396 avsnitt • Längd: 40 min • Veckovis: Tisdag
From long-lost Viking ships to kings buried in unexpected places; from murders and power politics, to myths, religion, the lives of ordinary people: Gone Medieval is History Hit’s podcast dedicated to the middle ages, in Europe and far beyond.
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Dr. Eleanor Janega reveals the darker side of the Renaissance with Dr. Ada Palmer, challenging the notion that it was a golden age, exposing it as a period of political instability, medical decline, and relentless power struggles. From the propaganda of the era to the destructive reign of Renaissance popes, Eleanor and Ada hugely enjoy dissecting the complexities and darker realities that belie the glorified stories of the Renaissance while contrasting it with the misconceived 'dark' Middle Ages.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Camilla Townsend to delve into the story of the Mexica, commonly known as the Aztecs. They unpack the true history behind the label 'Aztecs' and reveal how there's so much more to this civilisation than the outdated misconception of blood-thirsty primitives obsessed with human sacrifice.
Professor Townsend shares original Nahuatl sources to show who the Mexica really were, about their humour and humanity through their own voices and how the Spanish conquest affected their society.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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In early Medieval Ireland, supernatural beings moved in and out of our world, unseen. These were the residents of the Otherworld – the síd.
Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by historian and novelist Lisa M. Bitel, author of Otherworld, to explore the sexy, funny, and bloody Irish stories that outshine the better-known European myths.
From supernatural beings of medieval Ireland to tales of love, gender dynamics, and humorous retellings, these ancient myths connect to modern literature and culture and uncover ancient Ireland's mystic allure.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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What happens when one of the greatest empires in history begins to unravel? Matt Lewis explores the turbulent era of the Carolingian Empire's rise and fall with Matthew Gabriel and David Perry. The Carolingian Civil War saw kings fighting kings, brother facing off against brother, and sons challenging their fathers. Together they delve into the succession disputes among the Frankish rulers, the violent conflicts that shaped medieval Europe, and the myth-making that justified Carolingian rule.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on
Records from Anglo-Saxon England are filled with stories of murder, witchcraft and betrayals of the worst kind, giving the impression that this period was one of lawlessness and rebellion. But how many of these tales are true? How do they square with a period known to have had lengthy, detailed law codes and harsh punishments for unlawful killing?
Dr. Eleanor Janega meets historian and author Annie Whitehead who has collated some 100 cases from regicides to robberies gone wrong, to ask what, if anything, they can tell us about the motives of those who recorded them and about Anglo-Saxon governance and society?
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on
What can grave goods tell us about the lives of people 1,500 years ago? Matt Lewis delves into the early medieval world through the lens of burials with Professor Jo Buckberry, discussing how the treasures found in Anglo-Saxon graves changed over the years and provide insights into the cultural, political, and familial dynamics of a fascinating period.
Matt is also joined by Professor Duncan Sayer, lead archeologist at a secret-location dig has revealed an Anglo-Saxon cemetery full of stunning weapons, jewellery and medieval DNA.
Photos of the newly discovered grave goods:
https://www.uclan.ac.uk/news/kent-sword-excavation
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. It was edited and researched by Amy Haddow. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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What do the terms 'medieval' and 'early medieval' truly mean? When did these periods begin and end? Why is it inaccurate - even offensive - to refer to them as the 'Dark Ages'? Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis put their heads together to demystify the terminology used to define different historical periods and clarify some common misconceptions.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis. Edited by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
Matt Lewis dives deep into the life and exploits of Leif Erikson, debating whether he was the first European to set foot in North America. Joined by Dr. Eleanor Barraclough, they explore the sagas of this intriguing Viking figure, the archaeological evidence supporting Norse exploration, and the fascinating cultural legacy that has turned Leif into a symbol of discovery and identity in America.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
How did medieval cities manage and regulate sex work? Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Jamie Page to discuss the lives of sex workers, the operation of municipal brothels, and the legal and societal challenges these women faced. They uncover detailed case studies and the broader implications of sex work regulations across medieval Europe contrasting the experiences of sex workers in different regions and highlighting the unique practices in the Holy Roman Empire compared to England.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Brian A. Catlos to explore the nearly eight centuries of Al Andalus, Islamic Spain. From a daring invasion in 711 led by Tariq ibn Ziyad to the emergence of great cities like Cordoba, Matt and Brian delve into the multicultural experiment where Muslims, Christians, and Jews coexisted, blending art, science, and culture, and they debunk some pretty huge fake news about Charlemagne.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
Who built the imposing castles of Poland and Lithuania?
Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by archeologist Aleksander Pluskowski to discuss the riveting history of the Teutonic Knights, to find out how a small military-religious order evolved during the Third Crusade into a formidable power controlling vast territories in the Baltic. They explore the nuanced differences between the Teutonic Knights and other Crusading groups, their complex relationships with pagans, their dramatic militarisation and how modern Eastern Europe grapples with this complex heritage.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. The audio editor is Nick Thomson, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
Matt Lewis, joined by Dr. Eleanor Janega, explores the Halstow Wassail—a modern iteration of an ancient tradition rooted deep in medieval folklore. They visit Grey's Cider Farm in Devon and dive into the unique ceremony of wassailing, where people sing to apple trees to bless them for a bountiful harvest. Featuring exclusive insights from Theo Grey, the 13th generation cider maker, they uncover the historic and communal aspects of this revived ritual, how the tradition has evolved while maintaining the communal spirit and connection with nature from centuries past.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit to see Matt and Eleanor revel in Wassailing in their new documentary Medieval Midwinter, plus hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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Did you know that Magna Carta wasn't originally intended as a beacon of civil liberties? Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Steven Franklin of Royal Holloway, University of London to delve into the myths and realities of the Magna Carta. They discuss how this foundational document, sealed by King John in 1215, spawned iconic clauses like trial by jury, how it's still referenced today and why lesser-known yet impactful documents like the Charter of the Forest might deserve more attention.
Eleanor and Steven reveal how Magna Carta transformed into a mythologized symbol of justice and is considered a cornerstone of British law.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
Nothing good is ever said about King John, a strong contender for the title of Worst Medieval King of England. Was the King who signed Magna Carta - albeit reluctantly - really as bad as history paints him?
Matt Lewis sets out to put the record straight with David Carpenter, Professor of Medieval History at King's College London.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. The audio editor and producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Related episodes:
Henry III vs. Simon de Montfort >
1217: The Year that Forged England >
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Lady Macbeth is best known to us as Shakespeare’s scheming, sleepwalking villain. But, as with most of his so-called history plays, Shakespeare’s version of the Macbeths is largely fictional.
Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to the best-selling crime writer - and Gone Medieval fan - Val McDermid who has dragged the truth about the real Queen Macbeth out of the shadows to reveal a woman caught up in the patriarchal prejudices and vicious political intrigues of her time.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. The audio editor and producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
Ever wondered why the medieval world was so captivated by saints?
Matt Lewis welcomes in the new year with Amy Jeffs, author of 'Saints, A New Legendary of Heroes, Humans and Magic,' to unveil the mysteries and miracles that made saints central to medieval life. They delve into the legend of Edward the Confessor, recounting his miraculous encounter with a beggar who turned out to be St. John the Evangelist.
Amy also shares the spellbinding tales of St. Bridget's miraculous milk churn and St. Patrick's purgatory, a pilgrimage destination that offered visions akin to a medieval 'Dante's Inferno.' Join us to journey through the enchanting and rebellious world of saintly legends that reveal the medieval mind and its intricate beliefs.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The narrative script was written by Joseph Knight, performed by Sophie Gee. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds and All3 Media Music.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
Ever wondered how Christmas was celebrated in Medieval times? Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis explore the fascinating world of Medieval festive traditions. From the violent brawls of medieval football to the quirky custom of 'mumming,' Eleanor and Matt dive into the rich tapestry of holiday practices. They discuss the origins of the Yule log, the significance of the boy bishop, and the unique 'women's Christmas' celebration.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis. Edited by Amy Haddow. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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Did Richard III really murder the Princes in the Tower?
Join Matt Lewis to dive into the enigmatic tale of the Princes in the Tower, joined by expert Philippa Langley. The discussion traverses recent discoveries that shed new light on the disappearance of Edward IV’s young sons. Highlighting the rigorous research of the Missing Princes Project, Langley reveals groundbreaking evidence, from accounting receipts to witness statements, supporting the survival of the princes beyond King Richard III's reign.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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It’s Christmas. The holly and ivy are adorning the fireplace, hopefully the shopping is (mostly) done and the King of Misrule is on his way…Who are we to disobey him?
Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega have hung their medieval stockings and are having a blast discussing the best 'medieval' films delivered to our homes via the very modern magic of TV. They choose the most accurate, the most absurd and the most bell-ringingly fun depictions of the middle ages, including the gritty authenticity of 'The Last Kingdom', the hilarious 'Army of Darkness,' the problematic 'The Physician,' the martial spectacle of 'The Great Wall,' and the intriguing 'Outlander.' Plus a hefty dose of Robin Hood and his Merry Men in their many, many film adaptations. There will be tights...
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis. Edited by Amy Haddow. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds and All3 Media Music.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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The often forgotten world of medieval nuns holds many secrets about the lives of ordinary people of the age, their daily routines, education, and societal roles. German medieval historian Henrike Lähnemann shares with Matt Lewis her research into the rich archives of convents, which revealed nuns' vibrant lives, from their involvement in local politics and commerce to their spiritual duties and family bonds. They discuss how medieval convents served as hubs of learning, medicine, and community interaction, complete with both solemn rituals and moments of joyful laughter.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
The chilling ghost stories of M.R.James are as much a part of our Christmas television viewing as the King’s speech. But few realise that M.R. James was both a master of supernatural fiction and a distinguished medieval scholar. Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dr. Patrick J. Murphy discuss how M.R.James deep knowledge of medieval texts and artefacts, and his academic career, infused his stories with an authenticity and depth that set them apart from other works in the genre.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Nick Thomson. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds/All3Media
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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Matt Lewis is joined by archaeologist Ben Robinson from BBC's 'Villages by the Sea' to explore the deep historical ties along Britain's coastline, from the ancient tin trade of Cornwall to the fascinating legend of St. Bega in Cumbria.
They discuss how the seaside has played pivotal roles in shaping the nation's history, unearthing lost stories of Viking wives seeking sanctuary and the mystery of the mummified crusader found encased in a lead sarcophagus.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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What can medieval burial practices reveal about societal values and beliefs? Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by biological anthropologist Dr. Jo Buckberry, to explore this question.
They discuss the secrets behind Sutton Hoo's majestic burial mounds, the intriguing presence of grave goods from brooches to cremation urns and change in customs as Britain embraced Christianity. They delve into medieval battlefield mass graves and mysterious discoveries such as St. Bees Man to explore the profound human connections and societal structures reflected in medieval burial customs.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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The Albigensian Crusade was a blood-soaked military campaign, as the church desperately attempted to purge heresy across Christendom in the early 1200's.
Matt Lewis is joined by Mark Gregory Pegg to unravel the myths and chaos surrounding medieval heresy, including the controversial existence of the Cathars, the true motivations behind the crusades and how the relentless Inquisition transformed medieval Christendom forever.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. The audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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Dr. Eleanor Janega invites co-host Matt Lewis to discuss his exciting new book, 'The History Hit Guide to Medieval England.' Matt reveals the secrets from the era of the Vikings to the Tudors, from gripping tales such as Hereward the Wake's daring escapades, the complexities of the Norman Conquest to the notorious reign of King John. Along the way, they explore fascinating revolts and feuds during the Wars of the Roses and the Black Death's impact.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Amy Haddow. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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Matt Lewis is joined by Alice Loxton to explore the lives of 18-Year-Olds through history
From Bede surviving a devastating plague to Empress Matilda's unexpected rise to power after the White Ship disaster, and Geoffrey Chaucer's adventurous youth in royal courts and French campaigns, discover how turning 18 has dramatically evolved over the centuries. Learn about the key moments and experiences that shaped these young lives and how they relate to the challenges faced by today's youth.
Music from Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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Both Frederick II and King John were excommunicated from the all-powerful church, but why?
Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dr. Felicity Hill explore the complex phenomenon of excommunication in the medieval period, from the politics and propaganda behind this spiritual sanction, to its social, legal, and theological implications. They discover how excommunication shaped medieval society as much as it threatened the eternal souls of those cast out.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and was edited and produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
All music used is from All3 Media
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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Recreating Richard III's Voice: A Journey Through Time
Join us as we dive into the fascinating project of reconstructing the voice of King Richard III, last heard in 1485.
Music from Epidemic sound and All3 Media.
Matt Lewis discovers the interdisciplinary efforts involving AI, history, science and linguistics that have gone into this decade-long endeavour. Featuring in-depth interviews with experts Professor David Crystal, Professor Caroline Wilkinson, Yvonne Morley-Chisholm, and the voice of Richard III - Thomas Dennis, discover how they have brought the 500-year-old voice of Richard III back to life.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of ad-free podcasts and original TV documentaries including the film following this project step-by-step; A Voice for King Richard III, presented by Matt Lewis.
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Dr. Eleanor Janega can hardly contain her excitement. She’s just seen Joan of Arc’s actual signature on show in the Medieval Women: In Their Own Words exhibition at the British Library in London. It’s a treasure trove of documents all about medieval women and their lives.
Join Eleanor at the British Library as she talks to Dr. Eleanor Jackson, one of the curators of the exhibition, about the reasons it's easy to overlook medieval women if you don't know where to look, and what can be learned from documents ranging from the personal to medical and legal.
All music from Epidemic Sounds.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr.Eleanor Janega and edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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What is a leper squint? Are the marks scratched into the exterior walls of churches from damned souls trying to claw their way in?
Join Matt Lewis as he welcomes back James Wright, a stonemason and historian with a passion for debunking myths about medieval buildings. Together, they explore the real stories behind architectural features like pentagrams, mason's marks, arrow stones and devil's doors. James's unique blend of practical stonemasonry experience and historical research offers fascinating insights into how these myths evolved and what they reveal about the societies that created them. Discover the hidden truths and vibrant histories once obscured by folklore in this insightful episode.
Hear James Wright unravel more medieval building myths in our previous episode here
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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Rodrigo Díaz - known as el Cid - lived a violently colourful life in 11th Century Spain. By turns an ambitious military leader, exile and brutal mercenary, after changing allegiances several times he carved out an independent principality.
Join Dr. Eleanor Janega and Professor Nora Berend uncover the complexities behind El Cid's legacy, from his military prowess and strategic mind to his contested historical and mythological persona. They explore why el Cid is today considered a superhero; a quasi-saint and the 'spirit of Spain', according to military dictator Franco.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega, edited and produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
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Join Matt Lewis and Professor Michael Livingston to unravel the legendary Battle of Agincourt.
They cover the lesser-known strategic blunders to the haunting moral dilemmas and learn about the real events that shaped this historic clash. Perfect for history buffs and medieval enthusiasts, this episode dives deep into one of the most iconic battles of the medieval era, debunking myths and shedding light on historical truths.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Watch the Battle of Agincourt being brought to life now in History Hit's new TV documentary with Professor Micheal Livingston. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘MEDIEVAL’ https://historyhit.com/subscription
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Why are so many medieval castles left in ruins?
Join Dr. Eleanor Janega as she steps through the rubble of these fallen stone giants to close our current series on the life cycle of castles.
The technological advancements and changing comforts, such as chimneys, glass windows and not least privacy, made it challenging to maintain castles over time. Discover how societal shifts and changing fashion trends led to the decline of these historic structures that were once the ultimate symbol of power and control and how we can appreciate their historical significance today.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega, produced and edited by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Gone Medieval continues to explore the life cycle of castles, today considering the role for which they were explicitly designed - as fortresses to protect those within - by focussing on the incredible Carlisle Castle.
Matt Lewis speaks to Professor Jackson Armstrong about this frontier castle and the significance of its location on the border of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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**This episode contains some strong language**
Few women had the luxury of writing down their thoughts and feelings during medieval times. But remarkably, there are at least four extraordinary women who did. Marie de France, a poet; Julian of Norwich, a mystic; Christine de Pizan, a widow; and Margery Kempe, a "no-good wife". What was life really like for them? Could they live independent lives? And how can we hear their stories?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Hetta Howes to talk about her new book Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife: The Extraordinary Lives of Medieval Women and what it reveals to u about how medieval women thought about things like sex, death and God.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. The producers are Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
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Old Sarum was the earliest settlement of Salisbury in Wlitshire. While there are indications of a prehistoric settlement on the site from as early as 3000 BC, its importance in Norman England has slipped from prominence.
Matt Lewis talks to archaeologist and TV presenter Alex Langlands, whose recent book - Tales of Two Cities: Settlement and Suburb in Old Sarum and Salisbury -offers fresh insights into the significance of this ancient site.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. It was edited by Max Carrey, the producers are Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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All this month, Matt and Eleanor are ranging across England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland to discover the stories of our greatest castles.
In this episode, Eleanor looks at one of the most iconic and strategically important fortresses. Over the centuries, Stirling Castle has reflected Scotland's changing political and cultural landscape. The early wooden structures gave way to stone fortifications, which, in turn, were transformed into a Renaissance palace with a flourishing court life, symbolizing royal power.
Eleanor finds out more from Dr. William Hepburn, author of the recently published The Household and Court of James IV of Scotland, 1488 to 1513.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr.Eleanor Janega and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Ireland has been known as the land of saints and scholars and once was the farthest reach of the known world. But it's also home to one of the densest selections of castles in Europe thanks to the bloody invaders, the Normans.
Matt Lewis visits the immense fortress that is Trim castle to learn about how castles in Ireland were built as instruments of conquest and colonisation, to crush and contain the people's of the Emerald Isle.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Matt Lewis's TV documentaries on Castles in Ireland will be available soon on History Hit, his series Castles That Made Britain is available to watch now.
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Medieval churches are among our most enduring links with the Middle Ages. But it's not always easy to understand what parts of a church to look out for and what they can tell us about the people who built them.
Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out how to achieve enlightenment through the very bricks and mortar of a medieval church from Andrew Ziminski, author of Church Going: A Stonemason's Guide to the Churches of the British Isles.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Jo Troy. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Castles in Medieval Britain didn't just serve a military purpose, they were central to the social and cultural life of society. In the second episode of Gone Medieval's special series telling the story of castles, Matt Lewis looks at how castles were built by turning the spotlight on Conwy Castle in North Wales. Built as part of Edward I's campaign to consolidate his control over Wales, Conwy's unique construction and architectural innovations had an enduring influence on castle design across the whole of Europe.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Listen to the first episode in this series, The Rise of British Castles, here >
Matt Lewis's video series Castles That Made Britain is available to watch on History Hit. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘MEDIEVAL’
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At the edge of the Gobi Desert, Dunhuang was once a bustling oasis on the famous Silk Road connecting China and the Mediterranean. For more than 1000 years, Dunhuang was an important pilgrimage site and a cultural melting pot where ideas, technologies and art flowed freely - encompassing multiple languages, faiths and cultures - and spanning literature, astronomy, medicine, politics and art.
