A major archaeological search began on Tuesday to find evidence from the Battle of Lewes.

The dig got under way in driving rain at Landport Bottom on the anniversary of the battle 749 years earlier.

Tantalisingly, it achieved immediate results. Luke Barber, Research Officer for the Sussex Archaeological Society, said the first day uncovered a number of finds – but not from the 13th century.

The most interest was generated by a small oval buckle, possibly part of a horse harness and dating from the early post-medieval period.

Stephanie Smith, the region’s Finds Liaison Officer, said searches with metal detectors had begun on the upper slopes of Landport Bottom. As the team worked downward towards Lewes it was hoped material linked with the battle would be found because it is believed this is where fighting would have been particularly ferocious.

The rebel army of Simon de Montfort charged down the slope in 1264 to clash with their opponents, the soldiers of King Henry III.

…

More than 300 volunteers have been involved in the Battle of Lewes Project, a community scheme funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, that culminates in a special celebration to mark the 750th anniversary next year.

Meanwhile, Lewes Castle is hosting a day of medieval fun for all the family on Sunday (11am-4pm).

Battle of Lewes Day will feature archaeology, underwater robots, bone identification, falconry, medieval technology and armour.

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A team of dedicated trustees are on a mission to reveal the true identity of one of Derbyshire’s finest standing castles.

This year the Codnor Castle Heritage Trust has been busy clear the undergrowth in the south court of the medieval ruins – getting rid of all thorn, scrub and ivy that has built up there after over the past decade.

And the back breaking work is all aimed at being able to open previously fenced off areas of Codnor Castle up to the public once a month.

Trust chairman Rokia Brown said: “It is starting to look like someone cares about the medieval castle now and we would like to invite everyone to come and have a look at what we are doing and how fantastic the site is starting to look.”

Rokia added: “It’s been a massive task really because the south court is really big.

“But we’ve been really lucky as we’ve had lots of volunteers come along and help us out.

“It’s an ongoing project and this year is going to be the hardest as we have had to tackle all that growth from the last four to five years.

“But once it’s down it will be more a case of maintaining it.”

The site clearing of the south court is just one part of a wider scheme to make the castle more accessible to the public.

A new website is attracting visitors and a book about the history of the Norman castle, home to the De Grey family from the 13th to he 15th Century, is due to be published in June.

For more information visit www.codnorcastle.com. The next open days will be on September 7 and 8.

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The Czech crown jewels went on show at Prague castle Friday, in a rare public display for the 700-year-old items that are pulled out only on special occasions.

The medieval works of art consist of a gold crown decorated with 96 precious stones including rubies and sapphires, along with a sceptre, royal orb and other precious objects.

“The value of the crown jewels is incalculable. That’s why it’s impossible to insure them,” said David Sebek, spokesman for the president’s office.

The 2,358-gramme (83-ounce) crown was first worn by Charles IV of Luxembourg, king of Bohemia and Holy Roman emperor, for his Prague coronation in 1347.

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The Pope, the Bishop of Rome, successor of Saint Peter and leader of the Catholic Church. Pious men aspire to the chair and humbly accept the position. At least that’s what we’d like to believe. But not all popes were righteous men, some weren’t even Christian! In this episode of the Medieval Archives Podcast we are going to look at some of the worst Popes of the Middle Ages.

I play a music clip during the episode provided by The History Teachers. They produce fantastic historical songs set to current and classic hits! Visit their sites and support their music. They are inspiring history students across the globe.

Find The History Teachers on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/historyteachers, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/historyteacherz and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/historyteacherz.

Please send any comments or suggestions to podcast@medievalarchives.com

If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes.

In this episode we discuss:

• A Pope who put his dead predecessor on trial
• The Pope who ran a male brothel
• The Pope who gave us the Pornocracy
• A ruler who deposed three Popes and installed his own
• A Pope so despicable they gave him a TV show
• And more…

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed so you do not miss a single episode.

The music was provided by Tim Rayburn. It is available at Magnatune.com

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Ragnar is in Sweden dealing with Jarl Borg and meets a beautiful princess. Meanwhile Lagertha is back in Kattegat dealing with a deadly plague outbreak that threatens the entire village. Will Ragnar stray from Lagertha? Will anyone survive the deadly Plague? Find out all that and more on another episode of The Vikings Podcast.

We’ll review and recap the season finale episode 9: “All Change”. Then we’ll look at the history presented in the show and see how it compares to actual history.

At the behest of King Horik, Ragnar assembles a small party to travel to Gotaland (modern day Sweden) to resolve a land dispute with the area’s leader, Jarl Borg. Ragnar’s renown precedes him and Jarl Borg is intrigued–has he found a new ally or is Ragnar just a puppet of the king? Meanwhile in Kattegat, with a plague taking its toll on the village, the people look to Lagertha to help appease the gods.

In this episode’s history lesson we discuss:

• Princess Aslaug
• Fenrir, the Great Wolf
• Sweating Sickness
• And much more!

Send in your comments and feedback by calling the listener voicemail line at 720.722.1066 or send an email to feedback@thevikingspodcast.com

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed or in iTunes so you never miss a single episode.

Copyright © 2013 · Dragon Moon Media
All Rights are Reserved. No Infringement is Intended.
The Vikings Podcast is a Medieval Archives & Dragon Moon Media production. Medieval Archives’ use of any and all copyrighted material is only for parody, news analysis, critique, and/or for educational purposes as provided within United States Code (USC) Title 17 aka “Fair Use”.

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The invaders moved in almost overnight and now they are ready to attack. If you live in the Austin, Texas area you can watch a Battle Castle Mini-Marathon today on PBS station KLRU. Don’t miss it!

#BattleCastle marathon on @KLRU Austin, TX featuring Crac des Chevaliers, Dover and Malaga. Sunday May 5th @ 3:55 pm.

4 May 2013 13:05 via HootSuiteReplyRetweetFavorite

@battlecastle

Battle Castle

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Ragnar and his clan travel to Uppsala to offer the gods sacrifices in return for their favor. While there he strikes an alliance with King Horic and is offered a new mission. Athelstan Learns that he may not make it home alive and that his faith in God is still strong. Find out all that and more on another episode of The Vikings Podcast.

We’ll review and recap episode 8: “Sacrifice”. Then we’ll look at the history presented in the show and see how it compares to actual history.

The traditional pilgrimage to Uppsalla to thank the gods brings a torrent of emotions for Ragnar, Lagertha, and Athelstan. Ragnar, pulling farther away from his wife, goes to make peace with the death of his unborn son. Lagertha, still reeling from her miscarriage, wants to find out from the gods if more sons are in her future. As the Vikings come together to sacrifice and give thanks to their gods, Athelstan discovers just how strong his Christian faith still is.

In this episode’s history lesson we discuss:

• pilgrimage to Uppsalla
• Norse Sacrifices
• Chess
• And much more!

Send in your comments and feedback by calling the listener voicemail line at 720.722.1066 or send an email to feedback@thevikingspodcast.com

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed or in iTunes so you never miss a single episode.

Copyright © 2013 · Dragon Moon Media
All Rights are Reserved. No Infringement is Intended.
The Vikings Podcast is a Medieval Archives & Dragon Moon Media production. Medieval Archives’ use of any and all copyrighted material is only for parody, news analysis, critique, and/or for educational purposes as provided within United States Code (USC) Title 17 aka “Fair Use”.

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Ragnar and company raid England and offer King Aella an end to the raids. Will the King accept his proposal? Siggy wishes to serve Lagertha and tragedy strikes the Lothbrock household! Find out this week on another episode of The Vikings Podcast.

