Æscwine of Essex is celebrated as the inaugural ruler of the East Saxons, an ancestor of the dynasty that would later govern London in the 7th century. He marks the dawn of Anglo-Saxon England, a migration era between archaeology and written history, spanning from the late fifth to the mid-sixth century.

No chronicles from his lifetime mention him, and no witnesses documented his battles or halls. Our knowledge survives solely through genealogies, meticulously transcribed by monks centuries later to justify royal legitimacy.

His name, Æscwine, holds significant meaning. 'Æsc' could signify an ash tree or an ash-wood spear, an emblem of the warrior. 'Wine' meant friend or protector, suggesting 'Friend of the spear' or 'Protector of the war band.'

Kingship in his world required more than power; it demanded sacred ancestry. Royal lineages were traced into myth, and uniquely, Æscwine was believed to descend from Seaxnēat, the Saxons' tribal god, embodying the people's identity.

Whether viewed as a man, memory, or legend, Æscwine stands at the gateway of English history, marking the transition from wandering warbands to kingdoms and the belief that rulers were god-born. This is his story.

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction

01:45 Seaxnēat — the lost tribal god of the Saxons

04:00 The Coming of the East Saxons

08:00 Legacy

In the early days of England's history, when new kingdoms emerged from the mists, a name rose to prominence: Ida. He was known as the first king of Bernicia, ruling from around 547 to 559. Although historical records are sparse, his impact echoes through time. Ida's lineage continued to thrive and eventually established the powerful kingdom of Northumbria, overcoming the Britons.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle notes his 12-year reign and the construction of his stronghold at Bamburgh. He took over the ancient Brittonic fortress and transformed it into his own bastion of power. From this strategic location, he governed, laying the foundation for future kings of Bernicia.

This episode explores the origins of a dynasty and the creation of a kingdom. Discover Ida's legacy and his role in shaping history.

Music by Alexander Nakarada - CreatorChords

In the early days of Anglo-Saxon England, where battles forged kingdoms, one name emerged—Ælle. As the first King of Sussex, ruling from 477 to 514, Ælle stood as a pivotal figure between the waning Roman influence and the rising Saxon power.

Known not just as a king, but as an imperium ruler, Ælle's legacy was immortalized by the 8th-century chronicler Bede and further celebrated in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as the first Bretwalda, or “Ruler of Britain.” His reign symbolized dominance that transcended borders, shaping the destiny of the land.

Unlike Christian monarchs, Ælle followed the old gods, leading as a battle-forged warrior king. This is his tale—the first Bretwalda and founding monarch of Sussex, a titan of England's shadowy legendary era.

Emerging from the fifth century's mist are Hengist and Horsa—legendary figures of the Germanic world. These brothers, according to early English traditions, led the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, the forebears of modern English, across the sea to Britain's shores.

In ancient tales, Hengist is depicted as the founding father of the Kingdom of Kent. However, the line between legend and history is blurred, with some scholars suggesting Hengist and Horsa might be symbolic rather than historical figures, possibly representing divine twin brothers revered in Germanic cultures.

Their names are preserved in early English chronicles such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, The History of the Britons, Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People, and Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain. In Old English, Hengist means stallion and Horsa means horse, both symbols of power and conquest. This is their story.

Before the establishment of saints and monasteries in East Anglia, before kings were crowned in stone halls or immortalized in written laws, there was Wehha.

In the shadowy centuries of the sixth age, as new peoples crossed the sea and the ancient Roman world in Britain faded, Anglo-Saxon tradition recalls Wehha as the inaugural king of the East Angles. Historical accounts suggest he lived and ruled as a pagan lord during the era of settlement and conflict, when migrants from Frisia and southern Jutland forged a new kingdom along England's eastern shores.

This was an era before chronicles, where power was won by blood and sword. From Wehha came Wuffa, his son, who established the House of the Wuffingas, the royal dynasty that ruled East Anglia for generations over the lands later known as Norfolk and Suffolk. Under the Wuffingas, East Anglia rose as a prominent Anglo-Saxon kingdom, with its kings laid to rest with treasures and warriors remembered in legend.

However, much of their history has been lost over time. Viking invasions of the ninth century and the dissolution of monasteries in the sixteenth shattered the libraries that once preserved their deeds. What remains are fragments—names, lineages, echoes.

An echo survives in the Historia Brittonum, naming Wehha, father of Wuffa, as the first of the Wuffingas. From this single line, historians trace the dynasty's origins to the mid-sixth century, when East Anglia emerged from the mists as a kingdom.

00:00 Introduction
02:01 Ancestry
03:33 The Migration & Theories
05:19 Wehha in the epic Beowulf
06:37 Legacy & kin of the wolf

In the early medieval era, Mercia emerged as a dominant kingdom in Britain, founded by Icel, the first King of the Mercians. His lineage traced back to ancient Germanic royalty. Around 515 AD, as Roman influence waned, Icel led his people across the North Sea into a land ripe for conquest, establishing a formidable dynasty, the Iclingas.

His descendants included Penda, the last great pagan king, and Offa, a powerful ruler who shaped the English economy. Despite the lack of written records from his time, Icel's legacy lives on in genealogies and the enduring power of his descendants.

Explore the legendary tales of Ragnar Lothbrok's five famous sons. Delve into riveting stories of Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ubba Ragnarsson, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, and Björn Ironside.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction - Ragnar Lothbrok

02:26 Ivar the Boneless - The Cursed Heathen

19:12 Halfdan Ragnarsson - The First Viking King of Northumbria

33:58 Ubba Ragnarsson - Legendary Viking War Lord

42:56 Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye - The Mythical Ancestor of Kings

52:58 Björn Ironside - The Warrior Champion

Before Christianity's arrival, England thrived with gods, spirits, and ancient rituals. The Anglo-Saxons, who settled between the 5th and 8th centuries AD, practiced a rich tapestry of beliefs now known as Anglo-Saxon paganism—a Germanic faith shared across northwestern Europe.

This religion originated from northern Europe's Iron Age traditions and reached Britain with the Anglo-Saxon migrations in the mid-5th century. For centuries, it influenced daily life, from seasonal cycles to kingly authority. As Christianity spread in the 7th and 8th centuries, remnants of the old faith lingered, merging into folklore and memory.

We learn about these ancient practices mainly from Christian chroniclers like Bede and Aldhelm, who documented a world their faith aimed to replace. Temples and altars were destroyed, sacred groves vanished, and rituals stopped. Yet, the old beliefs left enduring marks: in the days of the week, named after gods like Woden and Thunor; in royal genealogies linking kings to divine ancestors; and in archaeological treasures like Sutton Hoo, where a helmet with dancing warriors reflects the spiritual imagination of a people who revered both natural and supernatural realms.

Join us on a journey to uncover what remains of this once-dominant religion in England: its gods, sacred traditions, and magical rituals that guided life, death, and the invisible forces surrounding them.

00:00 Introduction
02:11 Woden (God of Wisdom)
04:31 Týr (God of War, Law & the Sky)
06:38 Thunor (God of Thunder)
08:31 Frīg (Goddess of Marriage, Childbirth & prophecy)
10:30 Ing (God of Fertility)
12:52 Ēostre (Goddess of Spring & Renewal)
14:40 Siġel and Mōna (The Solar and Lunar Deities)
16:34 Seaxnēat (The Warrior God of the Saxons)
17:53 Shamanism, magic, and witchcraft
21:07 Legacy