Dr. Eleanor Janega goes to the British Library and meets curator Mélodie Doumy to get a rare glimpse into life in Dunhuang in a new exhibition of manuscripts, documents and artworks which remained sealed for nearly 900 years.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. The editor is Ella Blaxill and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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For the Plantagenets, family might be a curse as often as a boon. They could provide invaluable support, or dangerous rivalry. At the end of the 14th century, the relationship between two first cousins rocked England, ruptured the line of succession and had a long legacy.
Helen Castor joins Matt Lewis to discuss the fascinating true story of cousins who became deadly rivals.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. The editor is Ella Blaxill and the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Castles. For centuries they have held fast across the landscape of the British Isles. Like beacons on a hill they project power in stone and wood. But where did these quintessentially medieval strongholds come from? And how were they put to use?
All this month on Gone Medieval, Dr Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis are embarking on a new six-part series exploring the story of Britain's great castles: how they were built, how they survived assault and what they represented to the peoples that lived nearby.
In this episode Eleanor is joined by medieval historian and all-round castles expert Marc Morris to discover the origins of castles in the British Isles, unpack the anatomy of a typical medieval castle and encounter perhaps the greatest castle England has ever seen: Dover.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
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Bonfires of paperwork have accompanied human upheaval for centuries, eradicating, making space for rewriting. Imagine standing in the centre of Paris as revolutionaries sweep away the old ways along with the ashes of centuries of records and memories.
Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Robert Bartlett to consider how much of what we might have known about the past has been consumed by the fires of revolution and war, and how close we were to losing every word of Beowulf.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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If you’ve ever been to Prague, you’ll have noticed that there are many places and institutions that bear the name Charles - all of them because Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV was responsible for their creation. Furthermore, almost every great medieval building you’ve seen in Prague was commissioned by him. But Charles IV was also an incredibly skilled politician, and a devoted religious man who sought relentlessly to restore the glory of the Empire, and the papacy to Rome from Avignon.
In this explainer episode, Dr. Eleanor Janega tells the story of this man whose rise to power was a bit of a surprise, given his humble origins.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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The stories often told and retold of the early medieval period are those of great kings, battles and daring deeds. But ordinary people can often be harder to get at.
Matt Lewis is joined by Dr. Eleanor Barraclough to discuss how the once-lost little bits and pieces that survive - love letters carved into wood, combs and pots mainly from medieval rubbish dumps - provide windows into everyday Viking lives as they were lived.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Max Carrey. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Vikings have long been depicted as that stereotype of the hairy, nameless warrior, leaping ashore from his longboat, ready to terrorise a hapless local population in a northern European country. But there were also seers, artisans, travellers, and writers, too whose stories can now be pieced together through the traces that they left behind.
Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Alex Harvey to bring to light new research and challenge our conventional understanding of the Viking era, which may not be as accurate as we thought or as the sagas would have us believe.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Max Carrey. The producer is Rob Weinberg, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
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For centuries, one English monarch basked in an almost unblemished, heroic reputation. But more recently questions have been asked about some of his actions. Was Henry V a great warrior king, or a vicious butcher - or both?
Matt Lewis is joined by Dan Jones to fill the gap between the Plantagenets and the Wars of the Roses with an examination of the relatively newly divisive figure, Henry V.
Clip of Shakespeare's Henry V from the 2013 Globe Theatre production, with Jamie Parker as Henry V.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Rob Weinberg. The producer is Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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One of the enduring mysteries of the Viking Age is the identity of two people buried in a spectacular blood drenched ship in southern Norway in the autumn of 834. Why the mystery? Because these remains were of women accorded the most lavish Viking burial ever discovered.
Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Heather Pringle to discuss research that reveals how Viking women were warriors, traders, and leaders, and how their lives have been long overlooked by history.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producer is Rob Weinberg, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
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The Crusades still capture the imagination today, for all of their professed good intentions they were also bloody ideological wars.
But have we misunderstood some of the key sources for the First Crusade? The letters on record are not only from popes and bishops but also written by crusaders who were actually on the campaign.
Matt Lewis is joined by Dr. Thomas Smith, a leading historian of the Crusades, to learn more about what we might have previously missed.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producers are Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
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In the year 940 in North-Eastern France, a young peasant girl began to experience vivid visions that mirrored the brutal conflict engulfing her world. Flothilde's visions were written down by one of the era's most respected historians, creating a unique record of how 'smallfolk' experienced the violent power struggles around them.
Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Fraser McNair, whose translation of the Visions of Flothilde reveals the horror that she experienced as her community was torn apart.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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For millions of Tolkien lovers around the world, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are more than just fantasy fiction. Their rich mix of sacred mythology and archetypal saga stories draw deeply into history and legend and profoundly resonate with universal human experience. But from where did Tolkien derive his inspiration? As with most things, Matt Lewis is determined to claim it as medieval, with the help of today's guest, Tolkien scholar Dr. Chris Snyder.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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It’s summer, so let’s kick back, give our brains a break and indulge in a little fantasy. Hollywood, like us, ADORES the medieval period and has made some stonking entertainment based on this period. Our esteemed historian hosts assess the most fun, the most accurate and the most absurd films set in medieval times and choose their favourite guilty pleasures.
Starring Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine, a rabble-rousing Chaucer and a cockney King Arthur. We also hear what medieval people would have made of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. The editor is Ella Blaxill, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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William Marshal was one of the most famous and influential figures in English medieval history, rising from a lowly start to becoming the knight at the right hand of five Kings - Henry II, his co-regent young Henry, Richard I, John and Henry III. Marshal is the subject of the only known written biography of a non-royal to survive from the Middle Ages, extolled as being "the best knight in the world."
But was he really as great as his biographers made him out to be? Matt Lewis finds out more from John Marshall, who has just finished his PhD at Trinity College, Dublin, on William Marshal.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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On Gone Medieval we like to celebrate the best stories - and storytellers - of history, so today Dr.Eleanor Janega showcases the brilliant podcast History Daily. Host Lindsay Graham takes listeners back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history and to tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world—one day at a time.
This episode is all about the events that took place in April 1014: King Brian of Ireland is killed by Vikings during the Battle of Clontarf, leading Ireland to fall into anarchy.
Listen to more History Daily episodes here: www.historydaily.com
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Please be aware that this episode mentions sexual violence
Amongst the countless crusaders who travelled to the Holy Land, there were undoubtedly some who believed they were doing the right thing for their God and King. Others though were gangsters, bandits and even worse, murderers and rapists, bringing horror and terror to the region. In fact, the real tensions stemmed not from religion but from young men - dislocated, disinhibited and present in disturbingly large numbers.
Matt Lewis finds out more about the shocking levels of criminality during the Crusades from Steve Tibble. They discuss those who used the cover of Holy War to commit a variety of crimes and how the clues are everywhere, even in the film Casablanca.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. The editor is Ella Blaxill, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
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How did a peasant girl go on to lead French armies at the age of 17? How did her visions of saving France from the English play a part in her life? Why was it significant that she wore men's clothes and led armies? And what is her legacy today?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega pops across to our sister podcast Betwixt the Sheets to discuss the life of the formidable Joan of Arc with Dr. Kate Lister.
This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith and Rob Weinberg. The senior producers are Charlotte Long and Anne-Marie Luff.
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Christians had a problematic relationship with Jewish populations as the Medieval period progressed. Jews were frequently persecuted, targeted and pushed out by societies across Europe. In England, Edward I first issued the edict of expulsion in 1290. It remained illegal to be Jewish in England for 350 years.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Professor Ivan Marcus, author of How the West Became Antisemitic, which shows how Christian and Jewish competition in medieval Europe laid the foundation for modern antisemitism.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producers are Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
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Say Norman Conquests; think 1066 and William the Conqueror. But the massive success of the English conquest often overshadows the several other conquests across Europe which the Normans executed very successfully.
Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Levi Roach to consider how the Normans fared in 11th century Italy, how the papacy forced a rethink of war strategy and how stories of religious conflict are often used to gain territory and power.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producers are Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Don’t miss Dr. Eleanor Janega’s forthcoming series on the Normans on the History Hit TV channel. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘MEDIEVAL’: https://historyhit.com/subscription
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Cecily Neville was the matriarch of the House of York, the mother of two kings of England and an ancestor of every monarch since Henry VIII. Born in the year of Agincourt and at the centre of the Wars of the Roses; Cecily lived through some of the most tumultuous events in medieval English history.
Matt Lewis is joined by Annie Garthwaite to celebrate this often overlooked woman, her dangerous rivals and maybe a little bit of Richard III.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producer is Rob Weinberg and the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Rollo was a Viking leader who became the first ruler of Normandy in the early 10th century. His descendants, the Normans, later conquered England and southern Italy, leaving a lasting legacy on European history. So how did a Viking outlaw became a respected Frankish Jarl and founder of a conquering dynasty?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega meets Mathias Dilys, cultural interpreter at Château de Falaise in Normandy, to find out why canny political manoeuvres are often as important as military prowess.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producers are Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.
Don’t miss Dr. Eleanor Janega’s forthcoming series on the Normans on the History Hit TV channel. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘MEDIEVAL’: https://historyhit.com/subscription
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Almost immediately after Thomas Becket’s murder, reports of miraculous healings and divine interventions spread like wildfire. Canterbury witnessed a huge influx of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over Europe, boosting the city’s wealth.
In this final episode of our series about Becket, Matt Lewis is joined by Dr. John Jenkins to look at the cult of Becket, how it spread across the continent and continues to this day to keep Canterbury up there among the UK’s top destinations, exactly 850 years since King Henry II went to do penance for his involvement in Becket’s murder in the cathedral.
John Jenkins, of the University of York, recently edited and translated The Customary of the Shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral, a fifteenth-century 'operating manual' to Britain's most important shrine available as an Open Access ebook and in paperback from Arc Humanities Press.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. It was edited by Ella Blaxill, the producers are Rob Weinberg and Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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One of the most important of Holy Roman Emperors, Frederick II was revered and reviled in equal measures. He was a scholar, an architect, a poet, a scientist and a composer. Yet rumours swirled that he was a pagan, a sensualist who kept a harem, even secretly a Muslim, who was excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church numerous times.
In this explainer episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega tells the compelling story of one of her favourite historical figures; a ruler who fought for recognition, both on the battlefield and in the court of public perception.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Jane and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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We don't often use the word 'Tudor' on Gone Medieval but we can't ignore how the Tudors have a sensational medieval story.
Henry VII was descended from the greatest Welsh princes and when word spread that he had a chance to sit on the English throne the Welsh prophecies, which foretold that one day one of their own would become king of the islands and would be crowned in London, looked to be coming true.
Nathan Amin joins Matt Lewis to share the surprising story of the medieval ancestors of the Tudor monarchs, the greatest dynasty that's ever reigned over this country.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Max Carrey. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Today on Gone Medieval we arrive at one of the most consequential events in English history; the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. A moment in time that is famed for its horrendous brutality, but from which it is impossible to look away.
Across four special episodes, Gone Medieval is charting Becket's meteoric rise, his disastrous fall leading to his murder and the spectacular consequences which spawned a world famous legacy.
Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega relive the events of the 29th of December, 1170, in forensic detail to unwrap the enigma and get to the heart of what really happened to Thomas Beckett. Was his murder an unfortunate accident, an unauthorised execution, or a dance intentionally choreographed to give birth to a saintly legend?
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis. It was edited by Joseph Knight, the producers are Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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It's 1163; Thomas Becket has cast off the shackles of his working class roots to become King Henry II's right-hand man. He is appointed to the highest position in the land next to the Crown; Archbishop of Canterbury. But Church and state are at loggerheads, with Henry and Thomas at the centre of the storm.
Across four special episodes, Gone Medieval is charting Becket's meteoric rise, his disastrous fall leading to his murder and the spectacular consequences which spawned a world famous legacy.
This is part two; Matt Lewis is joined by Dr. Paul Webster to analyse the personal relationship between a king and an archbishop. Why did Henry and Becket willingly choose to sacrifice their trusted friendship on the altar of medieval power politics? How did Henry and Becket, once the staunchest of allies, become bitter and bickering rivals? Was Becket's murder inevitable?
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Ella Blaxill, the producers are Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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When you think of drama in the medieval period the appointment of bishops would not naturally come to mind. But the Investiture Controversy is one of those political storms that eventually embroiled almost all of Europe's leaders.
Bishops were a big deal, carrying as much political heft as religious, so ceding ground on who picked them was as dangerous as you could get. This was a period when Popes had the power to make or break emperors.
Today Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Felicity Hill, lecturer in medieval history at St. Andrews University, to discuss exactly how the politics of religious appointments play out, and why that's such a threat to rulers.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Parliament is perhaps the single most significant institution in the United Kingdom. Like anything worthwhile, it's a medieval creation. But why did these meetings become settled in Westminster, where Parliament now has its home?
Matt Lewis is joined by Dr. Hannes Kleineke from the History of Parliament Project to answer these questions. We also learn about the mischievous medieval practice of hooding...
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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"Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?!"
These words supposedly uttered by a King over 800 years ago set in motion a chain of gruesome events, and sparked cult-like devotion across the world.
This month Gone Medieval marks the 850th anniversary of King Henry II’s penance for the murder of Thomas Becket by recounting the events leading up to and following Becket’s martyrdom. Across four special episodes Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis consider Becket's meteoric rise in status to becoming the Archbishop of Canterbury, his increasingly fractious relationship with King Henry II, the vicious murder itself and finally, how the cult of St Thomas of Canterbury spread across the European continent.
But how did Thomas Becket first rise to power and prominence? Professor Michael Staunton, Associate Professor of History at University College Dublin joins Eleanor to unwrap the enigma and get to the heart of who Thomas Becket was, and whether his fate was truly inescapable.
Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis. It was edited by Ella Blaxill, the producers are Rob Weinberg and Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Two years after King John had agreed to the terms of Magna Carta, he reneged on his word, plunging England into war. The rebellious barons offered the throne to the French prince Louis and set off the chain of events that almost changed the course of English history.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets Catherine Hanley, author of 1217: The Battles that Saved England which charts the three key battles that would determine England's destiny. It's an epic story of medieval siege warfare, royal politics, and fighting at sea.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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What does a document written in 1215 in England have to do with the United States? Surprisingly a lot actually! The Magna Carta is thought to have influenced foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. But where did this inspiration come from? And why were America's founding fathers so influenced by a charter that King John broke almost immediately after signing it?
In today's episode of Gone Medieval, we bring you an episode from our sister podcast American History Hit to answer all these questions and more. Don Wildman, host of AHH, is joined by our very own Eleanor Janega to explore the influence of this medieval document on the very fabric of the United States.
Gone Medieval is presented by Eleanor Janega and edited by Joseph Knight. The producer is Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Once connected to a busy and thriving hospital, Great St Bart's Church in Smithfield is not only a survivor of the Great Fire of London, but also has a fascinating foundation story.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis goes to get a closer look at London’s oldest surviving parish church with Father Marcus Walker.
Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Ella Blaxill. The Producer is Rob Weinberg, the Senior Producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Out of the shadowy world of the medieval church, an extraordinary legend emerged of a woman who disguised herself as a man and remarkably, rose to become Pope. It's a story of secret identities, illicit affairs and a Church shaken by the unthinkable - a female pope giving birth in the midst of a sacred procession.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Professor Craig Rustici from Hofstra University NY, author of The Afterlife of Pope Joan: Deploying the Popess Legend in Early Modern England. Together they try to unravel the threads of the scant historical evidence, the anti-papal agendas that may have fuelled the myth, and why the tale of a cross-dressing woman rising to the Throne of St. Peter continues to intrigue us more than seven centuries later.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The Crusader states in the Near East were created after the First Crusade in order to keep hold of the territorial gains made by those known in the region as the Franks - essentially Christians from Western Europe. What can the military activities of the many different factions in the region tell us about how and why those states rose and then fell?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more from Dr. Nicholas Morton, author of The Crusader States and Their Neighbours: A Military History, 1099-1187.
This episode was edited by Anisha Deva and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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One of the last kings of Anglo-Saxon England, Edward the Confessor regained the throne for the House of Wessex and is the only English monarch to become a Saint. But Edward the Confessor has also been blamed for causing the invasion of 1066―the last successful conquest of England by a foreign power.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to Professor Tom Licence, author of Edward the Confessor: Last of the Royal Blood, about a compassionate and conscientious ruler, whose reign marked an interval of peace and prosperity between periods of strife.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg.
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The Anarchy is an intriguing and often forgotten period of history. There are fascinating characters and moments of deep political importance to England's development as a state. The involvement of women in the Anarchy is vital to understanding how it played out over almost two decades.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Sharon Bennett Connolly - author of Women of the Anarchy - in which she demonstrates how certain women were prime movers in a time of conflict and how their strengths, weaknesses and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of civil war one way - and then the other.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In the Middle Ages, animals were often the means for survival and the source of great wealth. No wonder then that in the medieval imagination, animals are not just animals. Animals were thought to have traits and characteristics that meant that they could be sorted into moral categories - good and bad, righteous and evil - that dominate the Christian imagination. Ants could be monsters and panthers could be your friend, dog-headed men were as real as elephants and whales were as sneaky as wolves.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Hana Videen, author of The Deorhord: An Old English Bestiary to discuss animals, language, and how - when it comes to thinking about the animal kingdom - we actually have a lot in common with our Medieval ancestors.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Joseph Knight.
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If you are planning - or dreaming of - your next holiday, have you stopped to wonder whether our medieval counterparts did exactly the same thing? Why did people travel in the Middle Ages, and what was the experience like for them? Were there any similarities with travelling today?
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Anthony Bale. His book A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages invites the reader to journey alongside scholars, spies and saints, from western Europe to the Far East and the Antipodes, giving an insight into how medieval people understood their world.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Did you know we have our medieval ancestors to thank for whisky? It wasn’t exactly a medieval invention but the process of making distilled alcohol and the idea that it might be fun to drink was.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out more from whisky journalist Matt Chambers about how we got from desalinating seawater in the Ancient period to enjoying a dram or two today.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Dating from 1467-1603, the Sengoku or ‘Warring States’ period is known as the bloodiest in Japan’s history; an era of continuous social upheaval and civil war which transformed the country. Shogun-led authority was shattered and 150 years of murder and betrayal followed as fearsome warlords ruled local territories with unflinching ruthlessness.
In the first episode of this series delving into the history behind the latest Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Matt Lewis and Dr Christopher Harding discuss the origins of the Sengoku Period. Together, they explore how political power was organised in Japan during this time, introduce some of the key players, and discuss how the seeds were sown for Japanese unification.
