History Extra podcast Tudor life with Ruth Goodman
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Oct 19, 2025 Ruth Goodman, a social historian and broadcaster, dives into the hidden realities of Tudor life, shining a light on the daily experiences of ordinary people. Discover what Tudors really ate, from staple bread to seasonal treats, and how they managed hygiene without modern baths. Ruth shares surprising beliefs about sex and religion, and how children learned skills through hands-on experiences. From their unique leisure activities like bear-baiting and dancing to food storage techniques without refrigeration, this discussion reveals a vibrant yet vastly different world.
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Everyday Lives Reveal Big History
- Ruth Goodman studies ordinary people to understand daily life rather than elites.
- She treats history as time travel, anthropology and self-exploration to feel past experiences.
Sources Beyond Official Records
- Use archaeology, objects and cheap literature to access ordinary people's lives.
- Ballads and joke books reveal attitudes, humour and daily concerns missing from elite records.
Same Bodies, Different Worlds
- Humans are biologically the same but shaped by radically different cultures.
- Cultural differences explain why familiar actions could mean very different things in Tudor times.
