Gone Medieval

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 cell...

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...

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 sof...

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 pope...

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 th...

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 Med...

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 majori...

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...

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 d...

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 antiquari...

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 brib...

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? Don’t forget to leave us a rating...

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 reaso...

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 eas...

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 med...

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....

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...

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 (relativ...

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 join...

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. Christ...

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 ge...

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 Ag...

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 Fri...

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, sk...

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 centu...