I am disgusted with the show about the Bamburgh skeleton. He kept insisting the guy was a pagan but fought for Oswald who was Christian. Obviously no research done on practices of early Christian Kings or religion. King Oswald would never allow Pagans to fight in his army. He was against paganism and would not want it to taint his Christian victories. Most armies that lost to Christian armies immediately converted due to better chance of living after surrender and proof to their minds that the victorious side's God was superior. Please do a little better research next time. It seems these shows just can't resist putting out fictional Christian history.

It would be equally correct for YOU to do some research before putting forth your own ideas as the only correct ones, my friend. What follows was taken from the very first source obtained through a simple Google search, and flies in the face of your pre-supposed logic: "Oswald had to rally all his troops despite their diverse belief systems and do so in a manner that was consistent with his own beliefs. He would have utilized any pagan warrior-based cult that could adapt to his own Christian beliefs. Germanic pagan religion was not codified and was adaptable to fit the leader's situation at the moment. (Tolley 1995: 153)."

The REAL question is obviously not your incorrect opinion, but why, if as Scotty Moore suggests, Rothgard was killed defending the castle, was he buried in a grave of high honor by the pagans that killed him?

In an earlier episode, Scotty surmises that a mass grave located just outside an ancient fortress containing Coptic Christians in Egypt existed because the friends, family, and fellow villagers actually WON the skirmish and were then able to bury their dead as they saw fit.

Rothgard and his small contigent DIDN'T win, leaving us to wonder WHO buried his body where they did and WHY?

I read the site you speak of and the author seems to surmise a lot of so called "possible" scenarios. Then she quotes how he led all his warriors in "Christian" prayer before battle. I know that Scotland was already Christainized by this time and the so called warrior "Hrothgar" was actually not Scandinavian "as he was named by the host" but was proved to be of Scot origin, so even more likely to be a Christian, not pagan. So I do stand by my opinion and understanding of that time period. I feel the host should bring out history that is the most likely. Also I agree with many other opinions about his cause of death more likely being illness not killed in battle as surmised by the host.