Ghosts, necromancy & the underworld in a...

Irving Finkel speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his book The First Ghosts, which looks at what we can learn from the first written evidence of ghost beliefs. He reveals what ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets can tell us about everything from necromancy and getting rid of troublesome spirits to demons and the underworld.    (Ad) Irving Finkel is the author ... Show More

Joan of Arc's story is one of the most remarkable chapters in medieval history: that of a rebellious teenage peasant girl rising to become a military leader, before suffering an equally precipitous fall from favour. But what leadership qualities contributed to her success? In tod ... Show More

Who were the people who financed Britain’s transatlantic slave trade – and how did their money transform the nation? Elinor Evans speaks to historian William A Pettigrew, who has led a landmark project identifying some 13,000 investors connected to the trafficking of 3.2 million ... Show More

What defines Europe – is it geography, politics, a shared culture, or perhaps a mix of all three? In this episode, historian Roderick Beaton tells Emily Briffett about the ways in which it has been defined, and redefined, as an idea by its people over the centuries. ----- GO BEYO ... Show More

<p>Explore the fascinating history of ghosts and uncover the ancient origins of ghost stories from around the world! In this episode, we dive deep into the myths and legends that have shaped our beliefs in the paranormal for centuries. From ancient Egypt to modern Europe, and bey ... Show More

How long have people believed in ghosts?Eleanor Janega is back Betwixt the Sheets with Kate to tell us why you should always stand up to ghosts and why you might be visited by a woman with frogs sucking on her body.From improper burials to resentful visitors, they delve into peop ... Show More

As the Halloween season hits, Mary and Charlotte turn to the wealth of ghost stories from the ancient world to ask: did the Greeks and Romans really believe in ghosts and why are their stories so similar to ours when many of our beliefs are so different? Mary and Charlotte recoun ... Show More

With Day of the Dead, Halloween and All Souls Day being marked in different countries around the world - Shahidha Bari's guests discuss the belief in ghosts and the search for meaning in mysticism. They are:Dr Chris Harding is a cultural historian of Japan, India and East-West co ... Show More

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the text and context of The Book of the Dead, also known as the Book of Coming Forth by Day, the ancient Egyptian collections of spells which were intended to help the recently deceased navigate the underworld. They flourished under the New Kingdom ... Show More

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the text and context of The Book of the Dead, also known as the Book of Coming Forth by Day, the ancient Egyptian collections of spells which were intended to help the recently deceased navigate the underworld. They flourished under the New Kingdom ... Show More

Settle down by the fire and prepare to be haunted. Roger Clarke, author of A Natural History of Ghosts, joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to wonder whether ghost stories evolve to reflect the age in which the apparition appears. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc ... Show More

In this classic series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the more noteworthy, fascinating and potentially terrifying gods and demons from the religions and myths of the ancient Mesopotamian world. It’s a who’s who of Pazuzu-adjacent entities. (originall ... Show More

In this series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the more noteworthy, fascinating and potentially terrifying gods and demons from the religions and myths of the ancient Mesopotamian world. It’s a who’s who of Pazuzu-adjacent entities. See omnystudio.com ... Show More