HistoryExtra https://www.historyextra.com/author/emilybriffett Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:14:05 GMT en hourly 1 Being disabled in the medieval era https://www.historyextra.com/membership/being-disabled-in-the-medieval-era-podcast/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:14:05 GMT https://www.historyextra.com/membership/being-disabled-in-the-medieval-era-podcast/ Rae Gillibrand highlights how bodily difference was understood in this pre-modern era Prosthetic legs, wheelbarrow wheelchairs and guide… children? Those were just some of the assistive technologies and body augmentations available to our medieval and early modern ancestors.
In this episode, Rae Gillibrand highlights how bodily difference was understood in this pre-modern era, and explores the medical marketplace and community support that was available. Speaking to Emily Briffett, Rae reveals a world of ingenuity, adaptation and care.
Beyond the podcast
To find out more about Tudor attitudes to disability – and why they may have been more compassionate than you might think – don’t miss this HistoryExtra article written by Phillipa Vincent-Connolly
]]> Ancient explosives and the philosopher's stone: a history of alchemy https://www.historyextra.com/membership/ancient-explosives-and-the-philosophers-stone-a-history-of-alchemy/ Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:29:23 GMT https://www.historyextra.com/membership/ancient-explosives-and-the-philosophers-stone-a-history-of-alchemy/ Kit Chapman guides Emily Briffett through a remarkable story of discovery that blurred the boundaries between science and mysticism Think of alchemy, and you likely imagine bubbling vials of strange potions and molten metals. But how close is this popular perception to the truth? That’s the question behind historian and adventurer Kit Chapman’s latest book, The Age of Alchemy, which was recently announced as winner of the 2026 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize.
In this episode, Kit guides Emily Briffett through a remarkable story of discovery that blurred the boundaries between science and mysticism – and explains how alchemists pursued dreams of fortune and immortality that laid the foundations for modern science.
Beyond the podcast
An unlikely mix of scientist, scholar, engineer and magician, the 'magus' was a figure that sat at the heart of the transformative Renaissance period. Don’t miss this episode of the HistoryExtra podcast charting the careers of these men, seen as genius scholars by some and charlatans by others.
]]> Inside Venice’s Jewish ghetto https://www.historyextra.com/membership/inside-venice-jewish-ghetto-podcast/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:38:32 GMT https://www.historyextra.com/membership/inside-venice-jewish-ghetto-podcast/ Historian Alexander Lee explores why, in the early 16th century, Venice confined its Jewish population to a restricted quarter on an island in the city In the early 16th century, Venice confined its Jewish population to a restricted quarter on an island in the city. It was the first settlement to bear the name 'ghetto' – a word that would go on to shape the history of Jewish persecution and segregation.
Speaking to Emily Briffett, historian Alexander Lee explores why Venice created the ghetto, examining the uneasy tension between the city’s economic reliance on Jewish money-lenders and its deep suspicion of Jewish residents. He also reveals what life was like inside the ghetto, from its crowded buildings and religious institutions to its vibrant cultural life, intellectual debates and fragile relationship with the Venetian authorities.
]]> WW2's bloody battle for Arakan https://www.historyextra.com/membership/ww2s-bloody-battle-for-arakan/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 10:35:26 GMT https://www.historyextra.com/membership/ww2s-bloody-battle-for-arakan/ Military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson discusses an Allied offensive that launched daring amphibious assaults deep into Japanese-held territory, turning the tide of the Burma campaign In 1944, the Allies unleashed an offensive in Burma – a brutal campaign spearheaded by 3 Commando Brigade alongside the Indian and West African troops of XV Corps. Against a ruthless enemy and in one of the world’s most unforgiving environments, these men launched daring amphibious assaults deep into Japanese-held territory, turning the tide of the Burma campaign and delivering a devastating blow to the Imperial Japanese Army.
Military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson has written a book on the subject, Jungle Commandoes, and Emily Briffett spoke to her to find out more.
]]> How Henry VII seized – and kept – the crown https://www.historyextra.com/membership/how-henry-vii-seized-and-kept-the-crown/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:06:07 GMT https://www.historyextra.com/membership/how-henry-vii-seized-and-kept-the-crown/ Sean Cunningham reassesses the first Tudor king's critical reputation, exploring the delicate balancing act that defined his reign Henry VII is often remembered as a cold, calculating and penny-pinching monarch whose relentless pursuit of an ever-tightening grip on the throne overshadowed his achievements. But how fair is that reputation? And what can the real history behind this popular perception tell us about the challenges, anxieties and realities of Henry's kingship?
Speaking to Emily Briffett, Sean Cunningham reassesses the first Tudor king's critical reputation, exploring the delicate balancing act that defined his reign as he sought to reward loyalty, root out treason and secure a fragile new dynasty.