We’ll review and recap episode 7: A King’s Ransom”. Then we’ll look at the history presented in the show and see how it compares to actual history.

Three Viking ships sail toward the Royal Villa of King Aelle in eastern England. Ragnar wants ransom in exchange for peace, but the king has a very different plan in mind.

In this episode’s history lesson we discuss:

• Athelwulf
• Prince Egbert
• Queen Aelswith
• The Baptism of Rollo
• And much more!

Send in your comments and feedback by calling the listener voicemail line at 720.722.1066 or send an email to feedback@thevikingspodcast.com

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed or in iTunes so you never miss a single episode.

Copyright © 2013 · Dragon Moon Media
All Rights are Reserved. No Infringement is Intended.
The Vikings Podcast is a Medieval Archives & Dragon Moon Media production. Medieval Archives’ use of any and all copyrighted material is only for parody, news analysis, critique, and/or for educational purposes as provided within United States Code (USC) Title 17 aka “Fair Use”.

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San Francisco PBS station KQED released their schedule for Battle Castle. And they are running a marathon! If you live in the Bay area plan your Memorial Day Weekend around the Battle Castle lineup! It will air beginning Thursday, 23 May 2013 and the final show will be on Saturday, 25 May 2013. Get your DVR’s ready!

Crac Des Chevaliers:
Thu, May 23 @ 8pm (KQED9)
Fri, May 24 @ 2am (KQED9)
Fri May 24 @ 7pm (KQED Life)
Sat May 25 @ 1am (KQED Life)

Dover:
Thu, May 23 @ 8:46pm (KQED9)
Fri, May 24 @ 2:46am (KQED9)
Fri May 24 @ 7:46pm (KQED Life)
Sat May 25 @ 1:46am (KQED Life)

Malaga:
Thu, May 23 @ 9:32pm (KQED9)
Fri, May 24 @ 3:32am (KQED9)
Fri May 24 @ 8:32pm (KQED Life)
Sat May 25 @ 2:32am (KQED Life)

If you are in San Francisco and watch the show or want to know if its in your area drop us a line in the comments below, or via our Twitter page or Facebook page.

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The cast of Vikings appeared at WonderCon this year. This was before the announcement of the second season, as you will see by one of the questions.

Travis Fimmel (Ragnar), Katheryn Winnick(Lagertha), George Blagden (Athelstan) and Dirk Hoogstra, EVP HISTORY Development & Programming answer fans’ questions at WonderCon on March 30, 2013.

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The Curfew Tower, Windsor Castle

Britain’s largest castle is in Windsor, and if you manage to get a room there, do send us a postcard. For those who prefer a shorter walk to the breakfast table and fewer corgis in the way, Hellifield Peel Castle is a fortified home on a more human scale.

2. France
The classic one

The Chateau de Chissay is truly of this genre, with its walls built of the palest stone and turrets topped with witch’s hat slate roofs. Inside are rib-vault ceilings, spiral staircases and a wide range of guestrooms including a “troglodyte” option with rough-hewn stone walls, and a double-level turret room up in the donjon (keep) where you can see up into the rafters. Evening meals in the period-perfect dining room are a highlight here.

…

4. Italy
The luxury one

In the line of hills that divide the sepia-tinted Tuscan landscape south of Arezzo from the even more rapturous countryside around Siena, Castel Monastero has watched nearly a thousand years go past. The name refers to the fact that this hamlet (also called Monastero d’Ombrone) has served as both castle and monastery, besieged by Florentines fighting against Siena in 1208.

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A 12th-century manuscript contains the oldest known European Medieval food recipes, according to new research.

The recipes, which include both food and medical ointment concoctions, were compiled and written in Latin. Someone jotted them down at Durham Cathedral’s monastery in the year 1140.

It was essentially a health book, so the meals were meant to improve a person’s health or to cure certain afflictions. The other earliest known such recipes dated to 1290.

Many of the dishes sound like they would work on a modern restaurant menu. Faith Wallis, an expert in medical history and science based at McGill University, translated a few for Discovery News:

“For “hen in winter’: heat garlic, pepper and sage with water.”

“For ‘tiny little fish’: juice of coriander and garlic, mixed with pepper and garlic.”

For preserved ginger, it should kept in “pure water” and then “sliced lengthwise into very thin slices, and mixed thoroughly with prepared honey that has been cooked down to a sticky thickness and skimmed. It should be rubbed well in the honey with the hands, and left a whole day and night.”

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Ragnar and Earl Haraldson meet in single combat. Who will survive? Find out this week on another episode of The Vikings Podcast.

We’ll review and recap episode 6: Burial of the Deadr”. Then we’ll look at the history presented in the show and see how it compares to actual history.

Ragnar, weak and still hurt, must meet the Earl head-on after it comes to light that Rollo has been tortured on Haraldson’s orders. The two men will come together face to face with a single outcome possible: Only one man will leave this fight alive.

In this episode’s history lesson we discuss:

• Norse Mythology: Ragnarok
• Viking Funerals
• Single Combat
• King Aella and the Vipers
• And much more!

Send in your comments and feedback by calling the listener voicemail line at 720.722.1066 or send an email to feedback@thevikingspodcast.com

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed or in iTunes so you never miss a single episode.

Copyright © 2013 · Dragon Moon Media
All Rights are Reserved. No Infringement is Intended.
The Vikings Podcast is a Medieval Archives & Dragon Moon Media production. Medieval Archives’ use of any and all copyrighted material is only for parody, news analysis, critique, and/or for educational purposes as provided within United States Code (USC) Title 17 aka “Fair Use”.

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In the United Kingdom, British archaeologists have made a number of significant discoveries as of late, from the battered remains of King Richard III — found buried beneath a parking lot — to, more recently, a 14th-century burial ground for plague victims in London.

British soil is, in fact, full of traces of the past. And in London, one has to look no farther than the banks of the Thames, the river that runs through the heart of the British capital.

On a brisk, windy morning, Mike Woodham walks the water’s edge in search of things humanity has left behind. His method? A metal-detector that emits a steady beep, beep, beep.

“That’s a strong signal,” Woodham says, bending down. “Let’s give that a little dig and see what we got.”

Woodham belongs to a long London tradition of so-called mudlarks who populate the riverbed when the tide is out. Centuries ago, mudlarks scavenged for bits of coal, scrap iron or other items of value. Today, they’re essentially history buffs who scour the Thames for anything that offers a glimpse into London’s past — the Romans founded London on these banks 2,000 years ago. Since then, the Vikings and Normans have set sail from here. And the Thames was a major thoroughfare of the Industrial Revolution.

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While reading online, do you sometimes find yourself going from reading articles on, say, politics, to poetry, to humor? If so, your experience is rather medieval, according to Arthur Bahr, an associate professor of literature at MIT whose first book, “Fragments and Assemblages: Forming Compilations of Medieval London“ was just released by University of Chicago Press.

Medieval scribes commonly bound different kinds of written works together in the same manuscript, leaving “much more room for interesting interplay between different kinds of reading experiences within the same physical object,” Bahr says.

“Medieval literature is also always collaborative in one way or another: readers often commented on texts by writing notes in the margin or underlining passages, and scribes frequently altered an author’s words to suit the purpose of the compilation at hand,” Bahr adds. “So someone like Nick Montfort [an associate professor for digital writing at MIT] is actually very medieval in his ideas of nonlinear, interactive literary production.”

“This is why medieval literature is so interesting at our particular historical moment,” he says. “The Internet has made it easy, normal even, to read in all sorts of nonlinear ways, but the evidence of medieval compilations suggests that people were already doing that many centuries ago.”

