Charlemagne: The Ripple Effects of a King

From tribal kingdoms to the foundation of modern Europe

Christmas Day 800: Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Emperor, creating the Holy Roman Empire. One king's vision transformed a fractured continent into the foundation of modern European civilization.

Discover Charlemagne's Legacy:

• How military innovations conquered half of Europe

• Why diplomatic strategies united warring tribes

• What cultural renaissance sparked medieval learning

• How religious reforms shaped Christianity forever

• When the Carolingian Empire redefined kingship

• What enduring legacy still influences Europe today

Through the eyes of monks and warriors, witness medieval Europe's birth. A Frankish king's extraordinary vision created institutions, borders, and cultural foundations that echo in modern times.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

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Episode Duration: 31:09 minutes

Host: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Viking Mythology: Gods and Giants

From the World Tree to Ragnarök across the Nine Worlds

8th century Scandinavia: Viking warriors carried Thor's hammer into battle, believing Odin watched from Valhalla. Discover how Norse mythology shaped an entire civilization and continues captivating imaginations today.

Discover Norse Legends:

• How Yggdrasil connects all Nine Worlds together

• Why Odin sacrificed his eye for wisdom

• What Thor's hammer truly symbolized to Vikings

• How giants threatened the gods of Asgard

• When Ragnarök will reshape the cosmos forever

• What ancient wisdom still influences modern culture

Through the eyes of skalds and warriors, witness mythology's power. Norse legends shaped Viking art, guided daily decisions, and created cultural foundations that echo in modern storytelling.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:

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• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 19:37 minutes

Host: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Defenders of Constantinople: Last Stand

From thousand-year empire to history's most dramatic siege

May 29, 1453: Emperor Constantine XI drew his sword for the final battle as Ottoman cannons breached Constantinople's legendary walls. Witness the heroic last stand that ended the Roman Empire after 1,000 years.

Discover the Last Stand:

• How Constantine XI led against impossible odds

• Why Giovanni Giustiniani became a siege legend

• What common soldiers achieved through courage

• How Byzantine faith inspired desperate resistance

• When revolutionary cannons changed warfare forever

• What the fall meant for European civilization

Through the eyes of defenders and chroniclers, witness empire's end. The last Romans fought with legendary courage as Constantinople's fall reshaped the medieval world forever.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:

• SavingCastles.com

• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 29:02 minutes

Host: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Leper Knights: Key Figures of the Order of St Lazarus

From medieval outcasts to legendary warriors of faith

Jerusalem 1119: Leper knights took vows others couldn't, fighting battles healthy men feared. The Knights of St Lazarus transformed outcasts into legends, redefining courage and chivalry in the medieval world.

Discover the Lazarites:

• How founding fathers created an order of outcasts

• Why lepers became the most fearless warriors

• What legendary battles proved their valor

• How they balanced warfare with healing missions

• When fortresses became bastions of hope

• What modern legacy continues inspiring today

Through the eyes of chroniclers and outcasts, witness redemption's power. Medieval society's rejects became chivalry's most unique order, proving courage transcends physical limitations.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:

• SavingCastles.com

• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 25:40 minutes

Host: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Anne Boleyn's Final Walk: Tower of London's Haunting Tale

From queen to condemned prisoner in Tudor England's most infamous execution

May 19, 1536: Anne Boleyn walked to the scaffold at Tower Green, the first English queen to face execution. Her rise and fall changed England forever, sparking the Reformation and shaping a dynasty.

Discover Anne's Legacy:• How she captured Henry VIII's heart and crown• Why political machinations sealed her tragic fate• What her dramatic trial revealed about Tudor justice• How her final hours showed remarkable dignity• When the English Reformation began with her marriage• What ghostly encounters still haunt the Tower

Through the eyes of courtiers and executioners, witness Tudor power politics. A queen's ambition reshaped English religion, created Elizabeth I's reign, and left a legacy captivating audiences 500 years later.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 43:03 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

When Medieval Popes Went to War with Monarchs

From emperors kneeling in snow to popes besieged in castles

January 1077: Emperor Henry IV knelt barefoot in snow for three days at Canossa, begging Pope Gregory VII's forgiveness. Witness the epic power struggle between spiritual and temporal authority that shaped modern government.

