Show Notes
When we left off, Rufus and Robert of Belleme were marching upon Maine. Specifically, Count Helias’ fortress at Danguel. This fortress made military incursions and raids into Maine insanely difficult. Which Rufus and Robert found deeply inconsiderate, so it would have to be brought down or, at the very least it would have to be occupied by good honest Normans who wouldn’t interfere with the King’s god given right to raid and pillage the people of Maine.
More from The British History Podcast
We are about to do something a little unusual for the BHP. We’re going to muddy the timeline. Now, normally we stick to the chronological timeline. We live the story as it unfolds. But the birth of the Exchequer presents us with a bit of a headache because it’s being built right now in the […]
King Henry’s Court was huge. And that makes sense. His predecessor, King Rufus, was a party animal and, as such, his Court had swollen into a massive, roving scene where anyone who wanted power… or just free wine… crowded in through the doors.
The King was triumphant and his older brother was, if we’re taking the King’s word for it, retired and happily living in the lap of luxury… and most of the King’s other enemies were either imprisoned, dead, or keeping their heads down for fear of the King throwing them into the lap of luxury, too.
A sample of our deep dive into the performance and the culture that surrounds the Song of Roland.
Henry had defeated his brother… but he hadn’t defeated Normandy. At least, not yet. Duke Robert still had supporters out there and Falaise was still loyal to the Duke. In fact, Duke Robert’s son, William Clito, was sheltering in Falaise.