While the typical modern book would never mix poetry with legal documents, or secular works with religious material, such juxtapositions are common in medieval manuscripts, which also vary widely in size and style. “The printing press was great, but it also standardized the way texts were presented,” Bahr notes.

Fragments and Assemblages: Forming Compilations of Medieval London is available on Barnes & Nobles.com

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Thank goodness that our usual half-term holiday house was booked. Had it been free, the joys of Northumberland would have passed us by. Instead Alnwick Castle Cottages stepped into the breach, providing as cosy, clean and warm a berth as could possibly be wished for. And, for a family, a base for any number of delights.

…

But Bamburgh, where Henry VI once sheltered, the pretty town of Warkworth and the gardens of beautiful Greek Revival Belsay House all have remarkable medieval fortresses perfect for charging up and down spiral stairs waving wooden swords (and that’s just the grown-ups).

While the view on a sunny morning of the majestic seaside ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle as you walk (or charge) towards it is unforgettable.

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When the Vikings landed on Lindisfarne (www.lindisfarne.org.uk/) in 793, they changed the course of English history forever.

Also known as Holy Island, Lindisfarne, which measures slightly more than a mile in length and just over two miles in width, nestles just off the Northumberland coast of England near the border of Scotland. By day strong tides from the mainland separate Lindisfarne and turn it into the sort of romantic destination curious travelers seek to satisfy their wanderlust spirit. It’s a place that must be pursued rather than arrive in as a result of a happy accident.

When the monastery was at its peak, Holy Island was, and remains today, known for its mead. Lindisfarne’s ancient grog was said to fortify the body for doing God’s work. The secret recipe is closely guarded by family at St. Aidan’s Winery, which still produces the drink and distributes it throughout the UK.

Once there, however, Lindisfarne is a medieval delight with its pastoral sheep-laden settings, ancient ruins, hilltop castle and quaint village shops and cafes. Among the most popular delicacies are the crab sandwiches, for which local diners also slog their way to the island to enjoy.

The priory, now a ruin after much of it was pillaged to create the castle, was founded by the Irish monk St. Aiden in 635. For nearly 150 years it was a Christian base in northern England and a refuge of sublime isolation until the Vikings arrived with their fierce warring bands of marauders.

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Earl Haradlson raids Ragnar’s village and Ragnar escapes certain death. Athelstan learns about the Norse gods and Rollo tries to ally himself with the Earl.

We’ll review and recap episode 5: Raid”. Then we’ll look at the history presented in the show and see how it compares to actual history.

Earl Haraldson takes precautionary measures when a seer tells him that Ragnar wants him dead. Ragnar narrowly escapes an attack on his home and must search for a way to regain his freedom.

In this episode’s history lesson we discuss:

• Norse Creation Myth
• Swedes
• Viking Slaves
• Medieval Marriage
• And much more!

Send in your comments and feedback by calling the listener voicemail line at 720.722.1066 or send an email to feedback@thevikingspodcast.com

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed or in iTunes so you never miss a single episode.

Copyright © 2013 · Dragon Moon Media
All Rights are Reserved. No Infringement is Intended.
The Vikings Podcast is a Medieval Archives & Dragon Moon Media production. Medieval Archives’ use of any and all copyrighted material is only for parody, news analysis, critique, and/or for educational purposes as provided within United States Code (USC) Title 17 aka “Fair Use”.

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Corfe Castle, Wareham
Run by: National Trust, Purbeck

The Wolfshead Bowmen come to Corfe Castle and bring the past to life. A medieval encampment, demonstrations of combat, skilled archery displays, talks on the longbow and have-a-go sessions.


Dates:
Tue 2 Apr 10:00-17:00
Wed 3 Apr 10:00–17:00
Thu 4 Apr 10:00–17:00
Fri 5 Apr 10:00–17:00
Sat 6 Apr 10:00–17:00

Cost:
Free event. Normal admission charges to the castle apply. See the website for details.

Skill Level:
Beginner

Location:
Corfe Castle
The Square, Corfe Castle, Wareham, BH20 5EZ
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/corfe-castle

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Ragnar returns to the west and raids an English village, battles King Aelle’s men, returns home and is arrested by the Earl. Does Rollo turn against his brother? Was Athelstan able to take care of Ragnar’s lids. Those questions and more will be answered on this episode of The Vikings Podcast

We’ll review and recap episode 4: “Trial”. Then we’ll look at the history presented in the show and see how it compares to actual history.

Ragnar and crew sail back to England, this time with Earl Haraldson’s permission. Amid bloodshed and terror in the town of Hexam, Ragnar and Lagertha discover that every action has its consequences.

In this episode’s history lesson we discuss:

• Shield Walls
• Horse Heads
• Kattegat
• Owls in Norse Mythology
• And much more!

Send in your comments and feedback by calling the listener voicemail line at 720.722.1066 or send an email to feedback@thevikingspodcast.com

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed or in iTunes so you never miss a single episode.

Copyright © 2013 · Dragon Moon Media
All Rights are Reserved. No Infringement is Intended.
The Vikings Podcast is a Medieval Archives & Dragon Moon Media production. Medieval Archives’ use of any and all copyrighted material is only for parody, news analysis, critique, and/or for educational purposes as provided within United States Code (USC) Title 17 aka “Fair Use”.

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Edward the Confessor

~The Archivist

Edward the Confessor was the last Anglo-Saxon king who could trace his ancestry back to King Alfred the Great and King Cerdic of Wessex. He was the great-great-great-great grandson of Alfred and he died childless, leaving England open to conquest from overseas.

Edward’s father was Aethelred the Unready, the hapless king who was besieged by the Vikings on all coasts. In 1002, he was widowed and contracted a marriage with Emma, the sister of Richard, Duke of Normandy. Edward was born at Islip in Oxfordshire within the first two years of his parents wedding. Edward’s mother was a formidable woman but his father was not someone he could look up to and he may even have been ashamed of him. Aethelred was in an impossible situation with all the attacks and when Edward was about ten, his father was deposed and the whole family had to go into exile under the protection of Edward’s uncle in Normandy.

Aethelred was restored to the throne of England in 1014 and Edward was given a chance to serve his future subjects. Instead of appearing in England himself, Aethelred sent Edward to represent him at great risk to Edward’s life. Edward carried out the mission well and the Witan (council) banned any future Danish kings due to his model behavior. But two years later, Aethelred had died and Edward and his brother Alfred were back in Normandy. Their half brother, Edmund Ironside was fighting to keep the throne from the Danish King Cnut. By the end of 1016, Edmund was dead and Cnut convinced the Witan to elect him King of England.

In order to keep her place of power, Edward’s mother Emma married King Cnut. Emma made Cnut swear no sons by any other wife or mistress could inherit the throne other than her sons, in essence abandoning Edward and Alfred. She was to have a son Harthacnut in 1018 who was to become her favorite. Edward and Alfred were in exile and in limbo and the only one keeping them from possible assassination was their mother.

Edward and Alfred grew to manhood in the custody of their uncle who didn’t want to risk sponsoring their return to the throne. Cnut died in 1035 and their prospects turned a little brighter. Cnut’s illegitimate son, Harold Harefoot had seized the throne but Emma was fighting to get her son Harthacnut on the throne. Harthacnut was in Denmark and was taking his time coming back. In 1036, Edward and Alfred both returned with forces to England. Edward turned back realizing he was outnumbered. Alfred landed with larger forces but was greeted by Godwin, Earl of Wessex. Godwine was the most powerful earl in the kingdom and an alliance between the sons of Aethelred and King Harold Harefoot was a threat to his position. Godwin attacked and decimated Alfred’s forces and took custody of Alfred. He had Alfred’s eyes gouged out, unmercifully mutilating him. Alfred was taken to the monks at Ely and left to die of his gruesome wounds. This may have deterred Edward from trying again to gain the throne and he may have felt guilty about the death of his brother. One thing is certain, he never forgave Godwin for murdering his brother.

