Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

When we think about Greek and Roman beauty, we think of marble statues of huge men with tiny...feet. But what did it mean to be a beautiful woman? What role did their ideas of ugliness play in these ideas? And how did Christianity throw a curveball in all of this? Taking us back to this world is Caroline Vout, author of Exposed: The Greek and Roman Body , to give us a learned glimpse beneath the t...

We often think of the witch trials as something in the deep and distant past. But, as we'll hear in today's episode, the attitudes and behaviour that led to witch trials is as present today as it was then. In this third and final episode of our limited series, Inside the Witch Trials , we go back to Salem, Massachusetts, to find out how colonialism, racism and a radical ideology created a witch tr...

What was life like as a single person in the 18th century? What if you became pregnant out of wedlock? In today's episode, Kate talks to Angela Muir , author of Deviant MaternityIllegitimacy in Wales, c. 1680–1800 , to find out what navigating single life was like for the lower classes: from strange dating customs such as 'bundling', to evidence we have of Georgian booty calls and the stigma of be...

When we think of the witch trials, we often think of women being charged. Whilst misogyny was at the heart of many of the witch trials, this isn't the full story. In this second episode of a limited series, Inside the Witch Trials , we go back to the the Westfjords of Iceland, to find out why it was mostly men, not women, who were burned at the stake for witchcraft. How did society differ to the r...

Ancient Egyptian rulers, incest, the Nazis and female empowerment, all in one episode! 'But how?' You say. 'What story could possibly bring all of these things together?' This is the story of Queen Nefertiti and her bust. Kate is joined by Joyce Tyldesley and Monica Hanna to find out just who this woman was, and how a statue of her ended up in Berlin. Joyce Tyldesley is Professor of Egyptology in...

People in the 17th century were at spiritual war with the devil.  It was a time of huge upheaval. What became known as the witch trials soon followed. In this first episode of a limited series, Inside the Witch Trials , we go back to the English village of Pendle in 1612, to find out how and why a nine year old girl was able to condemn her family to death, as witches. How was magic viewe...

Hildegard of Bingen, the 12th century nun, was a certified genius and a true polymath. From her many side hustles to her skincare recommendations, she wrote about everything from what happens when the world ends to what the female orgasm feels like. Why would a celibate nun know about this? What did she have to say about swollen testicles? And why were her achievements so significant? Joining Kate...

When Henry VIII wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, he needed to prove that she was not a virgin when they wed. One woman was key to proving this: Catalina of Motril, Catherine's enslaved servant who was always present in the royal bedroom. Before the divorce, though, what was Catalina's experience like in the heart of the Tudor court? What would it have been like for her, as a person of co...

Why were children punished for illegitimacy in the 18th century? And what does the word even mean? The truth is quite shocking, and probably still affects a lot of the people you know today. Joining Kate today is Kate Gibson, historian and author of Illegitimacy, Family, and Stigma in England, 1660-1834 , to explore the ways that female sexuality played a part in the stigma of illegitimacy, and ho...

Sexual purity was hugely importance in the medieval world, especially for women. How did chastity work in practice? Why was it so important? And was the infamous chastity belt really used? Joining Kate today is friend of the show and co-host of our sister podcast, Gone Medieval , Eleanor Janega, to help us unlock the mysteries of Medieval chastity once and for all.  This podcast was edited an...

How sexually liberated were the people of Ancient Mesopotamia? In what is modern day Iraq and dates back to around 3000 BC. The answer may surprise you, with gender fluidity and sexual diversity quite commonplace. Look no further than their frisky goddess, Ishtar. Taking us back to this fascinating period is Stephanie Budin, historian and author of Gender in the Ancient Near East . This episode wa...

Whatever your underwear preferences, have you ever wondered about their history? From the Tudor codpiece to Victorian bloomers, they've all got a story to tell. Sharing them with Kate today is Nina Edwards, author of The Virtues of Underwear: Modesty, Flamboyance and Filth .  This episode was edited by Max Carrey, the producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. Enjoy...

