logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2022
44m 49s

Seances

History Hit
About this episode

Everybody hold hands! We're going for a seance!


How long have we've been trying to talk to dead people for? And have we ever actually been speaking to the dead or just to somebody’s clicky toe joints?


In today's episode Kate is joined by Lisa Morton, author of 'Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances', to talk about the long history of spiritualism, its believers and its fraudsters!


Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Thomas Ntinas.


If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code BETWIXTTHESHEETS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription.

Up next
Jul 8
The Power of Medieval Gossip
People have always gossiped, but what did they gossip about in medieval times? How were women punished for gossiping? And where does the term 'gossip' come from?Joining Kate today to gossip about all things medieval gossip is the wonderful Eleanor Janega, co-host of our sister po ... Show More
34m 25s
Jul 4
Royal Sex: Queen Victoria
With NINE children, it can probably be assumed that Queen Victoria was no stranger to the sheets, but what do we actually know about her love (and sex) life?To examine Victoria's diaries, her passionate relationship and her society's attitude to sex, Kate is joined for this speci ... Show More
47m 34s
Jul 1
Why Were Ancient Dicks So Small?
Have you ever been puzzled by proportions when looking at Ancient Greek statues? It can't just be us.From quarrying the stone to chipping away the final touches on your masterpiece - sculpting is a drawn out process. So why, after possibly years of work, did Ancient Greek artists ... Show More
35m 22s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Witches of St Osyth
In March 1582, a number of women from the small Essex village of St Osyth were hanged for the crime of witchcraft. Several others, including one man, died in prison, in what was a shocking and highly localised witch-hunt.  In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzanna ... Show More
57m 4s
Jun 2023
The First Spears
According to the work of today's guest, Dr Annemieke Milks, humans were using spears approximately 400,000 years ago. Thanks to fragments of wooden spears incredibly well preserved at sites like Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, and Schöningen in Germany, there's now evidence to show our ... Show More
41m 55s
May 2023
Alexander The Great's Sex Life
This episode contains references and words of a sexual nature. 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? Today, the guest is our very own T ... Show More
44m 56s
Nov 2021
Writing a New History of the Middle Ages: Interview with Dan Jones on Powers and Thrones
Friend of the Show, TV presenter, author extraordinaire, and historian Dan Jones returns to Tides to discuss his new book, Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages. It’s a wonderful book and a tremendous achievement, written with both a consummate grasp of the huge sc ... Show More
52m 36s
Jun 2024
The Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant is one of the most famous, yet mysterious, objects mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. This special box that held the sacred 10 Commandments, written by God himself. But what exactly was it? What stories are told about it? And, most intriguingly of all, what ha ... Show More
47m 1s
Jul 2023
Robert E Lee: Life & Legacy
He is undoubtedly the most famous member of the Confederate forces. But it wasn't always set to be that way. In this episode, Don speaks to Jonathan Horn to find out about the life of Robert E Lee, why he made the decision to join the Confederate side, and how he was connected to ... Show More
35m 46s
Nov 2023
Mary, Queen of Scots
This is the story of the incredible rise and fall of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was queen of Scotland, she was queen of France, and she could have been queen of England. She led armies, lived as a fugitive, became embroiled in love affairs and spent nearly two decades in jail. Dan ... Show More
41m 55s
Feb 2024
Origins of the Civil War
The war between the Union and the Confederacy is a major turning point in the history of the United States. But why did it happen? From slavery and states' rights, to economic, legislative, moral, and political issues, in this episode, Don and Professor Adam Smith explore how the ... Show More
34m 54s
Mar 2024
Irish in America: Poverty to Power
At least 23 of the Presidents of the United States can have their ancestry traced back to Ireland. So why did this diaspora come to America? What was their reception like? And how have they reached the top of the power structure so regularly? We are finding out in this episode wi ... Show More
47m 1s
Jun 2024
Women Pirates of the Caribbean
Anne Bonny and Mary Read were pirates who sailed the Caribbean in the early 18th century. For both of them, piracy offered a chance at a freedom otherwise disallowed to women. In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb learns more about Bonny and Read fro ... Show More
46m 30s