Mike Shephard: Mercia

We talk to comedian, writer and history buff Mike Shephard about the Medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia and its depiction in modern culture thanks to BBC's The Last Kingdom and History Channel's Vikings. Plus, we uncover the secret history of Alton Towers, the cost of a severed foot in Wergeld and Hitler makes a predictable cameo. Check out the CTDEA WEBSITE for articles, episode transcripts and news. You'll also be able to get in touch with questions and comments which we'll address in our next episode. Follow us @CTDEApod on Twitter for fun facts, news and poorly-informed shouting. What else? Oh yeah. Remember to SUBSCRIBE to keep us existing! Controversial wergeld price list comes via "Wergeld: Crime and the compensation culture in Medieval England" Prof Anthony Mussan, University of Exeter, which you can listen to here.