Sex. It’s everyone’s favourite subject. But has it been that way since the Middle Ages? The repressive instincts of some medieval churchmen meant that the way that ordinary people experienced and enjoyed sex in medieval Europe was very different to how it is today. But despite the rules imposed by an all-powerful church, there are more similarities than you might think… In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by History Hit stablemate Kate Lister, host of Betwixt the She...
Aug 15, 2023•42 min•Ep. 238
The grandson of Alfred the Great, Æthelstan the Glorious was the first King of England, reigning from 924 to 939. Æthelstan inherited the title King of Mercia from his father Edward the Elder, but was not immediately accepted as King of England. Shortly after his crowning he married one of his sisters to the Viking King of Northumbria, Sithric. When Sithric died only a year later, Æthelstan seized Northumbria making him king of more land than any other before him, roughl...
Aug 11, 2023•27 min•Ep. 237
Eleanor of Castile married King Edward I of England as part of a political deal to affirm English sovereignty over Gascony. But the marriage was a very close one. Eleanor travelled extensively with Edward, including on the Ninth Crusade. When she died in Nottinghamshire, her heartbroken husband erected a stone cross at every one of the 12 stopping places of her funeral cortege on the journey back to London. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega finds...
Aug 08, 2023•41 min•Ep. 236
One of the most important documents ever written, Magna Carta was sealed by King John after negotiations with his barons and their French and Scots allies at Runnymede in 1215. Magna Carta has inspired the way we view issues of justice and liberty, in both Britain and around the world, ever since. In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis is joined by Professor David Carpenter to work out the how’s, why’s and what’s of Magna Carta. This episode w...
Aug 04, 2023•40 min•Ep. 235
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis welcomes his new co-host, historian Dr. Eleanor Janega. For her first episode, Eleanor and Matt kick off with a quick fire round about some of her favourite Medieval subjects, culminating in booze. How important was alcohol in the medieval world? Was it the only alternative to undrinkable water? What was the difference between beer and ale? How much did people drink, and why? This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. Disco...
Aug 01, 2023•42 min•Ep. 234
Nicholaa de la Haye’s strength and tenacity saved England at one of the lowest points in its history. She remained loyal to King John to the very end, even after most of his knights and barons had deserted him. She stood firm during a siege at Lincoln Castle - where she was constable - that lasted more than three months, holding off the English rebel barons and their French allies. A truly remarkable woman, Nicholaa was the first woman to be appointed sheriff of Lincolnshire by King John, s...
Jul 28, 2023•34 min•Ep. 233
Throughout history, there have been plenty of hugely destructive, catastrophic moments. And yet somehow the human race managed to live on until today. So how did people in the Medieval period find ways to survive, for example, a siege of their city, or a natural disaster, or plague? In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis talks to Cody Cassidy, author of How to Survive History , to explore how we might cope with, and get through, some of the greatest existential threats to human life and p...
Jul 25, 2023•25 min•Ep. 232
Is there a lost colony of Vikings somewhere in Greenland, shut off from the rest of the world? For hundreds of years, that question has taxed many minds for a variety of reasons that often reflect changes in outlook. In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Robert Rix who, in his new book The Vanished Settlers of Greenland , goes in search of a legend and its legacy . This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. Discover the past on History Hit wi...
Jul 21, 2023•35 min•Ep. 231
It’s one of the most dramatic stories you might never have heard. Featuring a seaborne assassination, a vengeful manhunt and London Bridge in flames, the rebellion of Jack Cade in 1450 shook the English Crown to its very core, and lit the spark that began the Wars of the Roses. In today’s episode of Gone Medieval Matt responds to a listener suggestion from Brett Fancy, unpacking and explaining how Cade went from an ordinary man to the leader of a 47,000 strong popular uprising. It is a thrilling...
Jul 18, 2023•38 min•Ep. 230
Composed towards the end of the first millennium, Beowulf is the classic Anglo-Saxon epic poem that transcends its time to shed light on psychological and spiritual truths that still ring true today. Seamus Heaney’s deeply felt interpretation - widely acknowledged as the greatest Beowulf translation of modern times - has just been published in a fabulous Folio limited edition with an exclusive introduction by bestselling historian Janina Ramirez. She joins Matt Lewis in this ep...