Were the Vikings the original trendsetters? Even when they were raiding the poor monks in Lindsfarne in 793, they were passing on hairstyles that annoyed some of the local elders. Why did they file their teeth? How often did they bathe? And what influence did their gods have on all of this? Joining Kate today to explore the beauty standards of the Vikings is Dr. Eleanor Barraclough, author of...

With privacy being a modern luxury, where did people in the past go to meet and hook up? Public toilets were (and can still be) a popular option. But what were secret signals? And what were the risks? Especially if, like many of the people who did it, you were part of the gay community. Joining Kate today is Dr. Jeff Meek, lecturer in economic and social history at the University of Glasgow, to ta...

Struggling for role models in the modern world? We've got your back, looking way back to the ancient world. Join Kate and Jasmine Elmer, author of her new book, Goddess With A Thousand Faces , as they explore the remarkable stories of some of histories most incredible ancient Goddesses and the lessons we can learn from them. What can Artemis the Greek Goddess of Wild Hunting and Virginity tell us...

Rituals are a big part of this funny human experience, aren't they? Whether that's morning rituals like making your bed... or pagan rituals that involve stripping down to your birthday suit for certain ceremonies. The importance of nakedness is a big part of it, too, that can help separate you from this world and bring you closer to nature, and other realms. What other ways have naked rituals play...

Why did the Ancient Greeks depict a womb as an octopus in their textbooks? Their writings and (mis)understandings of the female body might seem borderline comical now, but how did these beliefs on the physical indicators of womanhood still impact us today? Joining Kate is Helen King, author of Immaculate Forms: A History of the Female Body in Four Parts , to explore Ancient Greeks beliefs on breas...

What was it really like inside a Victorian operating theatre? Did people really smoke cigars and eat oysters while they watched high risk surgery taking place? And what were the most common procedures? In today's episode Kate joins Dr. Monica in the Old Operating Theatre in London, to find out about the sights, smells and screams you would have heard there in the 19th century. Find out more about...

When so much of history is written by men, Margaret Paston's letters offer us a rare insight into the life of a woman and the world around her in 15th century England. How did she cope with waves of plague wiping out her town? What did she do when the War of the Roses reached her home? And what family gossip did she write about? Joining Kate today for this insight into every day medieval life is D...

However you feel about the royal family, there's no denying, there was something about Princess Diana. From the clothes she wore to the causes she championed, she set the template for the modern royal, ruffling a lot of feathers in the process. Why did she speak to us so much? Was there any truth to rumours of the affairs both Charles and Diana had? And were the public in any way complicit in her...

When women's stories aren't being flat-out ignored from the history books, they can often be sidelined. Well not here! Joining Kate today is the comedian and author of Life Lessons from Historical Women , Eleanor Morton, to share some of her favourite stories of inspirational women through history and the lessons they have taught her. What would it have taken to make a daring escape from colonial...

Why did Renaissance women say the Lord's prayer while removing pubic hair? If you're like us you definitely want to know the answer to this, and so much more about beauty culture during the Italian Renaissance between the 15th and 17th centuries. Joining Kate today is Professor Jill Burke, author of How to be a Renaissance Woman: The Untold History of Beauty and Female Creativity , to help us find...

Paris was a wild place in the 18th century. It was the Age of the Enlightenment, cafe culture was exploding along with the world of ballet and opera, and there's the small matter of the Revolution in 1789. Before that kicked off, though, there were estimated to be 30,000 sex workers in Paris, plus an additional 10,000 high-class courtesans. What was the world of sex work like during this time? Who...

Cleopatra. One of the most famous people from history, and remembered for her beauty, power and scandalous love affairs. But how accurate is her legacy? Did you know she married not one, but two of her brothers? Or that she could speak eight languages? Or that she lived closer to the invention of the iPhone, than the construction of the pyramids (what?!). Egyptologist Sarah Parcak joins Kate to ge...

Sex and beds have a long, interwoven history. Here on Betwixt we often cover sex history, but we haven’t done a deep dive into the history of where it’s often done… in bed. So today we have something a little different for you, here’s an episode all about the history of beds, and it’s a story that will take us from medieval France, to 17th century Hertfordshire and beyond. It’s an episode from our...