Spectrophilia: The Ghost Fetish

She's the warrior queen who took on the mighty Roman Empire, but who really was Boudica?Separating facts from the myths we've read can be tricky, but thankfully Kate is joined by the wonderful Emma Southon, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women, to find out the truth and explore our most reliable sources.What happened when Boudica launched a surprise attack on the Roman headquarters in England? What is her legacy? And why has her story come in and out of favour through the ages?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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Feb 202441min

If you've seen the film Braveheart, you might have certain expectations about the real history of William Wallace.Separating fact from fiction can be tricky, but what do we really know about this iconic Scot, and the supposed relationships that sparked his rebellion against the English?Today Kate is joined by author and host of Gone Medieval, Eleanor Janega, to find out the truth behind William Wallace.How does his life tie into the Scottish Wars of Independence? Why did he receive such gruesome treatment? And why is the film Braveheart so irritating to medieval historians?This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producers were Stuart Beckwith, Sophie Gee and Joseph Knight. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Feb 202435min

The origins of the modern sex doll are shrouded in myth.Some say they came from crafty sailors in the 18th century, a long way from home and in need of, ahem, company.In today's episode, Kate is joined by Bo Ruberg, author of Sex Dolls At Sea: Imagined Histories of Sexual Technologies to uncover the truth.How were early sex dolls used to smuggle booze into Paris? What do the sex doll myths reveal about ourselves? And why is there such stigma around them compared to other sex toys?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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Feb 202444min

Medieval England was not subtle.Take sex work, for example. You knew exactly where to go, because the streets were labelled accordingly. Cokkes Lane, anyone?Not only that, but the areas were sanctioned by a Bishop. Yes, you read that correctly. Ever wondered how sex work was viewed in Medieval times? Were attitudes more progressive then than they are now, even?Kate is joined by friend of the show and co-host of our sister podcast, Gone Medieval, Eleanor Janega, to take us through this world of sex work in the middle ages.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and was produced by Stuart Beckwith, Joseph Knight and Sophie Gee. 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Feb 202441min

What do Alexa, Adolf and Karen have in common?They're all names that have plummeted in popularity.The most recent, Karen, is largely due to the meme-powered phenomenon of calling out white privilege by calling someone a 'Karen'.What is the history of calling out privilege in this way? Is this a force for good, or has it become sexist?Today Kate is joined by Senior Lecturer of Language and Linguistics at Leeds Trinity University, Linda Walz, who has researched this social phenomenon in great depth. 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 historyhit.com/subscribe.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Feb 202438min

What happened when medieval monks were told by the church that they had to be celibate? And how did their wives react?On today's episode, we're joined by Katherine Harvey, historian and author of The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages, to take us back to the middle ages and answer the question: what was sex like in medieval times?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 historyhit.com/subscribe.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Feb 202439min

Joining us today is writer, actor and all-round Charles Dickens superfan Miriam Margolyes.You might be familiar with Dickens' hugely popular stories and characters, but what influence did the women in his life have on them?Having written and starred in the play, Dickens Women, Miriam knows better than most the complicated relationships he had in his life: from his mother who took him out of school to work in a rat-infested blacking factory aged 12, to his wife whom he had a bookcase wall built to separate her from him.How did Dickens take revenge on one lover for scorning him earlier in his life? How does Miriam square Dickens the man vs. Dickens the artist? And how did Dickens portray lesbian love?Find out more about Miriam's tour this year, Oh Miriam!, here.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 historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Feb 202449min

What comes to mind when you think of a neanderthal? Probably a hunched, hairy, grunting version of a man who’s shuffling around his cave some 40,000 years ago.How accurate is this reputation? What were their sex lives like? And how much did they go back to the caves of us Homo sapiens? Joining us is to explore the life and sex of neanderthals, is Palaeolithic archaeologist and author of Growing Up In The Ice Age, April Nowell.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. Don’t miss out on the best offer in history! Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts.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 historyhit.com/subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Feb 202439min