Othered: Race, Gender & Human 'Monsters'

Not Just the Tudors

History Hit

History

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 14 August 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

**Contains examples of 'othering', including birth abnormalities, and the terms used to describe them historically**

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Surekha Davies to discuss how individuals and groups were often classified in the Early Modern period, and how ideas evolved around normality versus 'otherness' - or even 'monstrosity'. Suzannah and Surekha consider the influence of the four humors on human classification, the portrayal of different peoples in New World exploration, and the entrenchment of racism and sexism through legal and social frameworks. They also touch upon gender fluidity and intersexuality from various cultural perspectives, culminating in a rich discussion on how humans created their own concepts of 'monsters' amongst men.

MORE:

Unusual Births and Disability in 17th Century England

Making Babies in the 17th Century

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Professor Susanna Lipscomb.
0:02.6	If you'd like not just the Tudors ad-free to get early access and bonus episodes, sign up to History Hit.
0:10.5	With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries,
0:16.0	including my own recent two-part series, A World Torn Apart, The Dissolution of the Monastries, and enjoy a new release every week.
0:25.2	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe.
0:32.2	I'm Professor Susanna Lipscomb, host of the Not Just the Tudas podcast.
0:37.1	I want to tell you about a new podcast series, The Mystic and the Mayor.
0:42.0	As a historian, I'm fascinated by stories of witchcraft and magic.
0:47.1	For centuries, accusations of sorcery have brought down even the most rich and powerful.
0:52.7	But this isn't a story from the pages of distant history.
0:57.1	In February 24, in the glamorous French coastal town of Agde, a respected mayor was arrested for
1:04.7	corruption. His defence. He claims he was bewitched by the town's beautiful clairvoyant.
1:11.8	The case has got it all.
1:13.7	Phone calls from the Archangel Michael, seances where the dead speak through the living,
1:18.9	a mayor who believed he was receiving supernatural guidance.
1:23.5	Hosted by the broadcaster Anna Richardson,
1:26.7	The Mystic and the Mayor is a modern-day tale of sorcery
1:29.9	that could have come straight from the history books.
1:32.7	The dark arts, it seems, are alive and well in the 21st century.
1:37.6	Binge the whole series of The Mystic and the Mayor on Wondry Plus
1:41.8	through Apple Podcasts, Spotify or in the Wondry app.
1:49.2	This is an ad by BetterHelp.
	...

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