]]> We asked Hugh Jackman what it was like to play Robin Hood – and his answer was surprisingly dark https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/hugh-jackman-interview-death-of-robin-hood/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:34:27 GMT https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/hugh-jackman-interview-death-of-robin-hood/ Hugh Jackman dons the mantle of medieval England’s most famous folk hero in The Death of Robin Hood. Emily Briffett spoke to him to find out more about how he brought the mythic outlaw of the Middle Ages to life For the new film The Death of Robin Hood, Hugh Jackman has stepped into the muddy boots of the titular legendary character – one who has captured the imagination as both outlaw and hero. But as Jackman accepts, the historical roots of the character are incredibly murky. For him, this is a positive, not a negative.
Indeed, Jackman is no stranger to mythic roles. And, as a self-proclaimed history enthusiast, he relishes the opportunity to breathe new life into such an ambiguous and storied figure. Jackman suggests that – while some claim Robin Hood was a real outlaw – the legend’s true power lies precisely in these folkloric qualities. “This character feels so larger than life that being able to put my particular stamp on it is a privilege.”
But any fans expecting a light, adventurous romp may be surprised. This new cinematic interpretation is a departure from familiar rousing tales of green tights and Merry Men.
“We find him at the beginning of this movie basically wanting to die,” Jackman explains.
That mindset sets the tone, and the rest of the film follows suit. Grappling with the aftermath of a life of violence and crime, Jackman’s version of the character is a darker, more introspective take.
The role, Jackman suggests, is less a comparison with previous portrayals and more about inhabiting a character weighed down by years of legend and loss. This transformation was physical as well as emotional: “When I put on the hair, makeup and costume for the first time, I could feel the heaviness of that life.”
Would Hugh Jackman survive the medieval world?
When asked how he would cope in this version of Robin Hood’s world, he admitted he would fare poorly without modern comforts. He added, “I’m soft to the core. I can put up a tent, but that’s about it. I can’t start a fire. I’m not sure exactly how to find water. I think I’d be pretty much dead.”
His own survival prospects may be questionable, but Jackman sees at least one obvious advantage to having Robin Hood around. Asked about the character’s greatest “green flag,” he quips, “Hunting. Helpful, right? If you’re hungry, he’s the guy you want.” And his biggest red flag? “Commitment.”
- Read more | The many faces of Robin Hood
In fact, it might be the early modern, post-enlightenment world that would suit Jackman better than the Middle Ages. “If I was born into some kind of station, royalty or wealth, I’d be good… until I got a toothache. I don’t think I’d survive the dentist without Novocaine.”
That said, Jackman did pick up at least one practical skill from his time on set: “I now know how to make a bow and arrow.”
The Death of Robin Hood is in cinemas now.
]]> Who killed Robin Hood? The dark legends that inspired the new Hugh Jackman blockbuster https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/how-did-robin-hood-die-the-death-of-robin-hood-interview/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:32:57 GMT https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/how-did-robin-hood-die-the-death-of-robin-hood-interview/ Gritty and grounded, The Death of Robin Hood stars Hugh Jackman as the legendary outlaw, now gravely wounded after a lifetime of violence and offered a final chance at redemption. Speaking to writer and director Michael Sarnoski about the historical roots and creative inspirations behind his new film, Emily Briffett looks at the enduring legend of Robin Hood’s death and the blurred lines between myth and history Robin Hood has been a fixture of English folklore for centuries, most often portrayed as a green-clad outlaw stealing from the rich, giving to the poor, and outwitting the Sheriff of Nottingham with his band of Merry Men. It’s an image that’s a far cry from what audiences see in The Death of Robin Hood.
In the film from writer and director Michael Sarnoski, Hugh Jackman’s Robin Hood is an aged man worn down by years of violence and crime, grappling with the fallout of his decisions, when he is offered one final chance at redemption.
This different vision of the outlaw begs the question: is it possible to capture an authentic, accurate version of Robin Hood? How do you separate fact from fiction?
How did Robin Hood die?
The earliest surviving medieval accounts that mention Robin Hood give little detail as to the character’s death, but early modern retellings developed a more dramatic ending.
In one of the best-known traditions, from versions of a 17th-century ballad known as Robin Hood's Death or Robin Hoode his Death, Robin and Little John travelled to Kirklees Priory, where he was then betrayed by his cousin, the prioress. While bloodletting an unwell Robin, she deliberately took too much blood, leaving him fatally weakened. In one version, Robin is also stabbed by his enemy – and the prioress’s lover – Sir Roger of Doncaster, otherwise known as ‘Red Roger’.
