Paula Lofting – History… the interesting bits!

Wordly Women: Paula Lofting

29/03/202510/05/2025Sharon Bennett Connolly2 Comments

In the third episode of my Wordly Women interviews, I welcome Paula Lofting to History…the Interesting Bits to talk about her writing journey. Paula is the author of the Sons of the Wolf series of novels and has recently published her first none fiction work Searching for the Last Anglo-Saxon King: Harold Godwinson, England’s Golden Warrior.

Welcome Paula….

Sharon: What got you into writing?

Paula: When I was a little girl as soon as I could write straight, I used to come home from school sit at the coffee table in our lounge on my feet and write stories. I was particularly fond of ‘composition’ class at school where the teacher would put several titles up for us to choose from to write about. I often had my stories read out to class.

I guess it was something I always wanted to do. I remember in my teens, writing an epic historical fiction based on the years after the Romans left Britain, but I hand wrote it because I hadn’t learned to type and the typewriter, I had was useless. I thought I was never going to submit because it never occurred to me to just type with one finger! So, I gave up on that idea. I’d written plays, poems, and all sorts of stuff, but I was also in a bad relationship with a man who didn’t want to share me with a pen, so it was difficult until the relationship ended, and I had moved on. It was when the advent of personal computers came along when I realised that I could actually achieve my dream if I wanted to.

Sharon: Tell us about your books.

Paula: I have been writing a series set in the years leading up to the Norman Invasion of 1066. There are currently two books I have published in the series, and of course a nearly finished 3^rd WIP. The series is called Sons of the Wolf, which is the name of book 1 and book 2 is The Wolf Banner, and 3 which I am working on is called Wolf’s Bane. As you can see there is a recurring theme. The theme is not something to do with real wolves but has its origins in my hero’s family history whose ancestors believed that they were descended from wolves.

The books tell the story of Wulfhere, a Sussex thegn, and follows the fortunes of his family in the years before the Battle of Hastings took place. It explores the lives of the ordinary people who lived against the backdrop of the political landscape of the time.

The series is a chronological account of events that are woven into the tapestry of the family’s lives and also tells the story of the main historical players of the time, such as Harold Godwinson and his clan. The two men’s lives run parallel alongside each other, and their contrasting stories are intricately woven together as is their fate.

The books all run consecutively, and you will find there are no gaps in the saga, so where one book ends, the new book starts. I have plans to continue after the catastrophic events of 1066 into the rebellion years.

Sharon: What attracts you to the 11^th century?

Paula: I think that there is a lot of romance around the whole story of two men who fought over their claims to be king of England which people are drawn to. There is the tragedy of the last ‘Anglo-Saxon king’ who is butchered to death on the battlefield: the tall, handsome, charismatic, affable, warrior who fights for his people and his country. There is the underdog and the overdog theme which comes after the conquest and lasts for some time before England begins to melt as though seamlessly into the new regime.

Then you have the original Robin Hood type story of Hereward who sort of appears from nowhere to fight the good fight against the baddies after coming back to England from abroad to find a lot of things have changed and his ancestral lands commandeered by invaders. There is so much to play with there, a passionate conglomerate of rich history that evokes and inspires in the most amazing manner. It is an era that sets itself apart from what happens later – the cusp of change from the old world to the new.

I find it fascinating. Love… Betrayal… Battles… Bloodfeud.

What’s not to love!

I have also written a book about Harold Godwinson which is due for release any day now with Pen and Sword.

Sharon: Who is your favourite Anglo-Saxon and why?

Paula: There were so many extraordinary characters, and a lot I could choose from. For now, I have to go with Harold Godwinson, simply because, although we will never know what his true nature was for certain, what is written in the sources is constant and conjures up a vision of a man who loved his wife, his family, and his country. A man who avoided internal conflict, forced to navigate intrigue, family skirmishes, and the jealousy of the other aristocracy. He was not a perfect man, but in comparison to many rulers and sub rulers in medieval times, there were a lot more who were far more undesirable. During his early tenure as king, knowing that his country was in danger on many fronts, he acted swiftly to gather his armies together and deploy them to defend the shores. He even found time to see to some of his admin duties, all this in the early weeks of his reign. Who knows what he might have achieved if his life had not been so cruelly taken from him so early into his reign.

