Were the Vikings the original trendsetters?

Even when they were raiding the poor monks in Lindsfarne in 793, they were passing on hairstyles that annoyed some of the local elders.

Why did they file their teeth? How often did they bathe? And what influence did their gods have on all of this?

Joining Kate today to explore the beauty standards of the Vikings is Dr. Eleanor Barraclough, author of Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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With privacy being a modern luxury, where did people in the past go to meet and hook up? Public toilets were (and can still be) a popular option.

But what were secret signals? And what were the risks? Especially if, like many of the people who did it, you were part of the gay community.

Joining Kate today is Dr. Jeff Meek, lecturer in economic and social history at the University of Glasgow, to take her into this world and help us find out.

You can find out more about Jeff's work at https://queerscotland.com/.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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

Struggling for role models in the modern world? We've got your back, looking way back to the ancient world.

Join Kate and Jasmine Elmer, author of her new book, Goddess With A Thousand Faces, as they explore the remarkable stories of some of histories most incredible ancient Goddesses and the lessons we can learn from them.

What can Artemis the Greek Goddess of Wild Hunting and Virginity tell us about sexual autonomy? And what does Huitaca, the Goddess of Rebellion tell us about taking a stand when our freedoms are in danger?

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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

Rituals are a big part of this funny human experience, aren't they?

Whether that's morning rituals like making your bed... or pagan rituals that involve stripping down to your birthday suit for certain ceremonies.

The importance of nakedness is a big part of it, too, that can help separate you from this world and bring you closer to nature, and other realms.

What other ways have naked rituals played a part in our history? And are they still practiced today?

Joining Kate is the fantastic friend of the show, Ronald Hutton, author of The Pagan Rituals of the British Isles, to help us find out.

This podcast was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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

Why did the Ancient Greeks depict a womb as an octopus in their textbooks?

Their writings and (mis)understandings of the female body might seem borderline comical now, but how did these beliefs on the physical indicators of womanhood still impact us today?

Joining Kate is Helen King, author of Immaculate Forms: A History of the Female Body in Four Parts, to explore Ancient Greeks beliefs on breasts, clitoris, hymen and the womb.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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

What was it really like inside a Victorian operating theatre? Did people really smoke cigars and eat oysters while they watched high risk surgery taking place? And what were the most common procedures?

In today's episode Kate joins Dr. Monica in the Old Operating Theatre in London, to find out about the sights, smells and screams you would have heard there in the 19th century.

Find out more about the museum here: https://oldoperatingtheatre.com/

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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

When so much of history is written by men, Margaret Paston's letters offer us a rare insight into the life of a woman and the world around her in 15th century England.

How did she cope with waves of plague wiping out her town? What did she do when the War of the Roses reached her home? And what family gossip did she write about?

Joining Kate today for this insight into every day medieval life is Diane Watt, author of God’s Own Gentlewoman: The Life of Margaret Paston to take us back to this period of tumultuous English history.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

If you enjoy what we're doing, please take one minute to vote for us to win the Listener's Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards! Voting closes on August 29th and we're in the top 10! Simply click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code BETWIXT

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

However you feel about the royal family, there's no denying, there was something about Princess Diana.

From the clothes she wore to the causes she championed, she set the template for the modern royal, ruffling a lot of feathers in the process.

Why did she speak to us so much? Was there any truth to rumours of the affairs both Charles and Diana had? And were the public in any way complicit in her downfall?

Helping Kate separate Diana fact from fiction is author and royal historian, Dr. Tessa Dunlop. In the second part of the episode, Kate is speaking to Dominic Wong, curator of the photography exhibition Princess Diana: Accredited Access, to find out the backstory to some of the most iconic photos of Diana during her lifetime.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

If you enjoy what we're doing, please take one minute to vote for us to win the Listener's Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards! Voting closes on August 29th and we're in the top 10! Simply click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code BETWIXT

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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