HistoryExtra
type: channel
link: https://www.historyextra.com
description: Home of Britain’s bestselling history magazine and award-winning podcast
date: 2026-04-27T18:47:44.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: How the Vikings reshaped Anglo-Saxon England
items: The Anglo-Saxons were terrified of Vikings. But were they really so different?
items: How Alfred the Great saved the Anglo-Saxons from the Vikings
items: This morbid Viking Age death pit is more mystifying than it first seemed – here’s why
items: The rise of Alfred the Great
items: Beyond the podcast: Alfred vs the Vikings
items: How the Vikings pushed Anglo-Saxon England to the brink
items: Did the Bible really inspire an early medieval king’s disgusting death?
items: One of medieval history’s biggest mysteries has just been solved – and it rewrites 1066
items: From health to wealth, here are the strange secrets medieval toilets reveal about life in the Middle Ages

How the Vikings reshaped Anglo-Saxon England
type: item
date: 2026-04-26T07:07:54.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Anglo-Saxon
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Tudor
subject: Viking Britain
description: Dr Eleanor Barraclough explores how the Vikings' ninth-century invasion rewrote the future of Anglo-Saxon England
encoded: Alfred the Great’s victory over the Vikings at the battle of Edington brought the campaign of the Great Heathen Army to an end – but it didn't conclude the wider story. In the final episode of our Sunday Series on the ninth-century Viking invasion of Anglo-Saxon England, Dr Eleanor Barraclough and James Osborne trace how the outcome of the battle rewrote the future of Anglo-Saxon England. Want to know more about the struggle between Alfred and the Vikings? James Osborne rounds up essential reading from the HistoryExtra archive that explores this pivotal moment in Viking and Anglo-Saxon history – including insights into Viking culture, the everyday experience of Anglo-Saxon communities, Alfred’s use of religion and learning as tools of political renewal, and the long legacy of the Danelaw on English identity and culture. Go beyond the podcast

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The Anglo-Saxons were terrified of Vikings. But were they really so different?
type: item
date: 2026-04-19T10:30:55.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Anglo-Saxon
subject: Medieval
subject: Period
subject: Viking
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: They might have fought as enemies in the 9th century, but the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons shared common languages and deep cultural roots
encoded: Viking aggression against Anglo-Saxon England escalated dramatically in the 9th century, with the arrival of the Great Heathen Army. The Norse invaders were portrayed in contemporary chronicles as terrifying outsiders; they were fierce raiders who were violent, alien and, ultimately, incomprehensible. But were the differences between the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons really so stark? Beneath the violence between these two peoples were many similarities, found in a rich layer of shared history. Shared origins across the North Sea One reason for these similarities is simple: the Anglo-Saxons themselves had once come from the same broad region as the Vikings. Following the collapse of Roman rule in Britain in the 5th century, groups from what is now Denmark, northern Germany and the Low Countries migrated across the North Sea and settled in England. Read more | The fall of Roman Britain: how life changed for Britons after the empire These groups – including Angles, Saxons and Jutes – filled the post-Roman vacuum and established the foundations of what would become Anglo-Saxon England, bringing with them languages, customs and social structures rooted in Europe’s northern lands. “From the Anglo-Saxon perspective, they are very aware of their origins in what is now Denmark and the northern coastline of continental Europe,” explains historian Eleanor Barraclough, speaking on the HistoryExtra podcast about this 9th century wave of Viking invasion. “So those connections are still there.” Genealogies of Anglo-Saxon kings often traced their ancestry back to continental or even mythological Germanic figures, reinforcing this sense of shared heritage. Could they understand each other? Perhaps the clearest sign of this shared heritage was found in language. Old English (spoken by the Anglo-Saxons) and Old Norse (spoken by many Vikings) were both part of the Germanic language family. “You just have to look at the languages,” Barraclough explains. “Although they are distinct Germanic l…

