Gone Medieval

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King Arthur's Sex Life Jan 15, 2024

Show notes

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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Medieval Anatomy Jan 11, 2024

Show notes

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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Harold Godwinson Jan 08, 2024

Show notes

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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Tower of London: Most Infamous Prisoners Jan 04, 2024

Show notes

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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How To Keep Fit in the Middle Ages Jan 01, 2024

Show notes

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 Dec 28, 2023

Show notes

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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The Rise of Christianity Dec 25, 2023

Show notes

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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What Food Did Medieval People Eat? Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

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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Medieval Humour at Christmas Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

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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Richard I's Consort: Berengaria of Navarre Dec 14, 2023

Show notes

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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