Sharon: Who is your least favourite Anglo-Saxon – or Viking – and why?

Paula: Ooo – Can I have one of each?

In that case I have to say, the Anglo-Saxon Ealdorman Eadric Streona whose betrayal of King Edmund lost him the battle of Assandun.

My least favourite Viking would have been Sweyn Forkbeard who was invading England from the 990s up until 1013. He became king for about 6 weeks before he died in February 1014. His pillaging and burning of England really stank.

Sharon: How do you approach researching your topic?

Paula: Well, currently I am taking notes from the two major annals, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles and the Chronicon ex Chronicis which was the work of the monk, John of Worcester and also in part, someone called Florence. I plan to augment them with other sources that I read, both primary and secondary, to try and find sources that correlate and contradict each other so I can make sure I have all the facts in one place when I come to write the narrative. I am always very grateful to those historians who came before me for having done the hard part of digging through the foundations of the information available to me and try to see the original sources for myself. Its helpful that these authors give guidance in their own work for us new historians to build upon and come up with new ideas.

For Historical fiction I have the privilege of being a reenactor and learning the everyday tasks and the little detailed things that experimental archaeology gives us like clothing, food, buildings and battle strategies that often history texts can’t give us. This helps me to build my world as authentically as I possibly can.

Sharon: Tell us your ‘favourite’ Anglo-Saxon story you have come across in your research?

Paula: Oo I love this question!

I have a few, actually: The research carried by Dan Armstrong regarding the Papal Banner. It seems there is little evidence for it in 1066. Readers will need to read the book to find out more about what Armstrong uncovered.

Another is the version of Harold’s trip to Normandy that the English chronicler, Eadmer of Canterbury writes in his History of Recent Events in England, a story that makes far more sense, even though it is the only version of this you can find. And considering that Eadmer was not particularly pro Harold, I think it is far more reliable than the Norman sources.

I also love the anecdotal tale of Bishop Wulfstan who carried a pair of snips with him to cut the hair long hair of the young men who came before him. He didn’t approve of men with long hair, obviously. Can you imagine, you’re an elite, well-respected member of the elite huscarls kneeling before him as you get to the front to receive holy communion and he reaches over your head and grips your neatly combed and beautifully tied back pony-tail and with one snip, you lose it! And there was nothing you could do about it!

Sharon: Tell us your least ‘favourite’ Anglo-Saxon story you have come across in your research?

Paula: Oh gosh, I can name lots, but probably the worst, I have to say, is the cruel propaganda used by the Norman scribes such as Poitiers, who was the first one to mention the Papal Banner, and the way they defiled Harold’s character to detract from William’s regicide of an anointed king and make him seem like a saint!

Sharon: Are there any other eras you would like to write about?

Paula: Yes indeed, but I’m probably never going to achieve them all, here are just a few:

Staying in the so-called dark ages, I once started to write an epic about the post Roman Britain era, centring on Ambrosius Aurelianus. It never came to anything because my circumstances were not right at the time, but I would love to give it ago one day.

Another is Macbeth, and coming right out of my comfort zone, a story about a highway man.

Sharon: What are you working on now?

Paula: Edmund Ironside is my new project for Pen and Sword – a non-fiction book, and fiction wise, I am working on finishing the third novel in my series, Wolf’s Bane

Sharon: And finally, what is the best thing about being a writer?

Paula: Escaping into other times, other places, and building a different world. It gives me a sense of release and I enjoy creating characters I love.

It has never really been my aim to sell loads of books and earn loads of money from writing because its not going to be achievable in this day and age. Its more of a hobby really, but if people read my work, then I am very happy, especially if they enjoy it. That’s the most important part to me.

About the author:

Paula was born in the ancient Saxon county of Middlesex in 1961. She grew up in Australia hearing stories from her dad of her homeland and its history. As a youngster she read books by Rosemary Sutcliff and Leon Garfield and her love of English history grew. At 16 her family decided to travel back to England and resettle. She was able to visit the places she’d dreamt about as a child, bringing the stories of her childhood to life. It wasn’t until later in life that Paula realised her dream to write and publish her own books. Her debut historical novel Sons of the Wolf, was first published in 2012 and then revised and republished in 2016 along with the sequel, The Wolf Banner, in 2017. The third in the series, Wolf’s Bane, will be ready for publishing later this year.  

