Whether or not Edward’s promise of the throne to William was genuine, it was later certainly made irrelevant by Edward’s deathbed will.
The Bayeux Tapestry: The Case of the Phantom Fleet
September 1, 2014 By
There is a large bibliography of secondary works concerning the Bayeux Tapestry, but when one reads much of the published material it is clear that a high proportion of this comment, as one would expect, copies and builds on previous authors.
Book Review: The Rhyme of King Harold
June 18, 2014 By
The Rhyme of King Harold is an entertaining way to learn more about the flip side of the Bayeux Tapestry and getting in touch with your Saxon roots.
Harold Godwinson’s Posthumous Reputation, 1066-c.1160
March 15, 2014 By
This text will show in which ways Harold’s posthumous reputation was constructed to cement the Norman claim to legitimacy and how this legacy lasted well beyond William the Conqueror’s death.
Writing conquest: traditions of Anglo-Saxon invasion and resistance in the twelfth century
March 2, 2014 By
Writing Conquest examines the ways in which Latin, Old English, and Middle English twelfth-century historical and pseudo-historical texts remembered and reconstructed three formative moments of Anglo-Saxon invasion and resistance…
Great Medieval Fiction 2013!
November 28, 2013 By
For those of you who enjoy some fantasy or a historical novel – this list is for you!
England: One Country, Two Courts
December 26, 2012 By
The tension created by the two-court system is an integral part of England’s administrative and constitutional history. Exactly how integral has generated a considerable amount of scholarly work, from explanations of the sources of the conflict, to how the disagreement over jurisdiction was addressed throughout the Middle Ages, to what impact the issue had in shaping England’s overall political development.
The Bayeux Tapestry: a stripped narative for their eyes and ears
September 13, 2011 By
The Bayeux Tapestry: a stripped narative for their eyes and ears Brilliant, Richard Word and Image, Vol..7, (1991) Abstract The Bayeaux Tapestry, a masterpiece of medieval narrative art, tells the highly politicised story of the ascension to the English crown, held by Edward the Confessor. The historical narrative begins in 1064 while Edward was still […]
More about Magnus, Count of Wroclaw
September 13, 2011 By
More about Magnus, Count of Wroclaw Skarbek-Kozietulski, Marek Genealogia Mediaevalis Genetica, August 4, (2011) Abstract Twentieth-century German medieval researchers saw Piotr Wlostowic, the famous Palatine of the Polish Duke Wladyslaw II the Exile, as a grandson of Magnus, the Count (Comes) of Wroclaw. They argued this from two sources, the records of Gallus Anonymus’ “Polish […]
What was the true identity of Magnus, Count of Wroclaw?
September 13, 2011 By
What was the true identity of Magnus, Count of Wroclaw? Skarbek-Kozietulski, Marek Genealogia Mediaevalis Genetica (2010) Abstract Which clan of Polish medieval nobility1 derives its male lineage from Count Magnus of Wroclaw? This man of noble birth, who bore a mysteriously non-Slavic name, was mentioned twice in the Chronicle of Gallus Anonymus. This vexed question has […]
The fall of the last Anglo-Saxon King: a case of leadership failure during a crisis
September 13, 2011 By
The case describes the Battle of Hastings, placing emphasis on the decisions made by Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. First the events leading up to the battle are presented to provide the context and show the preparations undertaken by Harold. Next the Battle itself is explored.
The Mercian Connection, Harold Godwineson’s Ambitions, Diplomacy and Channel-crossing, 1056-1066
September 13, 2011 By
The Mercian Connection, Harold Godwineson’s Ambitions, Diplomacy and Channel-crossing, 1056 -1066 VAN KEMPEN,AD F. J. (Tilburg, The Netherlands) History, Volume 94, Issue 313 (2009) Abstract It is supposed that the Vita Ædwardi contains some information about Harold’s dealings with William of Normandy in 1064. This article links these covert references with William of Poitiers’ statements […]
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