The English soon grew tired of the antics of Harthacnut and Harold Harefoot. Harthacnut had finally prevailed and ruled as King from March 1040 until his death at a drunken wedding celebration in June 1042. Edward was in Normandy when he got the news. He returned to England and the Witan elected him King. He was enthroned at Canterbury and later crowned at the Old Minster at Winchester on April 3, 1043.

Edward needed Godwin of Wessex and his power base to shore up his own power. Godwin had escaped being punished for Alfred’s death by giving gifts to Harthacnut and insisting that Harold Harefoot had made him do it. At the very least, Edward knew Godwin was responsible for this brother’s death. Edward needed all the help he could get to fight a looming threat of invasion by Magnus of Norway. Edward strengthened the naval fleet and was on alert every year until Magnus died in 1047. In the meantime, Edward’s mother Emma may have conspired with Magnus. This was a massive betrayal by Emma and in mid- November 1043, Edward and the most important nobles rode to Winchester to take the treasury keys away from Emma who had guarded the treasury since Harthacnut’s death. Edward let her live out the rest of her life in relative peace but with no authority.

From 1046 to 1051, Edward was in a continuous power struggle with Godwin. His only saving grace was the family was divided amongst themselves. Edward detested Godwin but knew that civil strife was the only answer to the struggle and he didn’t want to risk starting a war. Earl Godwin’s ambition knew no bounds and he set about carving out earldoms for his many sons and persuaded Edward to marry his daughter Edith.

In 1051, Eustace of Boulogne, brother-in-law to Edward, made a state visit and started a brawl in Dover with the townspeople. Eustace’s motives are a mystery. Edward ordered Godwin to ravage Dover and the surrounding area. He refused and actually brought his army to defy Edward. Edward raised a larger army and Godwin’s support began to waiver. Godwin and his sons refused to come before the Witan and explain themselves. Edward gave them five days to leave the country. They left for Flanders and Edward banned Edith to a nunnery. Edward’s victory seemed complete but there was now a power vacuum in the South which Edward had a hard time filling. Also in 1051, it’s possible that young William, Duke of Normandy visited England and Edward may have promised him the throne at this time.

In 1052, Godwin and his sons returned and invaded. Edward was forced to negotiate, restoring Godwin and all his sons and recalling Edith from the nunnery. Seven months later Godwin collapsed and died of a stroke while dining with Edward. Edward never fully recovered from this invasion and seizure of his power by Godwin. After the great Earl’s death, his son Harold Godwinson stepped in to fill the void.

In the last ten years of Edward’s reign, Harold Godwinson became the foremost general in the kingdom, mostly by fighting the Welsh. Edward withdrew more and more into religious life and concentrated on building his legacy, West Minster on the north bank of the Thames. He cultivated a reputation for sanctity and may have initiated the practice of the king touching and healing people with “the king’s evil”, scrofula, a form of tuberculosis. Kings were to follow this practice until the 18th Century.

He recalled his nephew Edward the Exile from Hungary, who mysteriously died shortly after arriving in England leaving a young son, Edgar Aetheling and daughter Margaret, who was to become Queen of Scotland. Edward sent Harold Godwinson to Normandy, possibly to assure William of Normandy he would inherit the throne. William possibly made Harold swear he would act as regent until he could come to England to claim his inheritance. This saga is told in the Bayeux Tapestry.

Edward managed to prevent Godwin and his power hungry sons from seizing total power but was able to use the best of their abilities to his advantage. He was upstanding and pious, making him a cut above some of the ruthless and treacherous men around him. He came to the throne in his forties, ruled for 24 years and managed to consecrate his beloved West Minster on December 28, 1065. He died in his sixties on January 5, 1066. Harold Godwinson exploited the reality of the situation on the death of Edward with the country facing invasion by the Norwegian king and William of Normandy. He had himself declared king by the Witan. The new West Minster saw the funeral of Edward and the crowning of Harold. Harold was to lose the throne to William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings in October of 1066.

Rumors of miracles attributed to Edward began before he died. It was believed by many he was celibate due to his childless marriage. “The Life of King Edward” commissioned by his wife Queen Edith was instrumental in recording his holy life. There was scant evidence of miracles before his death and even scantier proof and downright fabricated miracles after his death, such as cures at his tomb and visions by others. More evidence of miracles does not appear until 1134. Canonization was sought in 1138-1139 but the Pope was not convinced. After 36 years, the body of Edward was disinterred and said to be intact with his long white beard curled upon his chest. This was a convincing sign of a Saint. In 1161, King Henry II and Westminster requested canonization from Pope Alexander III and he approved Edward as a Saint and Confessor. In 1269, King Henry III translated the remains of Edward to his new tomb in the newly rebuilt Westminster Abbey.

Shrine of Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey

Resources: “Edward the Confessor” by Frank Barlow, “Saxon Kings” and “The Fall of Saxon England” by Richard Humble, “1066: The Hidden History in the Bayeux Tapestry” by Andrew Bridgford

(c) 2012

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Starting 11 April 2013 medievalists from across the country (and the Atlantic) will invade Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado. This year MSU is hosting the 45th Annual Rocky Mountain Medieval & Renaissance Association Conference.

The conference will have 24 regular sessions with over 64 presentations on topics from a variety of fields: literature, history, drama, philosophy, medicine, religion, music and architecture. The Keynote address “Being and the Summum Bonum in Boethius’s The Consolation of Philosophy” is presented by Philip Edward Phillips, PhD from Middle Tennessee State.

Some of the sessions include:

• “Aethelflaeda: The Forgotten Queen”
• “The Ghosts of England Past: History and the Shakespearean Unconscious in Richard III”
• “Julian of Norwich’s Boethian Consolation”
• “Love and Chivalry in Frankish Greece: Perceptions of a Crusader Kingdom in Poetry and Chronicle”

I’ll be attending the conference this year. If you are going drop me a line at Archivist@medievalarchvies.com or on the Medieval Archives Twitter page or the Facebook page.

Download the full schedule: RMMRA 2013 Schedule – Denver

Website: Rocky Mountain Medieval & Renaissance Association

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The resurgent Crusaders have unveiled their latest weapon for making AMI Stadium a fortress throughout the Super Rugby season – The Maidens cheerleading team.

Wielding swords and shields, and kitted-out in skimpy red and black “maiden meets warrior” outfits, the cheerleaders will do a guard of honour when the players run onto the field at Christchurch home games.

They’ll add to the medieval battleground theme at Crusader home games, and perform alongside the popular Crusader horsemen.

The Maidens, who vow on the team’s official facebook to ‘help our boys protect our castle’, made their debut before Saturday’s home win against the Bulls.

The 20 performers were selected after auditions in December and January which judged their dancing and performance skills.

The Crusaders also wanted them to display “a bit of an attitude and take on various personas”, while also representing a broad cross-section of the local community – something that would “appeal to everyone”.

“We felt it was time to refresh our cheerleaders,” a spokeswoman for the rugby powerhouse franchise said yesterday.

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Today we have a review of the book Buying Manorial Titles in England: a simple guide to the pitfalls by David Maximilian Cathmoir Nicoll. The book is described as a short guide to “educated layman to ensure they understand the key issues in current English law regarding their ownership rights”. Being from the States I didn’t even know you could buy titles of Nobility. Or that it was so wide spread!