Discover Medieval Power Wars:• How Gregory VII brought an emperor to his knees• Why Frederick II challenged papal supremacy completely• What Boniface VIII's claims meant for Christian rulers• How excommunication became a political weapon• When these conflicts birthed the modern nation-state• What constitutional government owes to medieval struggles

Through the eyes of emperors and popes, witness Europe's transformation. Medieval power struggles between church and crown created the separation of powers that defines modern political thought.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 58:35 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Rollo: The Viking Who Became a Duke

From Norse raider to Norman founder changing European history

911 CE: Viking warrior Rollo knelt before King Charles the Simple, trading his longship for a duchy. The Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte transformed a feared raider into Normandy's first duke, reshaping medieval Europe forever.

Discover Rollo's Transformation:• How a Viking warrior became a Christian duke• Why the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte changed history• What challenges he faced ruling former enemies• How Viking traditions merged with Frankish customs• When Norman culture began shaping medieval Europe• What legacy led to England's Norman Conquest

Through the eyes of Vikings and Franks, witness cultural transformation. One warrior's adaptation from raider to ruler created the Norman dynasty that conquered England and established kingdoms across Europe.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 48:06 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

The Viking Age: From Raids to Empires

From Lindisfarne monastery to North American shores across 300 years

793 CE: Viking longships struck Lindisfarne monastery, beginning three centuries of Norse expansion. From fearsome raiders to kingdom founders, Vikings reshaped medieval Europe through conquest, trade, and exploration.

Discover the Viking Legacy:• How the Lindisfarne raid launched the Viking Age• Why Norse shipbuilding revolutionized medieval warfare• What kingdoms Vikings founded across Europe• How they reached North America before Columbus• When Viking law and language transformed England• What cultural impact still influences us today

Through the eyes of monks and warriors, witness Norse transformation. Raiders became rulers, explorers became settlers, creating empires from Russia to Ireland that changed European civilization forever.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 30:07 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

The Black Dinner: The Massacre That Shaped Scotland

From royal feast to political massacre in medieval Scotland

November 1440: Ten-year-old King James II watched helplessly as his regent murdered the powerful Douglas brothers at Edinburgh Castle. The Black Dinner massacre reshaped Scotland's political landscape and inspired Game of Thrones' Red Wedding.

Discover Scotland's Dark History:• How the Douglas clan rose to threaten royal power• Why young nobles were invited to fatal feast• What brutal massacre unfolded at Edinburgh Castle• How political rivals eliminated Douglas influence forever• When Scotland's nobility learned to fear betrayal• What modern storytelling owes to this medieval tragedy

Through the eyes of witnesses and survivors, witness Scotland's transformation. Medieval political murder created the power vacuum that defined Scottish politics for generations to come.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 39:13 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Medieval Knights: Chivalrous or Brutal?

From noble ideals to battlefield reality in medieval warfare

1099: Crusader knights prayed before battle, then slaughtered thousands at Jerusalem's capture. Explore the complex truth behind medieval knighthood - where chivalric codes met brutal warfare across three centuries.

Discover Knightly Reality:• How chivalric ideals shaped medieval society• Why the Crusades revealed knighthood's dark side• What the Hundred Years' War taught about honor• How Knights Templar balanced faith and violence• When courtly romance met battlefield brutality• What modern myths hide about medieval warriors

Through the eyes of chroniclers and victims, witness knighthood's paradox. Noble ideals and savage warfare coexisted in a warrior class that defined medieval Europe's culture and conflicts.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 47:45 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert