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PODCAST

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

Join sex historian Dr Kate Lister on Betwixt the Sheets as she gets intimate with the stories that would make your history teacher blush.What were the Victorians really like behind closed (bedroom) doors? How did the Black Death favour women in medieval England? And what was Caesar like in the sack?Join Kate as she bed-hops around different time periods; from ancient civilisations, to the middle ages, to renaissance and early modern...right up to now.You’ll laugh, you’ll wince, and you’ll ask

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All Episodes

49:31

Inside the Magdalene Laundries

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/02/14

Societies all throughout history have tried to control female sexuality.Ireland's Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes are two examples of this, where women were imprisoned against their will.As you'll hear, it's a history that dates back to the 18th century and is still unfolding today.Joining Kate to take us inside the Magdalene Laundries and the Mother and Baby Homes are two special guests:Natalie Hughes-Crean is a Specialist Case Worker at Frea Renewing Roots, a charity based in the

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33:21

Valentine's Day in Ancient Rome

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/02/11

What are the origins of Valentine's Day?Perhaps the answer lies in a pagan festival that starts with a sacrifice in a cave above Ancient Rome.What connects the naked running through the streets of Rome to Valentine's Day today? How did the onset of Christianity in Rome effect celebrations? And when did Valentine's Day as we know it today first take off?Joining Kate to find out all about this, is friend of the show and author, Emma Southon. Check out Emma's book A History of the Roman Empire in 21

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39:12

Goat Testicle Transplants: The Bizarre History

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/02/07

Quack doctors have made some INCREDIBLE promises throughout history, but what good would a goat testicle transplant do for you?In the early 20th century, John R. Brinkley became a sensation for - you guessed it - implanting goat's testicles into men. He promised virility and boosted fertility.Did it work? Did the law ever catch up with him for such outrageous claims? And what became of the people (and goats) who were involved in his operations?On today's episode, Kate is talking with Tim Hartford on

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39:24

Genghis Khan's Sex Life

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/01/31

As historical figures go, Genghis Khan has something of a reputation.Is there any truth to the rumours of him fathering so many children? What was life like in 12th century Mongolia? And how did he create one of histories most noted empires?Joining Kate today is historian Marie Favereau, author of The Horde: How The Mongols Changed The World, to help us find out.This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.All music from Epidemic Sounds/All3

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44:10

Who Was Lilith? The Semen-Stealing First Wife Of Adam

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/01/28

Lilith's story goes back 4,000 years, and she's still making an impact today.She takes on different forms, depending on where you're looking, but a popular one was that she was the first wife of Adam, long before Eve, and was expelled from the Garden of Eden to go and live as a promiscuous, baby-killing, semen-stealing demon. As you do.In short, she's embodies a lot of male anxieties about sex and women.What are her true origins? What's with all the semen-stealing? And what's her connection to

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40:18

The Origins of Sexting

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/01/21

Long before phones allowed for sexting, how did the Ancient Romans exchange their illicit thoughts and desires? And what did a Roman dick pic look like?Joining Kate today to explore erotic letters from antiquity to the modern day is Owen Hodkinson, Associate Professor of Greek and Roman Cultures at Leeds University.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of

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35:09

History of Red Lipstick

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/01/14

Red lipstick has a unique feminine power to it.It's been on the lips of some of the most influential people in history, including Cleopatra and Elizabeth I, and really took off in the 20th century.Why did it take on such an iconic status with the Suffragette movement? Why did Churchill choose not to ration lipstick? And why did Hitler hate it?Joining Kate today is journalist and red lipstick aficionado, Rachel Felder, author of Red Lipstick: An Ode To A Beauty Icon, to help us unpack the power of

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46:45

Inside the Brothel of Pompeii

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2025/01/10

Sex work was everywhere in the ancient world, but a known dedicated space for it (a brothel), is an extremely rare and important thing.Pompeii offers exactly that, with details such as graffiti and drawings immaculately preserved in the only known brothel from this period.Who were the people who worked there? What can we find out about the nature of sex work in this period? And why are there penises drawn everywhere in Pompeii?Joining Kate today is the wonderful Sarah Levin-Richardson, author of The

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48:00

Sex Life & Scandal of Charles Dickens

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/12/24

Like it or not, there's no escaping Charles Dickens at this time of year.But who was the man behind classics such as A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist and of course, A Christmas Carol?His life is as rich as many of the characters' stories in one of his books, including a brutal Victorian upbringing and rumours of sex and scandal.Joining us in this re-run to explore the controversy of the man is Charles Dickens super-fan Miriam Margolyes - a national treasure in her own right.Having written and

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37:08

Kateryn Parr | Secret Lives of the Six Wives

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/12/20

At the time, surely Kateryn Parr had her reservations about being Henry VIII's sixth wife?Aside from being a tyrannical maniac who'd just beheaded his last wife, Catherine Howard, he was getting old, angry and his ulcerous leg was getting smelly.However, Kateryn was smart - she was the first queen to be a published author - and she loved the glitz and glamour of her new position.What was her life like before Henry entered the picture? How did she narrowly escape being sent to the tower for heresy

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44:17

How Did People Smell in Medieval Times?