Buying Manorial Titles begins with a history of the rights of land and the concept of a manor. It also details what a ‘Lord of the Manor’ is and what rights they are entitled. Following the history it gets into the legality of buying and selling titles.

Did you know it is illegal to buy a title of nobility? I didn’t. And I never would have thought of buying one. Author David Nicoll highlights numerous cases of people trying to buy and sell titles. In fact it was so rampent there Parliament enacted the Honours Act of 1925 to make buying and selling titles illegal. But in over 85 years only one person has ever been convicted under the Act.

Buying Manorial Titles also outlines what deeds are needed to provide proper proof of a title. There is also a section on the different and erroneous ways some have tried to register their deeds.

David Nicoll lays out the history and facts about Manorial Law in an easy to read and, more importantly, easy to understand fashion. At times the book can get a little heavy citing different laws and court cases. But overall it is a good read.

Buying Manorial Titles is well written, enjoyable to read and I learned quite a bit from it. At less than 100 pages it is well worth your time to read it. After reading the book I did a little internet research on buying a title. And it seems to me it is about as legit as naming a star after someone, or buying an acre of land on the moon. You shill out a lot of money and you get a fancy piece of paper which holds no value.

Medieval Archives gives Buying Manorial Titles in England: a simple guide to the pitfalls 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: Medieval Archives received a complimentary copy of Buying Manorial Titles in England: a simple guide to the pitfalls for review purposes

Pick up your copy now on Lulu.com: http://www.lulu.com/shop/david-nicoll/buying-manorial-titles-in-england-a-simple-guide-to-the-pitfalls/paperback/product-20683171.html
About the Author
David Maximilian Cathmoir Nicoll is the 13th Baron of Bourn, and Lord of Adworthy. He is also a Freeman of the City of London, a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of St Edward, and is an honorary aide-de-camp to the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky (a commissioned‘Kentucky Colonel’, the highest honour awarded bythe Commonwealth of Kentucky).

Visit him on the web:
Web:www.david-nicoll.co.uk
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dmcnicoll
Poken: https://user.poken.com/profile/1730955

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Ragnar raids a monastery and brings back countless treasure and slaves. Upset with Ragnar’s disobedience Earl Haraldson claims the treasure for himself. After Ragnar convinces the Earl to sanction another trip west, his band of men and women encounter a Northumbrian sheriff and the encounter escalates!

On today’s episode of The Vikings Podcast we will review and recap episode 3: “Dispossessed”. Then we’ll look at the history presented in the show and see how it compares to actual history.

Ragnar and his crew return from their trip with treasure, and Earl Haraldson has no choice but to sanction another raid. The west is open for the taking, and the Vikings’ world will never be the same.

In this episode’s history lesson we discuss:

• Shieldmaidens
• Kingdoms of England
• King Ælla of Northumbria

Send in your comments and feedback by calling the listener voicemail line at 720.722.1066 or send an email to feedback@thevikingspodcast.com

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed or in iTunes so you never miss a single episode.

Copyright © 2013 · Dragon Moon Media
All Rights are Reserved. No Infringement is Intended.
The Vikings Podcast is a Medieval Archives & Dragon Moon Media production. Medieval Archives’ use of any and all copyrighted material is only for parody, news analysis, critique, and/or for educational purposes as provided within United States Code (USC) Title 17 aka “Fair Use”.

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Game of Thrones Season 3 is two weeks away! There are some great things in store this season! Season 3 is a little different from the last two. Where the last two season covered full books, this season only covers half of A Storm of Swords! After watching the trailer below it looks like season 3 could be the best one yet!

Game of Thrones Season 3:

The Lannisters hold absolute dominion over King’s Landing after repelling Stannis Baratheon’s forces. Yet Robb Stark, King in the North, still controls much of the South as well, and has yet to lose a battle. In the Far North, Mance Rayder has united the wildlings into the largest army Westeros has ever seen. Only the Night’s Watch stands between him and the Seven Kingdoms, but nobody knows what happened to its Lord Commander and the force he led beyond the Wall.

Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen – reunited with her three growing dragons – ventures into Slaver’s Bay in search of ships to take her home and allies to conquer it.

Game of Thrones Season 3 premieres on HBO on 31 March 2013 at 2100ET

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Ragnar successfully recruits a band of adventurous Vikings to sail west. Will they find any land or only a vast empty ocean? What will happen when Earl Haraldson finds out about his treachery?

On today’s episode of The Vikings Podcast we will review and recap episode 2: “Wrath of the Norsemen”. Then we’ll look at the history presented in the show and see how it compares to actual history.

The stage is set for the first journey west by Ragnar Lothbrok as he gathers a crew willing to risk their lives to travel into the unknown. Earl Haraldson’s paranoia reaches new heights as it becomes apparent that trust is hard to come by in this dark era.

In this episode’s history lesson we discuss:

• Jormungandr
• Viking raid on Lindisfarne Monastery
• St. Cuthbert

Send in your comments and feedback by calling the listener voicemail line at 720.722.1066 or send an email to feedback@thevikingspodcast.com

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed or in iTunes so you never miss a single episode.

Copyright © 2013 · Dragon Moon Media
All Rights are Reserved. No Infringement is Intended.
The Vikings Podcast is a Medieval Archives & Dragon Moon Media production. Medieval Archives’ use of any and all copyrighted material is only for parody, news analysis, critique, and/or for educational purposes as provided within United States Code (USC) Title 17 aka “Fair Use”.

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Museum Secrets is back with a new season! This season they will visit the State Historical Museum, Moscow; Palacio Real, Madrid; Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC and others.

Museum Secrets Season 3 premieres on Thursday, 14 March at 2100PM on HISTORY® Canada. USA viewers can watch Museum Secrets on the Smithsonian Channel. Unfortunately it won’t be season 3, currently the Smithsonian Channel is airing the first 2 seasons of Museums Secrets.

View the HISTORY® Canada schedule

View the Smithsonian Channel schedule

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Wondering how a Pope is elected? What is the papal election, or conclave process? Does black smoke or white smoke mean a pope has been elected? Here is a good infographic explaining conclave process.

Infographic created by Antonio Farach

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Vikings stormed onto the small screen with intense battles, poltiical intrigue and norse mythology. The premiere episode of Vikings was fantastic. Telling the story of Ragnar Lothbrok and his quest to venture West in search of untold fortune.

The cast is excellent and the history is surprisingly accurate. On today’s episode of The Vikings Podcast we will review and recap episode 1: “Rites of Passage”. Then we will look at the history presented in the show and see how it compares to actual history.

In 8th century Scandinavia, Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) is a warrior and a farmer who dreams of finding riches by bucking the tradition of raiding to the east. Ragnar has been working in secret on a project that will turn the Viking world on its head. But first Ragnar must convince the leader of his community, the powerful Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne), who is none too happy to share in the renown that this journey could bring to Ragnar if it’s successful.

Listen to the episode now

In this episode’s history lesson we discuss:

• Sun Board & Sun Stone
• Ravens
• The Thing
• Ship building

Send in your comments and feedback by calling the listener voicemail line at 720.722.1066 or send an email to feedback@thevikingspodcast.com

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed or in iTunes so you never miss a single episode.

Copyright © 2013 · Dragon Moon Media
All Rights are Reserved. No Infringement is Intended.
The Vikings Podcast is a Medieval Archives & Dragon Moon Media production. Medieval Archives’ use of any and all copyrighted material is only for parody, news analysis, critique, and/or for educational purposes as provided within United States Code (USC) Title 17 aka “Fair Use”.

