Gone Medieval

Gone Medieval

Author: History Hit Language: English Episodes: 100
Step beyond the simple dates and dusty timelines to find the vibrant, complex world of the medieval era. Each episode of Gone Medieval pulls you into a different corner of that sprawling age, whether it's tracing the journey of a Norse longship or piecing together the political intrigue that toppled a throne. This isn't just about kings and castles; it's equally concerned with the everyday experiences of ordinary people, their beliefs, their struggles, and the myths that shaped their world. You'll hear stories of startling discoveries, from misplaced royal remains to hidden histories that challenge our modern assumptions. Produced by History Hit, this podcast benefits from deep historical research and engaging storytelling, released every Tuesday and Friday. It’s a thorough exploration that makes a distant period feel immediate and surprisingly relevant, covering events across Europe and far beyond its borders. Tune in to find the human stories woven into the grand tapestry of a thousand years of history, where power, faith, and daily life collided in fascinating ways.
Episodes
The Black Death: A Global Apocalypse? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:45
A plague of terrifying speed, mysterious symptoms and global reach, the Black Death transformed more than Europe alone.Matt Lewis is joined by Thomas Asbridge to chart the medieval spread, from Caffa’s siege lines to Cai…
Seeking Sanctuary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:28
Could a medieval church really protect a killer from the law?From the 40-day asylum of parish churches to the more permanent protections claimed by Westminster Abbey, sanctuary was never simply an escape route, it was a…
The First Troubadours [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:00
How could a love song become a political weapon? How were scandals, wars and crusades turned into some of the most influential poetry ever written?The songs of the troubadours - celebrities in their day - helped define t…
Foolish Medieval Fatalities [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:53
Who survives when medieval deaths are turned into Top Trumps? In this riotous made up game of Foolish Fatalities, Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis rank the most ridiculous ends of the Middle Ages, from a latrine disaste…
Fatimid Dynasty: Descendants of Prophet Muhammad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:40
How did the Fatimids build one of Islam's most powerful medieval empires? What can the rise of this dynasty reveal about power, culture, tolerance, and women’s authority?Stretching across North Africa, Egypt, and parts o…
The Merovingian Dynasty: France's First Kings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:44
Long-haired rulers, dynastic bloodshed, secret letters, and a kingdom built in the aftermath of empire; Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dr. James Palmer dive into the wild, Roman-adjacent world of the Merovingians.What made the f…
After Agincourt: Henry V's French Campaigns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:21
What happened after the Battle of Agincourt? How did Henry V's victory turn into a seven-year struggle of sieges, diplomacy, ambition, murder and missed destiny?Matt Lewis is joined by W.B. Bartlett to explore a brutal a…
Matilda of Canossa: Medieval Italy's Iron Countess [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:27
What if one medieval woman could outwit emperors, shape popes, and force Henry IV to stand barefoot in the snow?Dr. Katherine Harvey joins Dr. Eleanor Janega to tell the astonishing story of Matilda of Canossa, the Iron…
Battle of the Eras: Medieval vs Early Modern [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:22
What if the medieval world did not end with a bang, but with a messy argument over who gets to define history itself? Matt Lewis spars with Not Just The Tudors' host Professor Suzannah Lipscomb to spar over Gutenberg, th…
Cadaver Synod: Trial of a Dead Pope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:34
What could drive a pope to put a corpse on trial?In 897, Rome staged one of the Middle Ages’ strangest spectacles: the Cadaver Synod, where Pope Stephen VI exhumed his predecessor and put his body on trial. Dr. Eleanor J…