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

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

Why did kings and queens have spectators on their wedding night? Who had the very first boob job? And did our ancestors have their unmentionables pierced? Join historian, Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets as she unashamedly roots around the topics which seem to have been skipped in history class. Everything from landmark LGBTQ+ court cases, to political scandal, to downright bizarre medieval cures for impotence. The etymology of swear words, gender bias in medicine, and satanic panic and cults - there’s nothing off limits. She'll be bed-hopping 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. So join Kate Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society - a podcast from History Hit. 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.

Episodes

March 28, 2024 42 mins

We've been fascinated by royalty for hundreds of years, but what do we know about their sex lives? Quite a lot, it turns out.


Today we're revisiting an episode Kate recorded with bestselling author Eleanor Herman to find out about what it took to not just be a mistress of a royal, but keep competitors at bay, too.


This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and Matt Peaty. It was produced by Stuart Beckwith and Sophie Gee, the sen...

Mark as Played

Whilst ballet is undoubtedly one of the most graceful and elegant art forms, it also has a long and dark history of sexual exploitation.


How did King Louis XIV's love of the ballet fundamentally change it? What was the patronage system and how did dancers use it to their advantage? And who were some of the female pioneers who embraced sexuality within the ballet?


Joining Kate today is Deirdre Kelly, author of Ballerina: Se...

Mark as Played
March 20, 2024 38 mins

Abraham Lincoln is often thought of as the most loved president in America's history, but how much do we know about his personal life?


Furthermore, how much do we know about his sexuality, and the potential he might have been gay?


Joining Kate today are Callie Hawkins and Joan Cummins, who work at Lincoln Cottage, where he lived for over a quarter of his presidency.


They also host their podcast, Q&Abe, which covers questio...

Mark as Played

This is the story of one of the most notorious women of the Ancient world.


Phrynne was a sex worker in the 4th century BC who came from an impoverished background to be one of the most talked about, and wealthiest, women in Greece.


What do we know about her remarkable life? Was it true that by exposing her breasts in court, she was acquitted from a potential death penalty? And how has her influence been felt in the centuries ...

Mark as Played
March 14, 2024 48 mins

The Vikings have a fair claim to being the most overly-eroticised group of people in history. It's fair to say this is somewhat reductive.


What forms did sexuality take in Viking society? How was magic a part of their understandings of sexuality? And what were their attitudes to sexual violence?


Joining Kate today to tell us more is Marianne Hem Eriksen, Associate Professor of Archaeology at Leicester University. Marianne is ...

Mark as Played

Whether it's a declaration of love, anger or rebellion against the government, graffiti can give us incredible insight into the social history of everyday people.


By the 18th century it's recognised by authorities a serious social problem and a threat to their positions of power.


How was graffiti used to fuel political unrest? How was it used to aid the sex trade? And how was it used in solving a murder trial? 


Joinin...

Mark as Played
March 7, 2024 48 mins

How did a peasant girl go on to lead French armies at the age of 17?


To mark International Women's Day on March 8th, Kate's joined by Eleanor Janega, co-host of sister podcast Gone Medieval, to explore the life of the formidable Joan of Arc.


How did her visions of saving France from the English play a part in her life? Why was it significant that she wore men's clothes and led armies? And what's her legacy today?


This epis...

Mark as Played
March 4, 2024 45 mins

Come with us back to Renaissance England, when writers were playing with ideas of sexuality in interesting ways.


How much of a filth bag was Shakespeare? How did he play with the ideas of power dynamics for pleasure in his plays? And what were other writers doing to explore non-traditional ideas of sex, fantasy and desire?


Joining Kate today are Joseph Gamble and Gillian Knoll, co-editors of the forthcoming book The Kinky Ren...

Mark as Played
February 29, 2024 56 mins

Despite lawmakers best efforts, sex work has been around for since record began...and will certainly go back even further.


We often explore the history of sex work in Europe, but what history does this huge industry have in America? How did the colonisation of America and the slave trade impact and shape it? And how did sex workers and brothels help in the American Civil War?


Kate's joined by Katie Hemphill, author of Bawdy C...

Mark as Played
February 26, 2024 41 mins

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 he...

Mark as Played

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...

Mark as Played
February 19, 2024 44 mins

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 wh...

Mark as Played
February 15, 2024 41 mins

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 sist...

Mark as Played
February 11, 2024 38 mins

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 Trinit...

Mark as Played
February 7, 2024 39 mins

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 produce...

Mark as Played

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 ...

Mark as Played
January 31, 2024 39 mins

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 A...

Mark as Played
January 28, 2024 45 mins

How sexually depraved were the Romans?


Whilst they were a civlised, stoic and innovative bunch, they were also a promiscuous bunch with very questionable morals.


Joining us today is friend of the show Emma Southon, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women.


How did the Romans view incest? What fate awaited the Vestal Virgins? And what went on at the debauched festivals of Bacchus? Let's find out.


This podcast ...

Mark as Played
January 25, 2024 41 mins

How did the Ancient Egyptians differ from us? In many ways they did, but in terms of sexuality, perhaps not so much. 


As we’ll find out, they were certainly partial to a filthy poem. 


Taking us on a journey back to this ancient world is Egyptologist Sarah Parcak. Amongst other things, she talks us through the Turin Papyrus - possibly the oldest depiction of human sexuality we have. 


This episode was edi...

Mark as Played
January 21, 2024 45 mins

How did an 18th century working class farm labourer climb the social ladder to become the most beloved poet Scotland has produced?


By the time he died aged just 37, he had taken the country by storm with his romantic verse and was welcomed into the bosom of Edinburgh high society gentlemen clubs.


Another side of Robert Burns' work was his bawdy work, which celebrates sexuality and barbed satire, much of which wasn't properly ...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.

    Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman

    How do the smartest marketers and business entrepreneurs cut through the noise? And how do they manage to do it again and again? It's a combination of math—the strategy and analytics—and magic, the creative spark. Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman as he analyzes the Math and Magic of marketing—sitting down with today's most gifted disruptors and compelling storytellers.

    Crime Junkie

    If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce

    Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce from the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce from the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about their games and share unique perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. Plus, entertaining stories from a combined 21 years in the league, off-field interests, and engaging conversations with special guests. Watch and listen to new episodes every Wednesday during the NFL season & check us out on Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok for all the best moments from the show.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2024 iHeartMedia, Inc.