Share

Gone Medieval
Origins of Scottish Independence
For the first time in 18 years, the Declaration of Arbroath - an iconic document in the story of the struggle for Scottish independence in the 14th century - will go on public display. Dated 6 April 1320, and written by the barons and freeholders on behalf of the Kingdom of Scotland, the Declaration asks Pope John XXII to recognise Scotland's independence and to persuade Edward II of England to end hostilities against the Scots.
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out more from Dr. Alice Blackwell, Dr. Alan Borthwick and Prof. Dauvit Broun.
The Declaration of Arbroath is on display from 3 June until 2 July 2023 at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh: https://www.nms.ac.uk/declaration
This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.
If you’re enjoying this podcast and are looking for more fascinating Medieval content then subscribe to our Medieval Monday newsletter 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! To download, go to Android or Apple store.
More episodes
View all episodes

576. Robert the Bruce
01:08:03||Ep. 576Was King Robert the Bruce a true Scottish freedom fighter or a ruthless, self-interested politician?Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega are getting stuck into the riotous, bloody history of the legendary Scottish king, from constant backstabbing and the murder of his rivals, to the stunning underdog victory at the Battle of Bannockburn, they explore how Robert the Bruce finally secured Scottish independence.MOREWilliam Wallace, Scottish RebelListen on AppleListen on SpotifyKing Edward I: Hammer of the ScotsListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is now on YouTube! Watch here: @GoneMedievalPodcastGone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. The studio manager is Hanif Hussain. The researcher is Dr. Florence H R Scott. Video producer is McKenna Fernandez. Edited by Amy Haddow, channel manager is Vilde Oksnes. Production Manager is Beth Donaldson.The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcastHistory Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
575. Birth of Witchcraft
54:38||Ep. 575How did harmless medieval healers become hunted as terrifying, devil-worshiping conspirators? Matt Lewis and Professor Marion Gibson explore the chilling origins of the witch trials; how a humiliated inquisitor named Heinrich Kramer, after being publicly defied by a local woman in Innsbruck, penned the infamous Malleus Maleficarum? This sinister manual weaponised folk magic and unleashed centuries of terror across Europe.MORESupernatural Medieval IrelandListen on AppleListen on SpotifyMurder in Anglo-Saxon EnglandListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Jseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcastHistory Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
574. The Hussite Wars: Bohemia vs. Rome
58:46||Ep. 574Why would the execution of a single Czech priest spark decades of bloody revolution across Europe? In 1414, the outspoken reformer Jan Hus was promised safe conduct to a church council, only to be arrested, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake. Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis as they uncover the explosive Hussite Wars; a brutal conflict over church corruption, communion wine, and the right to preach in one's mother tongue. Did this rebellion pave the way for the Reformation?MOREThe Czech Braveheart: Jan ŽižkaListen on AppleListen on SpotifyCharles IV, Holy Roman EmperorListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is now on YouTube! Watch here: @GoneMedievalPodcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. The studio manager is Hanif Hussain. The researcher is Dr. Florence H R Scott. Video producer is McKenna Fernandez. Edited by Amy Haddow, channel manager is Vilde Oksnes. Production Manager is Beth Donaldson.The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcastHistory Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
573. Royal Witch: Eleanor Cobham with Philippa Gregory
58:52||Ep. 573In 1441, one of England's most powerful women was forced to walk barefoot through London's streets as a convicted sorceress. What drove Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, to the occult? Dr. Eleanor Janega sits down with bestselling novelist Philippa Gregory to uncover the political conspiracy, the astrology, and the shocking discovery of a wax doll buried at midnight. Was this genuine treasonous magic, or the ultimate political takedown of a dangerously ambitious woman?MORE:Real Medieval Women with Philippa GregoryListen on AppleListen on SpotifyHow to Survive as a Medieval WomanListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcastHistory Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
572. Battle of Agincourt
01:08:07||Ep. 572The Battle of Agincourt is remembered as the ultimate David versus Goliath victory, where King Henry V’s small, exhausted army unleashed a devastating "hailstorm of arrows" to obliterate a French force twice their size. Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis uncover how this legendary clash was actually a brilliantly calculated slaughter against a fractured nation, securing Henry's throne and permanently forging the myth of the English underdog.MOREQueen Isabella: She-Wolf of FranceListen on AppleListen on SpotifyAfter Agincourt: Henry V’s French CampaignsListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. The video producer is McKenna Fernandez. Edited by Matthew Wilson. Studio manager is Hanif Hussain, production manager is Beth Donaldson.The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcastHistory Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
571. Vikings vs. Pagans
42:58||Ep. 571Forget everything you know about the Vikings. Matt Lewis and Thomas Williams explore the forgotten era when Scandinavian warriors abandoned their pagan roots to become devout Christian crusaders. Armed with the Pope's sanction, these former raiders turned their legendary fury eastward, destroying four-headed pagan idols in the Baltic, launching bloody holy wars, and forging geopolitical divides that still echo across Europe today.MOREHow to Live Like A VikingListen on AppleListen on SpotifyWhat Caused the Viking Age?Listen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. Edited and produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
570. How to Win a Medieval Tournament
48:52||Ep. 570Step onto the dusty and dangerous fields of the medieval tournament with the only knightly teammates worth having: Dr. Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis *sound trumpets*They discover how chaotic and brutal melees evolved into a highly lucrative sport where losing knights instantly forfeited their battle horses and armour.Enter the wild world of medieval pageantry, from campy decorative helmets and spring-loaded shields designed to shatter, to peculiar tournament prizes - a live pig on a leash, anyone?MOREHow To Win A Medieval BattleListen on AppleListen on SpotifyKing John: The Worst Medieval Monarch?Listen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. Video producer is McKenna Fernandez. Edited by Matthew Wilson. Studio manager is Hanif Hussain, production manager is Beth Donaldson.The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcastHistory Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
569. The Heretic’s Handbag: Folk Magic and Survival in Medieval France
01:04:03||Ep. 569What can the contents of a medieval French woman’s handbag tell us about her life, her beliefs and the strange world she inhabited?When she was captured by the Inquisition, Béatrice de Planisolles revealed all the juicy details of her forbidden relationships and folk magic practices, and why one should always carry dried umbilical cords in one's bag. Is Béatrice the Medieval Lorelai Gilmore?? Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Katherine Pangonis to discuss this incredibly rare insight into a normal woman's life over a thousand years ago.MOREChristine de Pizan: Pioneering French FeministListen on AppleListen on SpotifyTrial of Joan of ArcListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is presented by Dr Eleanor Janega. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcastHistory Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™Want even MORE history? Watch Dr. Eleanor Janega's series Meet the Normans now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe
568. Did Alfred Burn the Cakes? & Other Medieval Myths
54:00||Ep. 568Join Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega for a rigorous session of medieval myth-busting! Did William Wallace really shoot lightning from his backside? Did Pope Gregory IX cause the Black Death by ordering a cat genocide? And did King Alfred actually burn those cakes? And the biggest question of all; can Matt and Eleanor keep a straight face as they tackle history's most persistent fibs.MOREWilliam Wallace, Scottish RebelListen on AppleListen on SpotifyNorwich CastleListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. The producer is Rob Weinberg, video producer is McKenna Fernandez. Edited by Matthew Wilson. Studio manager is Hanif Hussain, production manager is Beth Donaldson.The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcastHistory Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™Watch Matt and Eleanor's film The Ascent to Power: Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II now on History Hit TV. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.