Brandon M. Bender
@brandonmbender.bsky.social
Writing about dead monarchs. Featured in World History Encyclopedia, Medieval World, Epoch History magazine, and many more.
Also the host of @thewandererhistory.bsky.social
brandonmichaelbender.com
https://independent.academia.edu/BrandonBender2
Also the host of @thewandererhistory.bsky.social
brandonmichaelbender.com
https://independent.academia.edu/BrandonBender2
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
Swein Forkbeard, England’s first conqueror, died on #OTD in 1014. In today’s free video, I outline some of the colorful and legendary stories about his demise, both old and recent, and show some of the artistic depictions of these legends. #medievalsky thewandererhistory.substack.com/.../the-many...
February 3, 2026 at 4:37 PM
Swein Forkbeard, England’s first conqueror, died on #OTD in 1014. In today’s free video, I outline some of the colorful and legendary stories about his demise, both old and recent, and show some of the artistic depictions of these legends. #medievalsky thewandererhistory.substack.com/.../the-many...
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
Today we have a fascinating lecture from @amymcelroy.bsky.social about education in the Tudor period, its roots in medieval teaching methods, and much more. Follow for more expert guest lectures! #Tudors #medievalsky
thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/education-...
thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/education-...
January 29, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Today we have a fascinating lecture from @amymcelroy.bsky.social about education in the Tudor period, its roots in medieval teaching methods, and much more. Follow for more expert guest lectures! #Tudors #medievalsky
thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/education-...
thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/education-...
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
#medievalsky Was the horse a mere tool or war machine in the Middle Ages, or did their riders see them as companions? Is it possible to train a modern horse using medieval methods? Find out in today’s lecture by Dr. Anastasija Ropa.
thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/of-horses-...
thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/of-horses-...
January 27, 2026 at 7:46 PM
#medievalsky Was the horse a mere tool or war machine in the Middle Ages, or did their riders see them as companions? Is it possible to train a modern horse using medieval methods? Find out in today’s lecture by Dr. Anastasija Ropa.
thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/of-horses-...
thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/of-horses-...
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
#medievalsky Thank you for 100 Substack subscribers! Not bad for launching ten days ago. Free members are always welcome, but if you'd like to support our guest lectures (as all our experts are paid for their time), please consider becoming a paid member. thewandererhistory.substack.com
January 26, 2026 at 9:27 PM
#medievalsky Thank you for 100 Substack subscribers! Not bad for launching ten days ago. Free members are always welcome, but if you'd like to support our guest lectures (as all our experts are paid for their time), please consider becoming a paid member. thewandererhistory.substack.com
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
In today’s video, I talk about book making in early medieval England with Lottie Wells. Lottie is an alumna of ASNaC at Cambridge University and is currently a doctoral student at the University of Bristol. #medievalsky thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/making-boo...
January 22, 2026 at 6:10 PM
In today’s video, I talk about book making in early medieval England with Lottie Wells. Lottie is an alumna of ASNaC at Cambridge University and is currently a doctoral student at the University of Bristol. #medievalsky thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/making-boo...
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
Here’s a nice run-down from @brandonmbender.bsky.social of what we know about Inuit and Norse contact in Greenland:
www.epoch-magazine.com/post/memorie...
www.epoch-magazine.com/post/memorie...
January 21, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Here’s a nice run-down from @brandonmbender.bsky.social of what we know about Inuit and Norse contact in Greenland:
www.epoch-magazine.com/post/memorie...
www.epoch-magazine.com/post/memorie...
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
#medievalsky Watch Annie Whitehead's lecture on Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, who fortified towns and directed armies. Free preview (first 7 minutes) available for all. The entire video is available for those who would like to support us. thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/thelfld-la...
January 17, 2026 at 4:29 PM
#medievalsky Watch Annie Whitehead's lecture on Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, who fortified towns and directed armies. Free preview (first 7 minutes) available for all. The entire video is available for those who would like to support us. thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/thelfld-la...
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
Did you know England was conquered 50 years before the Norman Conquest? One of our first talks tells how the Danish kings Swein and Cnut overthrew the English dynasty, replacing it with their own (the House of Denmark) from 1013-42. thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/when-vikin... #medievalsky
January 16, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Did you know England was conquered 50 years before the Norman Conquest? One of our first talks tells how the Danish kings Swein and Cnut overthrew the English dynasty, replacing it with their own (the House of Denmark) from 1013-42. thewandererhistory.substack.com/p/when-vikin... #medievalsky
#medievalsky Check out my latest project, The Wanderer, where I invite guest historians to give lectures on their favorite topics, featuring Dr. Thomas Brosset, @samdrowe.bsky.social, and @anniehistory.bsky.social, with upcoming talks by @amymcelroy.bsky.social and Lottie Wells.