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Claude of Guise

~The Archivist

In reading about the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, Mary of Guise, I came across a touching story about Mary of Guise’s father, Claude, Duke of Guise; a kind of medieval vignette. Claude was a cousin of King Francois I of France’s mother, Louise of Savoy. Claude became fast friends with Francois.

The King decided soon after he ascended the throne that he was the rightful heir to the Duchy of Milan. Milan had been in French hands at one time but the Swiss had taken it militarily and appointed the Italian Duke Massimiliano Sforza as its ruler. Duke Massimiliano was a good-for-nothing sort and it probably would have been easy to defeat him but the Swiss decided to defend the Duchy.

Francois gathered an army to attack and took Duke Claude, his brother Antony, Duke of Lorraine and their other younger brother Ferry with him into battle. The two armies met at Marignano on September 13, 1515. A heavy and cruel confrontation ensued but the French were victorious. Claude, Antony and Ferry had become separated during the action. Antony frantically searched for his brothers and even the King’s retinue scoured the field. Eventually they found Ferry dead. Claude was found too but he looked to be mortally wounded.

He had no fewer than twenty-one wounds. His right arm was shattered, his thigh had been pierced by an arquebus ball and his horse had been killed beneath him, falling on him and pinning him to the ground. When Claude’s esquire Adam Fouvert saw the plight of his master, he fell on top of him, shielding him. As the enemy drove forward Adam was killed. But Claude somehow managed to survive. Claude received immediate medical treatment enabling him to ride into Milan by the side of King Francois in triumph on October 16, 1515. Upon his return home several months later, he saw his newborn baby daughter Mary of Guise for the first time.

© 2012

Resources: “Mary of Guise, Queen of Scots” by Rosalind K. Marshall

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The 13th-century cadaver, says Philippe Charlier, actually smells good. That’s because its veins have been filled with a mixture of mercury and beeswax, preserving the body. “Also it was smoked, like salmon or like pork,” he says. So even after 800 years, it’s in pretty good shape.

Charlier is a physician and forensic scientist at the University Hospital Richard Poincaré in France. He spends most of his time performing modern autopsies there, but he has also made a name for himself in France analyzing the bodies—and body parts—of European historical figures. He’s examined the head of Henry IV, the hair and bones of French noblewoman Diane de Poitiers, and bone fragments, accepted by the Roman Catholic Church as relics of Joan of Arc, that Charlier showed were faked.

Most recently, Charlier has analyzed an autopsied medieval cadaver, to learn about autopsy during the time period. He’s also analyzed the powdered remains of Richard the Lionheart’s heart, which was embalmed separately from the rest of his body and kept in the church of Notre Dame in Rouen, France.

“I’m a historian of medicine,” Charlier says, but adds that his main aim is to develop autopsy techniques. He trains his techniques on historical cadavers because, he says, “it’s more, I think, complex and more interesting” than modern cadavers donated to science.

Charlier is something of a celebrity in France, where reporters sometimes call him the “Indiana Jones of the graveyards.” He popularizes his field through books, radio and television. In a New York Times profile, he said he got interested in historical bodies after taking part in a 5th- to 8th-century archeological dig as a child. Over the past several years, he’s led forensic tests of famous and ordinary people throughout European history.

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Welcome to the premiere episode of the Vikings Podcast! I’ve put together a brief episode to introduce the actors and the characters they play. There are a few sound clips from the show and the show format is discussed.

Vikings premieres on 03 March 2013 on The History Channel USA & Canada.

Vikings Synopsis:

The adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok the greatest hero of his age. The series tells the sagas of Ragnar’s band of Viking brothers and his family, as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. As well as being a fearless warrior, Ragnar embodies the Norse traditions of devotion to the gods, legend has it that he was a direct descendant of Odin, the god of war and warriors’

Listen to the episode now

You can also follow a few of the Vikings cast members on Twitter:

• George Blagden: is @gblagden
• Katheryn Winnick: is @katherynwinnick
• Clive Standen: @clivestanden
• Travis Fimmel fan account: @Team_Travis
• Vikings offcial account: @HistoryVikings

Send in your comments and feedback by calling the listener voicemail line at 720.722.1066 or send an email to feedback@thevikingspodcast.com

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed so you never miss a single episode.

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Blood Sisters UK paperback cover

A few months ago Sarah Gristwood came on the podcast for an interview and we talked about her book Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses. At the time the remains of King Richard III were being tested to confirm it was actually the King. During the interview Sarah explained how the DNA from his mother, Cecily Neville and Sister Anne of York would determine the outcome. If you haven’t listened to the interview yet it is definitely worth the time.

With the confirmation of Richard’s remains this month, which I covered in the latest podcast, Sarah wrote an article about the women behind the DNA.

Her book Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses is available in hardback in the US and the UK paperback version will be released on 04 March. Thanks to Sarah and Harper Press for the article.

~The Archivist

We know Cecily Neville lavished a fortune on clothes, and ordered a specially padded loo seat. We know that in youth, stories said she had an affair with a common archer, and that in old age she lived a life of extraordinary piety. And now we also know that when the bones found in a Leicester car park were identified as those of Richard III, it was through a descendent who shared with him the DNA of his sister, Anne, and of their mother Cecily.

Richard must be the most controversial figure in British history. But the mysteries surrounding him almost pale compared with those surrounding Cecily Neville. She was the matriarch of the York clan, a mighty figure in her day, and one about whom we know some riveting details. But what we don’t know is even more extraordinary. Where did she stand when her son Richard took over the country, amid rumours he had murdered his nephews, her grandsons, the ‘Princes in the Tower’? Or when her eldest son Edward ordered the death of his next brother Clarence in the famous butt of malmsey?

Cecily’s life is the stuff of writer’s fantasy. Born in 1415 as the beautiful ‘Rose of Raby’, she was daughter to the powerful Earl of Westmorland. Married young to Richard, Duke of York, she accompanied him when he went to govern England’s territories in France, living in high spending luxury.

Two of her sons were born in Rouen; indeed, it was later alleged that she also, while there, had an affair with an archer named Blaybourne, and that her eldest son Edward was the child of this adultery. It was one of the grounds on which Richard III claimed the throne rightfully belonged to him. But – perhaps tellingly – there is no sign that Cecily’s husband complained at the time.

As the Wars of the Roses set her husband at armed conflict with the crown, Cecily suffered a dizzying series of changes of fortune; at one point left alone with her younger children to face a hostile army. Her son Richard had been born in 1452 and the event may indeed have been traumatic in some way. Sir Thomas More recorded that it was a breech birth, and Cecily could not be delivered ‘uncut’.

Cecily’s husband and second son Edmund were killed at the battle of Wakefield in 1460. But only three months later, her eldest son took the throne as Edward IV, and it was soon said that his mother ‘holds the king at her pleasure’, to rule as she wished.

Perhaps that didn’t survive his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville. Cecily was horrified at this love match with a mere commoner. As rivalry came between Edward and his next surviving brother George, Duke of Clarence, Cecily tried unavailingly to mediate between her sons; though contemporaries wrote that it was her pleas won the rebellious Clarence the right at least to choose the manner of his death.

Only five years later Edward himself died, leaving his twelve year old son to rule a turbulent country, and one theory suggests that Cecily was the guiding spirit behind a family decision that the adult and experienced Richard should instead assume the throne. Evidence, however, is scanty.

It is possible, instead, that Cecily took a step backwards away from the spotlight in the years following Clarence’s death. She was after all already in her sixties, and it would have been understandable if she were simply as punch drunk as any other old fighter, keeping herself out of the fray.

