Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

When you say ‘going medieval’ on someone, it brings up quite nasty connotations. But is this brutal suggestion a fair depiction of medieval times and their thoughts on torture and punishment? What are some of the more gruesome methods they employed? And why did Henry I give authorisation for his own granddaughter-in-law to be blinded? Joining Kate today is Matt Lewis, co-host of our sister podcast, Gone Medieval, to find out more. This episode was edited by Sophie Gee. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscription/You can take part in our listener survey here.

When you look into the history of menopause it’s steeped in misogyny, fear and demonising women’s bodies. But what is the truth behind some of the popular menopause myths? How has it been understood (or misunderstood) throughout history? And how have post-menopausal women essential to human evolution? Joining Kate today is Dr. Jennifer Gunter, author of the Menopause Manifesto and gynaecology physician of 30+ years.You can also read more of Jen’s writing on her blog here: https://vajenda.substack.com/This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscription/You can take part in our listener survey here.

There are many privileges that come with being a royal, but where do mistresses lay amongst these? If you'll excuse the pun.Charles II was notorious for the women in his life, from his wife Catherine to infamous mistresses like the formidable Nell Gwynn.What was in it for them? And how did they all get along? Joining Kate today is Linda Porter, author of Mistresses: Sex and Scandal at the Court of Charles II.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://historyhit.com/subscription/.You can take part in our listener survey here.

What does it mean to be a geisha? How does someone become one? And how do they differ from sex workers?The geisha world is famously very secretive and private, and taking us into it today is Lesley Downer, who spent years befriending geishas in research for her book Geisha: The Secret History of a Vanishing World.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/You can take part in our listener survey here.

Glass of meat wine, anyone? That's right, the Victorians loved a glass of meaty wine.They loved drinking so much that it became a moral panic, with whole movements of temperance cropping up around Britain.What was drinking culture really like in the Victorian and Edwardian Britain? Were women able to drink as much as men? And what exactly went into that meat wine?Helping Kate get to the bottom of this is Thora Hands, author of Drinking in Victorian and Edwardian Britain: Beyond the Spectre of the Drunkard.This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/You can take part in our listener survey here.

Elvis Presley embraced sexuality from the start. Rock n roll was not tame music, and neither were his early performances.So much so that he was nicknamed Elvis 'the pelvis' after early TV performances.But were his personal relationships and relationship with sexuality like? How did his relationship with his mother influence him? And how was his relationship with a 14 year old Priscilla seen at the time?Joining Kate today is Alanna Nash, author of Baby Let's Play House: Elvis Presley And The Women Who Loved Him, to help us find out more.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/You can take part in our listener survey here.

If there’s one thing you’ll find out from this episode, it’s that the Ancient Greeks were better at philosophy than gynaecology.Struggling to conceive? You might be given a stuffed dead puppy to provoke fertility.Helping Kate make sense of Ancient Greek gynaecology today is Helen King, author of Hippocrates' Woman: Reading the Female Body in Ancient Greece.What questions will a visit to an Ancient Greek doctor be like? How would you stop your womb from wandering? And how would your body temperature help define your gender?This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/You can take part in our listener survey here.

The Aztec Empire might conjure up images of human sacrifice.And whilst religious violence was part of their society, theirs was also a very egalitarian society where pleasure was valued and sexuality was an unashamed part of every day life.How was queerness perceived and represented in this period? What sexual freedoms did they enjoy? And what part did the Goddess of Filth play in their lives?!Joining Kate today is Caroline Pennock, author of Bonds of Blood: Gender, Lifecycle and Sacrifice in Aztec Culture. Her new book, On Savage Shores: How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe, is out now.This podcast was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/You can take part in our listener survey here.

What is the origin of the word fetish? How did the war play a part in shaping fetishwear? And what are some of the styles that are most enjoyed?Kink and fetish scenes have been a part of society for years, and the clothing that participants wear is often very specific, and a key part of what makes them, well, effective. It’s a fascinating history, and to explain it to us is Frenchy Lunning, author of Fetish Style. Kate also speaks to professional dominatrix Mistress Jean Bardot.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/You can take part in our listener survey here.