Why did people start cremating bodies? When did black become the colour of mourning? And who are the 'invisible dead'? Speaking to Charlotte Hodgman, historian Douglas Davies answers your top questions about traditions surrounding death and mourning in Britain through the centuries.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazin ... Show More
Oct 30
D-Day’s secret hero: the true story behind Pressure (In paid partnership with StudioCanal)
What comes to mind when you think D-Day? Perhaps it’s the tactical brilliance of the commanders, or the brutal combat fought by the troops. But, what about meteorologist James Stagg? He’s the subject of the new Second World War thriller Pressure, and to find out more about his co ... Show More
43m 4s
Oct 28
Why we believe in the supernatural
Ghosts, witches, flying nuns, and spirits summoned from beyond the grave might seem to belong to a less rational age. But were our ancestors really so different from us in their beliefs? In this episode, historian Malcolm Gaskill joins Elinor Evans to discuss his new book, Worlds ... Show More
31m 45s
Jun 2024
Ep. 2 - The Victorian Cult of Death
In this week's episode, Genevieve talks about elaborate Victorian funeral traditions, what was, and was not, acceptable mourning fashion of the day, Queen Victoria’s obsession with her dead husband that sparked the trends, the hardship and power of 19th-century widowhood, as well ... Show More
30m 56s
Sep 2023
A History of Royal Funerals
1,000 of burying the Kings, Queen and other English royals. From Medieval monarchs who were rushed to their graves, and occasionally exploded, to The Tudors and Stuarts whose people lined up to see life-like wax effigies of their recently deceased monarchs. And I'll unpack the fu ... Show More
35m 5s