#medievalsky The Wanderer is now live, featuring three guest historians and two talks of my own. thewandererhistory.substack.com
What Happened to Civilians in a Siege?
Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians
Growing Old in the Middle Ages
When Vikings Conquered England
The Many Papacies of Benedict IX
What Happened to Civilians in a Siege?
Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians
Growing Old in the Middle Ages
When Vikings Conquered England
The Many Papacies of Benedict IX
January 15, 2026 at 5:13 PM
#medievalsky Check out my latest project, The Wanderer, where I invite guest historians to give lectures on their favorite topics, featuring Dr. Thomas Brosset, @samdrowe.bsky.social, and @anniehistory.bsky.social, with upcoming talks by @amymcelroy.bsky.social and Lottie Wells.
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
#medievalsky We're launching our platform in just three days! On January 15, we'll have five inaugural talks available, with topics including Viking conquest, medieval sieges, women of power, growing old in the Middle Ages, and scandalous popes. Check it out here:
Announcing Our First Talks: We’re About to Launch!
Vikings, sieges, scandalous popes, powerful medieval women, and more
thewandererhistory.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:43 PM
#medievalsky We're launching our platform in just three days! On January 15, we'll have five inaugural talks available, with topics including Viking conquest, medieval sieges, women of power, growing old in the Middle Ages, and scandalous popes. Check it out here:
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
I recorded something fun this week!
The Wanderer is launching early 2026 and will be bringing lots of history talks directly to you!
Go give him a follow ahead of the launch
bsky.app/profile/thew...
The Wanderer is launching early 2026 and will be bringing lots of history talks directly to you!
Go give him a follow ahead of the launch
bsky.app/profile/thew...
bsky.app
November 28, 2025 at 6:08 PM
I recorded something fun this week!
The Wanderer is launching early 2026 and will be bringing lots of history talks directly to you!
Go give him a follow ahead of the launch
bsky.app/profile/thew...
The Wanderer is launching early 2026 and will be bringing lots of history talks directly to you!
Go give him a follow ahead of the launch
bsky.app/profile/thew...
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
🟢 From 985 until sometime in the 1400s, Greenland was the farthest, most isolated outpost of medieval Scandinavian society.
📝 Article by Brandon M. Bender.
📷 Photos by Brandon M. Bender, Number 57, claire rowland and Algkalv.
#Greenland #Vikings #VikingAge #Scandinavia #Norse #Medieval #History
📝 Article by Brandon M. Bender.
📷 Photos by Brandon M. Bender, Number 57, claire rowland and Algkalv.
#Greenland #Vikings #VikingAge #Scandinavia #Norse #Medieval #History
October 27, 2025 at 12:43 PM
🟢 From 985 until sometime in the 1400s, Greenland was the farthest, most isolated outpost of medieval Scandinavian society.
📝 Article by Brandon M. Bender.
📷 Photos by Brandon M. Bender, Number 57, claire rowland and Algkalv.
#Greenland #Vikings #VikingAge #Scandinavia #Norse #Medieval #History
📝 Article by Brandon M. Bender.
📷 Photos by Brandon M. Bender, Number 57, claire rowland and Algkalv.
#Greenland #Vikings #VikingAge #Scandinavia #Norse #Medieval #History
Greetings from Greenland!
September 29, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Greetings from Greenland!
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
👑 Emma of Normandy (died 1052), the wife of King Aethelred the Unready from 1002 to 1016 and then the wife of King Cnut from 1017 to 1035, was a dominant player in English politics for nearly 50 years.
📝 Article by Brandon M. Bender.
🖼️First image by The British Library.
#History #Royalty
📝 Article by Brandon M. Bender.
🖼️First image by The British Library.
#History #Royalty
July 16, 2025 at 12:02 PM
I was at the library and walked past a name that looked familiar. Empires of the Normans by @proflroach.bsky.social has made it all the way to Johnson County, KS.
June 27, 2025 at 3:46 PM
I was at the library and walked past a name that looked familiar. Empires of the Normans by @proflroach.bsky.social has made it all the way to Johnson County, KS.
Check out my article on stories of Norse and Inuit interaction in medieval Greenland: www.epoch-magazine.com/post/memorie...
June 2, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Check out my article on stories of Norse and Inuit interaction in medieval Greenland: www.epoch-magazine.com/post/memorie...
