logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
44 m

Forbidden Books

History Hit
About this episode

What makes a book bad? Does it have to be nonsensical? Heretical? Libellous? Sexy?


Well for 500 years, a panel from the Roman Catholic Church attempted to grapple with this distinction.


Today Betwixt the Sheets, we find out what this collection of people deemed unsafe for the eyes of their worshippers.


Kate is joined by Robin Vose, a professor of history at St Thomas University in Canada to find out what made the cut, and what didn't.


*WARNING there are naughty words in this episode*


Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Edited and mixed by Anisha Deva.


Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.


For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.


If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!


You've been listening to a History Hit podcast. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey with your feedback, we'd really appreciate it.



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

Up next
Yesterday
The Truth About the Mitford Sisters
<p>The Mitfords could rank as the strangest family of the 20th century.</p><br><p>Unity and Diana were passionate fascists who became obsessed with Adolf Hitler, while Jessica became a communist. Unity even became mates with Hitler and was in Germany as the war broke out.</p><br> ... Show More
41m 49s
Nov 21
Did Henry VIII Have An Affair With Anne Boleyn's Sister?
<p>She was 'the Other Boleyn Girl' - Anne's sister, Mary, who supposedly had an affair with King Henry VIII. Such drama!</p><br><p>What evidence is there that the two got betwixt the sheets together? How likely was it?!</p><br><p>Joining Kate today is the historian and author, Es ... Show More
38m 50s
Nov 18
The Truth About Roald Dahl
<p>The Twits, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda. Roald Dahl wrote some of the world's most loved children's books.</p><br><p>But what do we know about the man himself? Was he really a spy? Was he a good husband? And why have some editions of his books been edited?</p><br ... Show More
48m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2022
Viking Sex
<p>In this episode of <em>Gone Medieval</em>, presenter Dr. Cat Jarman swaps seats and becomes the guest of Dr. Kate Lister’s brilliant podcast from History Hit, <em>Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society</em>.&nbsp;In it, she delves into the topics that they d ... Show More
45m 40s
May 2023
Alexander The Great's Sex Life
<p><em>This episode contains references and words of a sexual nature.</em></p><br><p>Did Alexander the Great and the Queen of the Amazons really have sex for 13 days solid? What do we know about his male lovers? And how did his sex life stand up to that of his dad’s?</p><br><p>To ... Show More
44m 56s
Feb 2022
Sappho: The Poet from Lesbos
<p>Famous throughout antiquity, yet retold only in fragments today - who is Sappho?&nbsp;Her poetry inspired generations, from Catullus to Byron, so how come we know so little about her life? This week Tristan is joined by Professor Margaret Reynolds from Queen Mary University in ... Show More
32m 20s
May 2024
History Behind the Headlines: student protests down the centuries
In the latest episode of our monthly series charting the past behind the present, Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter chronicle the history of student protests, explore the story of a remarkable medieval astrolabe and discuss some new discoveries about Jane Austen. The HistoryExtra po ... Show More
41m 13s
Apr 2022
Before Rome: The Truth About Late Iron Age Britain
<p>Roman connections with Britain stretch back to (at least) the mid 1st century BC. But what has archaeology revealed about the Late Iron Age British societies they interacted with? Do we have any concrete evidence for the druids? Was human sacrifice a thing? Sit back and enjoy ... Show More
43m 28s
Jun 2023
The Picts
<p>Emerging around the 3rd century CE and later designated official adversaries of the Roman Empire, the Picts wreaked havoc across the northern fringes of Roman Britain. But due to their limited presence in the archaeological record and the complexities of multiple kings, kingdo ... Show More
43m 10s
May 2023
Babylon and the Bible
<p>When looking at the Hebrew Bible, the city of Babylon plays a prominent role - especially in the Old Testament. A city famed for it's architectural beauty and gardens, also holds stories of suffering and captivity. Travelling back to the 6th Century BCE, the Babylonian Captivi ... Show More
41m 52s
Dec 2022
The First Britons
<p>67 million people currently inhabit the United Kingdom - but what do we know about the original, first Britons? It's no secret when looking back into pre-history that it was a time of mass migration for animals and people alike, but who were our early inhabitants, and what can ... Show More
49m 20s
Jan 2024
Tudors in Love
<p>From Henry VIII declaring himself as the ‘loyal and most assured servant’ of Anne Boleyn to the poems lavished on Elizabeth I by her suitors, the dramas of courtly love have captivated readers and dreamers for centuries.&nbsp;</p><br><p>In this edition of <em>Not Just the Tudo ... Show More
39m 23s