In this midst of all this, Paula has acquired contracts for nonfiction books with the prestigious Pen & Sword publishers. Searching for the Last Anglo-Saxon King, Harold Godwinson, England’s golden Warrior is due to be published at the end of February, and a biographic of King Edmund Ironside is also in the pipeline. She has also written a short essay about Edmund for Iain Dale’s Kings and Queens, articles for historical magazines. When she is not writing, she is a psychiatric nurse, mother of three grown up kids and grandmother of two and also re-enacts the Anglo-Saxon/Viking period with the awesome Regia Anglorum.

Social Media:

Website: www.threadstothepast.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wulfsuna?locale=en_GB, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulaloftingwilcox/, x: https://x.com/longshippub, Threads: www.threadstothepast.com, Blue Sky: @paulaloftingauthor.bsky.social

Book Links: Sons of the Wolf; Wolf’s Bane; Searching for the Last Anglo-Saxon King: Harold Godwinson, England’s Golden Warrior.

My books

Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online store.

Out now: Scotland’s Medieval Queens

Scotland’s history is dramatic, violent and bloody. Being England’s northern neighbour has never been easy. Scotland’s queens have had to deal with war, murder, imprisonment, political rivalries and open betrayal. They have loved and lost, raised kings and queens, ruled and died for Scotland. From St Margaret, who became one of the patron saints of Scotland, to Elizabeth de Burgh and the dramatic story of the Scottish Wars of Independence, to the love story and tragedy of Joan Beaufort, to Margaret of Denmark and the dawn of the Renaissance, Scotland’s Medieval Queens have seen it all. This is the story of Scotland through their eyes.

Available now from Amazon and Pen and Sword Books

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. Heroines of the Tudor World is now available for pre-order from Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how Empress Matilda and Matilda of Boulogne, unable to wield a sword themselves, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It shows how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other. Available from Bookshop.org, Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon.

Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org. Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath; the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. It is now available in paperback and hardback from Pen & Sword, Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066. Available now from Amazon, Amberley Publishing, and Bookshop.org.

Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.

Podcast:

Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and Michael Jecks, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved. Every episode is also now available on YouTube.

Don’t forget! Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online store.

For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.

You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitter, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram.

Book Launch: Scotland’s Medieval Queens

03/02/202504/02/2025Sharon Bennett Connolly2 Comments

It is hard to believe – for me, anyway – that I have now published 8 books. 8! I am still waiting for my author copies of Scotland’s Medieval Queens: From Saint Margaret to Margaret of Denmark, to arrive. But she is out in the world. And I am so proud of this book, not least because it was inspired by my wonderful, history-loving son, Lewis, who instructed me to ‘set the record straight’ for Lady Macbeth. With a prologue dedicated to this maligned woman, labeled a murderer and a madwoman by William Shakespeare, I hope I have done just that. And then there are all the other incredible queens that have sat on Scotland’s throne. Women who have defended the realm, acted as peace weavers, governed for their sons and stood as stalwart supporters of their husbands.

I hope I have done their stories justice.

Zoom Book Launch Party

This is your personal invite to join the celebrations!

So, why not join me to celebrate the release of Scotland’s Medieval Queens by coming to the Zoom Book Launch Party, held alongside my friends Samantha Wilcoxson and Paula Lofting, who also have books out this week. Hosted by Cathie Dunn, we will each tell you a little about our books, answer questions and generally party!

This Sunday – 9 February 2025 at 7pm UK time.

It is free, you just need to reserve a spot.

Follow the Blog Tour:

Paula, Samantha and I are also taking part in a joint mini blog tour, with 6 days of articles and interviews. I kicked us off on Saturday with an article from Paula Lofting looking into King Harold’s Royal Lineage. Samantha was then interviewed on Paula Lofting’s Threads to the Past. And today, I am talking about one of the less well known queens of Scotland, Sybilla of Normandy with Samantha.

There are 3 more stops on the tour, with Samantha visiting History…the Interesting Bits on 5 February, Paula interviewing me on 6 February and Samantha interviewing Paula on 7 February.

Then party time on 9 February!

Podcast:

Have a listen to the latest episode of A Slice of Medieval podcast. In our Book Launch Special my co-host Derek Birks and I celebrate the launch of both our books. Scotland’s Medieval Queens meets A Guide to the Wars of the Roses. Every episode is also now available on YouTube.