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King Richard I of England - Richard the Lionheart - is one of those historical figures whose reputation stands out so much that the legends cover up the myriad of complex details that we have about their lives. After all, you don't get a name like Lionheart without a serious amount of artful effort, both on the battlefield and in the halls of power.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to Dr. Richard Huscroft - author of Ruling England: 1042 to 1217 - about the tumultuous and fabled life of one of medieval Europe's most famous men.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The supernatural in the Medieval world was always close at hand. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis pays a visit to the only two residents still at History Hit Towers at the witching hour - After Dark’s presenters Dr. Anthony Delaney and Dr. Maddy Pelling - to regale them with some Medieval stories of the mythological and paranormal.
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Do you know the difference between a church and a chapel? A bishop and an archbishop? An abbey and an abbess?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by co-host Matt Lewis to chat all things churches. They will demystify church hierarchy, walk you through the basics of architecture, and answer questions you sent in about all that religious jargon that medievalists are constantly throwing around.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The Vikings continue to fascinate us because their compelling stories connect with universal human desires for exploration and adventure. But recent advances in excavation and archaeological science, coupled with a re-evaluation of oral traditions and written sources, are furthering our understanding of the Viking Age.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets Dr. Davide Zori, Associate Professor of History and Archaeology in the Honors College at Baylor University. In his new book Age of Wolf and Wind: Voyages through the Viking World, he integrates history, archaeology, and new scientific techniques to shed new light on the Vikings.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The image we usually associate with a Crusader - of a dashing nobleman on a mighty steed heading out for Holy War - often obscures all of the other medieval people who went to the Holy Land, especially the countless women.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to Dr. Natasha Hodgson - author of Women, Crusading and the Holy Land in Historical Narrative - about the women who went everywhere that men went, and what our own expectations lead us to overlook in history.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The Mongol Empire that rose in the early 13th century was fractured and in crisis by the mid-14th. But then a new warlord arose who sought to rebuild what had once been the most powerful empire in the world. Operating in Genghis Khan’s shadow, Tamerlane deliberately drew parallels between himself and his great precursor. And as a Muslim, Tamerlane waged wars as jihad and had a more powerful impact than those of any Muslim Mongol ruler before him.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis uncovers the full story with Professor Peter Jackson, author of From Genghis Khan to Tamerlane: The reawakening of Mongol Asia.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Because of William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Normans have remained a familiar and important name in British history. But who were they? And how did they come to change culture across the European continent?
In this explainer episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega tells the fascinating story of the rise of the Normans.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Athelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great, was a great king who united what was once a collection of petty Anglo-Saxon kingdoms into one vast English domains. Having brought together rival polities with a history of fractious relations into a unified whole, Athelstan needed to centralise government if he was going to keep the crown on his head and hold England together. Anglo-Saxon rulers had often consulted their senior nobles and clergy in councils. With Athelstan’s rule came the emergence of a national form of this council, the Witan, an early precursor to Parliament, and one of the first forms of English government.
In this episode of Gone Medieval - the final part of our mini-series on the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England - Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Levi Roach about the Witan, and whether it can be considered to be the first form of English governance.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The huge peninsula of what we today call Italy saw waves of invasions and sweeping changes over the course of the Medieval period, with huge differences between, say, Milan in the north stretching to Sicily in the south. They spoke different languages, had different rulers, and were settled by very different groups of people.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega tries to make sense of Italy’s complex history in the Middle Ages with Ross King, critically-acclaimed author of the new book The Shortest History of Italy, to sort out the Visigoths from the Vandals and the Papal States from Pisa.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Six Plantagenet kings ruled between 1199 and 1399 - two centuries that witnessed civil war, deposition, the murder of kings and the ruthless execution of rebel lords. There was also international warfare, a devastating national pandemic, economic crisis and the first major peasant uprising in our history. Yet those two centuries and six kings were the blocks upon which the English nation was built.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Caroline Burt and Richard Partington, about the period as recounted in their acclaimed new book, Arise, England: Six Kings and the Making of the English State.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In Gone Medieval’s special series exploring some of Anglo-Saxon Britain’s most influential kingdoms, we reach Wessex - the last kingdom left to stand against the Great Heathen Army. Under the command of Alfred the Great, Wessex achieved what no other kingdom could before it: victory against the Vikings.
In this episode, Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Rob Gallagher, a historian of early medieval Britain, to explore the key figures of the Wessex ascendency and the legacy the kingdom left behind.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In Gone Medieval’s special series examining some of Anglo-Saxon Britain’s most significant kingdoms, we arrive at the kingdom of Mercia, which once enjoyed supremacy over not only Wessex but all of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. At its peak, Mercia controlled what is now Birmingham and London, but it ceased to be a kingdom when Alfred the Great came to power. But its history did not end there.
In this episode, Matt Lewis speaks to Annie Whitehead, author of Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom, to discover the important role the Mercians - including such renowned characters as Penda, Offa and Lady Godiva - played in the forging of the English nation.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Accounts of the Crusades were usually commissioned by wealthy and influential people about themselves, to make their piety and righteousness known to others. But what about the less glamorous people who went on Crusades? And what was life like when they did so?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out about ordinary crusaders and their experiences from Dr. Simon Thomas Parsons.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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From Hugh Capet to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Capetian dynasty considered itself divinely chosen to fulfil a great destiny. From an insecure foothold around Paris, the Capetians built a nation that stretched from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and from the Rhône to the Pyrenees, founding practices and institutions that endured until the French Revolution.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis explores the Capetians’ dramatic rule and legacy with Professor Justine Firnhaber-Baker, author of House of Lilies: The Dynasty that Made Medieval France.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In a time of in-fighting and tribal warfare, what did it take to form the politically dominant, culturally rich and geographically vast kingdoms that led to the creation of England?
This month, over four episodes of Gone Medieval, we explore the rise and fall of the key kingdoms of the Heptarchy: Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex, and the formation of an Anglo-Saxon government, the Witan.
This week Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by historian, archaeologist and author Max Adams to delve into the story of the kingdom of Northumbria.
This episode was edited and mixed by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In medieval times, Britain was criss-crossed by pilgrim routes, that took in such world-famous sites as Canterbury and Lindisfarne as well as out-of-the-way locations along paths not so widely travelled. But why did people undergo pilgrimage? What were its benefits? And why did some send people in their honour?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, first released in September 2021, Matt Lewis is joined by architectural historian Dr. Emma Wells as they discuss the practice that some might consider the beginning of tourism.
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Prostitutes were everywhere in the streets and neighbourhoods of medieval cities. In one and the same building, there might be a school upstairs, while downstairs prostitutes plied their nefarious trade. But how did such a situation come to pass? And how could such a world exist within the theoretical holy confines of medieval Christendom?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined Dr. Kate Lister, host of our sister podcast Betwixt the Sheets, to find out more about medieval sex work and the complex economic and social realities that existed alongside the best intentions of a religious society.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
**WARNING: This episode contains explicit language and sexual content**
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One of the pivotal figures in Medieval history, King Henry II centralised royal power, instituted legal reforms and established common law. His marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine expanded his influence, as he became the ruler of a far-reaching European empire. But his demise was just as dramatic as his ascendancy.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis tells the story of Henry’s rise to power and his fall brought about by his catastrophic relationship with Thomas Becket and his feud with his sons, including the future Richard the Lionheart and King John.
This episode was edited and mixed by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In the Middle Ages, how did art - particularly Christian icons - serve to connect humanity with heavenly realms? How did such images spread from the Eastern Roman Empire to the rest of Europe? What did they represent and how could they sometimes be misused to justify war and imperialism?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega explores these questions with art historian and theologian Professor Matthew Milliner, author of Mother of the Lamb: The Story of a Global Icon.
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The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was a public rebellion that sent revolutionary ripples across the entire medieval world. In a new video series for History Hit, Matt Lewis has been looking beyond the ancient propaganda to reveal the previously unknown stories of the ordinary folk of the Peasants’ Revolt.
Matt has been working closely with investigative historians from the groundbreaking People of 1381 project. which has been uncovering the stories of individuals who were caught up in this revolt, either as rebels or as victims.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt is joined by Professor Andrew Prescott, a key member of the project who made some incredible discoveries .
All three episodes of The Peasants’ Revolt are available now on History Hit.
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When we think about women in the Middle Ages, we know about Eleanor of Aquitaine or Hildegard of Bingen, but we are a lot less likely to think about the alewives plying their trade in cities, or the noble ladies quietly running their estates, or even the nuns falling in love with each other and praising God.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Jannega is joined by the best-selling novelist and historian Philippa Gregory, whose new book, Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History, sets the record straight.
This episode with edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
**WARNING: This episode contains some explicit sexual discussion**
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For a thousand years, Italy’s cities have been magnets for everything that makes for great eating: ingredients, talent, money and power. Italian food is city food, and telling its story means telling the story of the Italians as a people of city dwellers.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets John Dickie, author of Delizia! The Epic History of Italians and their Food, in which he traces how the evolution of cities and trade in the Middle Ages, as well as taste and creativity, combined to make the world’s favourite cuisine.
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One of Medieval England’s most influential figures, Thurstan was the Archbishop of York from 1114 to 1140 who fought attempts by the Archbishop of Canterbury to assert his primacy over York. Eventually, Thurstan was consecrated by the Pope instead. Now English Heritage has discovered evidence in a 15th century manuscript that Thurstan was considered for centuries afterwards to be a Saint.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out more from Dr. Michael Carter, senior properties historian for English Heritage.
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Court records of naked, murderous monks, tavern brawls, robberies gone wrong, tragic accidents and criminal gangs reveal how the English in medieval Ireland governed and politicised death.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets Dr. Joanna MacGugan, whose research focuses on how the English legal system in Ireland relied on collective memory, customary law, oral histories, common fame and social networks to collectively decide what was the ‘truth’.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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This episode contains strong language, graphic scenes of torture and sexual content
The chances are, when we think of William Wallace, we think of Mel Gibson in Braveheart, charging down a hill in a kilt with his face painted blue. Maybe we're fascinated in Wallace’s trial and grisly death and its influence on our understanding of war crimes?
But in this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega sets out to find out about the real William Wallace and his private life. Eleanor has stopped by our sister podcast, Betwixt the Sheets, to chat with Dr. Kate Lister, about Wallace and what we can truly know about
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Preparing, serving and sharing food has always played a critical role in human history. But what did people in the Middle Ages like to eat and what did their food say about their social status? What was the haute cuisine of medieval Bagdad or Moorish Spain? Victoria Flexner and Jay Reifel have recreated classic dishes for their book, A History of the World in 10 Dinners: 2,000 Years, 100 Recipes, allowing modern-day cooks of all abilities to try out meals that were created and enjoyed hundreds of years ago.
So if you fancy blending spices from the Silk Road, juggling indigenous ingredients of the Americas, or sewing together a terrifying cockentrice - half pig, half chicken - then this episode, in which Matt Lewis finds out more from Victoria and Jay, will have you salivating and eager to try out the recipes for yourself.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Sweyn Forkbeard was the first Viking King of England, however you'd be forgiven for potentially forgetting who he was given he was only King for five short weeks, being declared King on Christmas Day 1013, and ruling till his death on 3rd February 1014.
Part of a distinguished line of Viking rulers, he was the son of Harald Bluetooth, King of Denmark, and the father to Cnut the Great, the last Viking King of England.
Today, Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr Caitlin Ellis, Associate Professor in Medieval Nordic History at the Univeristy of Oslo, to answer all the important questions: who was Sweyn Forkbeard? How did he become King of England? Was he a successful ruler? And did he really have a fork beard?
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like our episodes on: Cnut the Great, Harald Bluetooth, and Harald Hardrada.
This episode was produced by Elena Guthrie and Joseph Knight. It was edited by Joseph Knight.
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Malmesbury Abbey in Wiltshire was an institution of national significance from the late seventh century until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. It was home to eminent writers and had strong royal connections. It housed the tomb of Æthelstan, first king of all England, and Queen Matilda, wife of Henry I, took a close interest in its affairs. But it was also home to arguably the most immoral abbot of the Middle Ages, the mass-murdering monk John of Tintern.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more from Tony McAleavy, author of the first full-length study of the history of Malmesbury Abbey which brings to life its colourful cast of characters.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In the early 12th century, when England was suffering wave after wave of Viking invasions, many wondered how God could allow their kingdom to be ravaged by pagans? The Archbishop of York Wulfstan had an answer: the apocalypse was coming. What did that mean to people in the Middle Ages?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to Professor Matthew Gabriele, about how medieval people understood the end of the world, where they got such concepts from, and whether such a belief could actually be a hopeful one?
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The Eastern Roman Emperor from 527 to 565, Justinian was a ruler who infused even the most mundane tasks with spiritual and religious significance. The challenges he faced - climate change, battles over culture and identity, the first recorded global pandemic - and many of the solutions he found to address them still resonate with us today. His legacy remains all around us, in his massive building programme, in our legal systems, and in his fundamental contribution to both the formation of Christendom and the emergence of Islam.
In this episode, Matt Lewis talks to Peter Sarris, author of Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint, about a man who, from the humblest beginnings, rose to become ruler of much of the known world achieving an almost god-like status.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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When it comes to Japan in the Middle Ages, we think mostly of stories of the Shogun, samurai and ninjas. But for a society dominated by the court and military elite, much was dependent on the labour of skilled people.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to Dr. Paula Curtis, to find out more particularly about Japan’s metal casters who rose to technical and social preeminence, creating strategic ties and trade networks that would have an influence for centuries to come.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Geoffrey Chaucer is perhaps medieval England’s most famous writer and poet. Now a new exhibition at the Bodleian Library in Oxford is setting out to give him greater breadth and depth than just The Canterbury Tales.
To talk more about the ‘Father of English Literature’ with Matt Lewis is its curator Professor Marion Turner.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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By the time the Black Death subsided, between 75 and 200 million people in Afro-Eurasia were dead, entire towns and cities had collapsed, and the earth’s temperature cooled.
In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, guardDr Eleanor Janega speaks to Professor Philip Slavin who has used cutting-edge techniques to consider exactly where and how the worst pandemic the world has ever seen began, and what that reveals about the medieval world.
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Over the previous three episodes in our special series, Gone Medieval has taken a close look at the three main contenders for the throne of England in 1066. From Harold Godwinson who sat on it, to Harold Hardrada who might have seemed the most likely to win it, and William the Conqueror, the hardened Duke of Normandy.
In this episode, Matt Lewis explores the final clash of that seismic year. Who would wear the crown of England by the end of 1066 was still an open question and there was only one place that question could be answered. This is the story of the Battle of Hastings.
This episode was mixed and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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When his cousin King Edward the Confessor died childless, Duke William of Normandy saw the throne of England as his birthright. But one man stood in his way, Harold Godwinson, whom Edward had named as king on his deathbed.
In the third episode of our special series examining the build-up to the Battle of Hastings, Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Professor Judith A. Green to find out more about the man who would change the course of British and European history.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In the second of Gone Medieval’s series looking at the road to the Battle of Hastings, Matt Lewis focuses on another claimant to the English throne. Harald Hardrada was a legendary Viking warrior who sought to rebuild the North Sea Empire to which he believed himself heir. Harald invaded the north of England with 10,000 troops and 300 longships in September 1066. But the mission would not be plain sailing.
Matt finds out more about him from Dr Caitlin Ellis, from the University of Oslo.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The stories of King Arthur are among the great legends of British history. But behind the romance, chivalry and sorcery of it all, there were some pretty sexy shenanigans going on, at least in the early to mid-Medieval versions of the legends. And the good, virtuous King Arthur wasn’t quite so innocent as we might have been led to believe from The Sword in the Stone and the poems of Tennyson.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega pops across to our History Hit sister podcast Betwixt the Sheets to talk with Dr. Kate Lister and spill the beans on King Arthur.
**Warning: This episode contains strong language and explicit content***
This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith and Rob Weinberg.
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How did medieval surgeons, doctors and monks understand the inner workings of the human body? Who performed the first scientific human dissections? How did artists depict human anatomy?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more from Dr. Taylor McCall, author of The Art of Anatomy in Medieval Europe, which explores the deep connections between visual and medical culture during the European Middle Ages.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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All this month on Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis uncover the stories of the protagonists and events that led up to the Battle of Hastings. There’s Harold Godwinson, the Anglo Saxon Lord who became the king of a people only recently brought together; Harald Hardrada, a legendary Viking warrior seeking to rebuild the North Sea Empire to which he believes himself heir; and William the Conqueror, descended from pagan Vikings, now the Christian Duke of Normandy. The lives of millions of people for centuries to come will be inextricably linked to their actions in that fateful year of 1066.
In this first episode, Eleanor finds out more about Harold Godwinson from Professor Levi Roach.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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From William Wallace and King Henry VI, to Anne Boleyn and Sir Walter Raleigh, London's iconic Tower of London has held some of history's most notorious figures over its 1000 year history. Host of Gone Medieval podcast Matt Lewis joins Dan to uncover the secrets embedded within the tower's formidable walls. They dive into the deep history of this mighty fortress built by William the Conqueror and tell the stories of the executions, the escapes and the animals that have called the tower home, including a 13th century polar bear who would swim and catch fish in the Thames.
You can find out more about the Tower of London and its notorious prisoners in the History Hit Miscellany book available in bookshops and online.
Produced by Mariana Des Forges, edited by Dougal Patmore and remixed by Joseph Knight
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If your new year's resolutions include getting more exercise, drinking less, or eating well, you might be surprised to know that medieval people were every bit as interested as we are in becoming, being and staying healthy.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to Professor Carol Rawcliffe about her fascinating research into health and fitness in the late medieval period and what people thought about staying fit and well.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Joan of Arc is a name that’s instantly recognisable to most people. A controversial figure in her own day, she has remained so ever since, often being adopted as a talisman of French nationalism. But how much do we really know—or understand—about the young woman who ignited France’s fightback against England during the Hundred Years’ War, but who paid the ultimate price at the age of just 19?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, first released in January 2022, Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Hannah Skoda, to get to the heart of the real ‘Maid of Orléans’.
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In the fourth century AD, the Christian faith exploded out of Palestine, overwhelming the paganism of Rome, converting the Emperor Constantine in the process. Almost a thousand years later, all of Europe was controlled by Christian rulers, and the religion was deeply ingrained within culture and society.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Professor Peter Heather, author of Christendom: The Triumph of a Religion, about how Christianity rose to wield authority across nearly all of the disparate peoples of medieval Europe.
First published November 2022
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In times of plenty, we stuff ourselves. When the food runs out, we're basically stuffed. How did people in medieval Britain share the riches from our fields, dairies, kitchens and seas?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis is joined by acclaimed food historian Pen Vogler, whose latest book Stuffed: A History of Good Food in Hard Times in Britain, places food at the centre of society, of upheavals and of the development of a nation.
