Fortune's Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story

SEASON 2: Here Comes the Normans!

EPISODE 25: William the Bastard

In the chaos of 11th-century Norman politics, a frightened boy becomes a fearless leader. In this episode, we follow young William of Normandy as he survives betrayal, assassination attempts, and civil war to begin forging his legacy. It all starts—with a leap.

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SEASON 2: Here Come the Normans!

EPISODE 24: William the Illegitimate

Normandy’s got an inferiority complex—and a future conqueror in training. In this episode, we explore early feudalism, noble upbringing, and the first steps of young William the Illegitimate on his journey to power. Also: horses, last names, and a couple well-earned tangents.

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SEASON 2: Here Come the Normans!

EPISODE 23: The "First" First Crusade?

We take a sharp turn west—into al-Andalus. In this episode, we follow Roger of Tosny, a Norman knight who took his sword (and his ego) into Muslim Spain. It’s a bold, brutal, and unexpected chapter in the Norman story—and it’s one you don’t want to miss.

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If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

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SEASON 2: Here Come the Normans!

EPISODE 22: Of Empires & Mercenaries, Pt. 2

Norman ambition meets Byzantine fire. In this episode, we follow William de Hauteville and the legendary general George Maniakes as they shape the fate of southern Italy. Alliances shift, swords clash, and the balance of power teeters—with plenty of political intrigue to keep things spicy.

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If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

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SEASON 2: Here Come the Normans!

EPISODE 21: Of Empires & Mercenaries, Pt.1

Before they carved out kingdoms, the Normans served—often for gold, always for glory. In this episode, we travel to medieval Sicily, where Norman adventurers fight as mercenaries for the Byzantines. Among them rises a bold new figure: William Iron Arm, the first of a southern Norman legend.

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If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

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SEASON 2: Here Come the Normans!

EPISODE 20: Tancred the Fertile

Season 2 begins! We head south to Normandy, where a new power is rising. In Here Comes the Normans, we follow a hungry, ambitious family as they launch a conquest-fueled saga across medieval Europe. Wealth, land, legacy—it all begins here.

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If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

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In the final episode of our medieval horror series, we travel to the haunted borderlands between the Holy Roman Empire and the Slavic frontier—where even death couldn’t stop the fight. Based on Bishop Thietmar’s chilling account (with a creative twist), this ghost story is perfect for Halloween!

⚠️ Content warning: Contains graphic and unsettling material.

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If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

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Thank you so much, everybody, for your support in the podcast so far! This is our fourth and final episode in our short series focusing on the weirder side of medieval life and I've got something for you today that I had a lot of fun putting together. We take a look at Bishop Thietmar's account reporting from the borderlands between the Holy Roman Empire and pre-Poland Slavic territories as the Holy Roman Empire was on the move. It was a brutal time and the Slavs put up a good fight...even in death. I gave Thietmar's tale my own spin. I hope you enjoy it for what it is: a spooky ghost story two days before Halloween!

(WARNING: Listener discretion is advised due to some graphic content in the episode.)

If you like what you hear, please share us on social media, and don't forget to tag us! You can reach us on Facebook (Fortune's Wheel Podcast) and Twitter (@WheelPodcast). You can also email the show at [email protected]. And, if you wouldn't mind, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or whatever podcasting platform you use!

Thank you, everyone! These are already crazy times, so please be extra careful on Halloween, whether you're here in the States or not! Every one of us should have a place at the table, so please take care of one another, too! Stay tuned for a NEW EPISODE on Monday, November 2, 2020!

Zombies aren’t new—not by a long shot. Long before modern horror, medieval Europe harbored its own tales of the restless dead: rotting, cursed, and hungry for the living. In this episode, we explore how the undead haunted the medieval imagination… centuries before Hollywood caught up.

⚠️ Content warning: Includes disturbing themes not suited for younger or sensitive listeners.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

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This latest decade-long fad of zombie shows and novels is hardly the beginning of our obsession with the undead reanimating and coming back to pay a nefarious visit. No, those hollowed-out eyes, that drooling lethargy, the blood thirst driving these inhuman abominations to feast upon the life force of the living...see, this wasn't even a new idea when the legendary George Romero filmed "Night of the Living Dead." The idea of zombies goes back centuries, if not millennia, and on today's episode we take a dive back and learn about how they fit into the medieval set of fears and belief. 

WARNING: This episode contains information that may be unsuitable for younger and more squeamish listeners. 

I hope you enjoy the show.

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Sincerely, thank you for all of your support!