Her daily life was recorded a few years later. ‘She is accustomed to arise at seven o’clock and has ready her chaplain to say with her matins of the day, and matins of Our Lady; and when she is full ready she has a low mass in her chamber, and after mass she takes something to recreate nature; and so goes to the chapel, hearing the divine service and two low masses . . . ’. She was living the life of a lay nun, effectively.

But the same could not be said, during her lifetime, of Cecily’s eldest daughter, Anne – through whom was passed on, through seventeen generations, the DNA that identified Richard’s bones.

Mitochondrial DNA is passed on through the female line – from daughter to daughter. So even if we could trace surviving children of Richard’s, they wouldn’t carry it – any more than would Britain’s present royal family. So it’s down to the long-forgotten Anne – herself a figure of scandal. A woman who openly took a lover; divorced her husband; and kept his family lands anyway.

Anne was only seven years old when in 1447 she was married to Henry Holland, fifteen year old heir to the Duke of Exeter, himself descended from John of Gaunt and thus in the line of succession to the throne. From the start, she seems to have detested him – and with reason, probably. The young Exeter (as soon he became) was reported to be a violent and angry young man – ‘fierce and cruel’ as an Italian report has it. Anne may have taken her lover, a Kentish gentleman called Thomas St Leger, before she was twenty. As the Wars of the Roses broke out, Anne bore Exeter a single daughter. But soon the armed conflict was calling husband and wife to different sides of the fray.

The Wars set Anne’s father York in conflict with the Lancastrian king and queen, Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou. But Exeter took the Lancastrian side, being actually a commander at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460 in which Anne’s father York was killed. He fought again just months later at Towton; but this time it was a Lancastrian defeat and Exeter had to flee abroad with the deposed queen Margaret.

When Anne’s eldest brother Edward took the throne in 1461, he had every reason to take his sister’s side in the marital dispute. Exeter was attainted; his forfeit lands granted to Anne, to be inherited by ‘her heirs by the duke’, ie their daughter. In 1464 Anne and Exeter secured a formal separation.

In 1467 Edward IV took a further step. He ‘extended the remainder’ of the greater part of the lands from his sister herself to any heirs of her body – that is, decreed that they could pass not only to her daughter by Exeter, but to any children she might bear in a subsequent marriage. The comparatively humble St Leger had been in Edward’s favour from the first days of his reign, made an esquire of the body and awarded a steady stream of grants and lands; and it was probably Anne who won him such favour.

But there is a reason that the Wheel of Fortune was so popular an image in these years; and in 1470 Edward himself was briefly deposed from the throne he had captured. Exeter came back with the Lancastrians; taking back from his wife his great house of Coldharbour. Edward and Anne’s disaffected brother Clarence had thrown his lot in with the rebels, but it was ‘the mediation of his sisters, the Duchesses of Burgundy and Exeter’ that persuaded Clarence to turn his coat back again, and restore Edward IV to the throne.

As the house of Lancaster was defeated so too was Exeter; wounded and left for dead on the field at Barnet. The duke’s servant found him lying wounded, and took him to sanctuary at Westminster, where he languished until transferred to the Tower. In 1472 Anne was granted what the chronicler John Stow called a divorce, but was probably an annulment; and a year or two later she married her lover St Leger.

When Edward IV mounted an expedition against the French in 1475, Exeter ‘volunteered’ to serve, and was released to do so; but on the voyage back he fell overboard and was drowned. ‘How he drowned, the certainty is not known’, says the chronicler Fabyan, but the Milanese envoy in Burgundy reported definitely that he was killed on Edward’s orders.

By this time, Anne was already pregnant with her second husband’s child. In the January of 1476 bore St Leger a daughter – and in doing so, she herself died, which at least meant she was spared the subsequent traumas of the York dynasty. Her bloodline, however, carried on, right through to the 21st century – a dynastic, a genetic legacy. For a woman of her day, it was the ultimate victory.

Sarah Gristwood is the author of Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses (HarperPress/Basic Books)

Sarah can be found on the internet at

• Sarah Gristwood’s Website: http://www.sarahgristwood.co.uk/
• Sarah’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/sarah.gristwood.1

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If you are behind on Game of Thrones you have one month to get caught up! Season 3 premiers on 31 March 2013. The promotional poster and official trailer are below.

I can’t wait!

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Katheryn Winnick will play Ragnars wife Lagertha. Winnick appeared in the movie Love and Other Drugs and in several TV series including: Bones, Nikita, law and Order and Transporter. Lagertha is a famous shieldmaiden who often fights alongside Ragnar. Legend has it that Lagertha was also one of the mythological Valkyre’s.

Vikings premieres on 03 March 2013 on the HISTORY channel.

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The medieval-verse was all abuzz the last couple of weeks about an exciting archaeology find. Back in August 2012 the University of Leicester started a search for the lost remains of King Richard III. Richard was killed during the Battle of Bosworth, the final major battle of the Wars of the Roses.

King Richard’s death is significant for a few reasons. He was the last King of England to die in battle and his death marks the end of the medieval period. The victor at Bosworth, Henry Tudor, starts the dynasty of the smae name that would last for over 100 years!

In this episode we will look at the history of Richard and find out how the youngest of four brothers rose to throne of England. We also examine the controversies that surround him including the Princes in the Tower and if he was a disfigured hunchback.

But the real exciting part is the dig in Leicester! We’ll listen in to the DNA test announcements and the description of his wounds at Bosworth.

Please send any comments or suggestions to podcast@medievalarchives.com

If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes.

In this episode we discuss:

• Richard III: The Last Warrior King
• Princes in the Tower
• Hunchback or Tudor Propaganda
• Richard III Society
• And more…

Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed so you do not miss a single episode.

The music was provided by Tim Rayburn. It is available at Magnatune.com

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Golden Globe winner Gabriel Byrne plays Earl Haraldson, the ruler of the county. Byrne has a long acting carreer and has appeared in Excalibur, The Usual Suspects, Enemy of the State, assualt on Precint 13, In Treatment, Secret State and Quirke to name a few. Earl Haraldson doesn’t appear to be based on one specific historical character. There are several Haraldson’s throughout history, which one, if any, Byrne’s character is based on is hard to guess.

Vikings premieres on 03 March 2013 on the HISTORY channel.

The Ruler (Earl Haraldson)

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Following up on the Maddest Medieval Monarch series Andrea Cefalo is posting about Medieval love for the month of February.

Last week she wrote about Abelard and Heloise dubbed ‘The Twelfth Century’s Romeo and Juliet’

Check out the Star Crossed Lovers series throughout the month to learn more about courtly love.

You can also connect with Andrea via her Facebook page, follow Andrea on Twitter, view her pictures on Pinterest and check out her book on Goodreads.

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Today we have a guest post by Susan Abernethy. Susan is the Freelance History Writer, covering topics from Ancient history to the 20th Century. Visit her blog at thefreelancehistorywriter.com. You can also like Susan on Facebook or follow Susan on Twitter.

~The Archivist

By the time of reign of King Edward III of England, some of the Angevin Empire had been lost. Edward still retained the Duchy of Aquitaine, the legacy of Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of King Henry II. Edward held the duchy as a vassal of the French King Philip VI. When he did not fulfill his duties as vassal, Philip seized the valuable asset, rightly angering Edward. In 1340, Edward declared himself King of France, citing his mother Isabella of France’s birthright as the daughter of King Philip IV. Thus began the Hundred Years War which lasted from 1337-1453 between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France and their various allies.