This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Just like us, medieval people loved a bit of entertainment at Christmas. But what did they consider funny? How did humorous stories spread in a world where most people could neither read nor write?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out more from Kleio Pethainou, who specialises in medieval comedy and storytelling, and also offers an authentic and bizarre Christmas Day story from the middle ages.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
For more about Kleio Pethainou, her podcast The Court Jester and books, visit: https://kleiopethainou.com/
**WARNING: This episode contains examples of medieval humour that some may find challenging to modern-day sensibilities**
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Berengaria of Navarre is mainly remembered for just one thing: being a Queen of England who never set foot in England, at least not as Queen. But all that is about to change as Dr Gabrielle Storey's forthcoming biography of Berengaria is set to shed more light on this neglected, English Queen Consort.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more from Gabrielle about this fascinating woman.
This episode was edited by Tean Stewart-Murray and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In this episode of Gone Medieval, our co-hosts Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis get together to revive some of the Christmas traditions that were commonplace in the Middle Ages - from the literal origins of the Yule log to having a procession to celebrate finding a duck in a drain!
So grab a festive drink and a mince pie because Matt and Eleanor are ready to get serious about the silly season.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In the ninth century, the Vikings earned a fearsome reputation by wreaking chaos on the coasts of western Europe. But what is perhaps less well known is that they also travelled eastwards. By sailing along the great rivers of north-eastern Europe, they reached Constantinople, the Caspian Sea and even Baghdad, the bustling heart of the mighty Islamic Abbasid Empire.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis welcomes Dr. Cat Jarman back to the podcast to explore why Viking raiders traded the frozen hinterlands of Northern Europe for the heat and hubbub of the Near East.
Senior Producer: Elena Guthrie
Assistant Producer: Peta Stamper
Scriptwriter: Peta Stamper
Editor: Joseph Knight
This was a special collaboration between Ubisoft and History Hit. The content and story was inspired by Assassin's Creed Mirage. To learn more about 9th century Baghdad and the historical characters in the game, listen to Echoes of History here.
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In many parts of Europe, before Christmas comes, you have first to celebrate one of the medieval period's favourite saints - Saint Nicholas of Myra. It's his legend and celebration that eventually transformed into our own Santa Claus. St Nicolas’s commemoration was a great excuse for medieval people to let down their hair and celebrate while still in the much more sombre and reflective period of Advent.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by experiential archaeologist Caroline Nickolay. They discuss how St. Nicholas’ life has been embellished and commemorated from the late antique period until today and how a relatively unremarkable bishop managed to give birth to the party event of the festive season.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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May 1453 saw Constantinople under siege - the culmination of an age long struggle between Christianity and Islam for control of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Ottoman leader Mehmed II had dreamed of possessing the city since he was a boy, and now the shining light of Christian civilization, that had lasted 1100 years, fell into the hands of Ottomans.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis is joined by Prof. Marc David Baer to delve into this epochal moment in medieval history.
This episode was edited and produced by Joseph Knight and Rob Weinberg. Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie
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The city of Constantinople, founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 324 AD, was a glittering jewel in the eastern Mediterranean for more than a thousand years. Its dazzling cathedrals, ambitious emperors and mixing pot culture were the stuff of legend throughout Christendom. But how did it come to tower over medieval Europe as one of the continent’s foremost cities? And why did it earn such a lofty reputation?
In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Bettany Hughes, author of Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities to discover how Constantinople came to rise, came to rule and came to ruin.
This episode was produced and edited by Joseph Knight. Senior Producer was Elena Guthrie.
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The popular BBC television series Villages by the Sea explores coastal life through the centuries. Its presenter Ben Robinson is an archaeologist with the fantastic job of exploring lost villages and uncovering their secrets, including those that give an insight into medieval life on the coasts of Britain.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis is joined by Ben to talk about some of the series’ - and Britain’s - medieval highlights.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Leprosy in the Middle Ages
Medieval people were very concerned about how to deal with those in their midst who had leprosy, now called Hansen's disease. It's assumed today that sufferers were shunned from society, forced onto the margins, and generally hated.
But in this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out from Professor Carole Rawcliffe about what was it really like to live with leprosy, both as a sufferer or as a member of the communities that needed to care for them.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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For more than 500 years, history has judged that the Princes in the Tower were murdered on the orders of their uncle Richard III. Until now there has been very little proof - it is quite simply history’s greatest cold case. But this episode of Gone Medieval reveals new and compelling evidence about what happened to King Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York in 1483.
Philippa Langley - best known for her role in finding and exhuming the remains of Richard III in 2012 - talks to Gone Medieval's Matt Lewis about her painstaking investigative research and the astonishing new archival discoveries that may forever change what we know about the fate of the Princes in the Tower.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg
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Burma – now Myanmar – was once a superpower playing a pivotal role at the crossroads of Asia. Located in one of the richest areas on the planet, it produced luxury goods, mediated trade and cultivated fantastic religious and urban landscapes, unlike anywhere else in the world.
In today’s episode, Dr. Eleanor Janega visits a new exhibition at the British Museum with curator Dr. Alexandra Green to explore how Burma in the Middle Ages became a fertile ground for diverse cultures to flourish.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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From the fields of Norfolk to the royal court - via city commerce, local government, liberal education and numerous wedding bells - the Boleyns were just one of many newly prosperous and ambitious families seeking to make the best of a world that was being changed through famine, plague, revolt and civil war – but also opportunity. But while the Boleyns’ new-found wealth delivered power and status, they still lived in a violent world and life could be precarious.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Claire Martin, whose new book Heirs of Ambition: The Making of the Boleyns uncovers the story of the family behind England's most obsessed-over queen, Anne Boleyn.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Denmark's King Harald Bluetooth was among the first Scandinavian rulers to officially embrace Christianity in the early 10th century. Norway followed later that century while Sweden's conversion occurred gradually in the following century.
But contrary to the common narrative of Europe's military and religious conquest and colonisation of the region, what if rather than acting as passive recipients, Scandinavians converted to Christianity because it was in individual chieftains' political, economic, and cultural interests to do so?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out more from Dr. Anders Winroth, author of The Conversion of Scandinavia: Vikings, Merchants and Missionaries in the Remaking of Northern Europe.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Olivia Swarthout prowls the web for little-seen snippets of medieval art and life, sharing it via the Weird Medieval Guys Twitter and instagram accounts, and podcast.
Her new book, Weird Medieval Guys: How to Live, Laugh, Love (and Die) in Dark Times is a handy guide offering time-tested solutions for all of life's biggest problems, from becoming an irresistible suitor even though you can't joust to surviving encounters with rabbits and dragons
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets Olivia on how she brings people today closer to the distant past.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Wales has a wealth of ghost stories, including fantastical animals, flickering death omens and unseen things that go bump in the night. Whether these tales are based on true events, or are the creations of active imaginations, is known only to those who have experienced them – but what is certain is that their power to delight and scare us remains undimmed.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega meets renowned folklorists Delyth Badder and Mark Norman - host of the Folklore Podcast - to talk about their book The Folklore of Wales: Ghosts, which presents a wide panorama of stories and first-hand accounts that shine a spotlight on the unique qualities of folkloric ghost beliefs in Wales.
Ghost story told by Janine Cooper-Marshall.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
Hear more from Mark Norman on the Folklore Podcast >
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The Knights Templar have an enduring reputation―but not one they would recognise. Originally established in the twelfth century to protect pilgrims, the Order is remembered today for heresy, fanaticism, and even satanism. But the Templars were in fact dedicated peace-mongers at home, influencing royal strategy and policy, creating financial structures, and brokering international peace treaties.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Steve Tibble, author of Templars: The Knights Who Made Britain to redress the balance about this fascinating and vital part of their story.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Overseeing a rich and diverse kingdom, Ethiopia’s medieval monarchs consolidated their power by claiming descent from the Biblical King Solomon. But why did they pursue long-distance diplomatic contacts with Latin Europe?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega meets award-winning historian Dr. Verena Krebs, who challenges the conventional narratives of African-European relations, arguing that African exploration of Europe was driven by aesthetic curiosity rather than military ventures.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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For the last several decades, Jonathan, Lord Sumption - former senior judge and medieval historian - has been crafting a monumental, five-volume history of the Hundred Years War, widely considered to be the definitive account of the conflict.
The final volume, titled Triumph and Illusion, has recently been published. It tells the story of the collapse of the English dream of conquest and features such protagonists as Henry VI, Charles VII of France and the extraordinary Joan of Arc.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Jonathan Sumption about the events that led to the end of four centuries of the English dynasty's presence in France.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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On this special edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega pays a visit to our sister podcast Betwixt the Sheets to be the guest of its presenter Dr. Kate Lister.
Eleanor of Aquitaine - probably the most powerful and wealthy woman in medieval Europe - needs little introduction to Gone Medieval listeners. But how true is what we know about her? Rumours abounded in her own time, and to this day, about Eleanor’s private life. Did she really have a love affair with her own uncle? What was her relationship with her cousin? And how did medieval society take to such a powerful and influential woman?
***WARNING: This podcast contains strong language and graphic descriptions.***
The original episode of Betwixt the Sheets was edited by Siobhan Dale and produced by Charlotte Long.
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In the year 493, the leader of a vast confederation of Gothic warriors personally cut down Odoacer, the man famous for deposing the last Roman emperor in 476. That leader became Theoderic the Great, a warrior-king who ushered in decades of peace and stability in Italy as king of Goths and Romans. Theoderic transformed his roving “warrior nation” from the periphery of the Roman world into a standing army that protected his taxpaying Roman subjects with the support of the Roman elite. He not only stabilized Italy but also extended his kingdom to the western Balkans, southern France, and the Iberian Peninsula.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Hans-Ulrich Wiemer, author of Theoderic the Great: King of Goths, Ruler of Romans, the first full-scale history of Theoderic and the Goths in more than 75 years, which traces the transformation of a divided kingdom into a great power.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The University of Vienna is one of the oldest in the world. Founded by Rudolph IV Habsburg in 1365, it has been teaching students for centuries. But what can Vienna’s story tell us about the origins of medieval universities and what medieval people were actually taught?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr Eleanor Janega visits Vienna to explore the university archives with Dr Nina Knieling. Together they discuss what it took to found a university in the Middle Ages and discover that medieval students, like their modern day counterparts, had a penchant for rowdy parties!
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg
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Bede, whose name towers over early medieval English literature, is often referred to as the “father of English history.” He calculated the first tide-tables, played a role in the creation of the Lindisfarne Gospels, wrote the earliest extant Old English poetry and did the earliest translation of part of the Bible into English. Despite never leaving Northumbria, he also wrote a guide to the Holy Land.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out everything you need to know about the Venerable Bede from Professor Michelle Brown, author of Bede and the Theory of Everything.
This episode was edited and mixed by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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How did an obscure Swiss family grow in power to gain control of the Holy Roman Empire in the 15th century? How did they manage to then take in a large part of Europe stretching from Hungary to Spain, and from the Far East to the New World?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega meets Professor Martyn Rady to find out the reasons for the Habsburg’s incredible endurance, founded in the belief that they were destined to rule the world as defenders of the Roman Catholic Church, guarantors of peace and patrons of learning.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In 1642, a Parliamentarian army smashed up Winchester Cathedral, including ten beautiful, 7th century mortuary chests, that housed the mortal remains of West Saxon kings, saints and bishops. In 2014, a team of forensic archaeologists, using the latest scientific methods, attempted to identify the contents, finding an elaborate jumble of bones, and making some surprising discoveries.
In this episode, Matt Lewis catches up with Gone Medieval's former co-host Dr. Cat Jarman to talk about her new book The Bone Chests, which untangles the stories of the people within the desecrated tombs.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Dr. Eleanor Janega continues Gone Medieval’s special series exploring Medieval Queens with a look at Margaret of Anjou, who rose to become a figurehead, and even a military leader, when her husband King Henry VI suffered bouts of mental illness. She became one of the principal figures in the Wars of the Roses and at times personally led the Lancastrian faction, being praised for “her valiant courage and undaunted spirit.”
Eleanor explores Margaret’s remarkable life and influence with medieval scholar Dr. Joanna Laynesmith
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Matt Lewis continues Gone Medieval’s special series showcasing Medieval Queens with a look at Emma of Normandy, the Norman-born noblewoman who became the English, Danish, and Norwegian Queen through her marriages to Æthelred the Unready and the Danish King Cnut the Great. After Cnut's death, Emma continued to play an active role in politics during the reigns of her sons by each husband, Edward the Confessor and Harthacnut.
Matt finds out more about Emma from historian Elizabeth Norton, author of England's Queens: The Biography and She Wolves: The Notorious Queens of Medieval England.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Voltaire famously wrote that the "The Holy Roman Empire was in no way holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.” But Dr. Eleanor Janega believes that literally everything about Voltaire’s statement is wrong - in the medieval context.
In this explainer episode of Gone Medieval, Eleanor attempts to describe this important and powerful entity that lasted for around 800 years, stretching from Sicily to the North Sea, from Burgundy to Poland, which was home to some of the wealthiest and most important cities in medieval Europe and a huge percentage of the medieval European population.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Where is the grave of King Arthur? What was the worst year in human history? Who were the most fractious royal siblings? What were the origins of humble pie? Which monsters pre-occupied Medieval minds?
In this episode, Gone Medieval’s co-hosts Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega delve into some of the big Medieval questions, obscure facts and bizarre stories featured in History Hit Miscellany, our fascinating and entertaining new book published this month.
The History Hit Miscellany is published on September 28, but you can pre-order here or visit historyhit.com/book to order from your favourite book shop.
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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Dr. Eleanor Janega continues Gone Medieval’s special series of podcasts about Medieval Queens with a look at Queen Anne of Bohemia, the first wife of England’s King Richard II.
Eleanor is joined by Kristen Gaiman, lecturer at the University of Toledo, Ohio, to find out about Anne’s influence on English culture, how queens could work to mitigate the worst excesses of kings, and what childlessness meant in a royal context.
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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In the Middle Ages, people made marks and concealed many objects in their buildings to protect themselves from harmful magic. Dead cats, horse skulls, hidden shoes, written charms and protection marks were all used widely as methods of repelling, diverting or trapping negative energies.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more from Brian Hoggard, author of Magical House Protection: The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here > http://access.historyhit.com/checkout?code=medieval&plan=monthly
You can take part in our listener survey here > https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK
Around the time of the start of the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, and the Black Death was devastating tens of millions of people in Europe and Asia, waves of migration from Polynesia laid the foundations of the Māori society in Aotearoa - modern-day New Zealand.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega traces the early history of this remarkable people with archaeologist Dr. Amber Aranui, curator at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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Matt Lewis kicks off Gone Medieval’s special series of podcasts about Medieval Queens with a look at Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians who ruled Mercia in the Midlands from 911 until her death. She was the eldest daughter of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith, and played a pivotal role in defending Mercia against Viking invasions and expanding its territory.
In this episode, Matt is joined by prize-winning writer and historian Annie Whitehead, to find out more about this extraordinary woman who ruled independently in a male-dominated era, and helped lay the foundation for a unified England.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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We tend to think that it was impossible not to subscribe to Christianity in the Middle Ages. But, as in any age, belief can wax and wane. But the chroniclers of the period largely ignored the voices of ordinary people, whose faith may not have been quite so devout as we have been led to believe.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega talks to Dr. Alec Ryrie, author of Unbelievers: An Emotional History of Doubt, which charts how atheism bloomed as a belief system in its own right.
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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The fourth son of William the Conqueror, King Henry I, is remembered as a harsh but effective ruler. He skilfully manipulated the barons in England and Normandy. He strengthened the existing Anglo-Saxon system of justice, local government and taxation, with more institutions including the royal exchequer and itinerant justices. But he may also have been a thief or murderer, a spoilt brat - but definitely a man who knew how to grasp a chance.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis discusses Henry I with historian Chris Riley.
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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Christianity's inroads into the pagan north of England began with the marriage of Æthelburh of Kent to King Edwin of Northumbria. A condition of their marriage was Edwin's conversion to Christianity. But most of the things we know about this period come from the Venerable Bede, which may hide much of the reality of the story of Æthelburh and Edwin.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega tries to get to the truth of how and why Christianity reached the north of England, with Florence H.R. Scott.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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If one object stands out as synonymous with the Medieval period, it's probably the sword.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Robert W. Jones, author of A Cultural History of the Medieval Sword: Power, Piety and Play, in which he takes the sword beyond its functional role as a tool for killing, considering it as a cultural artefact, and the broader meaning and significance it had to its bearer.
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 Sheets to unpack sex and sexuality in the Middle Ages and answer the burning question: just how did medieval people get it on?
This episode was produced by Elena Guthrie and mixed by Joseph Knight
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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, roughly the same as modern England.
In this explainer episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis tells the story of a reign that is sometimes overlooked but which was of great importance to political developments in the 10th century.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Elena Guthrie.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 out more about her namesake from the celebrated medievalist Danièle Cybulskie.
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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, shortly before he died.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Sharon Bennett Connolly, whose new book King John’s Right Hand Lady tells the extraordinary story of Nicholaa de la Haye.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 plan our survival, should they ever occur again.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 and intriguing tale about a man who set not just London, but all of England on fire.
This episode was produced by Elena Guthrie and mixed by Joseph Knight
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 episode of Gone Medieval to take a deep dive into Beowulf.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here .
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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 new light on the English sense of humour, and the role played by minstrels in medieval society.
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 Guthrie.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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."
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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Find out more about Paul M. Duffy’s novel, Run with the Hare, Hunt with the Hound, silver winner at the 2022 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award in Historical Fiction.
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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 is joined by Dr. Gabrielle Bychowski.
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 Xanadu.
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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 greatest medieval divorce scandal.
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 world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >
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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.
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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 Yadin-Israel's website database of the forbidden fruit in Western art:
http://treeofknowledgeart.com/
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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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 more from Dr. Alice Blackwell, Dr. Alan Borthwick and Prof. Dauvit Broun.
The Declaration of Arbroath is on display from 3 June until 2 July 2023 at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh: https://www.nms.ac.uk/declaration
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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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 was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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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 completely new look at the sources, his research is forcing a rethink about how economies worked in the medieval Mediterranean.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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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 Medieval Warfare: Trickery and Cunning in the Central Middle Ages.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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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 was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
Listen to Henry III: England’s Longest Reigning King here: https://shows.acast.com/gone-medieval/episodes/henry-iii-englands-longest-reigning-king
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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 modern nation-state.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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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 impacted by a series of migrations.
