Gone Medieval

How did harmless medieval healers become hunted as terrifying, devil-worshiping conspirators? Matt Lewis and Professor Marion Gibson explore the chilling origins of the witch trials; how a humiliated inquisitor named Heinrich Kramer, after being publicly defied by a local woman in Innsbruck, penned the infamous Malleus Maleficarum? This sinister manual weaponised folk magic and unleashed centuries of terror across Europe.

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Supernatural Medieval Ireland

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Murder in Anglo-Saxon England

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

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

Why would the execution of a single Czech priest spark decades of bloody revolution across Europe? In 1414, the outspoken reformer Jan Hus was promised safe conduct to a church council, only to be arrested, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake. Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis as they uncover the explosive Hussite Wars; a brutal conflict over church corruption, communion wine, and the right to preach in one's mother tongue. Did this rebellion pave the way for the Reformation?

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The Czech Braveheart: Jan Žižka

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Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor

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Gone Medieval is now on YouTube! Watch here: @GoneMedievalPodcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. The studio manager is Hanif Hussain. The researcher is Dr. Florence H R Scott. Video producer is McKenna Fernandez. Edited by Amy Haddow, channel manager is Vilde Oksnes. Production Manager is Beth Donaldson.

The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

In 1441, one of England's most powerful women was forced to walk barefoot through London's streets as a convicted sorceress. What drove Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, to the occult? Dr. Eleanor Janega sits down with bestselling novelist Philippa Gregory to uncover the political conspiracy, the astrology, and the shocking discovery of a wax doll buried at midnight. Was this genuine treasonous magic, or the ultimate political takedown of a dangerously ambitious woman?

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Real Medieval Women with Philippa Gregory

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How to Survive as a Medieval Woman

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Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

The Battle of Agincourt is remembered as the ultimate David versus Goliath victory, where King Henry V’s small, exhausted army unleashed a devastating "hailstorm of arrows" to obliterate a French force twice their size. Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis uncover how this legendary clash was actually a brilliantly calculated slaughter against a fractured nation, securing Henry's throne and permanently forging the myth of the English underdog.

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Queen Isabella: She-Wolf of France

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After Agincourt: Henry V’s French Campaigns

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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. The video producer is McKenna Fernandez. Edited by Matthew Wilson. Studio manager is Hanif Hussain, production manager is Beth Donaldson.

The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

Forget everything you know about the Vikings. Matt Lewis and Thomas Williams explore the forgotten era when Scandinavian warriors abandoned their pagan roots to become devout Christian crusaders. Armed with the Pope's sanction, these former raiders turned their legendary fury eastward, destroying four-headed pagan idols in the Baltic, launching bloody holy wars, and forging geopolitical divides that still echo across Europe today.

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How to Live Like A Viking

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What Caused the Viking Age?

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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. Edited and produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

Step onto the dusty and dangerous fields of the medieval tournament with the only knightly teammates worth having: Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis *sound trumpets*

They discover how chaotic and brutal melees evolved into a highly lucrative sport where losing knights instantly forfeited their battle horses and armour.

Enter the wild world of medieval pageantry, from campy decorative helmets and spring-loaded shields designed to shatter, to peculiar tournament prizes - a live pig on a leash, anyone?

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How To Win A Medieval Battle

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King John: The Worst Medieval Monarch?

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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. Video producer is McKenna Fernandez. Edited by Matthew Wilson. Studio manager is Hanif Hussain, production manager is Beth Donaldson.

The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

What can the contents of a medieval French woman’s handbag tell us about her life, her beliefs and the strange world she inhabited?

When she was captured by the Inquisition, Béatrice de Planisolles revealed all the juicy details of her forbidden relationships and folk magic practices, and why one should always carry dried umbilical cords in one's bag. Is Béatrice the Medieval Lorelai Gilmore?? Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Katherine Pangonis to discuss this incredibly rare insight into a normal woman's life over a thousand years ago.

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Christine de Pizan: Pioneering French Feminist

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Trial of Joan of Arc

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Gone Medieval is presented by Dr Eleanor Janega. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE history? Watch Dr. Eleanor Janega's series Meet the Normans now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

Join Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega for a rigorous session of medieval myth-busting! Did William Wallace really shoot lightning from his backside? Did Pope Gregory IX cause the Black Death by ordering a cat genocide? And did King Alfred actually burn those cakes? And the biggest question of all; can Matt and Eleanor keep a straight face as they tackle history's most persistent fibs.

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William Wallace, Scottish Rebel

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Norwich Castle

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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. The producer is Rob Weinberg, video producer is McKenna Fernandez. Edited by Matthew Wilson. Studio manager is Hanif Hussain, production manager is Beth Donaldson.

The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

In 1381, a highly organised civilian army marched on London, demanding an end to generations of unfairness. Matt Lewis and author A.K. Blakemore explore the human stories behind the Peasants' Revolt. They discover how Chaucer viewed the uprising from his home within London and uncover the forgotten women of 1381, including widows seeking the king's justice, who navigated the chaotic London streets searching for freedom.

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Peasants' Revolt on Film: The Uprising Reviewed

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Richard II vs. Henry IV

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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.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE history? Watch Dr. Eleanor Janega's series Meet the Normans on History Hit. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

Is 1066 just the Battle of Hastings? Far from it. The war for the English crown was a year-long apocalypse. Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega dissect history's ultimate succession crisis. Follow King Harold as he crushes a Viking armada at Stamford Bridge, only to face William the Conqueror’s brutal heavy cavalry just weeks later. From shattered shield walls to a Christmas coronation that literally went up in flames, Matt and Eleanor relive the ruthless reality of 1066.

