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Medieval Ghost Stories

Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Michael Carter and actor Mathew Baynton to learn about medieval European ghost stories.

Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Michael Carter and actor Mathew Baynton to learn all about ghost stories in the European Middle Ages. From the twelfth century onwards, medieval Europe produced a huge number of ghost stories, often written in monasteries. But why were monks so interested in ghosts? How were ghost stories related to wider Christian beliefs about death and the afterlife? And what happened to these beliefs with the arrival of the Protestant Reformation?

From creepy child ghosts to friendly apparitions via the fires of purgatory, this is a glimpse into the strange, spooky and sometimes sinister side of medieval beliefs.

Research by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Jon Mason
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Caitlin Hobbs
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: Chris Ledgard

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57 minutes

Last on

Thu 28 Dec 2023 23:00

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  • Christmas Day 2023 20:00
  • Thu 28 Dec 2023 23:00

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