Gone Medieval
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. New episodes every Tuesday and Friday. A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, The Ancients, and Betwixt the Sheets. History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™ 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
How did medieval builders create monuments that still leave us awestruck? How were vast cathedrals, temples and cities constructed and embellished?
From Canterbury Cathedral and the palaces of Great Zimbabwe and Venice, to Cambodia's Angkor Wat, some of the greatest achievements of the middle ages depended on extraordinary stonemasons.
Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Simon Warrack to hear the inside stories of the exquisite craftsmans...
Was Henry III overthrown by England's first constitutional revolution? How did Simon de Montfort's rebellion change the course of history?
In 1258, a revolutionary movement stripped Henry III of his authority, plunging England into a bitter crisis and a brutal civil war. As Henry fought to suppress an uprising in France, his queen Eleanor of Provence emerged as one of the most formidable political figures of the age.
David Carpenter ...
Was Queen Guinevere a traitorous adulteress who caused the tragic downfall of Camelot, or a complex political survivor? Was she even real? Dr. Eleanor Janega and Arthurian expert Dr. Mary Bateman explore the changing faces of King Arthur’s legendary wife. They discuss her early mythological Welsh roots, scandalous 'affairs' with Lancelot and Mordred, and how medieval queens used this powerful romantic legend for their own rea...
How did a nine-year-old boy save England from the brink of collapse? How did he transform a disastrous legacy into a remarkably stable reign?
When King John died in 1216, civil war raged, barons invited a French prince to seize the throne, and the new monarch Henry III was just nine years old. Against all odds, the boy king navigated rebellion, rebuilt royal authority after Magna Carta, and laid the foundations for one of the longes...
**WARNING: This episode contains explicit language and sexual content
How did prostitution become so visible in medieval towns? How could sex work flourish, sometimes in the very same buildings as schools, churches and markets?
Prostitutes were a familiar presence in medieval cities, raising fascinating questions about morality, religion, law and urban life.
Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Kate Lister, host of our sister podcast B...
Matt Lewis and guest Dr Eleanor Barraclough as they dive into the turbulent world of late 10th-century Scandinavia and the extraordinary life of Olaf Tryggvason. Exiled, enslaved, raider, and eventually king of Norway, Olaf was a force of nature in an age of shifting loyalties, pagan beliefs, and rising Christianity. From Kievan Rus to the British Isles, this episode traces his violent rise and his brutal drive to convert Norway an...
How was folklore woven into the everyday life of medieval Icelanders? How did they make sense of the darkness of their world?
During Iceland's endless nights, tales of trolls, ghosts, elves, hidden people and restless spirits were far more than entertainment: they explained an unpredictable existence, preserved history, and warned against unseen dangers.
Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir, to explore the extraor...
What if “High King” in medieval Ireland was less a fixed office than a fiercely contested prize, won through ritual, lineage, and force? On the Hill of Tara, a would-be ruler climbs toward the Stone of Destiny, hoping for the legendary cry that marks him as chosen.
Matt Lewis and Dr Seán Ó Hoireabhárd explore a world of multiple kings, turn-taking dynasties, cattle raiding, and shifting power between church, Nor...
What was life really like for working peasant women in the Middle Ages? How did family, marriage, work and social class shape their choices, joys and struggles?
Taking a break from the usual queens, noblewomen and saints of the Medieval period, Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Catherine Hanley to explore the unsung experiences of mothers and daughters, wives, widows and women workers across medieval society.
MORE
The Anarchy: D...
What does it take to face a Danish invasion and fight for a kingdom in just 222 days?
In 1016, England is at war as Edmund Ironside meets Cnut for a crown on the line. Matt Lewis and Dr David McDermott trace a young warrior king who fought six battles, won his name for speed and strength, and held the field at Sherston, Brentford, and beyond.
MORE
Æthelstan: First King of the English
King Cnut &a...
How did an empress become the most dangerous claimant to the English throne?
From the Battle of Lincoln to her legendary escape from Oxford Castle, Matilda was a formidable political actor whose legacy shaped the Plantagenet dynasty.
Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Professor Elisabeth van Houts to explore Matilda’s imperial upbringing, her contested claim after Henry I’s death, the infamous White Ship disaster, and the bru...
In 1302, an army of Flemish townsmen achieved the impossible. At the Battle of the Golden Spurs, infantry armed with pikes and determination crushed the mounted knights of Kingdom of France in one of the greatest military upsets of the Middle Ages.
Matt Lewis is joined by Danièle Cybulski to uncover the truth behind this classic David v Goliath story. Why did France invade Flanders? How did ordinary craftsmen defeat Europe's mos...
Why did a young Roman nobleman reject status and education for a life of prayer, solitude and discipline?
St Benedict’s quiet choices would go on to shape the future of Western civilisation. His is a story of medieval Christianity, monastic life, hospitality, order, prayer and work — and of a different kind of greatness.
Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Tim Larsen to explore the extraordinary life and legacy of St Bene...
Was King Stephen a weak ruler who plunged England into chaos, or an unlucky monarch trapped by impossible circumstances? How did one disputed succession unleash nearly two decades of civil war, betrayal and brutality, which inspired George R. R. Martin's House of the Dragon?
Matt Lewis and Professor Carl Watkins explore the troubled reign of the king whose seizure of the throne in 1135 helped ignite the devastating conflict remember...
What starts as a shocking street murder in Paris turns into one of the most vicious civil wars in medieval Europe?
Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Professor Justine Firnhaber-Baker to unravel the blood-soaked conflict between Burgundy and the Armagnacs, a struggle triggered by assassination, fuelled by propaganda, and made more dangerous by a mad king, a divided court and a war-torn France.
They explore the brutal killing of Louis of ...
What if Scotland’s story began with a miracle in battle, a white cross in the sky, and a kingdom forged through war, faith and sheer ambition?
Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Murray Pittock to race through medieval Scotland, from the Saltire’s legendary origins to Picts, Gaels, Vikings and the rise of Alba. They trace how a patchwork of peoples became a nation.
MORE
Viking Siege of Dumbarton
What really made a royal bastard, and could illegitimacy be a path to power as much as a barrier?
Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Lauren Johnson, author of Margaret Beaufort; Survivor, Rebel, Kingmaker to dive into the scandalous world of medieval illegitimacy. They trace how the label of “bastard” developed, why it could upend inheritance, how an explosive accusations could turn the tables of power and how royal children...
How did a nomadic people from the Steppes become one of the great powers of the medieval Middle East?
Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Nicholas Morton to explore the rise of the Seljuk Turks, the nomadic horsemen who carved out a vast empire, toppled old powers, and helped reshape the world of the Crusades. Along the way, they ask how the Seljuks conquered so much so fast, why mounted archers were so hard to defeat, and how a nomadic conf...
What happened when Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II joined forces, and why did it set medieval Europe on fire?
Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis break out of the Gone Medieval dungeon to explore the dramatic rise of the Plantagenets, from a demonic family legend in Anjou to the dazzling court of Poitiers and the whirlwind marriage that united vast French lands. Expect romance, rivalry, and a dynasty built on ambition, power, and sc...
What really went on at the court of King William Rufus?
William the Conqueror's son and successor was fierce and ruthless. He taxed heavily, refused to conform to the ideals of kingship, and reportedly presided over a court of extravagant young men and sexual licentiousness. But how much of Rufus's reputation was shaped by the monks that despised him?
Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Tom Licence, to explore the life, reign and shock...
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