app_store_button

google_play_button

DK - Details page - Device banner - 894x1036

Nyd den ubegrænsede adgang til tusindvis af spændende e- og lydbøger - helt gratis

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

History Hit

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 yourself how much has actually changed.

Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society - a podcast from History Hit.

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. 

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

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

Being single in 2025 is a major disadvantage, so what was it like as a single woman in the Medieval period?!

Joining Kate today is the always-fantastic Eleanor Janega, author and co-host of our sister podcast, Gone Medieval.

How common was it to be single in this period? What kind of life could you hope to have? And why would both Kate and Eleanor have been looked at suspiciously in the medieval period?

This podcast was edited by Nick Thomson and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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

How to Survive as a Medieval Single Woman

Some of the key remnants of the Roman Empire are their public baths - huge complexes, multiple different rooms, the basis of many of our modern spas. But were the Romans clean?

How regularly did they wash? Were they really using urine to wash clothes? And what's this about a communal wiping stick?

Kate is joined by the wonderful Alexander Meddings for the first episode in a series where we are trying to find out just how smelly people were in history. Alex is a Rome-based historian and tour guide. Find out more about his work here: https://alexandermeddings.com/ 

This episode was edited by Nick Thomson. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

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. 

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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

How Filthy Were The Romans?

There's a bit of interest around Shakespeare at the minute - can we call this the Paul Mescal effect?

The Bard’s work featured many references to sex and sexuality - some more obvious than others. But what does the work reveal about the sexuality of Shakespeare himself?

Despite being married with three kids to Anne Hathaway in the sleepy suburbs of Stratford-upon-Avon, there’s much to suggest he lived a more extravagant life during his visits to London.

Joining Kate today is author of The Life of the Author: William Shakespeare, Anna Beer, to unpick the hints and clues to the playwright’s sexuality that lay within his work.

This episode was edited by Tomos Delargy. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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

How Sexy Was Shakespeare?

How 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' was Lord Byron really?

We know the Romantic poet had a bit of a reputation, but how true was it? And how unusual would his behaviour have been?

In this episode from our series on the worst f*ckboys in history, we're digging into Byron's relationships with Andrew Stauffer, President of the Byron Society of America, professor and chair of the Department of English at the University of Virginia, and author of 'Byron: A Life in Ten Letters'.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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. 

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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

How Hot Was Lord Byron?

With Christmas around the corner and everything being oh-so wholesome, we thought we would offer an episode from the archives of something not-so wholesome: a history of porn.

What did porn look like before the internet? Who was it for? And how has it changed since?

In this episode, Kate chats to Kathleen Lubey, a professor at St. John’s University and specialist in eighteenth-century literature.

Kathleen talks us through the history of pornography… that is, the type of history that can’t be deleted.

Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Anisha Deva.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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

How Has Porn Changed Through History?

Despite virginity being a myth, why has Mary’s virginity been considered so important?

What does this tell us about the relationship between Christianity and sex? And what else do we know about this woman?

Joining Kate today to help her get to know more about Mary, her life and its influence is author and historian Sir Diarmaid Macculloch.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.
Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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

Who Was The Virgin Mary?

It's the one we've all been waiting for!

The Oedipus Complex; the oral, anal and phallic stages; penis envy; psychoanalysis - we've all heard of Sigmund Freud's work. But who was he?

What did Freud really think about sex and sexuality? What was his own sex life like? And finally, why do we owe so much of today's understandings of psychology to a woman called Anna O?

Kate is joined by Carolyn Laubender, Senior Lecturer at the University of Essex. Her previous book is 'The Political Clinic: Psychoanalysis and Social Change in the Twentieth Century'.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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

The Truth About Sigmund Freud

You can't move for people talking about the Roman Empire or the British Empire, but what about the Ottoman Empire?

It spanned a huge period of time and at the heart of it was the Royal harem: enslaved women who lived in closed-off servitude to the Sultan.

Peaking in the 17th century, who were these women? What were their lives like inside the palace? And why have westerners been particularly fascinated by this part of history?

Joining Kate today is Dr Michael Talbot, Professor in the History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Middle East at University of Greenwich, to help us find out.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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

Inside the Royal Harems of the Ottoman Empire

Ever heard of Margaret Beaufort? Probably not. But whilst her name has been overshadowed by those of her son, grandson and great-grandchildren, her impact on history remains.

Lauren Johnson joins Kate for this episode to explain how this woman put the Tudors on the throne. Why was she married aged 12? How did she use marriage to her advantage? And was she as manipulative as she has been portrayed?

Lauren's new book is ‘Margaret Beaufort: Survivor, Rebel, Kingmaker’.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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

The Mother of All Tudors: Child Bride to Kingmaker

What did the Ancient Egyptians think about sex? Is there any truth to a rumoured royal sex scandal? What did they think of same-sex relationships?

In today's episode, Kate's joined by the fantastic historian and author Dr Campbell Price to go back thousands of years to the always-fascinating world of Ancient Egypt.

Find out why the Victorians sexualised the Ancient Egyptians, what an Ancient Egyptian mummy smells of, and what the first recorded chat-up line in history is!

*TW: This episode includes references to sexual assault*

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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

Sex & Scandal in Ancient Egypt

Bedlam: a scene of uproar and confusion, a noisy situation with no order or, originally, the slang name for a mental hospital in London… which for a while also happened to be a popular tourist attraction.

From chains on the wall to leeching - the history of mental health treatments is a lesson in questionable science and humanity.

Bethlehem hospital, founded around the 11th century in London, is a study of this history.

Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by Catharine Arnold: journalist, academic, popular historian and author of ‘Bedlam: London and Its Mad’.

*WARNING this episode includes adult themes and conversations about mental health*

Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Matt Peaty.

Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.

This episode includes music by Epidemic Sound and an archive clip from an American public service announcement from 1952.

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

Bedlam

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

Other podcasts you might like ...