History Profiles

Ollie

Greetings,  This is Ollie from History Profiles, I will be revealing the historical truths behind the lives of some of the most famous and powerful people in the historical world.  Subscribe to keep up to date with all my latest content. Check out all my content: inlet.fm/history-profiles

  1. 12/21/2025

    The Danelaw: Viking Rise and Decline in England

    The Danelaw was a significant region in England from the late ninth century until the Norman Conquest, where Danish laws prevailed over Anglo-Saxon governance. This area emerged due to the Danish Viking conquest and occupation across eastern and northern England during this period. The term Danelaw refers to regions where English kings allowed Viking settlers to maintain their legal customs after the early tenth-century reconquest, in exchange for loyalty to the English crown. This episode traces the Danelaw's full history: its origins, rise to prominence, and eventual decline and disappearance. 00:00 Introduction00:35 First Viking Raids in England (787-851)04:06 The Ragnarsons Invade England (865-878)11:58 Alfred, Guthrum & Establishment of Danelaw (878-899)14:50 Edward the Elder & Æthelflæd reconquer the Danelaw (899-924)19:38 Æthelstan First King of the English (924-939)24:29 Edmund's loss and recovery of the north (939-944)27:44 Eadred defeats the Last Viking King of Northumbria (946-955) All credit for the music goes to: Savfk - MusicLink: Savfk - Music 00:35: First Viking Raids in England (787-851)04:06: The Ragnarsons Invade England (865-878)11:58: Alfred, Guthrum & Establishment of Danelaw (878-899)14:50: Edward the Elder & Æthelflæd reconquer the Danelaw (899-924)19:38: Æthelstan First King of the English (924-939)24:29: Edmund's loss and recovery of the north (939-944)27:44: Eadred defeats the Last Viking King of Northumbria (946-955) #Danelaw #Vikinghistory #Anglo-Saxon #AlfredtheGreat #Æthelflæd #EdwardtheElder #Æthelstan #Vikingraids #Northumbria #Guthrum #VikingEngland See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/694835b40a6f5559ea05551c Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    36 min
  2. 12/06/2025

    Canute the Holy: The Last Viking King of Denmark

    Canute IV, famously known as Canute the Holy, reigned as the Danish king during the late 11th century. He aimed to bolster the Danish monarchy and reclaim the North Sea Empire, once ruled by his grand-uncle, Canute the Great. Viewing William the Conqueror as an illegitimate ruler of England, Canute initiated multiple raids to extend his influence. A fervent advocate of the Roman Catholic Church, Canute was dedicated to religious reforms, yet this fervor contributed to his downfall. His enforcement of strict tithes (church taxes) led to widespread dissent among his subjects. By empowering the clergy to levy taxes and fines on church land peasants, he estranged the common populace. These grievances incited a peasant revolt in early 1086 in Vendsyssel, coinciding with Canute's presence there. Seeking refuge in a church, he was ultimately killed by rebels, marking a brutal end to his rule. In 1101, the Roman Catholic Church canonized Canute, making him the first Danish king to receive sainthood, and recognizing him as Denmark's patron saint. Music: "VOICE OF PRAYER" by Noel MalekarVideo Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSpEjSoiZ6c Music by Alexander Nakarada - CreatorChordsTrack: Celtic Music → "Grundar" by Alexander Nakarada (Royalty Free)Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZjpLQYAnr8 00:00: Introduction01:36: Ancestry & Early Life02:41: Danish Attack on Norman England (1069–1070)06:12: Raid of 107507:17: Ascension to the Danish Throne08:32: A Holy Man10:30: Planned Invasion of England13:26: Peasant Uprising, Death & Legacy #CanutetheHoly #Vikinghistory #Danishmonarchy #NorthSeaEmpire #WilliamtheConqueror #RomanCatholicChurch #religiousreform #peasantuprising #canonizedsaint #Denmark See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/69346f2bb384267ddbf0c9d0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    19 min
  3. 11/30/2025

    Hereward the Wake: The Last English Rebel

    As William the Conqueror heralded Norman rule in England, another figure navigated the misty fenlands with different ambitions. Hereward the Wake, an Anglo-Saxon nobleman, resisted the conqueror to avenge his murdered family. Leading a guerrilla group of warriors and deemed an outlaw by the Normans, Hereward became a symbol of native resistance. Despite his fame, he remains an enigmatic figure. What do we truly know about this rebel who defied William and his armies? Reliable information is limited, primarily preserved in the Peterborough Chronicle and the Gesta Herewardi. The latter, an early twelfth-century Latin translation of a lost Old English account, was reportedly written by Leofric, a priest in Hereward’s household. By the time it was copied, the original was already damaged, with missing sections reconstructed from oral tradition. What survives is a mix of memory, storytelling, and history. The origin of his epithet, “the Wake,” is uncertain. Some trace it to an Old English word meaning “watchful,” while others argue it was later invented by an Anglo-Norman family claiming descent from him. By the fourteenth century, he is clearly recorded as “Hereward the Wake,” although he has also been remembered as “the Outlaw” and “the Exile.” Over time, parts of his story may have intertwined with or inspired elements of the Robin Hood tradition. Yet, regardless of legend, Hereward remains in the English imagination as a champion against Norman tyranny—sometimes hailed as “the last Englishman.” Music by Alexander Nakarada - CreatorChordsTrack: Celtic Music → "Grundar" by Alexander Nakarada (Royalty Free) 00:00:00: Introduction00:02:08: Ancestry & Early Life00:03:09: Exile00:07:41: Return to England & Rebellion00:18:09: Legacy & Historicity #HerewardtheWake #NormanConquest #Anglo-Saxon #medievalEngland #WilliamtheConqueror #rebellion #Englishhistory #guerrillawarfare #RobinHoodlegend #historicalfigures See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/692c8627fbde30bad7301571 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    23 min

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About

Greetings,  This is Ollie from History Profiles, I will be revealing the historical truths behind the lives of some of the most famous and powerful people in the historical world.  Subscribe to keep up to date with all my latest content. Check out all my content: inlet.fm/history-profiles

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