Welcome to the British History Podcast. My name is Jamie and this is Episode 238, patchwork

and war. This show is ad-free due to member support and is a way of thanking members for

keeping the show independent. I offer members only content, including extra episodes and

rough transcripts. You can get instant access to all the members episodes by signing up

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and Paul for signing up already.

The sons of Rodry were in a difficult position. Their father had been a powerful ruler in

Britain. He was a man who had gained vast swaths of territory for his dynasty and was one

of the few kings in British history that could claim the title of the Great. But when

he died, there was a period of instability. War had threatened to turn his kingdom, the

mighty kingdom of Gwyneth, into nothing more than a mercy and sub-kingdom. However, Rodry's

sons proved to be just as ferocious as their father, and they quickly re-established

the independence of North Wales and set their confederation of kingdoms on a path for further

expansion. But recent events have presented them with a significant barrier to their

ambitions. Namely, King Haifa of David, a king and kingdom that seemed ripe for annexation,

had just submitted to the authority of King Alfred of Wessex. And it wasn't just King Haifa,

the kings of Rechnock, Gwent, and Glowissing had all followed suit. So rather than having

the Western kingdoms united under their rule, now almost half of the west was under the

rule of their age-old enemies, the Saxons. And those same Saxons had already absorbed

many of their Anglekin neighbors. Consequently, rather than strengthening their hold on the

west, now the sons of Rodry were watching massive portions of southern Britain come

under the rule of the very same people who guild this felt were the scourge of God, and

...