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Mercia

Lady Godiva Statue on her horse in Coventry Town Centre 	Source: xtrillian/Adobe Stock

Uncovering the Truth Behind the Real Lady Godiva (Video)

Unraveling Lady Godiva's historical tapestry involves navigating through legends and nuances. The infamous 11th-century Countess of Mercia is best known for her supposed naked ride through Coventry,...
Sir Geoffrey Luttrell and his wife, Agnes Sutton entertaining. On the table are knives, spoons, dishes, and plates or trenchers of bread. (CC0)

Be It Known: Women’s Wills Mirroring Anglo-Saxon Times

Anglo-Saxon England was a wealthy world with a gold and silver coinage from the early 600s, beginning in Kent and East Anglia. It had been pagan in the 400s but by the ninth and tenth century it was...
Repton Viking Burial. Source: YouTube Screenshot / History Hit.

Repton: Is This The Most Important Viking Burial Site In Britain? (Video)

Located in Repton , Derbyshire, a serene country church houses a historic treasure echoing Britain's past. This site holds immense significance predating the Viking era , once vital to the kingdom of...
Cynegils of Wessex by John Speed (1611) (Public Domain)

The Shadowy Kingdom Of Gewissae, Britain’s First Kings

Gewissae was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom that ruled much of southern Britain from the fifth to the seventh centuries as the island began forging a new identity in the aftermath of Roman occupation...
The Great Heathen Army. The scene depicts brothers Hinguar and Hubba slaying Christians in the north of England. Manuscript from British Library (Public Domain)

Repton, The British Valhalla To The Great Viking Heathen Army And Ivar The Boneless?

Was Ivar the Boneless, son of Ragnar Lothbrock, buried at Repton in Derbyshire county, England? At first glance the small village of Repton, with its gentle village green does not seem at all...
A statue of Alfred the Great in Winchester. Descended from a long line of kings of the Kingdom of Wessex, Alfred the Great was the son of King Aethelwulf of Wessex. Source: Tony Baggett / Adobe Stock

The Kingdom of Wessex and the Birth of England

The early history of England was characterized by instability, disorder and uncertainty. The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex was the first formation of the modern idea of England, and in its early...
Amy Bailey as Queen Cynethryth in the TV series Vikings. 		Source: The HISTORY Channel

Queen Cynethryth of Mercia: Victim of a Medieval Smear Campaign?

The Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia was unique because the queens of Mercia left enough of an impact on their world as to be worthy of remembrance. History has not been so kind, however, to some of...
King Penda of Mercia. Source: breakermaximus / Adobe Stock

King Penda of Mercia: Militant Heathen or Visionary Statesman?

In his seminal work entitled Anglo-Saxon England published in 1943, Sir Frank Stenton states that “the overthrow of Penda meant the end of militant heathenism and the development of civilization in...
Lost Anglo-Saxon Monastery of Controversial Queen Found

Lost Anglo-Saxon Monastery of Controversial Queen Found

Archaeologists from the University of Reading have been performing excavations on the grounds of the Holy Trinity Church in Cookham, a small village on the River Thames in England. They have been...
Anglo-Saxon Settlement And Cemetery Complex Excavated In England

Anglo-Saxon Settlement And Cemetery Complex Excavated In England

A vast Anglo-Saxon settlement and cemetery complex has been discovered in England that is being called a “one of a kind” discovery. Not, however, because the site was found laden with gold and silver...
Lady Godiva

The Naked Truth on Lady Godiva and Her Nude Ride to Help the Poor

Lady Godiva was an English noblewoman who lived during the 11th century AD. Although she belonged to the upper class, she had a reputation for being sympathetic towards the less fortunate and was...
A metal detectorist finds coins (representational image). Credit: sablin / Adobe Stock

1,300-Year-Old Saxon Coin Found by Treasure Hunter Rewrites English History

An English metal detectorist has found a rare coin proving old London did not fall to the West Saxons until later than currently thought. Buried about four inches deep, Andy Hall, 55, found the 1,300...
King Offa of Mercia in procession.

King Offa of Mercia: A Ruthless Anglo-Saxon Hellbent on Power and Prestige

One of the most prominent Anglo-Saxon kings, Offa of Mercia in southern England, came to power upon the murder of his cousin, King Aethelbald. He went on to rule for 39 years and consolidated much of...
Recreated Viking helmet and weapon

Burning, Pillaging, and Carving up the Lands: Viking Raids into England - Part II

Vikings in history and popular culture are known as strong and dangerous, bloodthirsty killers, raiders, pillagers – pirates of land and sea. But who were the Vikings, and what were the causes of...
Some Saxon Queens had killer reputations. (Public Domain);Deriv.

The Wicked Queen and Her Scandalous Daughter: How Murder & Mayhem Took a Saxon Princess from Palace to Poverty

While we might be gripped by the intrigues, the machinations, and the violence of the Lannisters and the Starks in the Game of Thrones television series and the Song of Ice and Fire series of novels...
Medieval miniature of Æthelflæd in Genealogical roll of the kings of England. 14th century

Æthelflæd: The Anglo-Saxon Iron Lady Who Showed the Vikings No Fear

The UK now has a female prime minister and Elizabeth II has been queen for more than six decades, but few would associate Anglo-Saxon England with powerful women. Nearly 1,100 years ago, however,...
Medieval miniature of Æthelflæd in genealogical roll of the kings of England 13th century.(Public Domain)/ Æthelflæd as depicted in the cartulary of Abingdon Abbey

Æthelflæd, The Medieval Queen Who Took on the Vikings to Save Her Kingdom

While her name is a mouthful, and quite a convoluted one at that, Æthelflæd of Mercia's role in early medieval England is rather straightforward. More importantly, the part she played in the conquest...
Ancient earthwork bordering England and Wales

Ancient earthwork bordering England and Wales is older than previously thought

A famous ancient earthwork in Britain known as Offa’s Dyke may have to give up its name – it is named after Offa, King of Mercia, due to the belief that it was built during his reign (757 to 796 AD...