Tag Archives: Vikings

King Edgar The Ætheling – The last and uncrowned Anglo-Saxon King of England

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Stephen Liddell

We all know about the momentous events of 1066 where poor King Harold and his men achieved the impossible in marching up from London and defeating a massive Viking invasion led by Harald Hardraada at the Battle of Stamford bridge … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged 1066, Anglo-Saxon, Battle of Hastings, Edgar The Ætheling, King Harold, Normans, Vikings, William The Conqueror, Witenagemot | 2 Comments

Æthelflaed – Lady of the Mercians

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Stephen Liddell

Every now and then I like to write a post about one of the important and often overlooked women in history and British history in particular. Sometimes they appear in the most unexpected places such as the Wrestling Mongolian Princess … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged Anglo Saxon Chronicle, Anglo-Saxon, Æthelflaed, England, history, Mercia, Mercians, Queen, Vikings | 9 Comments

My final Map Medlee!

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Stephen Liddell

This is the final posting in my recent collection of motley maps, at least for now. France is a pretty big country by any going, the only European nation that wouldn’t necessarily be dwarfed by countries on other … Continue reading →

Posted in geography, Life, Travel | Tagged France, Game of Thrones, India, Maps, Mars, Pakistan, Springfield, The Simpsons, Vikings, Westeros | 4 Comments

The Terrible Tale of Ælfheah – Archbishop of Canterbury

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

Being the Archbishop of Canterbury is probably not the easiest job in the world. You might have a nice palace in London and an entourage of officials around you but there is no doubt lots of travelling, meetings to have … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, London, Religion and Faith | Tagged Archbishop, Ælfheah, Æthelred the Unready, Danegeld, Danelaw, Greenwich, St. Alphege, Vikings | 16 Comments

Up Helly Aa – The Modern Day Viking Festival

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Stephen Liddell

This coming Tuesday sees one of the most spectacular event of the British cultural calendar though it is a long from most people in the British Isles. It is known as Up Helly Aa and takes place in the town … Continue reading →

Posted in Cool Britannia, Culture, history, Life, Travel | Tagged history, Lerwick, Life, Scotland, Shetland, The Shetland Islands, Up Helly Aa, Vikings | 10 Comments

The Battle of Hastings and 1066

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Stephen Liddell

Today is the 950th anniversary of one of the most pivotal battles in history. Perhaps only the Battle of Manzikert in 1071AD which saw the collapse of the Byzantine Empire and the gradual Turkification of Anatolia can rival it for … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Uncategorized | Tagged AngloSaxon, Battle of Hastings, Edward The Confessor, England, King Harold, Normandy, The Normans, Vikings, William The Conqueror | 13 Comments

The history of Father Christmas & Santa Claus

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Stephen Liddell

I’m not really into the modern Christmas, I’m much more into the original meaning of Christmas. However that’s not to say I’m not interested in the traditions of Father Christmas it’s just that I am into the more original meanings … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Religion and Faith | Tagged Christian, Christmas, Faith, Father Christmas, history, Lapland, Life, Pagan, religion, Saint Nicholas, Santa, Vikings, winter | 3 Comments

Bitten to death by a dead mans head: The unfortunate, deserving & true tale of Sigurd Eysteinsson

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Stephen Liddell

One of the slightly odd pleasures I had when I was studying at university was learning of various terrible ways people died or executed. To some degree this is normal for many historians but as I majored in amongst others, … Continue reading →