Welcome to the British History Podcast. My name is Jamie and this is episode 267, The

Southern Expansion. This show is ad-free due to member support and is a way of thanking

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Oh potent Atholflad. Made men's terror. You did conquer nature's self. Worthy the name

of man. More beautyous nature's form of a woman, but your valor shall secure man's

higher name. For name you only need not sex to change. Unconquerable queen King

rather, whose such trophies have obtained. O virgin, O verago, both farewell. No Caesar

yet such triumphs hath deserved as you. Then any. All. The Caesar's more renowned.

That's a translation of a Latin praise poem for Atholflad. It was included in the writings

of the 12th century scribe Henry of Huntington. Now he was writing about 200 years after the

events of Atholflad. But the fact that he felt the need to include a praise poem within

his history gives you a sense of how important he thought Atholflad was. And the fact that

there even were praise poems that were floating around about 200 years after her reign also

speaks volumes to the admiration and loyalty she must have inspired. Now granted, much

of that praise falls flatly to our modern ears. I don't think the Z would be all that

pleased if I wrote her a poem where I was speaking about how impressed I was that she

rose above her sex and attained the status of a man. If I said to her, you're not just

a mere queen, you're a king. I don't think it would go all that well for me. But for

...