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His name was on the money. But how much did he really control?
Follow a small silver coin into a world of wealthy ports, ambitious kings and approaching upheaval. Who held the power in eighth-century England—and how far could a king’s influence reach?
London, more than 1,200 years ago. Ships arrive with goods, news and strangers from across the North Sea bringing wealth and connections to Scandinavia and Western Europe.
Nearly four centuries after Roman rule ended in Britain, kings competed for territory, wealth, and authority in a still-fragmented countryside. Among the most powerful was Offa, king of Mercia, whose heartland lay in today’s English Midlands. His silver coins proclaimed his authority, but putting a royal name on London’s money wasn’t the same as controlling its waterfront.
And the sea that brought opportunity also brought danger. In 793, just three years before Offa’s death, Viking raiders struck Lindisfarne. An age of raids, conquest and settlement was beginning.
Join us at Good Cheer Brewing on Tuesday, November 24 at 6:30pm, and step into Offa’s London with MRU graduate student Aurora Clark. Settle in for the talk with a pint of our Viking-era Råøl (raw ale), or try a special edition aged in Scotch whisky casks, a meeting of flavours inspired by the intertwined histories of Scandinavia and Scotland.
Your pint is your ticket. Reserve yours now (tax and tip included).
Tuesday, November 24 at 6:30pm.
His name was on the money. But how much did he really control?
Follow a small silver coin into a world of wealthy ports, ambitious kings and approaching upheaval. Who held the power in eighth-century England—and how far could a king’s influence reach?
London, more than 1,200 years ago. Ships arrive with goods, news and strangers from across the North Sea bringing wealth and connections to Scandinavia and Western Europe.
Nearly four centuries after Roman rule ended in Britain, kings competed for territory, wealth, and authority in a still-fragmented countryside. Among the most powerful was Offa, king of Mercia, whose heartland lay in today’s English Midlands. His silver coins proclaimed his authority, but putting a royal name on London’s money wasn’t the same as controlling its waterfront.
And the sea that brought opportunity also brought danger. In 793, just three years before Offa’s death, Viking raiders struck Lindisfarne. An age of raids, conquest and settlement was beginning.
Join us at Good Cheer Brewing on Tuesday, November 24 at 6:30pm, and step into Offa’s London with MRU graduate student Aurora Clark. Settle in for the talk with a pint of our Viking-era Råøl (raw ale), or try a special edition aged in Scotch whisky casks, a meeting of flavours inspired by the intertwined histories of Scandinavia and Scotland.
Your pint is your ticket. Reserve yours now (tax and tip included).
Tuesday, November 24 at 6:30pm.