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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 to archaeologist Dr. Timothy Pauketat, author of Gods of Thunder: How Climate Change, Travel, and Spirituality Reshaped Precolonial America. He has followed the footsteps of priests, pilgrims, traders and farmers led by the weather to migrate long distances to new lands.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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From ghost town to ceremonial, ecclesiastical and economic hub - how did London develop in the Saxon era, and how is that crucial to what London has become?
Dr. Rory Naismith is the author of Citadel of the Saxons: The Rise of Early London and a lecturer at Corpus Christi College at the University of Cambridge. He takes Dr. Cat Jarman through the story of London from its decline after the Roman period to its eventual reemergence.
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This is a special episode from a series we made in collaboration with Ubisoft, the makers of Assassin's Creed.
In Assassins vs Templars, we're immersing ourselves in the real history that inspired the first game. As well as exploring rise and fall of The Knights Templar and the Assassins, we chat to leading experts and historians to analyse the historical backdrop of the first three crusades, reveal the real histories behind key characters in the game, and unearth the folklore around the mythical Holy Grail.
In this episode, Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Helen Nicholson to discuss The Knights Templar, and how an order of crusading monks draped in white robes marked with a red cross perhaps don’t sound that daunting when you first hear of them, went on to become one of the most powerful organisations in the world during the crusades.
From land ownership to banking to fighting on the frontlines with their faith as a weapon, the Knights Templar were worthy competition for the Assassins. But who were their contemporaries, how did the Knights Templar get so powerful, and how good were they on the battlefield?
Produced by History Hit and Ubisoft, with Post Production done by Paradiso Media.
To listen to the rest of Assassins vs Templars, make sure you're following Echoes of History wherever you get your podcasts!
All this month, Gone Medieval has been your perfect companion to the forthcoming coronation of King Charles III.
In this final special episode, Matt Lewis takes a look at the use and meaning of coronation regalia and what happens after the ceremonial aspects - the coronation banquet. He is joined by Lucinda Gosling of the Mary Evans Picture Library and the author of more than 12 books including Royal Coronations, published by Shire Books.
This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.
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All this month, Gone Medieval is your perfect companion to the forthcoming coronation of King Charles III.
In this third special episode, Matt Lewis finds out more about the major ceremonial elements of the coronation with Dr. George Gross. Two components which still remain and are particularly significant are the 'recognition' - where the incoming monarch has to be ‘approved’ by the congregation in Westminster Abbey - and the oath made in turn by the King to his people.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Centuries ago, an Anglo-Saxon noble was buried within a 90-foot ship in a mound at Sutton Hoo. It serves as the richest burial ever found in northern Europe to date. Discovered in 1939, not much survived of the original ship. However, an imprint of the ship remains on the earth.
In this episode, first released in November 2021, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined on the ground by Martin Carver, director of the Sutton Hoo Research Project. He shares his knowledge of the celebrated mounds and the ongoing reconstruction of the Great Ship Burial.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store
This is a special episode from a series we made in collaboration with Ubisoft, the makers of Assassin's Creed.
In Assassins vs Templars, we're immersing ourselves in the real history that inspired the first game. As well as exploring the rise and fall of The Knights Templar and the Assassins, we chat to leading experts and historians to analyse the historical backdrop of the first three crusades, reveal the real histories behind key characters in the game, and unearth the folklore around the mythical Holy Grail.
In this episode, Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Farhad Daftary to discuss the origins of the Assassins, what they stood for, how they interacted with Christians and other Muslims, and why the Old Man of the Mountain was so important.
Using targeted political murder to protect humanity from injustice and abuse of power, the Assassins are infamous as much for their secrecy as for their actions. The story of the Nizari branch of Ismaili Muslims goes right back to the start of Islam, and continues to this day.
Produced by History Hit and Ubisoft, with Post Production done by Paradiso Media.
To listen to the rest of Assassins vs Templars, make sure you're following Echoes of History wherever you get your podcasts!
If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store
Throughout April, Gone Medieval is your perfect companion for the forthcoming coronation of King Charles III. In this episode, Dr. Cat Jarman asks what did kingship really mean in the first half of the medieval period? How and when did we start to have kings in what later was to become England? And what was the actual significance of a coronation? All these questions and more are explored with Dr. Levi Roach, a specialist in Early Medieval kingship.
This episode was edited by Pete Dennis and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The Second Baron’s War was a time of great unrest and upheaval in 13th century England. Fought just decades after the signing of Magna Carta, it marked the unwelcome return of tumult between the nobility and the crown and pitted the hitherto peaceful King Henry III against his old friend Simon de Montfort, the Earl of Leicester.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis is joined by Ian Ross who has set his latest historical fiction novel Battle Song right in the heart of this febrile conflict. Beginning with the continental tournament circuit and climaxing in the Battle of Lewes, it is a story that brings the tension and mistrust of this unstable period to life.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Though today it is just a muddy field, the small hamlet of Yeavering was once a bustling centre of Anglo-Saxon power in the North of England. At its heart was a 7th century palace - known in Latin as Ad Gefrin - which was built by King Edwin in 616 AD, the first king of a united Northumbria.
In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, Dr Cat Jarman speaks to Dr Chris Ferguson, the Director of Visitor Experience at the newly opened Ad Gefrin museum and distillery. Located just outside Newcastle, the museum tells the untold story of this remarkable Anglo-Saxon palace and the part it played in Northumbria’s golden age.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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A coronation is a moment of history packed with symbolism and meaning, and throughout April 2023 Gone Medieval will be your perfect historical companion to the coronation of King Charles III.
In the first of four special episodes, Matt Lewis traces certain elements of the coronation ceremony back to their medieval origins, looking back to the earliest English coronation records.
This episode was mixed and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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When we think of Vikings, we tend to picture them in the colder climates of Northern Europe, and not so much in the warmer regions of Spain and the Mediterranean beyond.
However, joining Dr. Cat Jarman today is Dr. Irene García Losquiño, a researcher whose work is uncovering Viking activity on the Iberian peninsula, shedding new light on the lives they lived there beyond the raiding we know about.
This episode was edited by Stuart Beckwith and produced by Rob Weinberg.
If you’re enjoying this podcast and are looking for more fascinating Medieval content then subscribe to our Medieval Monday newsletter here.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store
Dick Whittington - who died 600 years ago this month - is a familiar name to generations of pantomime goers. But Richard Whittington’s real life was far more compelling than the theatrical story suggests. He was a civic reformer, an enemy of corruption, the author of an extraordinary social legacy, who contributed to Henry V’s victory at Agincourt, building works at Westminster Abbey, and to London’s ceaseless development.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis is joined by biographer Michael McCarthy, to trace Whittington's life - from his arrival in London as a young boy to his death in 1423.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the legends of Thor, Odin and Asgard are familiar to millions today. Yet the histories of these myths are far richer than modern popular culture often implies. From Yggdrasil to Ragnarok, the seemingly unending tales of heroism, betrayal and intrigue found within the Norse Sagas have captivated audiences for centuries.
In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Prof Carolyne Larrington to dig into these histories and explore how Norse Myths have shaped the way we think. Together they discuss why Norse mythology seems to be having a ‘moment’, how it has been used to legitimise political violence, and most importantly, why everyone loves Loki?
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Elena Guthrie and Rob Weinberg.
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In our modern and digital age, contemporary music has many influences: heartbreak, war, even climate change. But what about the Middle Ages? Has the artistry and literature of the medieval period had an influence on music today?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis speaks to singer and songwriter Elanor Moss - who studied seventh to tenth century literature at university - to discuss how her interest in medievalism has influenced her songwriting and whether we can see themes and imagery from the medieval world feeding into the work of modern musical artists.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Everyone lies from time to time but some lies have had a particular influence on world events and have even been a major factor in shaping history. In the Middle Ages, for example, how did an outlandish book called The Travels of Sir John Mandeville create misconceptions about foreigners? And how did falsehoods promoted after the death of a young boy in northern Italy lead to widespread anti-semitic pogroms as well as conspiracy theories that endure today?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined by Natasha Tidd, author of the new book A Short History of the World in 50 Lies. Together they explore these two cases where lies had widespread consequences.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
Read more of Natasha Tidd’s work at F Yeah History.
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What do skeletal remains from the fifteenth century tell us about one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the Wars of the Roses? The Battle of Towton — fought on 29 March 1461 in North Yorkshire — was a decisive victory for the Yorkists over the Lancastrians, resulting in Edward IV taking the throne from Henry VI.
Skeletons found in a mass grave at Towton Hall in 1996 shed new light on the battle. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Jo Buckberry about what has been learned from these remains about the battle and the injuries these men suffered.
This episode was edited by Anisha Deva and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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What made for the ideal woman in the Middle Ages? In her new book The Once and Future Sex, Dr. Eleanor Janega looks at what beauty, sexuality, work and social status meant for medieval women. Despite the expectation of their primarily being mothers, they were also industrious farmers, brewers, textile workers, artists and artisans.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, for International Women's Day on Wednesday 8 March, Dr. Cat Jarman finds out more from Dr. Janega about an era that paved the way for new ideas about women’s nature, intellect and ability.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Wales in the Medieval period had a thriving bardic tradition and one poet is particularly fascinating. Gwerful Mechain lived in the second half of the fifteenth century. She left a body of work that is mostly religious, but sometimes very rude and irreverent.
In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more from Professor Wynn Thomas, editor of A Map of Love: Twelve Welsh Poems of Romance, Desire and Devotion, which includes Mechain’s startling hymn of praise to female genitals.
**WARNING: This episode contains graphic, bawdy verse**
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg
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One year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. While the invasion and subsequent war have largely been driven by modern geopolitics, the history of the two countries has also played a part, especially that of the medieval period.
In today’s episode of Gone Medieval Dr. Cat Jarman explains the relationship between the Rus’ people and the Viking Age where this story begins, with contributions from Dr. Olenka Pevny from the University of Cambridge and Dr. Fedir Androschuk, Director of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg
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In the fifth century, Western Europe began remaking itself in the turmoil that followed the collapse of the Roman Empire. In south-west Britain, old tribal authorities and identities reasserted themselves and a ruling elite led a vibrant and outward-looking kingdom - today’s Cornwall - with trade networks that stretched around the Atlantic coast of Europe and abroad into the Mediterranean.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to historian John Fletcher about the early history of Cornwall, and how its unique language, culture and heritage survived even after politically merging with England in the tenth century.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Maps. They are an essential part of modern life. But when and how did people in medieval Britain first start mapping their surroundings? The Gough Map was one of their first attempts. Compiled in the fifteenth century, it is the earliest known surviving map of Britain to be drawn on a distinct sheet of parchment.
In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, Dr Cat Jarman talks to Nick Millea and Dr Catherine Delano-Smith - two members of a multidisciplinary research project on the Gough Map - about why it is so exceptional, what it reveals about medieval Britain and how new technologies might be able to uncover the shadowy identity of its makers.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg
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Women were an integral feature of the crusade movement. They were not only sometimes participants on the battlefields but also played their part recruiting crusaders, and supporting the effort with patronage, propaganda, and prayer.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Professor Helen J. Nicholson, author of Women and the Crusades, which explores the roles that women played and how their contemporaries recorded their deeds, limited by social convention and cultural expectations.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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When archeologists uncovered a jewellery hoard buried beneath the Iron Age ring fort of Sandby Borg in 2010, their excitement was palpable. Yet little did they know that they had only scratched the surface. As they dug deeper they began to find the remains of a community that had been brutally slaughtered - their wounds evidence of a terrible Early Medieval massacre.
In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, Dr Cat Jarman talks to Dr Ludwig Papmehl-Dufay - one of Sandby Borg’s lead archaeologists. Together they discuss the story of the massacre’s victims, exploring how the latest archaeological techniques can peel back the mystery and tell us more about who they were and what actually happened to them.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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First defined in law in 1352, treason remains one of the most serious crimes a person can commit. And, remarkably, the core of the original Treason Act remains in force and relatively unchanged today.
A fascinating exhibition at the National Archives is offering a unique selection of letters, pamphlets, posters, maps and trial papers to reveal the motives, actions and fates of those accused of being traitors, many of whom paid the ultimate price for their cause. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more from Dr. Euan Roger, principal Medieval records specialist at The National Archives.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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For monks and monasteries in Anglo-Saxon England, obliteration by Vikings was a constant threat. Like Lindisfarne - first raided in 793 AD - religious houses were frequently preyed upon by marauding Danes searching for rich and easy pickings. But just how devastating were these raids? And were some monasteries capable of survival?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr Cat Jarman talks to Dr Gabor Thomas from the University of Reading about his research into Lyminge, a monastery in Kent that adopted genius defensive strategies to hold back the Viking menace.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight, and produced by Rob Weinberg.
Read more about the latest research into Lyminge Monastery here >
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Edward III wed Philippa of Hainault when they were both teenagers. It was a marriage of deep affection lasting 41 years. But when Alice Perrers entered court as a young widow, she caught the eye of the ageing king as Philippa’s health declined.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Gemma Hollmann, author of The Queen and the Mistress: The Women of Edward III about how two very different women used their skills and charms to navigate a tumultuous royal court – and win the heart of the same King.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The Danelaw was the part of England where large numbers of Scandinavians settled between the 9th and 11th centuries, and where Danish rather than English law was followed. Its set of legal terms and definitions was created in the treaties between Alfred the Great and the Danish warlord, Guthrum.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Jake Stattel, a PhD candidate in Medieval History at Cambridge, whose research is teasing out new evidence about the political and social shifts in early Medieval Britain.
This episode was mixed and edited by Annie Coloe and produced by Rob Weinberg.
If you’re enjoying this podcast and are looking for more fascinating Medieval content then subscribe to our Medieval Monday newsletter here > If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android > or Apple store >
Matt Lewis concludes his four special episodes on medieval mysteries with perhaps the most enduring historical enigma of them all.
For more than 500 years, people have speculated about the disappearance of King Edward V - aged 12, and his nine-year-old brother Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. They were lodged in the Tower of London by their paternal uncle the Duke of Gloucester, supposedly in preparation for Edward's coronation. But before the young king could be crowned, Gloucester ascended the throne as Richard III. The brothers vanished - and it’s generally assumed that they were murdered, probably by Richard. But Matt Lewis thinks differently.
This episode was mixed and edited by Anisha Deva and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The largest group of tiles in The British Museum was found at the site of Chertsey Abbey in Surrey. These fragmented floor tiles depict the fictional killing of Sultan Saladin during the Crusades by Richard the Lionheart. Groundbreaking technological research has now revealed what the tile fragments originally looked like on the floor of the Chapter House, as well as some surprising revelations.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Dr. Amanda Luyster, to find out how the Chertsey Tiles shed light on the impact that the Crusades had on the medieval visual culture of England.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
The exhibition, Bringing the Holy Land Home: The Crusades, Chertsey Abbey, and the Reconstruction of a Medieval Masterpiece, is at the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Gallery, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester MA, USA, 27 January - 9 April 2023.
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Matt Lewis continues his Mystery Month on Gone Medieval with another tantalising enigma of the Middle Ages - possibly the most mysterious manuscript that exists anywhere in the world. Carbon-dated to the early 15th century, the Voynich manuscript is hand-written in an unknown script, embellished with illustrations and diagrams, showing people, fantastical plants and astrological symbols.
Yet the origins, authorship, and purpose of the manuscript continue to baffle experts, which have even included British codebreakers from both World War I and World War II. Matt finds out more from Raymond Clemens, Curator of Early Books and Manuscripts at Yale University.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In 1324, Alice Kyteler became the first woman in Britain and Ireland to be tried for witchcraft. Married to four different husbands - all of whom died in suspicious circumstances - Alice was accused of murder, heresy and having carnal relations with the devil. But was she guilty? Or just another woman who fell victim to the medieval distaste for women in power?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined by Professor Claire Downham to discuss why Alice’s status as a successful business woman put a target on her back, how she found herself caught up in a web of religious politics and intrigue, and the significance of Britain and Ireland’s first ever burning at the stake for witchcraft.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Matt Lewis continues his Mystery Month on Gone Medieval with another tantalising enigma of the Middle Ages - the legendary figure of Prester John.
There’s a long history to the myth that “out there” in the east, a pious and noble Christian king ruled over a mighty kingdom — filled with strange beasts, fabulous wealth, and colossal buildings — who was prepared to lead his army to the defence of Christendom. But Prester John never showed up to help. Did he even exist? Matt examines the facts with Medieval era historian Dr. Nicholas Morton.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The Picts who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland in the Early Medieval period spoke the Pictish language. But for centuries, the origins of Pictish have been hotly debated.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman finds out all about the Picts and their language, and what insights are emerging from the latest research, with Dr. Guto Rhys.
This episode was edited by Anisha Deva and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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January 2023 is Matt Lewis’s Mystery Month on Gone Medieval and for his first foray into the unsolved enigmas of the Middle Ages, Matt looks into the death of King Edward II.
Most historians agree that Edward died at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire on 21 September 1327, but some think he may have died much later. His death though was "suspiciously timely”. Was he murdered with a red-hot poker as the propaganda against him soon afterwards suggested? What proof exists to suggest that he may have died in another way, and at another time? Matt unpicks the evidence with Edward II’s biographer Kathryn Warner.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Poland is not normally thought of as an important part of the Viking world. But as a key geographical location on the Baltic Sea, it was in fact a crucial meeting point between east and west. So what kind of presence did the Vikings have in Poland? And what was the connection between the region and the legendary Jomsvikings, and with King Harald Bluetooth?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman discovers more from Dr. Leszek Gardeła, an archaeologist and senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark.
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Vikings are often depicted as fearless warriors, but they were not immune to the harsh realities of northern weather. They not only survived in countries such as Greenland and Iceland but thrived. How did they adapt to the unforgiving ice and snow?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, first released in 2021, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined by James McMullen to explore elements of Viking settlement and winter survival - from insulating clothing, skating, and saga sources to social adaptations and housing.
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At this time of year, many of us will find ourselves singing about a royal personage who braves the snow on the Feast of Stephen – the Second Day of Christmas – so that he can distribute alms to a poor peasant. But who was the real Good King Wenceslas and was he as pious and saintly as the Christmas song suggests?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined by Czech historian Dr. David Kalhous to learn about the tenth century Bohemian Duke, posthumously declared to be a king and patron saint of the Czech state.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
We've also been nominated for Best History Podcast and the Listener's Choice Award at the Signal Awards! We need your help though - it would mean so much to the whole Gone Medieval team if you followed this link to sign up and vote. Thank you!
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In recent weeks, cinema audiences have been enjoying The Lost King, which tells the story of the efforts of amateur historian Philippa Langley to find the remains of Richard III - lost for more than 500 years - beneath a social services car park in Leicester.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets Philippa to hear the story of this amazing discovery.
This episode was edited and produced by Elena Guthrie and Rob Weinberg.