Jul 14, 2023•41 min•Ep. 229
What clothes would you have worn in the Middle Ages? What were the most fashionable hairstyles? How did your clothing denote social status? How did you wash your clothes? In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis puts these questions to Sarah Grace Heller, associate professor in Medieval French at Ohio State University and an expert in medieval fashion. This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries relea...
Jul 11, 2023•30 min•Ep. 228
From the Baltics to the Balkans, from Prague to Kiev, Eastern Europe is more than the sum total of its annexations, invasions and independence declarations. In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis meets Jacob Mikanowski, author of Goodbye Eastern Europe, to discuss what can be found out about the region in the Medieval period - a history that is fascinating and often overlooked. This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. Discover the past on History Hit with ad-...
Jul 07, 2023•32 min•Ep. 227
There are few places more fascinating and evocative for Medieval enthusiasts than Saint George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis takes a special, out-of-hours tour around some of its extraordinary attractions with Michael Pitfield, Leadership Fellow at Windsor Castle. This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by wor...
Jul 04, 2023•45 min•Ep. 226
Every historian dreams of hitting gold in the archives. Matt Lewis’s guest Dr. James Wade of Girton College, Cambridge has done just that. James has uncovered a manuscript by cleric and tutor Richard Heege, which reports the routines of a medieval minstrel. It reads like a mixture of stand-up script and satirical panel show. The text mocks kings, priests and peasants, encourages audiences to get drunk and shocks them with slapstick as well as a killer rabbit worthy of Monty Python. It all sheds ...
Jun 30, 2023•26 min•Ep. 225
On this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis talks to Sir Tony Robinson — actor, author and presenter — who is now hosting his own podcast, Tony Robinson’s Cunningcast . Sir Tony talks about how he has been making history fun, funny and accessible for decades, ranging across Black Adder , Time Team and Maid Marian and her Merry Men . This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg. Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released w...
Jun 27, 2023•38 min•Ep. 224
The ninth century Danish king and warrior Ragnar Lothbrok became notorious again most recently through the TV series The Vikings . But what do we know about the real Ragnar Lothbrok? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out from Professor Carolyne Larrington, author of The Norse Myths That Shape the Way We Think. This episode was edited and produced by Joseph Knight. The scriptwriter was Lucy Davidson. The voice actor was Kimberly Parker The Senior Producer was Elena G...
Jun 23, 2023•51 min•Ep. 223
Ireland has long been overlooked in the context of crusading. It has not only been largely absent from accounts of crusades and crusading, it has also not featured in histories of Ireland. A new book from Forecourts Press, titled Ireland and the Crusades, seeks to correct these omissions. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets archaeologist Paul Duffy who has contributed to the book an essay titled "Curtailing Kings: Ireland, the Cathar Crusade and the cult of Simon de Montfort." Thi...
Jun 20, 2023•38 min•Ep. 222
In this episode of Gone Medieval for Pride Month, Matt Lewis takes a look at some transgender stories from the Middle Ages. Marinos was a 5th century monk mentioned in the trial of Joan of Arc. They shaved their head and changed into men's clothes to live in a monastery with their widowed father. Eleanor Rykener was a 14th century trans sex-worker in London, arrested for prostitution and sodomy. To discuss these and other cases that resonate with today’s discourse on gender, Matt ...
Jun 16, 2023•47 min•Ep. 221
One of history’s great adventurers, Marco Polo’s accounts of his travels - dictated while in prison - were exceptionally widely read, introducing Europeans to the then-mysterious culture and inner workings of the Eastern world, including the wealth and great size of the Mongol Empire and China in the Yuan Dynasty. In this edition of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis finds out more about Marco Polo and his travels from historian Laurence Bergreen, author of Marco Polo: From Venice to Xana...
Jun 13, 2023•32 min•Ep. 220
In 855, the Carolingian king Lothar II was married to the aristocratic Teutberga for political reasons. But there was a third person in the relationship — Waldrada of Lotharingia. Their affair led to a prolonged and messy battle by Lothar II to secure a divorce from Teutberga, which involved Charles the Bald, Louis the German and two Popes. On this edition of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Chris Halsted to find out more about Waldrada’s incredible story and the...
