Episode 1: Rubbish
The children’s page for this episode: Be a historian: Episode 1: Rubbish.
The words from history
Each passage shows the words said in the episode, then the original. Words with a line through them are in the original. We cut them from the episode.
Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain, Book 8, chapters 10 to 12
Translated by Aaron Thompson, revised by J. A. Giles, in Six Old English Chronicles (London: Bohn, 1848).
Also cited
Wikipedia’s sources for these lines
“written around 1136”
Wikipedia gives no footnote beside this line.
“is now considered to have no value as history”
Wikipedia gives no footnote beside this line.
In the episode
Aurelius, a king in Geoffrey’s story How is it possible to remove such vast stones from so distant a country?
In the source
At these words of Merlin, Aurelius burst into laughter, and said,'How is it possible to remove such vast stones from so distant a country,as if Britain was not furnished with stones fit for the work?'
In the episode
Merlin, the wizard in Geoffrey’s story The giants of old brought them from the farthest coast of Africa, and placed them in Ireland. Their design in this was to make baths in them.
In the source
The giants of old brought them from the farthest coast of Africa, and placed them in Ireland,
while they inhabited that country.Their design in this was to make baths in them,when they should be taken with any illness.'
In the episode
Gillomanius, the king of Ireland in Geoffrey’s story Was ever the like folly heard of? What are the stones of Ireland better than those of Britain?
In the source
Was ever the like folly heard of? What are the stones of Ireland better than those of Britain,
that our kingdom must be put to this disturbance for them?
In the episode
Merlin, the wizard in Geoffrey’s story Now try your forces, young men, and see whether strength or art can do the most towards taking down these stones.
In the source
Now try your forces, young men, and see whether strength or art can do the most towards taking down these stones.
Henry of Huntingdon, The History of the English (Historia Anglorum), Book 1
Translated by Thomas Forester, The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon (London: Bohn, 1853).
In the episode
Henry The second is at Stonehenge.
Henry And no one has been able to discover for what purpose they were designed.
In the source
The second is at Stonehenge,
where stones of extraordinary dimensions are raised as columns, and others are fixed above, like lintels of immense portals;and no one has been able to discoverby what mechanism such vast masses of stone were elevated, norfor what purpose they were designed.
William of Newburgh, History of English Affairs, the Preface
Translated by Joseph Stevenson, The Church Historians of England, vol. 4, part 2 (London: Seeleys, 1861), as given by the Internet Medieval Sourcebook, with spellings modernised.
Also cited
In the episode
William of Newburgh A writer in our times has started up and invented the most ridiculous fictions.
In the source
For the purpose of washing out those stains from the character of the Britons,a writer in our times has started up and invented the most ridiculous fictionsconcerning them…
In the episode
William of Newburgh How impudently he falsifies in every respect.
In the source
… how
impertinently andimpudently he falsifies in every respect.
Samuel Pepys, Diary, 11 June 1668
Ed. Henry B. Wheatley (1893), Project Gutenberg.
In the episode
Samuel Pepys Come thither, and find them as prodigious as any tales I ever heard of them, and worth going this journey to see. God knows what their use was!
In the source
Come thither, and find them as prodigious as any tales I ever heard of them, and worth going this journey to see. God knows what their use was!
Pepys, 15 June 1668
The same Gutenberg text, four days after Stonehenge.
Also cited
In the episode
Samuel Pepys Which makes me think the less of the wonder of Stonehenge, for hence they might undoubtedly supply themselves with stones.
In the source
… which makes me think the less of the wonder of Stonage, for hence they might undoubtedly supply themselves with stones,
as well as those at Abebury.
“Stonage” is said as “Stonehenge”.
Where the hosts’ facts come from
Kate, Helen and Will’s facts come from these pages. Open “What it says” to see the lines we used.
