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Tuning the Body

Episode 12 of 30

David Hendy explains how sound played a part in the Medieval battle between Good and Evil. Ears were a gateway to the soul.

In the Middle Ages, sound played a key role in the battle between Good and Evil. There were horrible sins of the tongue - idle words, boasting, flattery, lying and blaspheming - as well as sins of the ear, such as eavesdropping and the seduction of devilish words. The ears were the gateway not just to the body, but also to the soul.

Professor David Hendy of the University of Sussex considers the importance of sound to Medieval morality.

30-part series made in collaboration with the British Library Sound Archive.

Producer: Matt Thompson.
A Rockethouse production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2013.

15 minutes

Last on

Wed 5 Jun 201902:15
BBC Radio 4 Extra

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The Bells

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Heavenly Sounds

See all episodes from Noise: A Human History

Broadcasts

  • Tue 2 Apr 201313:45
    BBC Radio 4
  • Tue 3 Nov 201514:15
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Wed 4 Nov 201502:15
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Tue 4 Jun 201914:15
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Wed 5 Jun 201902:15
    BBC Radio 4 Extra

Noise retold by Matthew Herbert

Noise retold by Matthew Herbert

The head of the New Radiophonic Workshop retells the Noise series using only the sounds.