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How Alfred the Great saved the Anglo-Saxons from the Vikings
type: item
date: 2026-04-19T07:53:42.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Anglo-Saxon
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Tudor
subject: Viking Britain
description: Dr Eleanor Barraclough tells the story of Alfred the Great's journey from his lowest ebb, to his ascent to reclaim his throne
encoded: As the Viking Great Heathen Army advanced to the borders of Wessex, the conquest of Anglo-Saxon England appeared all but complete. In the third episode of this four-part series on the Viking invasion of Anglo-Saxon England in the latter half of the ninth century, James Osborne is joined by historian Dr Eleanor Barraclough to examine how Alfred the Great rose from the cusp of defeat, to a stunning military victory at the battle of Edington. Want to know more about the struggle between Alfred and the Vikings? James Osborne rounds up essential reading from the HistoryExtra archive that explores this pivotal moment in Viking and Anglo-Saxon history – including insights into Viking culture, the everyday experience of Anglo-Saxon communities, Alfred’s use of religion and learning as tools of political renewal, and the long legacy of the Danelaw on English identity and culture. Go beyond the podcast

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This morbid Viking Age death pit is more mystifying than it first seemed – here’s why
type: item
date: 2026-04-12T10:45:46.000Z
creator: Tom Horne
subject: Anglo-Saxon
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Viking
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: A newly discovered burial pit dating to the Viking Age contains the remains of at least ten young men. But were they victims of battle, execution – or something else entirely?
encoded: Violence was a defining feature of 9th-century Anglo-Saxon England. This was a period of aggressive Viking invasions, violent rivalry between Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, and harsh systems of justice. Conflict could erupt between rival powers, or within communities themselves. Against this backdrop, archaeologists have uncovered a striking discovery at Wandlebury, Cambridgeshire: a 9th-century pit containing the remains of at least ten young men, all showing clear signs of a violent death. Much of the initial reaction to the find suggested that the buried individuals may have been Vikings from the famous Great Heathen Army that nearly toppled Anglo-Saxon England during the second half of the 9th century. But who these men really were – and why they were killed – remains uncertain. The 9th century saw a force of mainly Scandinavian warriors – known to Anglo-Saxon chroniclers as the “mycel here” or “hæþen here” and to modern readers as the Great Heathen Army – campaigning across Britain. The army landed in East Anglia in 865, and its activities in the area of the Wandlebury excavation included a prolonged stay over winter near Cambridge in 874–875. Historians and archaeologists increasingly refer to this period as the ‘Long Ninth Century’. Spanning the late 8th to the mid-10th centuries, it was a time of upheaval, as Anglo-Saxon kingdoms came under intense pressure and began to reshape themselves. In the long run, this period of disruption helped lay the foundations for new political entities, including the kingdom of England itself. Read more | The triumph of the Anglo-Saxons: how the kingdom of Mercia powered the rise of England But this wasn’t only a story of armies and kings. It was also a time when violence formed part of everyday life. Punishment could be severe, and both warfare and justice could end in brutal deaths. As early medievalist Alex Harvey emphasises, this violence in the uncovered Wandlebury excavation pit cannot be attributed solely to Viking activity. “W…

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The rise of Alfred the Great
type: item
date: 2026-04-12T09:07:55.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Anglo-Saxon
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Tudor
subject: Viking Britain
description: Dr Eleanor Barraclough follows the Great Heathen Army on its rampage across Anglo-Saxon England
encoded: As the Viking Great Heathen Army refused to leave Anglo-Saxon England, the pressure mounted on the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to respond, placing the future of the land in the hands of Alfred the Great. In this second episode of our four-part HistoryExtra podcast series on the Viking invasion of ninth-century England, James Osborne and historian Dr Eleanor Barraclough explore the regions overrun by Viking forces and the rise of Alfred the Great amid the collapse of Anglo-Saxon resistance. Want to know more about the struggle between Alfred and the Vikings? James Osborne rounds up essential reading from the HistoryExtra archive that explores this pivotal moment in Viking and Anglo-Saxon history – including insights into Viking culture, the everyday experience of Anglo-Saxon communities, Alfred’s use of religion and learning as tools of political renewal, and the long legacy of the Danelaw on English identity and culture. Go beyond the podcast