Avebury
What it says
- “a co-listing with the monuments at Stonehenge, 17 miles (27 km) to the south”
- “to the east are the Marlborough Downs, an area of lowland hills”
Cheddar cheese
Wikipedia’s sources for these lines
“Cheddar cheese originates from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, southwest England. Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village contains a number of caves, which provided the ideal humidity …”
Wikipedia’s source: Rajan, Amol (22 September 2009). "The Big Question: If Cheddar cheese is British, why is so much of it coming from abroad?". The Independent. London. Checked: it says the same.
What it says
- “Cheddar cheese originates from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, southwest England. Cheddar Gorge on the edge of the village contains a number of caves, which provided the ideal humidity …”
Howard Carter's journal for 1922, page 33
What it says
- “Candles were procured ... I widened the breach and by means of the candle looked in ... when Lord Carnarvon said to me 'Can you see anything'. I replied to …”
- “a magnificent tomb with seals intact”
Salisbury Plain
Wikipedia’s sources for these lines
“largely lies within the county of Wiltshire”
Wikipedia gives no footnote beside this line.
What it says
- “Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in southern England covering 300 square miles (780 km2)”
- “largely lies within the county of Wiltshire”
English Heritage, History of Stonehenge
What it says
- “the unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2500 BC”
English Heritage, Food and Feasting at Stonehenge
What it says
- “Around 2500 BC, the people who built and used Stonehenge probably lived at Durrington Walls, a large settlement about 2 miles away. Over 38,000 discarded animal bones have been found …”
- “Of the bones and teeth excavated at the site, 90% were from pigs”
- “Many still had meat attached to them when they were discarded, suggesting that there was more than enough food to go round.”
- “Burnt foot bones suggest that pigs were often roasted over open fires.”
- “Many of the pigs had been killed at about nine months old. Since the piglets were most probably born in the spring, they were therefore all being slaughtered at midwinter. …”
- “These pig's teeth ... show signs of decay, suggesting that they were being fattened on some sort of sweet food, perhaps honey”
- “By measuring the relative amounts of different types of strontium, oxygen and sulphur in the animal bones and teeth ... some of the pigs were reared in west Wales, some …”
- “The animals are likely to have been herded to the Stonehenge area”
People came far
What it says
- “People were probably travelling over long distances to take part in the feasts and ceremonies here”
- “Multi-isotope analysis reveals that feasts in the Stonehenge environs and across Wessex drew people and animals from throughout Britain”
English Heritage blog, the Sheffield team on the pig jaws
What it says
- “The most common way of finding out is by looking at which teeth each animal had when it died.”
- “We discovered that the pigs were overwhelmingly being killed quite young, at around nine months of age. The most likely time of year that pigs would have been born during …”
English Heritage, Building Stonehenge
What it says
- “all came from the Preseli Hills in south-west Wales ... They weigh between 2 and 5 tons each.”
Clarke, A. J. I. and others, "A Scottish provenance for the Altar Stone of Stonehenge", Nature 632, 570 to 575 (published 14 August 2024)
What it says
- “remarkable similarity to the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland. Such a provenance implies that the Altar Stone, a 6 tonne shaped block, was sourced at …”
English Heritage, the solstices
What it says
- “Find out about attending Winter Solstice 2026”
- “to align with the sun on the solstices ... On the winter solstice, the sun sets to the south-west of the stone circle.”
English Heritage, Winter Solstice 2026
What it says
- “English Heritage is pleased to provide free access to Stonehenge on Tuesday 22nd December to celebrate the Winter Solstice.”
- “The car park at Stonehenge will open at 5:15am on Tuesday 22nd December. Sunrise will take place at 8:09am on Tuesday 22nd December (approximate timings).”
Monday 16 November 2026
Merlin
Wikipedia’s sources for these lines
“is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a prophet and a magician”
Wikipedia’s source: Goodrich, Peter H. (15 June 2004). Merlin: A Casebook. Routledge. ISBN 9781135583408. Wikipedia cites p. 2. Online, but we couldn’t read it there.
What it says
- “is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a prophet and a magician”
Sunset in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales, at 54