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

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

Author: History Hit Language: English Episodes: 100
Ever wondered about the unspoken rules and private lives that shaped our past? Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society pulls back the curtain on the intimate forces that have influenced civilizations across time. Guided by sex historian Dr. Kate Lister, this History Hit podcast explores the fascinating intersections of desire, power, and social norms. Each episode digs into the questions rarely found in textbooks, examining how personal behavior and public scandal have driven political change, shaped laws, and defined cultural identities. You’ll hear about the surprising realities of Victorian domesticity, the unexpected social advantages for women following the Black Death, and even speculative curiosities about the private habits of figures like Julius Caesar. Lister bed-hops through eras with a scholar’s rigor and a storyteller’s flair, moving from ancient worlds through the medieval and Renaissance periods into more recent history. The conversations are insightful and engaging, transforming taboo topics into a legitimate lens for understanding human progress and conflict. Tuning in offers a unique perspective on the past, revealing how the most personal aspects of life are inextricably woven into the broader tapestry of society. It’s a deep and often surprising dive into the histories that happened, quite literally, behind closed doors.
Episodes
How Filthy Were Medieval People? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:32
If there's one sure way to irritate an historian of the Medieval period, it's to ask why the people of the Middle Ages didn't wash.In this episode, we did just that with Dr Eleanor Janega. Kate and Eleanor get into wheth…
Who Was the Victorian Thames Torso Murderer? With Lucy Worsley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:06
For over a century, a series of gruesome murders have gone unsolved. Until now?The Thames Torso Killer terrified Victorian Londoners by dismembering their victims and scattering their body parts along the River Thames. K…
How Filthy Were the Egyptians? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:11
Lead in eyes, scented animal fat melting over wigs, teen circumcision - the Ancient Egyptians went to great lengths for beauty and hygiene. So how clean were they, and how has the colonial perspective impacted history's…
How to Survive as a Medieval Single Woman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:41
Being single in 2026 is a major disadvantage, so what was it like as a single woman in the Medieval period?!Joining Kate today is the always-fantastic Eleanor Janega, author and co-host of our sister podcast, Gone Mediev…
How Filthy Were The Romans? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:47
Some of the key remnants of the Roman Empire are their public baths - huge complexes, multiple different rooms, the basis of many of our modern spas. But were the Romans clean?How regularly did they wash? Were they reall…
How Sexy Was Shakespeare? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:57
There's a bit of interest around Shakespeare at the minute - can we call this the Paul Mescal effect?The Bard’s work featured many references to sex and sexuality - some more obvious than others. But what does the work r…
How Hot Was Lord Byron? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:10
How 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' was Lord Byron really?We know the Romantic poet had a bit of a reputation, but how true was it? And how unusual would his behaviour have been?In this episode from our series on the wo…
How Has Porn Changed Through History? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:30
With Christmas around the corner and everything being oh-so wholesome, we thought we would offer an episode from the archives of something not-so wholesome: a history of porn.What did porn look like before the internet?…
Who Was The Virgin Mary? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:39
Despite virginity being a myth, why has Mary’s virginity been considered so important?What does this tell us about the relationship between Christianity and sex? And what else do we know about this woman?Joining Kate tod…
The Truth About Sigmund Freud [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:09
It's the one we've all been waiting for!The Oedipus Complex; the oral, anal and phallic stages; penis envy; psychoanalysis - we've all heard of Sigmund Freud's work. But who was he?What did Freud really think about sex a…