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

What does it mean to be a geisha? How does someone become one? And how do they differ from sex workers?

The geisha world is famously very secretive and private, and taking us into it today is Lesley Downer, who spent years befriending geishas in research for her book Geisha: The Secret History of a Vanishing World.

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

Glass of meat wine, anyone? That's right, the Victorians loved a glass of meaty wine.

They loved drinking so much that it became a moral panic, with whole movements of temperance cropping up around Britain...

Elvis Presley embraced sexuality from the start. Rock n roll was not tame music, and neither were his early performances.

So much so that he was nicknamed Elvis 'the pelvis' after early TV performances...

If there’s one thing you’ll find out from this episode, it’s that the Ancient Greeks were better at philosophy than gynaecology.

Struggling to conceive? You might be given a stuffed dead puppy to provoke fertility.

Helping Kate make sense of Ancient Greek gynaecology today is Helen King, author of Hippocrates' Woman: Reading the Female Body in Ancient Greece...

The Aztec Empire might conjure up images of human sacrifice.

And whilst religious violence was part of their society, theirs was also a very egalitarian society where pleasure was valued and sexuality was an unashamed part of every day life...

What is the origin of the word fetish? How did the war play a part in shaping fetishwear? And what are some of the styles that are most enjoyed?

Kink and fetish scenes have been a part of society for years, and the clothing that participants wear is often very specific, and a key part of what makes them, well, effective. 

It’s a fascinating history, and to explain it to us is Frenchy Lunning, author of Fetish Style...

The word drag is synonymous with flamboyant, fun performances. But where does the term come from and what does it mean? 

This more modern story of playing with gender identity’s dates back to the 1870s, and it’s a history that takes in the wars, censorship and fears. Heaven forbid!

Taking us through this fascinating history of drag as we know it today is Jacob Bloomfield, author of Drag: A British History. 

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy...

King James I was a man whose sexuality was known by people in France, let alone (the newly formed) Britain of the early 17th century.

So it may come as no surprise that men, such as the handsome George Villiers, might use their sexuality to their advantage and gain status, money and power whilst romancing the king.

Helping Kate explore the sex and scandal of the Jacobean court is Anthony Delaney, historian and co-host of History Hit sister podcast After Dark...

We think we know the Vikings, but how well do we really know them?

From the insignia we think they wear, to the names they call themselves and the way they spoke to each other, there's a lot to uncover.

Joining Kate today is Dr. Caitlin Ellis, historian and Associate Professor at the University of Oslo, to take us back to this world and find out more.

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

Of all the taboo topics covered on Betwixt the Sheets, this one might make you wince the most.

But it cannot be denied that poo and our management of it through history has massively shaped human civilisation...