On this day in 1016, King Aethelred "the Unready" died after ruling England for nearly four decades.
The End of Æthelred: On this day in 1016, King Æthelred II Died
“He ended his days on St. George’s Day, and he had held his kingdom with great toil and difficulties as long as his life lasted.”
brandonmichaelbender.com
April 23, 2025 at 1:48 PM
On this day in 1016, King Aethelred "the Unready" died after ruling England for nearly four decades.
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
Æthelred II, king of the English, died #OTD in 1016. He laid waste to ‘Cumberland’ in 1000, and in 1002 ordered the deaths of all Danish men within his realm – an event that became known as the St Brice’s Day massacre. #medievalsky
April 23, 2025 at 7:19 AM
Æthelred II, king of the English, died #OTD in 1016. He laid waste to ‘Cumberland’ in 1000, and in 1002 ordered the deaths of all Danish men within his realm – an event that became known as the St Brice’s Day massacre. #medievalsky
My home state is famously flat, but I traveled to some of the most surprising badlands, rock formations, mesas, and canyons in Kansas.
The Rock Formations of Kansas
Kansas is likely stuck with its reputation for flatness. That said, the state is full of hidden badlands, rock formations, and other interesting features.
brandonmichaelbender.com
March 31, 2025 at 6:29 PM
My home state is famously flat, but I traveled to some of the most surprising badlands, rock formations, mesas, and canyons in Kansas.
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
The book is out, tell your libraries! The contributors bring a whole range of interesting insights into how the history of pre-Norman England was transmitted by later medieval writers. Also available in a reasonably affordable ebook....
Member Publication: Pre-Conquest History and its Medieval Reception #medieval #earlymodern www.anzamems.org/?p=...
January 14, 2025 at 1:57 PM
The book is out, tell your libraries! The contributors bring a whole range of interesting insights into how the history of pre-Norman England was transmitted by later medieval writers. Also available in a reasonably affordable ebook....
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
Leif Eriksson looking down over Brattahlid, the farmstead in Greenland from which he sailed to discover Vinland (part of modern Canada) in around 1000. Leif is credited with the European discovery of continental North America nearly 500 years before Columbus #greenland #leiferiksson #brattahlid
January 12, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Leif Eriksson looking down over Brattahlid, the farmstead in Greenland from which he sailed to discover Vinland (part of modern Canada) in around 1000. Leif is credited with the European discovery of continental North America nearly 500 years before Columbus #greenland #leiferiksson #brattahlid
This is so good
New Medieval Books: Winters in the World https://www.medievalists.net/2023/12/new-medieval-books-winters-in-the-world/ #Winter #Book
New Medieval Books: Winters in the World - Medievalists.net
A look at daily life in England during the Early Middle Ages through the prism of the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. It makes use of Old English literature to explain religious…
www.medievalists.net
December 17, 2024 at 4:27 AM
This is so good
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
I'm just a boy, reading something written by people with PhD's, hoping the subject at the beginning of this sentence connects with the object at the end of it despite fifty-two intervening clauses.
December 12, 2024 at 12:39 PM
I'm just a boy, reading something written by people with PhD's, hoping the subject at the beginning of this sentence connects with the object at the end of it despite fifty-two intervening clauses.
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
Optimist: the cup is half full.
Pessimist: the cup is half empty.
Footnote: The CUP Companion to Drinking Vessels (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024).
Pessimist: the cup is half empty.
Footnote: The CUP Companion to Drinking Vessels (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024).
Optimist: The cup is half full.
Pessimist: The cup is half empty.
Bulgar Khan Krum the Fearsome: The cup is the skull of a Roman emperor.
Pessimist: The cup is half empty.
Bulgar Khan Krum the Fearsome: The cup is the skull of a Roman emperor.
Optimist: The cup is half full.
Pessimist: The cup is half empty.
Medievalist: They had cups in the Middle Ages, you know.
Pessimist: The cup is half empty.
Medievalist: They had cups in the Middle Ages, you know.
November 23, 2024 at 8:28 PM
Optimist: the cup is half full.
Pessimist: the cup is half empty.
Footnote: The CUP Companion to Drinking Vessels (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024).
Pessimist: the cup is half empty.
Footnote: The CUP Companion to Drinking Vessels (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024).
Reposted by Brandon M. Bender
@bsky.app Tomorrow is the first annual National Indexing Day! Be sure to hire an indexer the next time you write a book. Your readers will thank you!
November 18, 2024 at 12:38 AM
@bsky.app Tomorrow is the first annual National Indexing Day! Be sure to hire an indexer the next time you write a book. Your readers will thank you!