With his last ounces of strength, Robin is said to have shot one final arrow from his deathbed, asking Little John to be buried wherever it landed. Although there is no firm historical evidence that Robin Hood was a real individual (let alone where he may have died) this tale has helped establish Kirklees as his supposed final resting place.
It was this narrative of Robin Hood’s death that inspired Sarnoski. “I had been fascinated by the death of Robin Hood story since I was a little kid,” he explained. “It was so surprising that this man of adventure ends up [dying] in this sunlit church. The intimacy of that story always struck me.”
Hero or villain?
In the early modern retellings of Robin Hood’s death, there is a sharp dichotomy between the two main characters: the prioress is a scheming villainess to Robin’s ailing hero. Sarnoski has instead made the decision to flip this perception on its head. However, that’s not to say that the film’s approach to characterisation is not rooted in historical imagination.
Sarnoski looked to figures like Hildegard von Bingen, a twelfth-century German abbess and polymath, as inspiration for the prioress. Similarly, Sarnoski says that his Robin is far from the unblemished hero. Instead, his characterisation is rooted in the question: “If Robin wasn’t this goodly hero, what would life as a medieval bandit have been like? How brutal might that have been?”
- Read more | The many faces of Robin Hood
Rather than drawing on the later, more romanticised versions of the Robin Hood myth, Sarnoski grounded the feeling of the film in the earliest surviving documented ballads – including, among others, A Gest of Robyn Hode, Robin Hood and the Monk, Robin Hood and the Potter, and Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne. These sources provide a glimpse into a more morally ambiguous Robin: “They are mischievous, very violent stories about this outlaw who has a moral code, but it’s not as solidified as [that of the stories] we are familiar with nowadays”.
An evolving story
Indeed, there are many elements of Robin Hood’s story that have changed over time. “A lot was added later on,” Sarnoski notes, referring to familiar tropes such as Robin’s connection to Richard the Lionheart and the idea of stealing from the rich to give to the poor: “That was not in the original texts”.
Equally, instead of giving to the poor and needy, Robin’s main focus was originally targeting corrupt clergy and members of the nobility – something that was expanded upon over time. Additionally, he was no scorned noble, but a yeoman. Even fair Maid Marian was a somewhat later invention.
However, what is clear in these early ballads is the folk hero’s impressive skills at archery.
Fittingly, one of the new film’s central themes is the uncertainty of truth in legend – a question that is regularly raised when it comes to the story of Robin Hood. As Sarnoski explained: “What would happen if you outlived your time as an outlaw and were seeing your own legends start to become these folktales? Even these characters are unsure about which of these things are true and which aren’t.”
“If we’re too precious about our stories, we can define ourselves too much by those things and that can be dangerous. I want people to think about the stories they tell themselves, why they tell them, and to be able to take a step back and think about the place of them [in their understanding of the past]”.
The Death of Robin Hood is in cinemas now.
]]> What is ‘Europe’, anyway? https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/europe-podcast-roderick-beaton/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 07:30:17 GMT https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/europe-podcast-roderick-beaton/ Historian Roderick Beaton explores what defines Europe What defines Europe – is it geography, politics, a shared culture, or perhaps a mix of all three? In this episode, historian Roderick Beaton tells Emily Briffett about the ways in which it has been defined, and redefined, as an idea by its people over the centuries.
]]> Roman kings: myth, memory and the making of power https://www.historyextra.com/membership/roman-kings-myth-memory-and-the-making-of-power/ Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:49:23 GMT https://www.historyextra.com/membership/roman-kings-myth-memory-and-the-making-of-power/ Ancient historian Christopher Smith uncovers how seven legendary figures shaped Rome’s ideas of power and identity Before Rome's republic and the age of emperors, there were kings… or so the story goes. Beginning with Romulus, and ending with Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, these rulers loomed large in the Roman imagination – but is their narrative fact or fiction?
In this episode, Emily Briffett is joined by ancient historian Christopher Smith, as they sift myth from memory, and uncover how seven legendary figures shaped Rome’s ideas of power and identity.
]]> Philip Augustus: the Plantagenets’ greatest rival https://www.historyextra.com/membership/philip-augustus-the-plantagenets-greatest-rival/ Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:55:33 GMT https://www.historyextra.com/membership/philip-augustus-the-plantagenets-greatest-rival/ Catherine Hanley reveals the ruthless tactics employed by King Philip Augustus of France: the Plantagenets’ ultimate enemy King Philip Augustus of France was the Plantagenets’ ultimate enemy. A ruler with an iron fist and sharp political instincts, he consistently exploited the squabbles of the English dynasty, all while transforming France into a dominant power in Western Europe.
Speaking to Emily Briffett, historian and author Catherine Hanley reveals the cunning and ruthless tactics he employed against the English kings to become medieval England’s most formidable foe.
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