Medieval Roots of The Modern Alphabet

Medieval Roots of The Modern Alphabet

Author: History Hit December 5, 2025 Duration: 49:57

How did the alphabet we use today take shape?

Matt Lewis welcomes Danny Bate to explore how the medieval period shaped the alphabet we use today. They discuss the transformation of Egyptian hieroglyphs, the significant impact of the Norman Conquest of 1066, and the eventual disappearance of medieval letters like thorn (þ) and ash (æ). This is a journey across millennia from the adaptability of letters during the fall of Rome to innovations in medieval script and chaotic English rules.


MORE

Medieval Writers, Extraordinary Women

Listen on Apple

Listen on Spotify


The Origins of English

Listen on Apple

Listen on Spotify


Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.


Sign up to History Hit to watch the new Medieval Rebels series plus hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 


You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Gone Medieval
Podcast Episodes
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…
Christine de Pizan: Pioneering French Feminist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:40
How did a widowed mother transform loss, politics and misogyny into one of the most accomplished literary careers in medieval history?From the Parisian court to contemporaneously telling the story of Joan of Arc, Christi…
Saving Byzantium [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:27
Did Constantinople’s fall in 1453 end the Byzantine Empire as neatly as we think?Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dr. Laura Bolick unpack the Empire's dramatic final years and reveal a story far more complex than simple decline. T…
Offa, King of the Mercians [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:03
Was Offa a tyrant whose reputation was forever tainted by the killing of his prospective son-in-law? Or a visionary ruler whose achievements have been overshadowed by legend?Offa is largely known for murderous acts and b…
Challenging the Pope: The Avignon Papacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:53
Who would pick a fight with the Pope?? Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega dive into the explosive clash between Pope Boniface VIII and Philip IV of France, a head of state who dared to challenge papal power. From taxes an…
Legends of Richard the Lionheart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:34
Was Richard the Lionheart really England’s greatest medieval hero? Or is he one of history’s most successful myths, more heroic in legend than in life?Over eight centuries, Richard has handled Excalibur, been celebrated…