Cwichelm of Wessex: Assassination, Survival, and the Shadowy Origins of a Kingdom

Cwichelm of Wessex: Assassination, Survival, and the Shadowy Origins of a Kingdom

Royalty: Let’s Make Sense of This Shit👑

A king cloaked in mystery, living in the violent blur of early 7th-century Britain.


Cwichelm’s reign is marked by shadowy plots, a failed assassination attempt on a rival king, and the fragile birth pains of Wessex itself.

🔥 In this episode:
* The daring attempt on King Edwin of Northumbria’s life — and how one man’s gamble changed the course of English history.
* Power and partnership: unraveling the murky relationship between Cwichelm and Cynegils, co-kings or rivals?
* The dangerous crossroads of paganism and Christianity — faith, politics, and survival in a kingdom on the edge.
* Family and legacy: the missing queens, sons who carry on, and the invisible forces shaping a dynasty.
* Myth-busting the murky sources — what’s history, what’s legend, and why does it matter?

✨ Why listen?

This episode dives deep into the forgotten corners of early English royalty, unpacking a story that’s messy, human, and full of uncertainty — told with brutal honesty and a touch of irreverence. Isabella guides you through the wild world of Wessex’s shadow kings, where every alliance is fragile and every story incomplete.

🤔 What’s at stake?

How do you hold power when history barely remembers your name?

Who decides which stories survive—and which are lost in the fog?

What does legacy mean when memory is fragile and kingdoms fragile too?

🧾 Sources & Scholarship:

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, genealogical puzzles, and modern historical research — plus fresh reflections and myth-busting you won’t find in textbooks.

🌱 Listener Reflection:

If you were a shadow king like Cwichelm, what story would you want remembered?
Send in your thoughts, questions, or family legends. Let’s keep the conversation going.

Next up: Cynegils — the king who baptized Wessex and changed the kingdom forever.
Subscribe, share, and help us unravel the royal mess — together.



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