Heroes and Legends is a channel dedicated to exploring the lives and stories of great individuals that have made an impact on history, culture or our way of life, but whose deeper personal stories have often been overlooked, ignored or misrepresented.
Recently On Podcast
History Like Nothing You've Seen
Get behind the myth and into the minds of heroes to better understand their story. See the Description section of each video for more links and further info.
Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel
Not just the who, what and where, but also the why
Full Length Videos
Excerpts
Heroes & Legends
Fans can support our creative work by donating today. Become a Patreon supporter of Heroes and Legends by making a donation.
Resources
A collection of downloadable historical documents you may find of interest, which we believe to be in the public domain, and freely available. If any of these items are subject to copyright, please let us know and we will remove them.
Latest Facebook Posts
Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest news, reels, and extra historical articles
🗓️ On this day, December 14, 1542, Mary Stuart, just six days old, was declared Queen of Scotland following the death of her father, King James V, who passed away after the Scots’ defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss. Mary’s succession marked the beginning of one of the most tumultuous reigns in Scottish and British history.![Home]()
![Home]()
Born into a politically volatile time, Mary’s infant queenship made her a pawn in the power struggles between Scotland, England, and France. The English King Henry VIII sought to secure a marriage between Mary and his son Edward, aiming to unite the Scottish and English crowns, leading to the period known as the Rough Wooing. However, Mary was sent to France at age five, where she was betrothed to the French dauphin, later King Francis II, cementing an alliance with the powerful French court.![Home]()
![Home]()
Mary’s life as queen was fraught with political intrigue, religious conflict, and personal tragedy. Her return to Scotland after Francis’ death placed her at the center of the Protestant Reformation, which clashed with her Catholic faith. Her reign eventually ended in abdication and imprisonment, followed by execution in 1587 on the orders of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England.![Home]()
![Home]()
Despite her tragic fate, Mary Stuart’s legacy endures as one of the most compelling figures in British history, a symbol of resilience, and the complex politics of the 16th century. 🏰🕊️![Home]()
![Home]()
#OnThisDay #MaryQueenOfScots #ScottishHistory #BritishHistory #TudorEra #16thCentury #Monarchy #PoliticalIntrigue
🗓️ On this day, December 13, 1355, the legendary Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta, often regarded as the greatest traveller of the medieval world, completed his monumental work, The Travels (Rihla). This extraordinary account chronicles his 29 years of travel across the Islamic world and beyond, offering unparalleled insights into the cultures, religions, and societies of the 14th century.![Home]()
![Home]()
Born in Tangier in 1304, Ibn Battuta set out on his first journey to Mecca for the Hajj in 1325. This pilgrimage was only the beginning of an odyssey that would take him through North Africa, the Middle East, East Africa, Central Asia, India, China, Indonesia, and even as far as the Maldives. Over three decades, he covered approximately 75,000 miles, visiting more than 40 modern nations, often serving as a judge, diplomat, or scholar along the way.![Home]()
![Home]()
His Rihla offers a vivid portrait of the Islamic world during its golden age, detailing bustling trade routes, thriving cities, and the rich diversity of cultures unified under the shared faith of Islam. It also includes descriptions of distant lands like China and his observations of their customs, government, and infrastructure.![Home]()
![Home]()
Ibn Battuta’s work has become an invaluable historical resource, illuminating a world interconnected by commerce, religion, and scholarship. His journeys remain a testament to human curiosity and the enduring desire to explore the unknown. 🌍✈️![Home]()
![Home]()
To learn more about his incredible journey, see our YouTube video, which is directly drawn from his travelogue:![Home]()
youtu.be/FavaU9D9lf8![Home]()
![Home]()
#OnThisDay #IbnBattuta #TheTravels #MedievalHistory #IslamicWorld #WorldHistory #Exploration #GoldenAgeIslam
The Incredible Adventures of Medieval Traveller Ibn Battuta
youtu.be
When most people are asked to name an epic traveller from history, they usually come up with names like Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Magellan, or any nu...
🗓️ On this day, December 12, 1408, Emperor Sigismund, then King of Hungary & Croatia, and his wife, Queen Barbara of Celje, founded the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric order dedicated to defending Christianity and the Hungarian-Croatian crowns. The order was created in the aftermath of conflicts for control over Bosnia, specifically following the Battle of Doboj, where Sigismund sought to consolidate his power and protect his kingdoms against Ottoman incursions and internal disunity.![Home]()
![Home]()
The Order of the Dragon drew inspiration from earlier crusading orders, and its emblem, a Uroboros dragon with its tail coiled around its neck, symbolised vigilance and a commitment to safeguarding Christian lands. Its motto was "O Quam Misericors est Deus, Pius et Justus" (O how merciful is God, faithful and just). It was to some extent modelled after the earlier Hungarian monarchical order, the Order of St. George (Societas militae Sancti Georgii), founded by King Charles I of Hungary in 1318, the grandfather of Sigismund's first wife Mary. That order adopted Saint George as its patron saint, whose legendary defeat of a dragon was used as a symbol for the military and religious ethos of the order, now inspired the new "Fraternitas Draconum".![Home]()
![Home]()
Membership was highly prestigious, comprising noble allies and loyal vassals from across Europe. Notably, Vlad II Dracul, the father of Vlad III (Dracula), was inducted into the order, earning his nickname “Dracul” from this association along with its fanatical commitment to oppose Ottoman expansion.![Home]()
![Home]()
While initially focused on Hungary, Croatia and the Balkan Christian nobility in Serbia, Romania and Wallachia, the order's influence extended throughout Eastern Europe, Germany and Italy playing a key role in efforts to resist Ottoman expansion. It eventually waned in prominence after Sigismund's death but its legacy persists, with its most famous members forever linked to the dramatic struggles of medieval Christendom. 🐉🏰![Home]()
![Home]()
#OnThisDay #OrderOfTheDragon #Sigismund #MedievalHistory #HungarianHistory #Bosnia #OttomanWars #ChivalricOrders
🗓️ On this day, December 11, 1282, the Battle of Orewin Bridge marked a pivotal and tragic moment in Welsh history as Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last Prince of Wales, was killed in battle against the forces of King Edward I of England. This defeat signaled the end of Welsh independence and the final consolidation of English authority over Wales.![Home]()
![Home]()
The battle occurred near Builth Wells, where Llywelyn sought to rally support against Edward’s advancing forces. Separated from his main army, Llywelyn was ambushed and killed in the ensuing skirmish. His severed head was sent to Edward and displayed in London, a brutal symbol of English dominance. Without Llywelyn’s leadership, resistance faltered, and by 1284, Edward I formalised his control over Wales with the Statute of Rhuddlan.![Home]()
![Home]()
The Battle of Orewin Bridge remains a defining moment in Welsh history, symbolising the resilience of its people and their enduring cultural identity despite political subjugation. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd is remembered as a national hero, his legacy inspiring future generations in the ongoing struggle for Welsh autonomy and recognition. 🏰🐉![Home]()
![Home]()
#OnThisDay #BattleOfOrewinBridge #LlywelynApGruffudd #WelshHistory #EdwardI #MedievalHistory #Wales #NationalIdentity
