History Profiles

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
Track: Celtic Music → "Grundar" by Alexander Nakarada (Royalty Free)
00:00: Introduction01:19: Ancestry02:01: Conquest of the North03:00: Where Ida came from04:17: The capture of the Rock05:04: War with the Britons05:59: The birth of a dynasty & Legacy
#Ida #Bernicia #Northumbria #Anglo-Saxon #Bamburgh #Britishhistory #Englishheritage #conquestofEngland
See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/6995fe3a08a9d45335b0a1f3
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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.
Music by Alexander Nakarada - CreatorChordsTrack: Celtic Music → "Grundar" by Alexander Nakarada (Royalty Free)Link to music

00:00: Introduction01:45: Ælle in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle07:00: Legacy
#Ælle #Sussex #Anglo-Saxon #Bretwalda #Britishhistory #warriorking #Anglo-SaxonChronicle #imperium
See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/6992883de3ebb726bbb26cf9
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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.
Music by Alexander Nakarada - CreatorChordsTrack: Celtic Music → "Grundar" by Alexander Nakarada (Royalty Free)Link: Celtic Music → "Grundar" by Alexander Nakarada

00:00: Introduction01:29: Ancestry04:19: The Invasion of Britain: The History of the Britons09:09: The Invasion of Britain: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle11:45: Legacy & The Kingdom of Kent
#Hengist #Horsa #Anglo-Saxon #Kent #Anglo-Saxonhistory #Britishhistory #Invasion #HistoryoftheBritons #Anglo-SaxonChronicle #Germanicmythology
See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/698d42396016bd231ef104a6
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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 Introduction02:01 Ancestry03:33 The Migration & Theories05:19 Wehha in the epic Beowulf06:37 Legacy & kin of the wolf
Music by Alexander Nakarada - CreatorChordsTrack: Celtic Music → "Grundar" by Alexander Nakarada (Royalty Free)Link

00:00:00: Introduction00:02:01: Ancestry00:03:33: The Migration & Theories00:05:19: Wehha in the epic Beowulf00:06:37: Legacy & kin of the wolf
#Wehha #Wuffa #EastAnglia #Wuffingas #Anglo-Saxon #history #migration #warriorking #legendarykings #Beowulf #Vikinginvasions
See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/69894deb7460f21ed4761515
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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.
Music by Alexander Nakarada - CreatorChordsTrack: Celtic Music → "Grundar" by Alexander Nakarada (Royalty Free)Listen here

00:00:00: Introduction00:02:07: Ancestry00:04:24: Life00:07:15: Opinion of Historians00:09:19: Legacy and the Iclingas
#Icel #Mercia #Anglo-Saxon #Iclingas #Penda #Offa #Englishhistory #MedievalBritain
See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/6985bbcf17fabf32cc99396e
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