We've also been nominated for Best History Podcast and the Listener's Choice Award at the Signal Awards! We need your help though - it would mean so much to the whole Gone Medieval team if you followed this link to sign up and vote. Thank you!
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Dr. Cat Jarman finds out more about a fragment of Old English poetry that depicts one of the defining conflicts of 10th century England - the Battle of Maldon. Its 325 lines immortalise the bloody defence by Earl Byrhtnoth and the Anglo-Saxons against the Vikings which took place on the banks of the River Blackwater in Essex in the year 991.
Cat talks to Dr. Mark Atherton - author of The Battle of Maldon: War and Peace in Tenth-Century England - who describes the circumstances of the battle and examines how and why the poem encouraged readers to relive the experience for themselves.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
We've also been nominated for Best History Podcast and the Listener's Choice Award at the Signal Awards! We need your help though - it would mean so much to the whole Gone Medieval team if you followed this link to sign up and vote. Thank you!
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The Christmas carols we sing each year share roots in medieval church music. But as Matt Lewis finds out in this episode, carols were not just for Christmas but could be sung in different settings all your round.
To find out the origins of carols, Matt talks to Micah Mackay, who is a doctoral candidate researching medieval carols at Balliol College, Oxford.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
We've also been nominated for Best History Podcast and the Listener's Choice Award at the Signal Awards! We need your help though - it would mean so much to the whole Gone Medieval team if you followed this link to sign up and vote. Thank you!
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According to tradition, if it rains on Saint Swithun's bridge in Winchester on St. Swithun’s day — 15 July — it will continue for 40 days. But who was the real Swithun? And why has his historical importance as an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester been overshadowed by his reputation as a miracle worker?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman finds out more about Swithun from Associate Professor Karl Christian Alvestad from the University of South-Eastern Norway.
This episode was edited by Matthew Peaty and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Medieval England’s relationship with the Jewish community was complex and, at times, brutally violent and cruel. In 1290, the entire population of some 3,000 Jews was expelled from the country by King Edward I.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Dean Irwin, whose research into Jewish moneylending activities sheds a fascinating light on the life of Jews in Medieval England, and the outbreaks of persecution against them.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Humanity's relationship with the wilderness has been a theme of myths and legends for thousands of years. Such stories can offer a unique insight into the medieval mind and its concept of the wild.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman ventures out into ancient Selwood Forest in Wiltshire with Amy Jeffs - author of Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain - to reflect on our ancestors’ travels through fen and forest in the Middle Ages.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The Crusades are well-known but only part of the complex history of the medieval Near East. During the same era, the region was completely remade by the Mongol invasions. In a single generation, the Mongols upended the region’s geopolitics.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Nicholas Morton, author of The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East, about the conquests that forever transformed the region, while forging closer ties among societies spread across Eurasia.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Growing from a few North German towns in the late 12th century, the Hanseatic League — a powerful network of merchant guilds and market towns — dominated trade across almost 200 settlements in seven modern-day countries. But how did it function and manage to become so successful over such a vast region?
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman finds out more about the Hanse from Dr. Justyna Wubs-Mrozewicz.
This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In the fourth century AD, the Christian faith exploded out of Palestine, overwhelming the paganism of Rome, converting the Emperor Constantine in the process. Almost a thousand years later, all of Europe was controlled by Christian rulers, and the religion was deeply ingrained within culture and society.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Professor Peter Heather, author of Christendom: The Triumph of a Religion, about how Christianity rose to wield authority across nearly all of the disparate peoples of medieval Europe.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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878 AD witnessed a pivotal moment in the history of England as an emerging, unified nation, with the defeat of the Vikings by Alfred the Great at the Battle of Edington. Now, a new immersive history experience is opening in Winchester, titled 878 AD.
Winchester featured heavily in the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and the experience draws heavily on imagery and assets from the game to create an engaging representation of the city at the time.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined by Professor Ryan Lavelle, who acted as a historical consultant to the project, to find out more about the events and protagonists of 878 AD, and how they have been brought back to life in Winchester.
This episode was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.
If you’re enjoying this podcast and are looking for more fascinating Medieval content then subscribe to our Medieval Monday newsletter here.
If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit. To download, go to Android or Apple store
If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit.
To download, go to Android or Apple store
Public executions were a major part of Londoners’ lives from the 12th century right through to the 19th. Now the Museum of London Docklands has brought the rarely told and often tragic human stories behind these events to a superb new exhibition, containing a range of fascinating objects, paintings and projections, many of which have rarely been seen in public.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis explores some of the exhibition’s Medieval stories and items with curator Meriel Jeater.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Rob Weinberg.
**WARNING: This episode contains graphic descriptions of methods of execution**
Find out more about the Executions exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands, here >
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Britain was once a mosaic of small kingdoms, some of which have vanished without a trace. In his new book Lost Realms, Thomas Williams, uncovers the forgotten stories of nine kingdoms that fell while others - such as Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria and Gwynedd - prospered.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Thomas Williams whose close scrutiny of Britain’s ancient landscape has resurrected a lost past.
This episode was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Jan Žižka is the legendary Czech national hero who led Hussite forces against three crusades and never lost a single battle. His rise to military greatness is now told in the feature film titled Medieval, starring Ben Foster and Sir Michael Caine - the most expensive Czech film ever made.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more about Jan Žižka and the film from its director Petr Jákl and writer Petr Bok.
This episode was edited by Anisha Deva and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Archeological evidence of the Vikings as far north as Northumbria has practically been non-existent. On Gone Medieval in May 2021, Dr. Cat Jarman reported on a brand-new Viking site in Northumberland, 15 years after metal detectorists started carefully documenting their finds in the area.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined by Dr. Jane Harrison and Dr. Jane Kershaw who report on new discoveries at the site which reveal more fascinating details about life and industry at the settlement in the ninth century.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Rob Weinberg.
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Vlad the Impaler - Vlad Dracula - is one of history’s most brutal figures, who has enjoyed a bizarre afterlife as a cult character. Although a hero to his Romanian countrymen, the name Dracula has since become a global byword for horror.
In this Hallowe’en edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more about Vlad the Impaler’s dramatic life and career from Gavin Baddeley, co-author of Prince Dracula: The Bloody Legacy of Vlad the Impaler.
**WARNING: This episode contains graphic descriptions of impalement**
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Aidan Lonergan and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Earlier this month, it was reported that DNA analysis of the skeleton of a 10-year-old girl buried in Kent in the 7th century showed she was of West African descent. Thirty-three per cent of her DNA suggests that the girl’s grandfather or great-grandfather was probably from the Esan or Yoruba people.
As Black History Month draws to a close, Dr. Cat Jarman explores what is known about the presence of Africans in Britain during the Medieval period with the distinguished historian of African affairs, Professor Hakim Adi.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Anisha Deva and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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On 21 October 1422 - 600 years ago - King Charles VI of France died at the age of 53 after reigning for 42 years. He was known as both Charles le Bien-Aimé (the Beloved) and Charles le Fou (the Mad) - the latter a reference to the mental health episodes that frequently dogged his life. Because he was a king, his health is better documented than most cases of mental illness in the Medieval period.
In this explainer episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis recounts the story of a man whose life was plagued with personal tragedy and illness, played out on the international stage - because he was a king.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Aidan Lonergan and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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For centuries, the pub has played a central role in our lives and communities. Throughout Britain, there are many pubs saying that they are the oldest - some of them even claim to have Medieval origins.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman welcomes back award-winning buildings archaeologist Dr. James Wright to explore how long we have actually had pubs and which of them can truly claim to be the oldest.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Were sub-Saharan Africans present in Medieval Europe? Despite their absence from many histories, they were. Arriving as traders, as explorers, as warriors, or - for those only known from archaeological discoveries - for many reasons that we may never find out. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis marks Black History Month with a look at the challenges of researching this largely ignored or unknown history with Dr Adam Simmons.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Across the world, a wide range of writing systems developed in diverse societies and Medieval Europe was no different. Apart from the Latin alphabet, many will be familiar with the use of runes. But did you know that in Ireland and Britain, right at the start of the Medieval period, a different alphabet emerged by the name of Ogham? To find out more about this fascinating script, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined by Professor Katherine Forsyth and Dr. Nora White who are deeply immersed in research into this unique alphabet and writing system. Read more about their project, here >
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Monday newsletter here >.
For your chance to win five historical non-fiction books (including a signed copy of Dan Snow's On This Day in History), please fill out this short survey >
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When the skeletons of six adults and 11 children were found at the bottom of a Medieval well in Norwich in 2004, they were thought perhaps to be the victims of plague or famine or civil unrest. Now scientific advances in DNA analysis have made it possible to not only age the victims, but identify their Jewish origin and - in combination with historical sources - the precise day they died.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis unravels the mystery of the bodies in the well with Dr. Selina Brace, an ancient DNA specialist at the Natural History Museum.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Charles III recently became King at the age of 73 - the oldest man ever to become a British monarch. That might not seem so odd to us today, but had he been a child it would certainly have raised eyebrows. The idea of a child monarch is today practically unthinkable; in the Medieval period it was relatively common. But the rule of a boy king did not necessarily mean political disorder. In fact it posed far less of a challenge than having an adolescent king.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman finds out why from Dr. Emily Ward, author of Royal Childhood and Child Kingship: Boy Kings in England, Scotland, France and Germany, c. 1050–1262.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The emergence of the Gothic style in twelfth-century France - with its pointed arches, flying buttresses and stained glass windows - triggered an explosion of cathedral-building across western Europe. But behind every great cathedral lay human stories of competition, triumph and tragedy.
In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Dr. Emma J. Wells, whose new book Heaven on Earth: The Lives and Legacies of the World’s Greatest Cathedrals reveals how 1000 years of cathedral-building shaped our world, influencing art, culture and society.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Dr. Cat Jarman concludes her month-long series about her favourite, specialist subject - the Vikings.
Cnut the Great became King of England in 1016, King of Denmark in 1018 and King of Norway in 1028, creating the North Sea Empire. In today’s episode Cat talks to Dr. Caitlin Ellis about Cnut, his impact and legacy, and the end of the Viking Era.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Castles have held a pivotal place in British life, many of them remaining today as powerful reminders of our history and sources of inspiration. But castles were also homes and status symbols as well as hubs of life, activity, and imagination.
In today’s edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis discusses the castle’s early genesis from the Norman Conquest onward with John Goodall, whose new book The Castle: A History weaves together the history of the British castle from the eleventh century to the present day.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Few people in European history have had as many stories told about them as the Vikings. We know about them from novels, films, TV series and games. But telling stories about the Vikings is nothing new. In fact the richest stories come from the Middle Ages in the form of sagas that were mainly written down in Iceland.
As part of her special month of episodes exploring the Vikings on Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman meets Medievalist Dr. Eleanor Barraclough to explore the sagas and sort out the facts from the fiction about the Vikings.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Dan Jones is world-famous for writing swashbuckling factual history. But now he’s turned his hand to historical fiction with a debut novel Essex Dogs. It’s the first of a trilogy set in the Hundred Years War, in particular during the Crécy Campaign when England conducted large-scale raids throughout northern France.
In today’s episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Dan about his journey into writing fiction, how he combined historical accuracy with his imagination to dream up an unforgettable cast of characters, caught up in historical events beyond their control.
**WARNING! This episode contains a few colourful words!**
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Anisha Deva and produced by Rob Weinberg.
Watch Dan Jones’ Essex Dogs: In the Footsteps of the Crecy Campaign at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store. There are hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks to discover!
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September is Vikings month on Gone Medieval, as Dr. Cat Jarman presents a mini-series about her favourite, specialist subject. Over four episodes, Cat is taking a deep dive into the Viking age, looking at how it all started, how it all ended, and the stories we tell about those people from the north in between.
In this second episode, Cat tells how raiders, traders and settlers from Scandinavia succeeded over 300 years to make an indelible mark on Western Europe, with insights from some previous contributors to Gone Medieval.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Matthew Peaty and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Queen Elizabeth II has died after 70 years on the British throne.
Born in April 1926, Elizabeth Windsor became heir apparent, aged 10, when her uncle Edward VIII abdicated and her father George VI became king.
In 1947 – She married navy lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, a Greek Prince, at London’s Westminster Abbey before being crowned there in 1953 in the world’s first televised coronation.
In this special episode of Dan Snow’s History Hit, Dan is joined by historian Kate Williams to look at The Queen’s childhood, adolescence in WWII and the upbringing that made her a monarch admired around the world.
Producer: Charlotte Long
Audio editor: Dougal Patmore
Today’s episode of Gone Medieval is brought to you by Paradox Interactive, the creators of the game Crusader Kings III. In it, Matt Lewis explores all of the logistics of going on a Medieval crusade and how the first crusade played out.
Matt has been losing whole weekends to this game! If you want to experience the grand strategy adventure and delve into the world created by Crusader Kings III, be sure to take advantage of the free play weekend on Steam 8-12 September. Watch the trailer here.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Anisha Deva.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
September is Vikings month on Gone Medieval, as Dr. Cat Jarman presents a mini-series about her favourite, specialist subject. Over her next four episodes, Cat will be taking a deep dive into the Viking age, looking at how it all started, how it all ended, and the stories we tell about those people from the north in between.
In this first episode, Cat addresses all of the burning questions about the Vikings that you sent in via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the Medieval Monday newsletter. Asking the questions are Gone Medieval’s producers Elena and Rob.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Outside Medieval London’s city walls, Southwark was a land without rules. It was the place where people went to indulge their love of theatre, watch bear baiting and visit brothels. It was also under the control of the Bishop of Winchester.
In this edition of Gone Medieval - originally released as an episode of History Hit’s Betwixt the Sheets podcast - Matt Lewis talks with Dr. Kate Lister, about the sex workers of Southwark, once known as the Winchester Geese. They explore the role of the church and state in controlling Medieval sex work, and how this is mirrored today.
*WARNING There are adult themes and discussion of sex, abuse and abortion in this episode*
Produced by Charlotte Long, Sophie Gee and Rob Weinberg. Mixed by Seyi Adaobi.
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What really happened in Britain after the fall of Rome? How did people adapt to their new lives? How were new identities formed, and eventually kingdoms? And how and when did people convert to Christianity?In today’s Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman poses these questions to Professor Robin Fleming, who has been extensively researching the period.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Few kings have left more of an impression on the English - and then the British - nation as King Henry V, who died on 31 August 1422. The Battle of Agincourt in 1415 wove Henry V’s legend into the fabric of history. To many, he remains a hero, the exemplar of what a warrior-king should be. To others, Henry had a darker side that eclipses any glimmer of glory.
To mark the 600th anniversary of his death, Matt Lewis takes a look at both sides of Henry V’s reputation and considers how we assess people and their actions from the distant past with our modern sensibilities.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and mixed by Anisha Deva and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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In this episode of Gone Medieval, presenter Dr. Cat Jarman swaps seats and becomes the guest of Dr. Kate Lister’s brilliant podcast from History Hit, Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. In it, she delves into the topics that they didn’t teach you about in history lessons at school.
Today Cat answers everything Kate always wanted to know about sex and relationships in the Viking age - and it’s quite an eye-opener!
*WARNING! There is adult language and discussions of sexual assault in this episode.*
The Senior Producers were Charlotte Long and Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Sophie Long with Rob Weinberg.
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England, 1351. In the aftermath of the Pestilence, Gerard Fox - a young knight robbed of his ancestral home, his family name tarnished - sets forth to petition the one man who can restore his lands and reputation. Fox's road entangles him with an enigmatic woman, a priceless relic, and a dark family secret.
In today’s Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets #1 New York Times bestselling thriller writer Boyd Morrison who has teamed up with his sister Beth Morrison - senior curator of manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum - to find out about their first historical fiction novel together, a fast-paced adventure titled The Lawless Land.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
The unusual Anchor Church Caves in south Derbyshire were, until quite recently, thought to have been follies cut into the rock in the eighteenth century. But new research has revealed that they could date from the early ninth century - making them probably the oldest intact domestic interiors in the UK. They may well have even been lived in by a king who became a saint.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Professor Edmund Simons who been making use of innovative methods to date and understand better this and other Medieval cave dwellings.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, a profound transformation took place in the ways that the English language was spoken and words were pronounced. This “Great Vowel Shift” saw a change in the pronunciation of all Middle English long vowels, resulting in spellings of words that often deviated considerably from how they are pronounced.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Simon Roper - who makes videos about linguistics for YouTube - about the developments that led to the English language changing forever.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Early Medieval Britain was more Roman than we think. The Roman Empire left vast infrastructural resources, not least roads, walls and bridges. Why have they survived so well? And what did the people who lived here immediately after the Romans think of them and do with them?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Dr. Mateusz Fafinski about how the infrastructure the Romans left behind was used and adapted in the early Medieval period.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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How do you go about finding your way around the history of a nation and a national identity? For the barrister and author Dominic Selwood, documents are the perfect window through which to watch a country develop and change. His new book Anatomy of a Nation: A History of British Identity in 50 Documents explores more than 950,000 years of history by examining those documents that tell the story of what has made Britain unique.
In this podcast, Matt Lewis talks to Dominic Selwood particularly about the Medieval documents he’s chosen, including the Magna Carta, Joan of Arc’s letter to King Henry VI, and the emergence of the stories of King Arthur.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!
Archaeology has a lot to contribute to our knowledge and understanding of the so-called Dark Ages, and every now and then new sites are found in places where we previously knew nothing about the people who once lived there.
In today’s Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman goes to the Ministry of Defence land on Salisbury Plain to visit precisely one such site. There she meets Richard Osgood, senior archaeologist for the MoD who is excavating a seventh-century cemetery as part of Operation Nightingale which gives excavation opportunities to injured service personnel and veterans as part of their rehabilitation.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Seyi AdaobI and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
From an age in which women’s lives were obscured and poorly recorded, one shines brightly from the darkness. Eleanor of Aquitaine - born 900 years ago - has been the subject of scandal and legend for almost a millennium. Nevertheless, she played a central role in the pivotal events that defined nations and set relationships across Europe for centuries to come.
In this special explainer episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis recounts an incredible life, separating the myths from the facts to get to the real Eleanor of Aquitaine.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was mixed and edited by Rob Weinberg.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
The first of Greenland’s Viking settlements were established in the tenth century. But by the fifteenth century, they had all but vanished, their fate confounding generations of archaeologists. But new research has revealed that it was the trade in walrus ivory that was behind both their prosperity and decline.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Professor James Barrett, to discuss an enterprise that traversed East and West, but ultimately crashed as stocks ran out and elephant ivory became more accessible.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Parish churches were at the heart of English social life in the Middle Ages. But how did they come into existence? Who staffed them? And how were the buildings used?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Professor Nicholas Orme, whose new book Going to Church in Medieval England was shortlisted for the 2022 Wolfson History Prize, the UK’s most prestigious history writing award. Together, they explore how worship touched everyone’s lives, what happened in the daily and weekly services, and how churches marked festivals and the great events of life.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!