Jun 09, 2023•32 min•Ep. 219
Medieval Japan - especially its stories of fearless Samurai and Ninja warriors - have an enduring place in our consciousness. But how true are they? In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis talks to Joseph Robey, who has made it his mission to make the stories of Medieval Japan more well known. This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. You can take part in our listener survey here . If you’re enjoying this podcast and are looking for more fascinating Medieval content then subs...
Jun 06, 2023•42 min•Ep. 218
How did the apple become the dominant symbol of temptation and sin, when it isn’t even mentioned in the Bible story of Adam and Eve? In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis meets Professor Azzan Yadin-Israel who has pursued this mystery across art and religious history, uncovering where, when, and why the forbidden fruit became an apple. He reveals that Eden’s fruit, once thought to be a fig or a grape, first appears as an apple in 12th-century French art. But why? Visit Professor Ya...
Jun 02, 2023•39 min•Ep. 217
For the first time in 18 years, the Declaration of Arbroath - an iconic document in the story of the struggle for Scottish independence in the 14th century - will go on public display. Dated 6 April 1320, and written by the barons and freeholders on behalf of the Kingdom of Scotland, the Declaration asks Pope John XXII to recognise Scotland's independence and to persuade Edward II of England to end hostilities against the Scots. In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis finds out ...
May 30, 2023•45 min•Ep. 214
The writings of Julian of Norwich are the earliest surviving English language works by a woman and the only surviving English language works by an anchoress. But her life - particularly prior to taking on her role at Saint Julian's Church in Norwich - is shrouded in mystery and it has been widely debated. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to author Claire Gilbert. Her new book I,Julian is a powerful fictional autobiography of Julian - as mother, mystic and radical. This episode ...
May 26, 2023•30 min•Ep. 213
What does archaeology tell us about how regions in the Mediterranean built their wealth between the 10th and 12th centuries? How did economies grow in Egypt, Tunisia, Sicily, the Byzantine empire, Islamic Spain and Portugal, and north-central Italy? And what were their trading relationships with each other? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Professor Chris Wickham, author of The Donkey and the Boat: Reinterpreting the Mediterranean Economy, 950-1180. Based on a com...
May 23, 2023•28 min•Ep. 212
Deception and trickery have always been a universal feature of warfare and the wars of the Middle Ages were no exception - from the Battle of Hastings to the “fake corpse ruse”. But how did Medieval mores justify deception during wars? Was cunning considered an admirable quality in a warrior? Was the culturally and religious "other" more deceitful than Western Europeans? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more from Dr. James Titterton, author of Deception in M...
May 19, 2023•36 min•Ep. 211
After speaking to Gone Medieval in April 2022 about the first volume of his magisterial biography of Henry III, David Carpenter promised Matt Lewis that he would pay the podcast a return visit when the second volume came out. Henry III 1258-1272: Reform, Rebellion, Civil War, Settlement picks up the story when Henry is 51 years old. He's been monarch for 42 years and might have been looking forward to a quieter twilight to his reign. But he was in for the rudest of awakenings. This episode...
May 16, 2023•44 min•Ep. 210
The de la Pole dynasty played a central role in the Wars of the Roses. Theirs is a fascinating story of the rises and falls that plagued families - and the disputes within them - as they tried to chart the stormy waters of a civil war. In this edition of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis meets Michèle Schindler, whose new book De La Pole Father and Son: The Duke, The Earl and the Struggle for Power , provides a new perspective on the tumultuous events of 15th-century England and the birth of the ...
May 12, 2023•26 min•Ep. 209
Approximately 1.35 billion people use it, either as a first or second language, so English and the way that we speak it has a daily impact on huge numbers of people. But how did the English language develop? In this episode of Gone Medieval, first released in July 2021, Dr. Cat Jarman speaks to Eleanor Rye, an Associate Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics at the University of York. Using the present day language, place names and dialects as evidence, Ellie shows us how English was...
May 09, 2023•37 min•Ep. 208
One of the most consequential eras in North American history was the Medieval Warm Period of 800-1300 CE, when the continent was shaped by climate change or – as its peoples then believed – controlled by gods of wind and water. A great religious movement swept Mesoamerica, the Southwest, and the Mississippi valley, sometimes because of worsening living conditions and sometimes by improved agricultural yields caused by global warming. In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis talks...
May 05, 2023•27 min•Ep. 207