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1066 New Discovery: the Myth of Harold's March

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Harold Godwinson

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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. Edited by Matthew Wilson.

The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

WATCH Matt and Eleanor's documentary The Rise of the Plantagenets on History Hit TV! Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

What connects the Bayeux Tapestry and a Cheshire silk-producing town?

Dr. Eleanor Janega makes a special visit to Macclesfield to uncover its medieval past as a royal borough associated with Edward I and Eleanor of Castile. To celebrate the Bayeux Tapestry's arrival in Britain, the community has crafted a stunning "Macclesfield Tapestry" using traditional Bayeux stitches and natural dyes. Listen in as Eleanor explores a medieval dye garden, weaves on a historic loom, and meets the passionate local embroiderers bringing this incredible collaborative artwork to life.

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The Bayeux Tapestry

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After 1066: The Harrying of the North

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Gone Medieval is presented by Dr Eleanor Janega. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE history? Watch Eleanor's series Meet the Normans on History Hit. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

Did Shakespeare shape the way we remember England's Plantagenet kings more than history itself? How much of his plays Richard II and Richard III are fact, fiction, or Tudor propaganda?

Professor Emma Smith joins Matt Lewis to separate the history from drama, and discover how Shakespeare balanced historical truth, theatrical brilliance and the political realities of writing under Elizabeth I, to create plays that still shape our understanding of medieval English history today.

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The Bishop who Took Down Richard II

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Richard III

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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. Audio editor is Aliza Dams, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

WATCH Matt and Eleanor's new documentary The Rise of the Plantagenets on History Hit TV! Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

Did Shakespeare teach us about England's greatest kings, or fabricate its greatest historical myths? How much of what you think you know about Henry IV and Henry V is actually true?

Shakespeare's history plays continue to define our understanding of medieval England, the Plantagenets, the Hundred Years' War, and the rise and fall of England's warrior kings.

But Dr. Eleanor Janega separates history from drama with Professor Emma Smith to reveal how Shakespeare transformed Prince Hal from a wayward youth into England's greatest warrior king, invented the legendary Falstaff, and immortalised Agincourt with the stirring "Band of Brothers" speech.

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The Battle of Agincourt

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The Murder of Henry VI

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Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

How accurate is Hollywood's take on the Peasants' Revolt? It is 1381, and England is at breaking point. A civilian army of thousands stormed the capital, making demands of King Richard II. Now, Paul Greengrass’s new film, The Uprising, brings the revolt to the big screen, starring Andrew Garfield and Cosmo Jarvis. Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega give their review of the film and separate cinematic fiction from equally exciting historical fact.

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Richard II vs. Henry IV

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The Black Death: A Global Apocalypse?

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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. Edited by Amy Haddow, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even more Gone Medieval? Watch Matt and Eleanor's new film Medieval Summer on History Hit. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

"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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE history? Watch Eleanor and Matt's new film Medieval Summer on History Hit.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

Who first imagined King Arthur pulling a shining blade from solid rock? What do extraordinary Bronze Age discoveries reveal about the legend's deeper roots?

Matt Lewis is joined by Amy Jeffs to uncover the surprising origins of the sword in the stone (and other Arthurian legends), tracing them from ancient Welsh poetry and Celtic folklore to medieval romance and Christian symbolism.

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King Arthur

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Prophecies of Merlin

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

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even more Gone Medieval? Watch Matt and Eleanor's new film Medieval Summer on History Hit. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

**Contains very strong language/Tavern talk**

Were runes really magical symbols used by Viking sorcerers? Or were they the everyday handwriting of merchants, lovers, pilgrims and children?

From their mysterious origins and Viking Age memorial stones to medieval shopping lists, love letters and graffiti, runes recorded the lives of ordinary people across Scandinavia, Anglo-Saxon England, and beyond.

Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Professor Tom Birkett to uncover the remarkable history of one of Europe's oldest writing systems.

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Origins of English

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The Mysterious Voynich Manuscript

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Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even more Gone Medieval? Watch Matt and Eleanor's new film Medieval Summer on History Hit. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

In July 1410, the formidable Teutonic Knights, rapacious crusaders clad in heavy plate armour, faced a massive Polish-Lithuanian alliance. After an insulting taunt involving two unsheathed swords, the Battle of Grunwald erupted into a bloody, day-long melee. Matt Lewis and Dr. Aleks Pluskowski to explore this epic medieval clash.

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Teutonic Knights

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The Last Pagans

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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. Audio editor is 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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original TV documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

In 12th-century Bohemia, every royal funeral sparked a civil war. Dr. Eleanor Janega discovers how Přemysl Otakar I survived backstabbing brothers, imperial betrayals, and a dodgy divorce to seize power. Find out how this 'spare' prince outmanoeuvred the Emperor to forge a powerful hereditary kingdom.

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Pope vs. Emperor: The Investiture Crisis

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Matilda of Canossa, Tuscany

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Czech Braveheart: Jan Žižka

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

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, including Eleanor and Matt's new documentary Medieval Summer. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

From where did J.R.R. Tolkien get his ideas for the world of Middle Earth?

For millions of readers, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are more than just fantasy fiction. Their rich mix of sacred mythology and archetypal saga stories draw deeply into history and legend and profoundly resonate with universal human experience.

As with most things, Matt Lewis is determined to claim Middle Earth was inspired by the medieval period, with the help of today's guest, Tolkien scholar Dr. Christopher Snyder.

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Beowulf

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Czech Braveheart: Jan Žižka

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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. This episode was edited by Rob Weinberg and produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Watch Matt and Eleanor's new documentary series The Rise of the Plantagenets only on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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