About Scotland’s Medieval Queens: From Saint Margaret to Margaret of Denmark:

Available now from Amazon and Pen and Sword Books

Guest Post: Was Harold of Royal Lineage? by Paula Lofting

01/02/202501/02/2025Sharon Bennett Connolly1 Comment

What do you do when 3 friends have books coming out all on the same day? You arrange a mini blog tour, of course. Myself, Paula Lofting and Samantha Wilcoxson all have new non-fiction books published this week, with Pen & Sword Books, so the 3 of us are hosting each other across our blogs, with an article and an interview from each. And I’m kicking us off today.

It is a pleasure to welcome Paula Lofting to History…the Interesting Bits with an article on Harold Godwinson – King Harold II. Paula’s first foray into the realm of non-fiction, Searching for the Last Anglo-Saxon King, is now available.

Was Harold Godwinson of Royal Lineage

Some enthusiasts of the period have been quite taken with the idea that Harold Godwinson was able to trace his ancestry back to Æthelwulf, King of the West Saxons. The original idea came from historian, Alfred Anscombe, and later, genealogist, Lundie W. Barlow. It was taken up as authentic by author Frank Barlow, who has written many works on the period. From his book The House of Godwin, we can read his take on this. Through the will of Prince Æthelstan, son and heir of Æthelred the Unready, we are able pinpoint the man referred to as ‘Godwin, son of Wulfnoth’ being the father of Godwin. According to Frank Barlow, Lundie Barlow (no relation) studied the descent of some of the estates that Wulfnoth held. By treating Wulfnoth, as the son of Æthelmӕr Cild, ealdorman of the western provinces, Anscombe and Lundie believed that the Sussex thegn inherited Compton from his mother, suggesting that the royal blood was passed on through her.

But there is an issue with this theory. To make sense of the concept that Harold was descended from the royal House of Wessex, it was pertinent to explore theories that concern two males named Æthelmær. Both could be said to be candidates for Harold’s great-grandfather. The first Æthelmӕr listed in Anscombe and Lundie’s family tree we shall refer to as Cild. This chap was the son of Æthelweard the historian shown on the modified Anscombe/Barlow family tree.

This theory can be easily dispelled, for Æthelmær Cild was alive and active in the same generation as Wulfnoth himself, making him too young to have fathered Wulfnoth. Secondly, the interests of Æthelweard and Æthelmӕr Cild were concentrated in the areas west of Wessex, whilst Wulfnoth is specifically noted in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as a ‘Sussex thegn’.

The other Æthelmær, whom we shall refer to as Æthelmær Two, was one of several brothers of the infamous ealdorman, Eadric Sreona. Now their father was a man called Æthelric. The theory that this particular Æthelmær was the father of Wulfnoth Cild, originated with John of Worcester, which seems to have caused the confusion that led to Anscombe, then Lundie, being convinced that he was the father of Wulfnoth.

There is also a problem with this Æthelmær, as we shall see. Eadric and his brothers were the sons of a man called Æthelric and not Æthelweard the Historian, said to be the patriarch of the previous Æthelmær Cild, whose pedigree can be traced back to former kings of Wessex. Confused? Yes, so was I. But there is more.

*‘Gytha and Godwin’ portrayed by me and Jeppe Christensen*

Through the will left by Æthelstan, we have identified that Earl Godwin, (d. 1053) was the son of Wulfnoth Cild and Harold Godwinson’s father. Nothing is known of Godwin’s mother, but he has been cautiously accredited with possible siblings. One such sibling being the lady Æthelflӕd, named in the family tree that Barlow cites in his book. This woman was the owner of land in Buckinghamshire and was married to a man called Toki. The estate was gifted to his wife by her father, a man called Wulfnoth, who was connected to Godwin’s son, Leofwin, who held the estate thirty years later. This does not confirm, however, that this particular Wulfnoth was the chap who fathered Godwin. According to the Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England data base, there were sixty-nine individuals with the name Wulfnoth. Most of them were in the money minting business, so it is somewhat difficult to identify the right man however the link to Godwin’s son owning the lands of Toki and Æthelflӕd is intriguing.

