logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
50m 1s

Why the Early Middle Ages Matter

History Hit
About this episode

What do the terms 'medieval' and 'early medieval' truly mean? When did these periods begin and end? Why is it inaccurate - even offensive - to refer to them as the 'Dark Ages'? Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis put their heads together to demystify the terminology used to define different historical periods and clarify some common misconceptions.


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


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


You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK


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

Up next
Nov 21
Scotland's Stone of Scone
<p>How did a medieval Scottish stone become the centre of a daring heist in the 1950's?</p><p>This is the extraordinary saga of the Stone of Scone, aka the Stone of Destiny, a relic that created the kings of Scotland, is shrouded in myth and legend and was taken by the English.</ ... Show More
1h 1m
Nov 18
How the Wind Blew Up The Middle Ages
<p>From the tactical nautical decisions of the Normans and Vikings to medieval monks' meticulous wind records, medieval civilisations have always harnessed and feared the wind.</p><p>Dr. Eleanor Janega and Simon Winchester explore the intimate relationship medieval people had wit ... Show More
1h 3m
Nov 14
The Birth of the Medieval World
Matt Lewis pays a visit to Gone Medieval's sister podcast The Ancients for a lively debate with Tristan Hughes about the blurred boundary between the ancient and medieval worlds. Can Tristan champion Roman Emperor Justinian as an Ancient? What about Charlemagne? Which period can ... Show More
47m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Medieval Sex Myths
<p>From medieval d*ck pics to sex with monks, how did people in medieval times think about sex and sexuality?</p><br><p>It was a period that spanned roughly 1,000 years and even though views on sex were largely shaped by the dominant Christian faith, whether this filtered down to ... Show More
46m 4s
Jan 2025
Medieval Lesbians
<p>How do you begin to look for examples of lesbians in the medieval period?</p><br><p>Even though it was deeply frowned upon by the powers that be, the clues are very much there... if you know where to look.</p><br><p>What examples do we have? How did the male-run church respond ... Show More
45m 38s
Aug 19
Boring History For Sleep | What GETTING HIGH Was Like in Medieval Times and more
Boring History For Sleep | How People Got High in the Middle Ages is a slow, relaxing storytelling experience designed to help you unwind while learning unusual and fascinating facts about medieval life. In this episode, we explore the strange substances, bizarre rituals, and sur ... Show More
41m 48s
Aug 10
Boring History For Sleep | What Was S3X Really Like in Medieval Times and more
Drift off to sleep as we quietly uncover what sex, love, and intimacy were really like in medieval times. From marriage customs and societal expectations to private moments behind closed doors, this episode explores the unfiltered truth of romance in an age without modern comfort ... Show More
40m 23s
Oct 17
Wife-Swapping Magician of the Tudor Court
The 16th century was a dangerous time to be talking about magic and hidden forces, so how did John Dee end up being invited into Elizabeth I's court?He was an astronomer, occultist and alchemist who dedicated his life to understanding how celestial activity influenced life on ear ... Show More
38m 54s
Sep 2024
Medieval documents in danger
Just how far does our understanding of the medieval past rely upon written sources? And what happens when these precious fragments of knowledge are destroyed? Taking in shocking cases of destruction and disaster, Robert Bartlett tells Emily Briffett about the material that has be ... Show More
44m 11s
Nov 7
Who was the Husband Poisoner of Renaissance Italy?
Odourless, tasteless, colourless, lethal. In the mid-17th century, men were dropping like flies in Italy. And this wasn't just the plague - it was the work of the poison Aqua Tofana.So what is Aqua Tofana? And who was its apocryphal purveyor, Giulia Tofana? In this episode we are ... Show More
35m 20s
Aug 2024
Life Lessons From Historical Women
<p>When women's stories aren't being flat-out ignored from the history books, they can often be sidelined.</p><br><p>Well not here! Joining Kate today is the comedian and author of <a href="https://www.welbooks.co.uk/shop/p/life-lessons-from-historical-women-by-eleanor-morton" re ... Show More
35m 48s
Jun 2025
Fall of Thomas More
<p>In the second of our special episodes exploring the rise and fall of Sir Thomas More, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Joanne Paul chart the great Tudor statesman's demise. Despite his silence about Henry VIII's self-proclamation as Supreme Head of the Church of England, Mo ... Show More
56m 16s
Sep 19
Who Was The Naughtiest Pope In History?
Sex, scandal and ... the Sacraments? Renaissance Rome wasn't for the faint hearted. And the Vatican? For some that was the source of the drama.In this episode, Kate is joined by Catherine Fletcher to meet one of the Vatican's randiest residents - Pope Alexander VI. From saucy par ... Show More
49m 24s