Childbirth in Medieval Times with Kate Lister

Could a medieval church really protect a killer from the law?From the 40-day asylum of parish churches to the more permanent protections claimed by Westminster Abbey, sanctuary was never simply an escape route, it was a contested space where mercy and authority met.Dr. Eleanor Ja ...  Show more

How could a love song become a political weapon? How were scandals, wars and crusades turned into some of the most influential poetry ever written?The songs of the troubadours - celebrities in their day - helped define the emotional landscape of the Middle Ages and left a legacy ...  Show more

Childbirth isn't for the faint-hearted at the best of times, let alone in the medieval period. 

What was a birthing room like at this time in history? Who would have been in there helping bring a new baby into the world? And how suspicious were the church of the ...

Almost half of births in the UK are delivered via Cesarean section. But when was this operation first performed?

Kate Lister is joined by Hannah Marsh, author of 'Thread, A Cesarean Story of Myth, Magic, and Medicine', to hear how this medical procedure developed, an ...

With six wives, Henry VIII must have had something going for him, right? Was he handsome? Charming? Intelligent? Just plain powerful? In this episode, the tables are turned on Professor Suzannah Lipscomb as she becomes the guest of Dr. Kate Lister on our sister podcast, Betwixt t ...  Show more

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 wou ...