It has been mentioned that Godwin had a brother, Ælfwig, abbot of New Minster in Winchester. He is said to have died at Hastings and is referred to as an uncle of King Harold’s. If true, he would have been an old man to have fought in the battle, so it is unlikely he was the brother of Godwin.

As it stands it is difficult to find any solid ground for believing that the Godwinsons were of royal pedigree despite the evidence produced by A. Anscombe/L. Barlow, and Frank Barlow, and it is unrealistic to assume that the family would not have known and used it to their advantage, especially against King William the Conqueror (r. 1066‒1087). We could say it is not impossible that Harold did, and it was suppressed by the Normans, but there is no supporting evidence, which makes it doubtful. It also seems unlikely that either of the two Æthelmӕrs had fathered Wulfnoth. As Ann Williams confirms, Æthelmӕr Cild, who appears in the royal family’s tree, was of the same generation as Wulfnoth. Furthermore, he was from Devonshire. Wulfnoth was referred to as a Sussex thegn by the E version of the Anglo- Saxon Chronicle (ASC).

Æthelmӕr number two, can also be discounted because the father of this Æthelmӕr was called Æthelric and Æthelmӕr Cild’s father was known as Æthelweard. Also, number two does not appear in the royal family tree of Wessex, suggesting that he had no royal heritage at all. He was also of the same generation as Wulfnoth. As we see, there is nothing to connect either Æthelmӕr with Wulfnoth, apart from an error made by John of Worcester, which many historians confuse as the same Æthelmӕr.

In contrast to efforts made to prove Anscombe’s and (Lundie) Barlow’s theory correct, Peter Rex, in his book on Harold’s life, refers to the Hyde Chronicle which describes Godwin as a man of low birth. This is not a contemporary source and was written in the thirteenth century for the de Warennes, whose dislike of Godwin is evident. Alternative stories of a ‘lowly’ Godwin’s rise to fame speak of him as a farmer’s boy, who, whilst cow–herding, came across a Dane called Ulf, lost and detached from his men after the Battle of Sherston. Godwin offered to help him, and a grateful Ulf took him into his service. These tales have more to do with myth than anything based in reality and do not account for Godwin being left land in Æthelstan’s will which is a whole other story for another time.

You might say that not having English royal pedigree should have dismissed Harold from any right the throne. He was not the son of a king, and therefore this lack of royal blood would have discounted him. In fact, Harold was descended from royal stock. It was just not the right one. His mother, Gytha, was the daughter of the fascinatingly named Thorgils Sprakaleggr (strut leg) who was the grandson of Harold Bluetooth making Gytha the great granddaughter of a King of Denmark and Norway and a second cousin of King Cnut the Great. So, although Harold was of royal lineage, it wasn’t the right one. Therefore, we could give the same consideration to Duke William of Normandy, who fought against King Harold and claimed victory over him on the 14 October 1066. But William had no connection to England, or the lands or the language. The boy Edgar Ætheling, who had been proclaimed as Edward’s heir was too young to face the invasions threatening Anglo-Saxon England. A strong leader was what was needed at the time, and royal blood or not, Harold was that man.

Do look out for the continuation of the blog tour tomorrow on Threads to the Past

About the book:

Harold Godwinson occupied his place in the chronicles for more than twenty years after bursting onto the political sphere when he was barely out of his teens. His role in English history has always been overshadowed by his failure to defend his crown and country against the might of William the Conqueror and his invaders. His demise at the hands of a Franco-Norman hit squad wrought the death knell of Anglo-Saxon rule. Reigning for just ten months, Harold’s accomplishments as dux Anglorum, and later king of England, were undermined by the Norman propaganda that was waged against his memory, long after his grisly end in 1066.

But just who was this man, who some historians recall as one of England’s greatest rulers? What were his origins? Is there any truth that he could trace his ancestry to the House of Wessex, and did he really usurp the throne from Duke William, the Bastard of Normandy? In this re-examining of this great historical figure of the eleventh century, we glean new theories and ideas not only about Harold’s life, but also questions historians have pondered upon for years. Did Edward really offer the throne to William? And how much of William’s claim was truth or fiction?

Paula Lofting presents a thoughtful and careful critique of the previous research. Examining his life through a telescopic view of the primary sources, she offers the reader a more accurate evaluation of who he was, how he died, and what happened to his remains after his death on a field near Hastings on October 1066.