The Invention of Hell

The Invention of Hell

Author: History Hit September 15, 2026 Duration: 54:47

"All hope, abandon ye who enter here." These words from Dante’s Divine Comedy may shape our modern vision of hell, but did you know that the Bible says surprisingly little about it? In fact, hell as we know it was constantly reinvented during the Middle Ages.

Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Dr. Stephen Hopkins as they descend into the medieval underworld to uncover how apocryphal texts, localised mythologies, and religious anxieties shaped the terrifying, and occasionally hopeful, realms of the afterlife.


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How to Get to Heaven: Papal Indulgences

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Medieval Apocalypse

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Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

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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: 50

Gone Medieval
Podcast Episodes
St Benedict [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:03
Why did a young Roman nobleman reject status and education for a life of prayer, solitude and discipline?St Benedict’s quiet choices would go on to shape the future of Western civilisation. His is a story of medieval Chr…
King Stephen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:41
Was King Stephen a weak ruler who plunged England into chaos, or an unlucky monarch trapped by impossible circumstances? How did one disputed succession unleash nearly two decades of civil war, betrayal and brutality, wh…
Deadly Rivalry: Armagnac vs. Burgundy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:51
What starts as a shocking street murder in Paris turns into one of the most vicious civil wars in medieval Europe?Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Professor Justine Firnhaber-Baker to unravel the blood-soaked conflict betw…
A Complete History of Medieval Scotland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:50
What if Scotland’s story began with a miracle in battle, a white cross in the sky, and a kingdom forged through war, faith and sheer ambition?Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Murray Pittock to race through medieval Scot…
Medieval Royal Bastards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:59
What really made a royal bastard, and could illegitimacy be a path to power as much as a barrier?Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Lauren Johnson, author of Margaret Beaufort; Survivor, Rebel, Kingmaker to dive into the sca…
The Seljuk Turks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:12
How did a nomadic people from the Steppes become one of the great powers of the medieval Middle East?Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Nicholas Morton to explore the rise of the Seljuk Turks, the nomadic horsemen who carved out…
Rise of The Plantagenets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:05
What happened when Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II joined forces, and why did it set medieval Europe on fire?Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis break out of the Gone Medieval dungeon to explore the dramatic rise of the…
The Queer Court of William Rufus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:40
What really went on at the court of King William Rufus?William the Conqueror's son and successor was fierce and ruthless. He taxed heavily, refused to conform to the ideals of kingship, and reportedly presided over a cou…
Hildegard of Bingen - Prophetess, Composer, Mystic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:03
How did a cloistered, twelfth century nun become a visionary, composer, healer, preacher, and adviser to popes and emperors?Despite having visions from childhood - even in the womb, she claimed - Hildegard of Bingen wait…
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…