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/12/17

Accessing stories from the past can be difficult, but how do we accesssmellsfrom the past?In today's episode, Kate is joined by Eleanor Jackson, curator of a new British Library exhibition,Mediaeval Women In Their Own Words, which features original texts about, and by, women from this period.Whether that's Joan of Arc's signature or a welsh poet who wrote “Lovely bush you are blessed by God above” in her 'Poem to the Vagina'.Kate's also joined byTasha Marks, an artist who creates sensory

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37:38

Catherine Howard | Secret Lives of the Six Wives

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/12/13

Henry VIII called her his 'rose without a thorn', but the teenage Catherine Howard was to fall out of favour less than 18 months after becoming Queen of England.Out of all of Henry's wives it could be argued that the young queen, who was a cousin of Anne Boleyn, is most deserving of our sympathy.How did her past come back to haunt her? What would it have been like for this young woman to be with Henry VIII - an older man with a stinky leg ulcer? And what was the truth behind the scandal of her

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1:00:50

History (and Future) of Dating

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/12/10

The history of lonely hearts ads might be a lot deeper than you'd expect.For as long as people have been printing newspapers, people (read: men) were enquiring about potential partners.By the time the culture took off in the 18th century, how were people looking for love? How did the First World War boost the medium? And what are some of the strangest dating stories from this history?Joining Kate today is Francesca Beauman, author of Shapely Ankle Preferr’d: a history of the Lonely Hearts

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38:29

History of Celibacy

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/12/03

What did Queen Elizabeth I gain from being thought of as celibate? Why was property so essential to the Christian church embracing celibacy? And what's really behind the 'No Nut November' movement?In today's episode, Kate's joined by Elisa Sobo, Professor of Anthropology at San Diego State University, and Sandra Bell of Durham University, to take a look at those of us today and throughout history who have chosen to abstain from sex.Together, they edited Celibacy, Culture, And Society: Anthropology

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44:46

History of Pubic Hair

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/11/26

We often think of the way we treat pubic hair as a relatively modern thing.But how did they manage pubic hair in Ancient Greece, or the Middle Ages? Why would someone wear a pubic wig (also known as a merkin)? And why was the pubic hair of suspected witches shaven off?Joining Kate today is Professor Jill Burke, author of How to be a Renaissance Woman: The Untold History of Beauty and Female Creativity, to help us uncover this history.This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The

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41:17

Anne Boleyn | Secret Lives of the Six Wives

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/11/22

How did Anne Boleyn go from being a commoner to being the Queen of England?As soon as she arrived in the Tudor court she stood out from the other beautiful women who were throwing themselves at Henry VIII, but made him wait for seven years before they eventually got together.In the second episode of our limited series, Secret Wives of the Six Wives, Kate is joined once again by Tudor export Nicola Tallis, to help us find out more about the woman who helped alter the future of England.What made some

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34:50

Gladiator Women of Ancient Rome

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/11/19

Evidence shows us that women gladiators fought in front of baying crowds in Ancient Rome.Who were these women? How would these fights have played out? And what did the rest of Rome think of women taking up such a masculine space?Joining Kate is historian and expert in all things Ancient Rome, Emma Southon, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women, to help us explore how gender plays out in this unique area of Roman life.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart

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36:17

Catherine of Aragon | Secret Lives of the Six Wives

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/11/15

We know the fates of Henry VIII's wives, but what were these iconic women really like?In the first episode of this limited series, Secret Lives of the Six Wives, we'll explore the ways that Catherine of Aragon was a formidable queen and leader, and why, perhaps, she's been misunderstood all these years.Joining Kate, is author and Tudor export Nicola Tallis, to take us back to Catherine's childhood growing up during war in Spain, to being thrown into the Tudor court aged just 16 and the surprise

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36:18

Inside the Witch Trials: Pendle | The Child Who...

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/10/15

People in the 17th century were at spiritual war with the devil.It was a time of huge upheaval.What became known as the witch trials soon followed.In this first episode of a limited series, Inside the Witch Trials, we go back to the English village of Pendle in 1612, to find out how and why a nine year old girl was able to condemn her family to death, as witches.How was magic viewed and used before the witch trials? What influence did the Reformation play in stoking fears and paranoia? And what

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38:04

Orgasms & Skincare According to a Medieval Nun

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &... ·

2024/10/11

Hildegard of Bingen, the 12th century nun, was a certified genius and a true polymath.From her many side hustles to her skincare recommendations, she wrote about everything from what happens when the world ends to what the female orgasm feels like.Why would a celibate nun know about this? What did she have to say about swollen testicles? And why were her achievements so significant?Joining Kate today is the one and only Eleanor Janega, co-host of History Hit podcast Gone Medieval. You can also check

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