire #VikingEngland #SweynForkbeard #EmmaOfNormandy #Earldoms #CanuteAndTheWaves #ThorkellTheTall #EdmundIronside #EadricStreona #BattleOfAssandun #VikingAge #MedievalEngland #AngloSaxonEngland #DanishConquest #History #FexingoHistory #MedievalKings Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo