Gone Medieval
History Hit
From long-lost Viking ships to kings buried in unexpected places; from murders and power politics, to myths, religion, the lives of ordinary people: Gone Medieval is History Hit’s podcast dedicated to the middle ages, in Europe and far beyond.New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, The Ancients, and Betwixt the Sheets.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.
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Episodes
Mentioned books
13 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 1h 28min
The First Crusade: The Road to Jerusalem
Dr Tom Smith, academic expert on the First Crusade, provides narrative, military analysis, and source interpretation. He traces the movement from Clermont to Jerusalem. He explains the People's Crusade, princely leaders, sieges like Antioch and Jerusalem, and how fractured rivals and chance shaped success.
Feb 27, 2026 • 56min
Scotland's Medieval Queens
Sharon Bennett Connolly, historian and author of Scotland's Medieval Queens, brings medieval Scottish royal women to life. She traces Saint Margaret’s exile and reforms, Margaret of England’s political marriage and tragic early death, and Elizabeth de Burgh’s captivity and role in Robert the Bruce’s story. Short, vivid portraits highlight bravery, political maneuvering, and dynastic drama.
Feb 24, 2026 • 52min
How to Get to Heaven: Papal Indulgences
Dr. Felicity Hill, a medieval history lecturer at St Andrews, explains how indulgences fit into confession, penance and purgatory. Short scenes cover their practical use as penance or fundraising for projects like St Peter’s, their growth after the Crusades, debates over papal authority and corruption with pardoners. The conversation ends by tracing reforms and how indulgences survive in a changed form.
Feb 20, 2026 • 49min
Game of Thrones: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Dr Hugh Doherty, a medieval history lecturer and screen consultant, talks tournaments, knightly culture, and advising film and TV productions. He describes realistic tournament mechanics and sensory staging. He also explains chivalric ideals versus real-world compromises and shares how historical advice works on set.
Feb 17, 2026 • 1h
Your Medieval Questions Answered
They tackle counterfactual history like what if Richard III had won Bosworth. They explore time travel tweaks that might have reshaped empires. They describe medieval evenings, bawdy songs, inns and entertainers. They dig into hygiene, toilets and privacy. They debate period dates, how news and years were tracked, and which figures were unfairly maligned.
Feb 13, 2026 • 47min
Saladin: Crusher of the Crusades
Jonathan Phillips, Professor of Crusading History and author on Saladin, guides listeners through Saladin’s Kurdish roots and rise from Egyptian vizier to Ayyubid ruler. He unpacks the campaign of 1187, the decisive Battle of Hattin, the surrender of Jerusalem, and the complex aftermath leading to the Third Crusade. The conversation also probes Saladin’s image, propaganda, and lasting legacy.
6 snips
Feb 10, 2026 • 1h 5min
James II and the Deadly Black Dinner
Professor Michael Brown, a medieval historian at St. Andrews, unpacks the Black Dinner of 1440 and the brutal politics of late medieval Scotland. He traces the Douglases' rise, the council's plotted summons, and the chilling feast that ended in execution. He also explores how these events shaped young James II and fueled later conflicts, violence, and propaganda across Europe.
4 snips
Feb 6, 2026 • 48min
How Horses Ran the Medieval World
Dr. Anastasija Ropa, equestrian historian and author of The Medieval Horse, explains how horses functioned as everyday technology in medieval life. Hear about different types from warhorses to pack animals. Learn how mounts signaled status, featured in romance, and powered unseen labor that kept society moving.
Feb 3, 2026 • 1h 7min
How to win a Medieval Battle
They imagine being plunged into a medieval pitched battle and unpack what made commanders choose fight or avoid it. They compare siege logistics versus open-field tactics and why terrain, weather and planning decided outcomes. They trace shifting force mixes from heavy cavalry to archers and wagons, and how gunpowder and leaders like Saladin, Henry V and Jan Žižka reshaped victory.
10 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 54min
The Parliament of Bats: Plantagenets at War
Dr. Hannes Kleineke, historian and editor at the History of Parliament Trust who studies late medieval politics, guides listeners through the chaos after Henry VI’s baby accession. They cover the power struggle between Gloucester, Bedford and Beaufort. Hear why parliament fled London to Leicester, why peers turned up with wooden bats, and how that explosive meeting foreshadowed future civil war.