In the beginning, Edward and his eldest son, Edward the Black Prince were successful in battle at Crécy in 1346 and Calais in 1347. Along with these battles, Castilian ships from Spain were fighting against England as allies or mercenaries of France. This included piracy between trading ships. In 1350, a Castilian merchant fleet, under the command of Don Carlos de la Cerda was loading cargo in Flanders to be carried to the Basque coast. De la Cerda was a soldier of fortune with connections to the Castilian royal family. On one of the fleet’s journeys to Flanders, accompanied by warships and armed, they captured several English ships and threw the crews overboard. These piratical incidences were very common back then. By early August, Edward received news that forty Castilian ships had gathered at Sluys and there were plans to attack England.

On August 10th, Edward was at the port of Rotherhithe in London when he announced his plan to attack the Castilian fleet. The English fleet of fifty ships gathered at Winchelsea and Edward traveled there accompanied by his queen, Philippa and her ladies and his sons, the Black Prince and John of Gaunt as well as many nobles. The women were situated in a convent for safety and the King embarked on his flagship, the “Cog Thomas” on August 28th. The English fleet patrolled the seas but saw nothing. On Sunday, the 29th, the weather was warm and misty. The King was dressed in a black velvet jacket and a black beaver hat, making a handsome appearance. He sat upon the deck of his ship and ordered his minstrels to play a German dance which had been brought to England by his dependable knight Sir John Chandos. The King kept a watchful eye on the castle mast, waiting for a signal from the look-out. None came. Sir John Chandos himself began to sing. The King seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

Then the awaited signal came from the mast. The look-out saw a Spanish ship. Then he saw another. Then another. In the end there were too many to count. De la Cerda could have avoided the English but he relied on the size and strength of this fleet. Looking forward to combat, he had recruited mostly Flemish crossbowmen and being confident, he bore down on the English ships sitting at anchor. The King and his men drank each other’s health, the trumpet blared and the battle began. The English used elementary tactics, each ship running straight at a Spanish one. They would grapple the ship and hang on with tenacity, fight until they could get on board and fling any living Spaniard into the sea. The Spaniards answered by dropping huge bars of wood and heavy lumps of metal onto the English ships in hopes of sinking them.

King Edward’s ship was rammed by one of the enemy ships causing the “Cog Thomas” to begin sinking. But Edward and his men managed to scramble onto the Spanish ship they were hooked to and watched as their ship sank. The Black Prince’s ship also was sinking and he would have gone down with it but the Earl of Lancaster sailed up next to the Prince’s ship and rescued him. The English ship “La Salle du Roi”, under the command of Sir Robert de Namur was being carried off by the Spanish ship she was hooked to when a sailor name Hannekin leapt on the foe’s ship and cut the halyards of her mainsail. It fell down heavily, entangling and injuring many of the Spanish sailors, thus saving the English ship. The fighting continued until twilight.

By nightfall, the English had won a glorious victory. Edward and his fleet anchored at Winchelsea and Rye. The King and his sons conscripted horses from the town and road the two English leagues to the convent where Philippa and her ladies were awaiting news of the battle. They all spent the night in revelry, recounting tales of arms and armor and the bravery of the day.

This battle was called the Battle of Winchelsea or the Battle of Lespagnols sur Mer. The Spanish lost between fourteen and twenty six ships. The English lost at least two ships. The main source for account of the battle was from “Froissart’s Chronicles” by Jean Froissart, the Frenchman who worked for both Edward and Philippa. He interviewed men who fought at the scene. With the magical good fortune of the English, the Spanish were defeated and troubled the coast of England no more for many years.

© 2012

Resources: “Chronicles” by Jean Froissart, “Philippa of Hainault and Her Times” by Blanche Cristabel Hardy, “Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition”

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Season 3 of the Game of Thrones is fast approaching and the teasers are starting to appear.

Game of Thrones Season 3 premieres on HBO on 3.31.13

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A facial reconstruction based on the skull of Richard III has revealed how the English king may have looked.

A skeleton found under a car park in Leicester has been confirmed as that of the king.

The reconstructed face has a slightly arched nose and prominent chin, similar to features shown in portraits of Richard III painted after his death.

Historian and author John Ashdown-Hill said seeing it was “almost like being face to face with a real person”.

The development comes after archaeologists from the University of Leicester confirmed the skeleton found last year was the 15th Century king’s, with DNA from the bones having matched that of descendants of the monarch’s family.

Richard was killed in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, at the age of 32 and after just two years on the throne, having been challenged by the forces of Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII.

Photo courtesy of the BBC

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The University of Leicester, with Channel 4, unveiled the world’s first photograph of the human remains found at the Grey Friars church — which could be that of King Richard III.

The image is released in advance of the University of Leicester’s major announcement detailing the results of its investigations into the skeleton’s identity on February 4.

The image displays the shape of the Grey Friars skeleton’s skull. The University has investigated the skull for signs of damage to the back of the head — potentially caused by battle injuries.

The University has released the image after months of skeletal analysis by Dr Jo Appleby, Lecturer in Human Bioarchaeology in the University’s School of Archaeology and Ancient History, who led the exhumation of the remains in September 2012.

Dr Appleby said: “The skull was in good condition, although fragile, and was able to give us detailed information about this individual. It has been CT scanned at high resolution in order to allow us to investigate interesting features in as much detail as possible.

Click the image to view full size

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In this video Dr. Jo Appleby discusses the skeleton of King Richard III and the wounds he received in the Battle of Bosworth.

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While we (or at least the USA) slept the University of Leicester held a press conference to disclose the results of a DNA test. The test was conducted on remains found in a Grey Friars car park last fall and believed to by those of King Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England. To much cheering and applause the DNA test confirmed that the remains are in fact King Richard III. Watch the video below for the full announcement.

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The HISTORY channel is slowing release video and pictures of Vikings. Here is an exclusive look at the opening title sequence.

Vikings premieres on 03 March 2013 on the HISTORY channel.

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Hot on the heels of last years Hatfields and McCoys, the HISTORY channel is set to release another scripted TV show. The new show will focus on Vikings and will follow the life of Norse hero Ragnar Lothbrok. Here is the synopsis from HISTORY:

Vikings follows the adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok the greatest hero of his age. The series tells the sagas of Ragnar’s band of Viking brothers and his family, as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. As well as being a fearless warrior, Ragnar embodies the Norse traditions of devotion to the gods, legend has it that he was a direct descendant of Odin, the god of war and warriors.

Below is sneak peek. Vikings premieres on 03 March 2013 on the HISTORY channel.

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Medieval prisoners of war were much more widely traded for ransoms than has been previously recognised, according to University of Southampton research.

A study of the Hundred Years War reveals a well-organised trading market in English and French soldiers.

One soldier claimed to have been taken prisoner 17 times, says historian Dr Remy Ambuhl.

The protected and financially valuable status of soldiers saw the first use of the phrase “prisoner of war”.

Historian Dr Ambuhl says that ransoming prisoners captured in medieval battles was much more common across all ranks of soldiers than had previously been understood.

His study of documents from the Hundred Years War, between 1337 and 1453, reveals an unexpected level of contractual and financial arrangements surrounding the swapping of all kinds of prisoners, not just knights and nobles.

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Game of Thrones Season 3 is about 10 weeks away. The wait seems way to long! Until then, here’s a little something to tide you over.

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Just a quick note to announce our new URL shortener: darkag.es

If you see a link on Twitter, Facebook or across the internet like this http://darkag.es/RncVKU or this http://darkag.es/J6nK0u rest assured it will take you to the Medieval Archives website for great medieval content.

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