Gone Medieval

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: A...

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...

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 ,...

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 i...

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...

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 yea...

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 cor...

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...

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...

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 re...

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 h...

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 e...

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...

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 wit...

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 R...

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...

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 p...

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 d...

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 We...

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...

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...

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 prostitutio...

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 Ma...

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 Medieva...

Medieval Japan - especially its stories of fearless Samurai and Ninja warriors - have an enduring place in our consciousness. But how true are they? In this episode of Gone Medieval , Matt Lewis talks to Joseph Robey, who has made it his mission to make the stories of Medieval Japan more well known. This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg. You can take part in our listener survey  here . &n...