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Beyond the podcast: Alfred vs the Vikings
type: item
date: 2026-04-05T08:00:16.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Anglo-Saxon
subject: Period
subject: Viking
description: In a four-part HistoryExtra podcast series, Viking expert Dr Eleanor Barraclough traces the struggle between Alfred and the Vikings, from the arrival of the Great Heathen Army in 865 to the decisive battle of Edington and its far-reaching aftermath. Below, find essential reading and listening to dive deeper into this pivotal moment in history
encoded: In the late ninth century, Anglo-Saxon England stood on the brink of collapse. A vast coalition of Viking warbands, remembered as the Great Heathen Army, swept across the country, shattering kingdoms that had endured for centuries. As Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia fell, only Wessex remained – ruled by a young and untested king named Alfred. For the Vikings, this was the culmination of decades of expansion and ambition; for the Anglo-Saxons, it was a fight for survival. In this four-part HistoryExtra podcast series, Viking expert Dr Eleanor Barraclough traces the struggle between Alfred and the Vikings, from the arrival of the Great Heathen Army in 865 to the decisive battle of Edington and its far-reaching aftermath. Across the series, we explore the story from both sides: the world of the Viking army and the realities of life within it, the collapse of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, Alfred’s flight into the marshes, and the uneasy peace that reshaped England subsequently. Below, I’ve selected some essential reading and listening from our archives to deepen your understanding of this pivotal moment in Viking and Anglo-Saxon history – including insights into Viking culture, the everyday experience of Anglo-Saxon communities, Alfred’s use of religion and learning as tools of political renewal, and the long legacy of the Danelaw on English identity and culture.

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How the Vikings pushed Anglo-Saxon England to the brink
type: item
date: 2026-04-05T07:00:30.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Anglo-Saxon
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Tudor
subject: Viking Britain
description: Dr Eleanor Barraclough tells the story of the Great Heathen Army, and explains what it was like it live within it
encoded: During the latter decades of the ninth century, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms faced an existential threat as Viking forces launched an assault on a scale never seen before. In this opening episode of a four-part series on how the Viking Great Heathen Army pushed Anglo-Saxon England to the brink, James Osborne is joined by Dr Eleanor Barraclough to discuss the coming of the Great Heathen Army and take a closer look at the everyday lives and motivations of the people who would soon lay waste to much of Anglo-Saxon England. Want to know more about the struggle between Alfred and the Vikings? James Osborne rounds up essential reading from the HistoryExtra archive that explores this pivotal moment in Viking and Anglo-Saxon history – including insights into Viking culture, the everyday experience of Anglo-Saxon communities, Alfred’s use of religion and learning as tools of political renewal, and the long legacy of the Danelaw on English identity and culture. Go beyond the podcast

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Did the Bible really inspire an early medieval king’s disgusting death?
type: item
date: 2026-04-02T12:25:31.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Anglo-Saxon
subject: Medieval
subject: Period
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: Edmund Ironside was an ill-fated king during a violent and turbulent time in the history of the Anglo-Saxons. But is the vivid story of his death just a myth? And if so, what does it have to do with the Bible?
encoded: “How can we forget all of the people who were stabbed through the genitals while sitting in their garderobe?” That’s the question posed by historian Katherine Weikert, while reflecting on the important role of toilets in the society of the Middle Ages. Beyond their practical purpose, toilets also played a role in people’s imaginations. As evidence of this, few medieval tales are as vivid – or as gruesome – as the alleged death of Edmund Ironside. According to later accounts, the Anglo-Saxon king Edmund Ironside was assassinated while sitting on a toilet, killed by a weapon thrust up through his body from below. It’s certainly a striking image. It also likely never happened. But if he didn’t die on the toilet, how did Edmund Ironside meet his death? Who killed him? And what does it have to do with the Bible? The king of a collapsing kingdom Edmund Ironside ruled England for only a few months in 1016, during one of the most unstable periods in early English history, with a resurgence of Viking aggression. At this time, England was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom without a standing army or centralised bureaucracy, making it vulnerable to repeated invasions. During Edmund’s rule, the Danish prince Cnut was leading a determined campaign to conquer England. Edmund was the son of Æthelred II – often remembered as Æthelred the Unready – and inherited a kingdom under sustained assault. The unflattering epithet ‘Unready’ doesn’t actually mean ‘unprepared’ in the modern sense, but comes from the Old English unræd, meaning ‘poorly advised,’ reflecting criticism of his rule. Unlike Æthelred, Edmund’s positive moniker ‘Ironside’ reflected his resilience in battle. Over the course of 1016, he fought a series of engagements against Danish forces, attempting to preserve English rule. The decisive moment came at the battle of Assandun in October 1016. Edmund’s army was defeated, and soon after, Edmund and Cnut agreed to divide the kingdom between them. Under this agreement, Edmund retained co…

