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HistoryExtra podcast - A fantastical history of fairies
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A fantastical history of fairies

HistoryExtra podcast

04/14/26

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29m

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Featured In

When picturing a fairy, you might imagine a childlike creature with wings. But this is a far more modern image than we might think. In this episode, Matthias Egeler tells Lauren Good about the ways in which our perceptions of elves and fairies have changed throughout history – and how these changes reveal so much about the society around them.

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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST

Find out more about the Cottingley fairies in this HistoryExtra article: https://bit.ly/3PFLos3

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Previous Episode

It was the Vikings of northern Europe who first settled the harsh landscapes of Iceland in the ninth century. Most of the figures leading this movement were men – powerful chieftains who claimed vast swathes of land and parcelled it out to their followers. But among these pioneers was Aud the Deep-Minded: a woman who subverted the expectations of the Viking world. In this episode, Emily Lethbridge speaks to James Osborne about Aud's incredible life and legacy.

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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST

To find out more about the sagas of the Viking world, listen to our Life of the Week episode exploring the adventures of Erik the Red: https://bit.ly/41soDKS

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Next Episode

In 1708, the Spanish galleon San José was sunk by a British warship off the coast of Colombia, vanishing beneath the waves with a treasure trove of unimaginable riches. The wreck's exact location remained a mystery for centuries – until a maritime archaeologist named Roger Dooley made it his life’s mission to find it. In this episode, Julian Sancton tells Jon Bauckham about Dooley’s incredible search, set against a backdrop of secrecy, sacrifice and Cold War tensions.

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GO BEYOND THE PODCAST

Don't miss our alternate history feature on the War of the Spanish Succession, and what might have happened had Charles II produced an heir: https://bit.ly/4lUL7h1

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