Trees have been universally important to humanity throughout history - not only as the source of fruits and nuts, but also wood for tools, weapons and buildings, and fuel for transport.
So integral were trees to early Medieval society that their names were used for places throughout England - such as Acton (oak settlement) or Ashby (ash farm).
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Jessica Treacher whose PhD research has been looking at the environmental and cultural role of trees and what we can learn from place-names about people’s relationship with nature in the Middle Ages.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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The twelfth and thirteenth centuries were a time when the close friendship or petty feuding between monarchs could determine the course of history. The Capetians of France and the Angevins of England waged war, made peace, and intermarried. The lands under English control once reached to within a few miles of Paris, and those ruled by the French, at their peak, crossed the Channel and encompassed London itself. Influential women of the two royal families - including Eleanor of Aquitaine and Blanche of Castille - helped create the familial bonds that shaped the fate of the two countries.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks with Dr. Catherine Hanley to trace the great clashes and occasional friendships of two intertwined dynasties that shaped the present and the future of England and France.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie, the Producer is Rob Weinberg. Edited and Mixed by Seyi Adaobi.
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Few early medieval gods are as well-known and as popular as Thor. He’s currently thrilling moviegoers worldwide with his new outing for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Love and Thunder. But behind the countless films and works of fiction, what’s the real origin story for Thor? How was he worshipped? And how has he secured such an enduring place in popular culture?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman speaks to Professor Carolyne Larrington, an expert in Norse literature and mythology, to find out more about the god behind the superhero.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Gardens and gardening are aspects of medieval life that rarely get much attention. But it was a period when those with a little more land created gardens for leisure and pleasure, a place in which to stroll or entertain friends.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis heads to Prebendal Manor in Northamptonshire, a unique house and garden steeped in history dating back to King Cnut. There, Matt meets the "Historic Gardener" Michael Brown to find out what medieval gardens looked like, what plants they grew and how were they tended without the benefits of modern tools.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Seyi Adaobi and produced by Rob Weinberg.
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Alfred the Great - King of the West Saxons and later King of all the English not under Scandinavian rule - is the only English King to be given the title “the Great”.
So why did he become such a legend that to become a British citizen you now have to answer questions about him?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to historian, TV producer and publisher Justin Pollard, whose book on Alfred the Great dubs him “the man who made England.”
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Thomas Ntinas and produced by Rob Weinberg.
For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!
When we think of fairy tales, we think of imprisoned maidens, turreted towers, magic spinning wheels, wicked witches and demonic dwarves and dragons. Much of the iconography of these stories, particularly those from Europe, dates back to Medieval times. Some of them, such as the story of Hansel and Gretel, are even rooted in specific events.
In today’s edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets author Nicholas Jubber whose book The Fairy Tellers reveals the surprising origins and people behind the world’s most influential magical tales.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was produced by Rob Weinberg and edited by Thomas Ntinas.
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All Saints’ Church in the village of Brixworth, Northamptonshire is one of the oldest, largest and most complete Anglo-Saxon churches in England. Founded in the eighth century, it has been described as “the finest Romanesque church north of the Alps.”
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman takes a fascinating tour around All Saints’ Church in the company of archaeologist Professor Mark Horton.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie, the Producer is Rob Weinberg. Edited and Mixed by Thomas Ntinas.
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Richard III is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays, often cited as the basis for the King’s reputation as a scheming murderer. But what do the Bard’s history plays tell us about the period they are set in and how that era was viewed in Shakespeare’s time? Are there allusions to Elizabethan figures in Richard III that Shakespeare knew his viewers would understand?
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis heads to Stratford-upon-Avon to catch up with director Greg Doran and Arthur Hughes - the first actor with a disability to play Richard III in a major production - to talk about the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new production of the iconic play.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited by Seyi Adaobi.
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Norwich Castle was designed by William the Conqueror to be a royal palace. But no Norman kings ever lived in it. Instead it became a gaol and then - in the Victorian era - a museum, which is today packed with archaeological finds that lift the lid on life in Anglo-Saxon East Anglia.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman takes an exclusive tour of Norwich Castle with Dr. Tim Pestell and learns more about its extraordinary history and collection.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited by Seyi Adaobi.
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An extraordinary discovery has been unearthed by archaeologists working alongside the HS2 rail project. The find, made at an undisclosed location near Wendover in the Chilterns, consists of a 5th-6th century burial site that has been described as one of the most important post-Roman, early medieval discoveries of our lifetime.
It offers the chance to see more clearly a part of British history that has been hidden from us until now. If there was a real, historical King Arthur, this is the part of history he's hiding within.
In this special episode, join our very own Dan Snow and Gone Medieval host Matt Lewis as they chat to the team behind the dig about some of their revelatory finds, and begin to see the people behind them, and the way they may have lived their lives.
A special thanks to HS2, INFRA and Fusion for giving History Hit special access behind the scenes!
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and mixed by Aidan Lonergan.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Between 1000 and 1500, European towns and cities started to take shape, impacting the lives of millions of people as different cultural, social and religious groups began to interact. But who was allowed to settle in a city and how was it decided who belonged?
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Professor Miri Rubin, author of Cities of Strangers: Making Lives in Medieval Europe, about migration into urban communities, how newcomers were treated and what happened when strangers became neighbours.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie.
The Producer was Rob Weinberg.
It was edited and mixed by Seyi Adaobi.
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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every two months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month.
Matt Lewis concludes his series on the Wars of the Roses with a look at a figure who is often divisive and misunderstood, despised or loved, but who might even be labelled as a winner, maybe the winner of the Wars of the Roses. Margaret Beaufort was the mother of Henry Tudor and the matriarch of England’s most famous dynasty. But the story of her early life gives no hint of what would follow.
To discuss Margaret Beaufort, Matt is joined by Nicola Tallis whose biography Uncrowned Queen is a must-read for anyone interested in this period or in understanding the Tudors.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and mixed by Seyi Adaobi.
For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here.
If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every two months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month.
When HM The Queen was crowned in 1953, her Coronation ceremony contained some subtle nods to another Queen who made history 1100 years earlier.
Princess Judith of Flanders was the first woman to be crowned as Queen among the West Saxons.
But her two royal marriages were not without controversy.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman finds out more about Queen Judith from medieval historian Florence Scott.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and mixed by Thomas Ntinas.
For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here.
If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's, The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every 2 months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month."
To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Matt Lewis revisits the fascinating story of Empress Matilda who came within a hair’s breadth of being crowned England’s first Queen regnant in the 12th century.
Sent away aged eight to match with the Holy Roman Emperor, Matilda represented status for her father and money for her intended. However, Matilda was independent, intelligent, educated and authoritative. Join medieval historian Dr. Catherine Hanley as she takes Matt through the early life of Matilda, her ascension to Empress and her changing position in the succession to the English throne.
For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's, The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every 2 months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month.
What do human remains - and the objects buried with them - tell us about people’s lives in Britain in the first millennium, what they thought about mortality, how they felt about loss, and what they believed came next?
The anthropologist and author Professor Alice Roberts has been exploring the ways in which Ancient Britons bade farewell to their dead, examining sites of Roman cremations and graveside feasts, richly furnished Anglo Saxon graves and the first Christian burial grounds in Wales.
In this episode Cat chats to Prof. Roberts about how combining archaeological finds with cutting-edge DNA research and written history sheds fresh light on how the dead lived.
For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's, The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every 2 months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month.
As part of our Wars of the Roses special month, there’s one family that demands more attention than they usually get: The Beauforts’.
The influence of the Beauforts’ in the Wars of the Roses can still be felt today, as Margaret Beaufort, the eventual heiress, gave birth to Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch.
Though like most things in history, it’s not straightforward, and it doesn’t help that our guest and host today disagree on pretty much everything to do with the Wars of the Roses.
Narrating this dramatic story, Matt Lewis is joined by author, Nathen Amin. The two delve deeper into the intriguing story of the Beauforts and the years of war and turmoil that followed. From bastards to princes, the Beauforts family tree is packed with some incredible characters.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and mixed by Thomas Ntinas.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out the rest in the Wars of the Roses series:
The Wars of the Roses: The Origins
The Wars of the Roses: Dynastic War
The Wars of the Roses: Endings
And if you want more from Nathan Amin on Gone Medieval, check out our very first episode, which Nathan was also the guest for: The Rise of King Henry VII
For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's, The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every 2 months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month
Rivers, Silk roads and camels - how did international trade adapt and survive beyond the Roman Empire into the middle ages? In today's episode Cat is joined by author Hilary Green to talk about her debut non-fiction book, "International Trade in the Middle Ages". Together they examine products like wool, silk, spices and salt - items we take for granted now, but materials that were once symbolic of status and wealth. What were the secret routes taken and how do we know about their journeys?
For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's, The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every 2 months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month.
All things must end. This final special episode on the Wars of the Roses deals with a series of endings and considers what finding a date for the end of the conflict means for how we think about this critical period. Lancaster will be revived, only to meet a final end. The House of York seems secure, but would fall, replaced by an unknown Welshman who had lived half his life in exile.
Does the arrival of the Tudor dynasty really mark the end of the Wars of the Roses? Or is that just the story that wanted everyone to believe? What of Lambert Simnel, Perkin Warbeck, the White Roses, and the papal plot to destroy Henry VIII by restoring the House of York? All things must end. The question is how and when did the Wars of the Roses end.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and sound designed by Aidan Lonergan.
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Early medieval royals ate mostly meat, right? Wrong! A new study that’s made headlines around the world has shown that medieval kings were largely vegetarian! To help shed light on this exciting new discovery, today Cat is joined by Dr Sam Leggett of the University of Edinburgh, a bio-archaeologist and the lead author of the study.
For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Join the History Hit Book Club in time for the June and July read of Charles Spencer's, The White Ship. Become part of a community of readers who are passionate about history and its thrilling lessons. Members read a new book every 2 months, and get a £5 Amazon voucher towards the cost of the book, as well as exclusive access to an online Q&A between History Hit presenters and the author in the second month.
Part one of this comprehensive trilogy covering the Wars of the Roses left the Yorkist lords attained and in exile. From this point, the 15th century civil wars were transformed into a bitter procession of dynastic clashes between the rival houses of Lancaster and York - the result of which would reforge England's destiny for centuries to come.
In part two, Matt Lewis explains how and why feuding nobles came to contest the very crown of England, explores the rise of the House of York and examines the problems it faced by the end of the 1460s as Edward IV fell out with his powerful cousin the Earl of Warwick - whose name echoes through history as the Kingmaker.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and sound designed by Aidan Lonergan.
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Margery Kempe was an English Christian mystic, known for writing "The Book of Margery Kempe", a work considered by some to be the first autobiography in the English language. She's also thought to be the first case of schizophrenia.
In honour of Mental Health Awareness week, Dr Cat Jarman is joined by Dr Alison Torn from Leeds Trinity University to explore Margery's complicated legacy and whether it's appropriate to view Kempe’s 15th century life through a 21st century understanding of mental health.
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The Wars of the Roses is a complex and fascinating period of English history that dominates the second half of the 15th century and leads to the rise of the Tudor dynasty. It’s often characterised as a dynastic struggle between Lancaster and York, but it was much more than that.
In this first part of three special episodes, Matt Lewis details the origins of the conflict and how it erupted into open war. Episodes 2 and 3 will explore the events of the conflict, but this is a chance to get to grips with how, and why, it all began.
The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited and sound designed by Annie Coloe.
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In Norse mythology, the Valkyries determine who lived and who died on the battlefield. Translated as “Chooser of the Fallen” in Old Norse, they’re often depicted as supernatural women who guide the souls of deceased soldiers worthy enough of a place in Valhalla, to feast with the god Odin.
Today, Dr Cat Jarman is joined by Dr Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir, a medievalist and literary researcher based at the National Library of Norway. Together they explore who the Valkyries were, the purpose they served in reassuring Viking soldiers to go to war, and what the myths can tell us about the lives of real Viking women.
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In today’s Gone Medieval podcast, Matt Lewis joins Dallas Campbell - host of our sister podcast Patented: History of Inventions - to explore the role of medieval monks in inventing. Seeing scientific and philosophical investigation as a way to get closer to God - despite the threat of being labelled a heretic - monks were considered masters of invention. Together, they explain how monks navigated this balance and tell the story of Roger Bacon, a friar credited with designing the magnifying glass and who also predicted cars, powered ships and manned flight.
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Histories of India usually concern themselves with events and invasions in the subcontinent’s North, while the rest of India’s rich story is often reduced down to little more than dry footnotes.
Now historian and Indian history podcast presenter Anirudh Kanisetti has brought to light the early medieval period in the Deccan Plateau - between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal - when the region was transformed by the Chalukya dynasty, shaping life in southern India for centuries.
In this edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman is at the Jaipur Literature Festival where she meets Anirudh Kanisetti to find out why his work means the history of the subcontinent will never be seen in the same way again.
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The term “Middle Ages” is commonly used but really only applies to a Western European view of history. It was created at the beginning of the Early Modern period in England to categorise what had gone before.
The acclaimed historian Peter Frankopan is widening the geographic focus to understand the period in world history as a whole, and counter a Euro-centric perspective that has dominated and shaped our view of the past.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Peter Frankopan joins Matt Lewis to explore where the real centre of global geography sat then, and why life on our own doorstep is important - but far from the whole story.
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The Northman now showing in UK cinemas is an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father's murder. Its director Robert Eggers has described it as the “most accurate Viking movie ever made." But what does "accuracy" mean for a historical blockbuster? And how is it achieved?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman talks to Professor Neil Price, an archaeologist specialising in Viking Age Scandanavia. He was one of the historical advisors on The Northman and explains what they did to get the period just right for modern audiences.
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Easter today is marked by chocolate eggs and two Bank Holidays - in the Medieval world it had a deeply spiritual significance.
But it wasn’t without its share of celebration and merrymaking too.
In this episode, Matt Lewis explains the origins of many Easter traditions in the Medieval period, and how our ancestors knew how to fuse together religious worship with a bit of fun.
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Little has been known up until now about the involvement and power of women during the Crusader period. When Saladin's armies besieged Jerusalem in 1187, behind the city walls a last-ditch defense was being led by an unlikely trio - including Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem. She was the last of a line of formidable female rulers in the Crusader States of Outremer - a world where women conducted diplomatic negotiations, made military decisions, forged alliances, rebelled, and undertook architectural projects. In today's episode, Gone Medieval goes to India! Cat is on location at the Jaipur Literature Festival where she is joined by Katherine Pangonis, a historian and author specialising in the medieval world of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Together they explore some of the women who dared to rule.
Katherine Pangonis is the author of Queens of Jerusalem: The Women Who Dared to Rule, published by Orion Publishing Co.
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Genghis Khan is still considered one of the most famous and most feared warrior kings in history. But his name still divides opinion. To some, he was the ruthless conqueror of great civilisations, for others a hero who united nomadic tribes and created an enlightened empire. But who was the real Genghis Khan? In today's episode, Matt is joined by historian and author John Man who takes us through the rise, character, and conquests of Genghis, delving into the life of one of the most recognisable names of the Middle Ages.
John Man, author of Genghis Khan: Life, Death, and Resurrection. Published by St Martins Pr (2005).
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1,900 miles west of South America and 1,250 miles from any other population centre, Easter Island - or Rapa Nui - is world famous for its monolithic stone statues. But new evidence indicates that the isle's infamous prehistoric 'societal collapse' may actually be a myth.
With the help of fresh techniques and research, Robert DiNapoli and his team from Binghamton University in the US have found that descendants of Polynesian seafarers who settled Easter Island in the 13th century continued to erect statues for at least 150 years past 1600 - the date long hailed as the start of societal collapse. In this episode Cat is joined by Robert DiNapoli to learn more about his remarkable findings.
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In 1216, at the adolescent age of nine, Henry became King Henry III of England. With his father, King John passing, right amid the First Barons’ War, Henry was left to inherit his mantle and all the chaos that came with it. But how did the young King rule the country? In this episode, Matt is joined by a leading authority on the history of Britain, David Carpenter, to delve into the first half of King Henry's reign.
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Several large kingdoms were formed in the Viking-Age period, the best known settlements being in Ireland and York. Dublin became a thriving hub for western Viking expansion and trade. New discoveries of silver and other items show that traded commodities traveled vast distances, but how interconnected were these towns? And how much were they a part of a greater Viking network? In this episode, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined by Dr. Tom Horne, author of 'A Viking Market Kingdom in Ireland and Britain'.
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A gap in knowledge - both of stories and artefacts - provides a frustrating block when looking into the past. But, a new report, based on the use of statistics, is hoping to shine a light on some of these hidden mysteries. This week Matt is joined by Dr Katarzyna Anna Kapitan from the University of Oxford who talks Matt through her fascinating research, from finding out that medieval romance manuscripts were recycled into Bishop's mitres to the masses of Icelandic manuscripts discovered preserved across Europe.
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The dynamics in everyday life in the Medieval period may seem drastically different compared to how we live today. From traditions, gender, power, and religion, advancements in the present seem rapid. But do we have more in common with those of the past than we realise? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Cat is joined by Elizebeth Boyle. Elizebeth is a historian and author who specialises in the intellectual, literary, and religious culture of Britain and Ireland, with a particular focus on Ireland from the seventh to twelfth centuries. We study the past, comparing experiences, individual and personal stories, to see if we can learn from those who have resided before us.
Elizebeth Boyle is author of ‘Fierce Appetites: Loving, losing and living to excess in my present and in the writings of the past’, published by Sandycove.
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It's hard to imagine the familiar places around you disappearing forever. But all across Britain, there are once inhabited towns and buildings that disappeared under the sea, were decimated by plagues, or simply abandoned - leaving no trace of their existence. With discussions of the horrors of climate change, young archaeologists buying entire fields on a hunch, and hidden medieval wine cellars along the south coast, the lost history of Britain is slowly uncovered. On this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt is joined by Matthew Green to discuss this fascinating phenomenon as featured in his new book, Shadowlands: a Journey Through Lost Britain'.
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Assassin's Creed: Valhalla has brought the Viking Age to life in stunning detail, and now the game is even being used as an educational tool!
Maxime Durand is World-Design Director at Ubisoft and the mind behind the hit franchise's Discovery Tour, which is a fun way to learn about history in the game's virtual world. Our very own Dr Cat Jarman acted as a historical consultant for the game, making sure it was as accurate as possible. In this episode she sits down with Maxime to discuss the value of historical gaming as an educator as well as a form of entertainment.
AC: Valhalla's latest update 'Dawn of Ragnarok' dropped just last week and is available on all major platforms!