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One of medieval history’s biggest mysteries has just been solved – and it rewrites 1066
type: item
date: 2026-03-21T00:01:25.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Anglo-Saxon
subject: Early medieval
subject: Medieval
subject: Norman
subject: Period
subject: Discover / Apple News
subject: Trends-News
description: A fresh re-reading of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle suggests that King Harold Godwinson didn’t race south by land after Stamford Bridge, but instead used a coordinated naval strategy. What does that mean for how we should understand the events of 1066?
encoded: Alongside the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD, 1066 stands as one of the most pivotal years in British history. It marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule and the ascendancy of the Normans under William the Conqueror. At the centre of this story is King Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king. In the space of just a few weeks, he fought two major battles at opposite ends of England. In September, he defeated the Viking king Harald Hardrada at the battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire. He is then said to have rushed south, covering some 200 miles to confront William, Duke of Normandy, who had landed on the Sussex coast to attempt to take the throne. According to the traditional account, Harold and his army arrived exhausted – but just in time to fight at the battle of Hastings on 14 October, where he was killed. This dramatic forced march has been used to explain both the pace of events, and Harold’s eventual defeat: his troops, worn out from the journey, were at a disadvantage against William’s forces. But what if that version of the story is wrong? New research now suggests that one of the most famous – and decisive – military marches in English history may never have happened at all. A journey by land – or sea? In new research, Professor Tom Licence of the University of East Anglia argues that Harold didn’t lead a desperate overland march from Yorkshire to Sussex. Instead, much of the journey south may have been made by sea. The idea that the march itself may be implausible is not entirely new. “There’s an argument going back to the that this great heroic march is almost impossible,” he says, speaking to HistoryExtra. He explains that even when compared with the most demanding marching rates recorded in modern warfare (for example, in the American Civil War) the speed required to cover the distance simply doesn’t hold up. “To cover that distance in that period of time on foot is just unfeasible,” he says. Crucial to Licence’s argument, he says, is the finding t…

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From health to wealth, here are the strange secrets medieval toilets reveal about life in the Middle Ages
type: item
date: 2026-03-12T13:24:15.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Anglo-Saxon
subject: Medieval
subject: Period
subject: Viking
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: From lost silver coins to fossilised faeces, medieval cesspits have become some of the richest archives of everyday life in the Middle Ages
encoded: A cesspit isn’t where most people would choose to look to learn more about the story of the Middle Ages. Cesspits – lined shafts or dug-out pits designed to hold human waste – were a very ordinary feature of medieval towns and settlements. The Middle Ages saw towns’ populations growing in number and density, and that meant more waste – waste that needed managing. So, in towns from Anglo-Saxon Southampton to Viking York, pits were dug, lined with timber or stone, and periodically emptied. They were unglamorous but absolutely essential. Perhaps surprisingly, for archaeologists, these old waste chutes have become some of the richest sources of evidence for how people lived. Because cesspits were used daily by ordinary households rather than reserved for elite figures of society, they can preserve the material culture of everyday medieval life. “We need to remember that people dropped things in toilets then, as now,” says historian Katherine Weikert, speaking on the HistoryExtra podcast. The dense organic material at the bottom of a cesspit cushions whatever falls into it. “We often find things that are unexpected. You can find something in a cesspit and it’s intact. It lands in a smoosh, then it gets covered up.” Read more | What was life like in a medieval town? A historical A-Z Under certain conditions, these have become a treasure trove for archaeologists. “If that cesspit doesn’t get cleared out or gets abandoned, it’s just there waiting to be found, which is amazing.” In these sealed environments, various fragments of everyday life survived, waiting to be uncovered: pottery, leather, seeds, scraps of material and, in some cases, objects whose journeys began far beyond Britain. A silver coin from Córdoba One of Weikert’s favourite examples of an important archaeological find from within a cesspit comes from ninth-century Southampton, then known as Hamwic – an Anglo-Saxon trading centre on England’s south coast. Hamwic flourished between the 7th and 9th centuries as…

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