Gone Medieval Goes Wassailing

Gone Medieval

History Hit

History

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 January 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Matt Lewis, joined by Dr. Eleanor Janega, explores the Halstow Wassail—a modern iteration of an ancient tradition rooted deep in medieval folklore. They visit Grey's Cider Farm in Devon and dive into the unique ceremony of wassailing, where people sing to apple trees to bless them for a bountiful harvest. Featuring exclusive insights from Theo Grey, the 13th generation cider maker, they uncover the historic and communal aspects of this revived ritual, how the tradition has evolved while maintaining the communal spirit and connection with nature from centuries past.

Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit to see Matt and Eleanor revel in Wassailing in their new documentary Medieval Midwinter, plus 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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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Matt Lewis.
0:02.6	And I'm Dr. Eleanor Yonaga.
0:04.2	And we're just popping up here to tell you some insider info.
0:08.0	If you would like to listen to Gone Medieval ad-free and get early access and bonus episodes,
0:13.3	sign up to History Hit.
0:14.5	With the History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries.
0:20.6	Such as my new series on everyone's favorite
0:22.8	conquerors, the Normans, or my recent exploration of the castles that made Britain. There's a new
0:29.9	release to enjoy every week. Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe, or find a link in the show notes for this episode.
0:46.2	This podcast is brought to you by Exodus Adventure Travels, helping you reconnect with the world
0:52.1	one adventure at a time. For 50 years, Exodus has been crafting adventures that inspire.
0:59.0	With their expert guides, you'll go beyond the usual tourist spots,
1:03.0	uncovering authentic, immersive experiences.
1:07.0	From safaris in Africa to hiking in the Himalayas, Exodus offers itineraries around 90 different countries that cater to every traveller's dream spanning the globe.
1:19.6	And it's more than just travel. It's travel with a purpose, with a commitment to sustainability.
1:26.4	To find your next adventure, visit exodus.co.uk now.
1:34.6	Hello, I'm Matt Lewis. Welcome to Gone Medieval from History Hit, the podcast that delves into the
1:40.4	greatest millennium in human history. We've got the most intriguing mysteries,
1:45.7	the gobsmacking details and latest groundbreaking research from the Vikings to the printing press,
1:51.6	from kings to popes to the crusades. We cross centuries and continents to delve into rebellions,
1:58.0	plots and murders, to find the stories big and small that tell us how we got here.
2:03.6	Find out who we really were with Gone Medieval.
	...

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