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How would you rule an early medieval dynasty? Maybe you'll send your spymaster to dig around for secrets or champion honestly to keep stress levels down. Remembering with every decision made consequences could have a ripple effect on entire medieval worlds; for generations to come. Crusader King III is an immersive grand strategy role-playing game, allowing you to rule from the comfort of your sofa. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt is joined by Alexander Oltner, Game Director at Paradox Games for Crusader King III. With a new extension pack Royal Courts, we explore the unique RPG and its history-driven gameplay.
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We've all heard epic tales of early medieval kings, but what about the queens? It doesn't get much more spectacularly brutal than Brunhild and Fredegund, two sixth century queens who fought a bloody civil war against one another that lasted no less than four decades.
The rival matriarchs commanded armies, developed taxation policies, established infrastructure and negotiated with emperors and popes... yet their story has been largely forgotten, until now. In this episode for International Women's Day, host, Dr Cat Jarman is joined by award-winning poet and writer Shelley Puhak, whose new book The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World tells this gripping tale of power, ambition and murderous rivalry in early medieval France.
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24th of February 2022 marked the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This episode of Gone Medieval looks at the origins of its capital city, Kyiv, and how today it has become central to this ongoing conflict. Host Matt Lewis is joined by Dr. Olenka Pevny from the University of Cambridge. Together, they discuss the emergence of the Rus people, the consequences of the Mongols' arrival into the region - and ultimately how this period of medieval history has influenced eastern European relationships and the modern day geopolitical stability of eastern Europe.
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The historic cathedral town of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk may well be familiar to listeners to Gone Medieval - perhaps from our episode 'Saint Edmuntd: England's Lost King' or the town’s mention during our hunt for the 'Viking Great Heathen Army' on Dan Snow's History Hit. In its heyday, Bury St Edmunds served as a significant and life-changing place of pilgrimage. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Cat is on location, exploring Bury St Edmunds’ landmarks, including what was one of the richest and largest Benedictine monasteries in England. She’s joined by archaeologist Adrian Tindall, Chair of the Bury St Edmunds Association of Registered Tour Guides.
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1066 is a year carved into the history of western Europe. It radically transformed the cultural, political and built landscape of England in a way that is hard to overstate - and yet its immediate aftermath is often forgotten. By Domesday, just 20 years later, around 94 percent of England's land remained in the hands of the Normans and their allies, and their children would inherit its vast majority.
So what became of those Anglo-Saxons who were too young to fight in 1066? In this episode Matt is joined by Dr Eleanor Parker, author of the fascinating new book Conquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England, to find out more about the fates, fortunes and misfortunes of those last people born and raised in pre-conquest England.
Eleanor's book is available on Amazon here.
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Charlemagne is labelled by many as the most ambitious ruler in Europe prior to Napoleon - but what do we really know about him? A 46 year long rule beginning at the end of the 8th Century, responsible for a cultural and intellectual renaissance - what can we learn from the sources about Charlemagne and his own personal history? This week Cat is joined by Rosamond McKitterick to discuss Charlemagne's life, legacy, and shine some light on one of the most influential rules in European history.
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Throughout Medieval history, figures like Joan of Arc, Henry VIII, and William the Conqueror are commonly forefront when many think of the middle ages. However, some important figures and families are a mystery, and The Warenne Earls of Surrey are no exception. In this episode, Matt is joined by historian and author Sharon Bennett Connolly to focus on one of the richest dynasties in the world to date. From their extensive family tree, wealthy origins, and abrupt end, we explore the history of this influential family.
Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey, book by Sharon Bennett Connolly
Alfred the Great (r. 871-899) is without a doubt one of the best-known and most admired kings of early medieval England. We know quite a lot about his life, not least because he had a biography written about himself while he was still alive. However, we know very little about what happened to his remains after he died. The search for King Alfred's remains has involved some highly dubious antiquarians and quite a bit of detective work. Now, modern methods may have made a breakthrough. In this episode Cat discusses what may have become of Alfred's bones with Dr Katie Tucker, the osteoarchaeologist who has led a new search for the tomb of Alfred the Great.
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Valentine's Day has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love across the world. With the oldest surviving Valentine's letter confessing undying love being over 500 years old, we take a look at some extraordinary Valentine stories. In this special episode of Gone Medieval, Matt and Cat join forces! From Viking age romance, revenge, arson, and even bribery. Matt and Cat compete for the best medieval Valentine's saga. Do you have any Medieval love stories you would like to share with us?
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Justice; the principle that people receive that which they deserve. But what did this mean for women when dealing with Medieval Law? In today's episode of Gone Medieval, Cat is joined by historian and author Teresa Phipps as we draw upon legal records. Examining women's involvement in crime and the legal system. How were women represented in late-medieval England?
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During the early hours of February 13 1322, disaster struck at the vast cathedral on the Isle of Ely in Cambridgeshire, known now as the Ship of the Fens. At around three or four in the morning, the building's huge central tower collapsed with a mighty crash, falling where the monks had only recently been celebrating mass.
As this year marks the 700th anniversary of the disaster–and it's the reason for the unusual replacement tower seen at Ely today–for this episode, Matt sits down with art and architectural historian Dr James Alexander Cameron to find out more about the night disaster struck at one of Britain's best-loved cathedrals.
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To mark the US release of our very own Dr Cat Jarman’s incredible book River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads, sit back and relax as she takes us a whistle-stop tour of her captivating Sunday Times bestseller.
From Sweden to Ukraine and from London to Constantinople, the Vikings certainly got about! But how much of a link was there between the western and eastern Viking worlds? By joining the dots of fascinating new archaeological evidence, pioneering research and reassessments of traditional sources, Dr Cat reveals that many of the stories we are traditionally told about the Viking Age might not quite be as true as they seem.
Order Dr Cat's book today: https://www.amazon.co.uk/River-Kings-Times-Book-Year/dp/0008353115/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
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The Middle Ages were a period of exploration in medicine, but it didn't come without risk. The lack of understanding when it came to sanitation and cleanliness resulted in disaster and even death for many. But how far have we come? In this episode, Matt is joined by author Juliana Cummings who specialises in Tudor and medieval history. We delve into the myths and misconceptions around medieval medicine, exploring this period of medical learning. From physicians to barber-surgeons, we gain a better understanding of how they approached healing.
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While Braveheart isn't known for its historical accuracy - there is one surprising fact it gets dramatically wrong. In the medieval period, the large formidable horses often depicted riding into battle were actually no bigger than a modern day pony. This week Cat is joined by Oliver Creighton and Alan Outram from the University of Exeter to discuss their new, fascinating findings into this topic. Working along side other research teams, they have been able to extract and analyse DNA from horse skeletons at over 171 different archaeological sites to bring a new light onto medieval warhorses.
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If you travelled back in time to the Medieval period this very second, do you think you would survive? The short answer is probably not. If you weren't wearing a hat, wore glasses on the street, or even laced your corset in the wrong way, things would go south for you very quickly. Luckily, this week Matt is joined by Toni Mount, author of the book 'How to Survive in Medieval England' who provides an insight on what it would take to avoid beatings, homelessness, and hunger in Medieval times.
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If you've watched a film or TV show about vikings recently, you may well have noticed a distinctive hairstyle featuring an undercut and a ponytail. But is this actually a realistic depiction? And, do we really know much about viking hair at all?
Luckily, we certainly know a lot about viking grooming, not least because Norsemen were said to be popular with Anglo-Saxon women thanks to their (relative) cleanliness! What we know about viking hair, hygiene and grooming can actually tell us a lot about the Viking age as a whole. Alas in this episode, Cat sits down with Dr Steve Ashby, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of York, to find out more about this hairy subject.
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Knights in their armour is one of the most enduring images of the Middle Ages, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind and a role that many of us would have played at as children.
Yet surprisingly, there are no surviving examples of English armour from this period that we know of in the world. So how do we know what armour English knights donned on the battlefield? In this episode, Matt is joined by Toby Capwell, Curator of Arms and Armour at the Wallace Collection, who has used alternative sources of evidence to help reveal the lost world of Medieval English steel.
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The Kingdom of the Franks was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe, ruled by the Franks during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. But how did it fare against Viking attacks? From the changes in travel, early raids, exports, and trades, we look at this kingdom and its Viking activity through a different lens. In this episode, Cat is joined by Christian Cooijmans. Christian is a British Academy Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool, with his research focusing on the reach and repercussions of Viking endeavors across mainland Europe. We examine and challenge the widely accepted central interpretations of Viking activity in northern continental Europe.
Christian Cooijmans, author of Monarchs and Hydrarchs: The Conceptual Development of Viking Activity across the Frankish Realm. Published by Routledge.
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Joan of Arc is a name that’s instantly recognisable to most. A controversial figure in her own day, she has remained so ever since, often being adopted as a talisman of French nationalism.
But how much do we really know—or understand—about the young woman who ignited France’s fightback against England during the Hundred Years’ War, but who paid the ultimate price at the age of just 19? To get to the heart of the real ‘Maid of Orléans’, Matt is joined in this episode by Dr Hannah Skoda, a Fellow and Tutor in Medieval History at the University of Oxford.
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Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It’s a condition that can have a devastating effect on those who catch it, affecting the skin, the eyes, the peripheral nerves and the respiratory tract in people of all ages.
It’s also a disease with a lot of stigma and myths attached to it, many of them dating back to the Middle Ages. The image of the medieval leper as an outcast from society is a familiar one—but is it accurate? To find out more Cat chats with Dr Simon Roffey, a Reader in Medieval Archaeology at the University of Winchester.
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In the medieval world, January 1 wasn’t actually New Year’s Day (that was March 25), but the anniversary of Jesus’s circumcision (according to the church). In fact, unlike many Christmas traditions, there’s very little in the way of New Years traditions we still do today that have medieval origins. Nevertheless, this was still a time of feasts, parties, and the medieval equivalent of the Black Friday sales (think less angry queues and more nobility buying themselves fancy swords and jewel encrusted model ships). In this special episode, Matt Lewis explains what medieval society got up to around this time of year, and why medieval new year was actually March 25.
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Music:
Able - Joseph S Greenier, David John Vanacore
Walk Tall - Johannes Bornlof
Dreams of Tomorrow - Daniel James Nolan
Godsend - Johannes Bornlof
Galivant - Bradley Andrew Segal, Bong H. Jung, Chang Wooi Kang
Reverse - Matthew Burnette Heath, Noel Arthur Goff, Kristen Lee Agee
We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Kevin MacLeod / unknown (english christmas carol), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Worst - Brian Scott Carr, Kristen Lee Agee
Vad Rost, Vad Ljuvlig Rost Jag Hor - Kurt Lyndon
Vikings are often depicted as fearless warriors, but they were not immune to the harsh realities of northern weather. They not only survived in countries like Greenland and Iceland but thrived. How did they adapt to the unforgiving ice and snow? In this episode, Cat is Joined by Medievalist James McMullen as we explore elements of Viking settlement and winter survival. From insulating clothing, skating, and saga sources to social adaptations and hosting.
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Ever wondered why we call Christmas, ‘Christmas’? And why it’s celebrated on the 25th December? Or maybe where the Christmas tree came from, the Yule log, the nativity, Father Christmas and even the advent calendar?
Well you might be surprised to learn they’re all rooted in medieval traditions. From the bringing in of evergreen trees to hold on to a symbol of new life to come, to a Greek 4th century bishop giving out presents to all the children who had been good that year.
Grab some nibbles and a drink of choice, and let our host Matt Lewis, take you on a journey through a medieval Christmas.
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To download, go to Android or Apple store.
Music:
Agne Parthene - Pavlos Karpalos, St Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Michael Georgiou Alexandros Gkikas, Matthew Tomko and Thom Ntinas
For many of us, our Christmas traditions have been passed down generations. Whether we realise it or not. But where could some of these traditions originate from, and could some go back to the Viking age? In today’s episode, Cat is joined by cultural historian Herleik Baklid to discuss midwinter traditions and cultural practices, especially those from Scandinavia. Will you be partying like a Viking this holiday?
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Nonconforming beyond the limitations of what's typically expected of men and women has been happening for many centuries. A part of history and tradition which, some might say, even crossed into religion. But focusing on the years 200–1400 C.E, how were non-binary identities defined? In this episode, Matt is joined by professor and author Leah Devin. Leah talks about their new book and the research surrounding it. Author of 'The Shape of Sex', they delve into the history of nonbinary sex, from its embrace in early Christianity to the attempted erasure at the turn of the thirteenth century.
If you’re enjoying this podcast and looking for more fascinating Medieval content then subscribe to our Medieval Monday newsletter here.
If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit.
To download, go to Android or Apple store
What is a perpendicular church? In this episode, Cat is on location! Invited by expert stonemason Andrew Ziminski to a spectacular perpendicular church in Steeple Ashton in Wiltshire, Andrew takes us on a guided tour. From honky punks to secret libraries. We learn all about what makes this perpendicular church unique and stonemasonry as a medieval trade, showing us how Britain's buildings offer unexpected and special insights into our history.
Andrew Ziminski, author of 'The Stonemason: A History of Building Britain', published by John Murray in 2020.
if you’re enjoying this podcast and looking for more fascinating Medieval content then subscribe to our Medieval Monday newsletter here.
Heralds and Heraldry share many aspects of modern sport today, from colourful kits to large gatherings of cheering crowds. But what did it mean to have a coat of arms, and what role did Heralds have in Medieval society? In this episode, Matt is joined by Peter O'Donoghue. Peter currently serves as York Herald of Arms in Ordinary at the College of Arms and will be sharing his knowledge of the development and significance of this system.
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Queen Cynethryth of Mercia was one of the most distinguished rulers of Anglo Saxon Britain. Wife to King Offa, ruler of the Mercians (the most powerful kingdom in Anglo-Saxon Britain) and the only woman to have coinage minted in her image. So how did she end up in Cookham Monastery in Berkshire? After the exciting excavation and discovery of the monastery this past summer, Cynethryth’s story is finally being told. In today’s episode, Cat is joined by Professor Gabor Thomas, an associate professor in archaeology at the University of Reading, and the archaeologist in charge of excavating the Cookham Monastery. Together they discuss Cynethrtyh’s importance as a medieval Queen and the roles medieval monasteries played beyond being a place of worship.
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Battles, murders, and forgotten treasures - the Burgundians lived life like an episode of Game of Thrones. Once one of the most powerful kingdoms in Western Europe, they are now known as a vanished empire. This week Matt is joined by historian and author Bart van Loos to discuss who exactly were the Burgundians, their contribution to history and culture, and together they examine how a kingdom once the epicentre of trade and art, could fall through the gaps of our knowledge.
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Ibn Fadlan might be familiar to many based on modern-day renditions from films such as The 13th Warrior. Ibn Traveled from Bagdad to Russia, journaling his encounters and cultural observations. Amazingly his manuscripts were preserved, but what do we know about him? In this episode, Cat is joined by historian Tonicha Upham who specialises in Arab Sources. Tonicha delves into the life, text, and impact of Ibn Fadlan's. From translations, the Soviet Union, and even Nazi-occupied Norway. How has Ibn's legacy been kept alive?
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Monks. We know that they dedicated their lives to serving God, but what did it mean to be a Monk? In today's, episode Matt is joined by the Five-Minute Medievalist, Danièle Cybulskie. Author, historian, and Podcaster (to name a few), Danièle is well known to many Medieval history enthusiasts. We explore the lives of Monks, from mindfulness to identity and purpose. What can we learn from the Monks, to be happier in today's world?
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Music by: Katcamusic
Title: Spiritual Lords
If you're lucky enough to find some 'treasure', you're legally obliged to report it. A coroner then decides whether it's actually treasure. Yes, there's a legal definition of treasure, and you can't just pocket it, even if you've found it. This goes for all the amazing finds, mostly from metal detectorists over the years, including the Crusader's Sword, the Galloway Hoard, and the Ringlemere Cup. Though not everyone plays by the rules, and there have been plenty of scandals in cases like the Herefordshire Hoard, where pieces were stolen and sold to dealers.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr Cat Jarman is joined by Professor Michael Lewis, Head of Portable Antiquities & Treasure at The British Museum to define what treasure is, what happens if you've found some and more about the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which gets involved when a piece might not be legally considered treasure, but still holds some cultural or historic value
The Medieval period saw the advancement of many countries, evolving to the provinces in Europe that we know today; Scotland is no different. In this episode, Cat is joined by Dr. Adrian Maldonado, an Archeologist and Glenmorangie Research Fellow at National Museums Scotland. With the birth of kingdoms such as Alba, Strathclyde, Galloway, and the Norse Earldom of Orkney, what can the artefacts and materials tell us about the emergence of Scotland?
Adrian Maldonado is the author of 'Crucible of Nations: Scotland from Viking-age to Medieval kingdom', published by NMSE - Publishing Ltd
Medieval manuscripts can shed light on some of the most important events of the past. But what about the physical manuscripts themselves? And what can they tell us about the people who made them? In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt is joined by author Mary Wellesley as they examine the extraordinary work of the people behind the text.
Mary Wellesley is the author of Hidden Hands: The Lives of Manuscripts and Their Makers, published by Quercus Publishing.
Richard III of England is one of medieval history's most controversial figures. He is known to many as a tyrant, a sleazy, greedy king who even murdered his nephew. But how much of this is true? This episode of Gone Medieval is a little different, as our very own Ricardian Matt Lewis takes us through the story of Richard III. Did England need saving from this alleged horrid king?
Matt Lewis is the author of Richard III: Loyalty Binds Me, published by Amberley Publishing.
The word 'medieval' is often used to describe backward ideas and opinions, but why is this the case? The middle ages was a time of life-changing advancements in the world of science. Cat is joined by Seb Falk, a historian, broadcaster, and lecturer at the University of Cambridge, as they debunk misconceptions about medieval science and the church.
Seb Falk is the author of The Light Ages: A Medieval Journey, published by Penguin.
During the night of the 25 November in 1120, a routine crossing of the English Channel went catastrophically wrong. The White Ship disaster saw approximately 300 people perish, including King Henry I’s only legitimate son and heir. Charles Spencer talks to Matt Lewis about the tragedy, which caused a dynastic disaster and uncertain turmoil in England and Normandy, 900 years ago. Find out the consequences of that fateful night, what was discovered during about a recent dive in the search for the White Ship, and why it’s believed Henry I is buried under a school in Reading.
Earl Spencer’s book, The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream, is out now.
Despite being a key part of society and everyday life, medieval sexuality was probably left out of your history lessons at school. But how much do we really know about these very private aspects of life in the Middle Ages? Dr Cat Jarman is joined by historian Dr Eleanor Janega from the London School of Economics, who tells us all about medieval sex toys, religious rules, sex workers and more. Please be aware there are adult themes in this episode.
Eleanor’s book, The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, is out now
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.