HistoryExtra
type: channel
link: https://www.historyextra.com
description: Home of Britain’s bestselling history magazine and award-winning podcast
date: 2026-01-02T14:15:12.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: From krakens to serpents: 5 fearsome sea monsters from history
items: The REAL history behind 'All Creatures Great and Small'
items: Who was the real James Herriot? The true story behind All Creatures Great and Small
items: Medieval warhorses: 5 moments horsepower changed the course of history
items: "Dog poo was valuable": 5 things you (probably) didn't know about dogs
items: Why is a mythical catfish to blame for earthquakes in Japan?
items: How pigs caused a stink in medieval England
items: Pigs in the medieval city
items: Victorian zoos: animal attraction in the 19th century
items: The surprising history of Victorian dog shows

From krakens to serpents: 5 fearsome sea monsters from history
type: item
date: 2026-01-02T15:30:11.000Z
subject: General History
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Historical people
description: Sea monsters have haunted human imaginations for millennia. From the kraken to killer serpents, Prema Arasu explores what five mythical creatures reveal about our deepest fears
encoded: 1. Armed and dangerous The writhing tentacles of the kraken inspired horror and disgust Sea monsters have fired our imaginations – and chilled our blood – for as long as humanity has sailed the seas. The Babylonian epic Enūma Eliš, which dates back to at least 1200 BC, describes the creation of the world from two fearsome primordial beings: Apsû, the embodiment of subterranean fresh water, and Tiamat, the sea. Like the many mythical aquatic creatures that have occupied our dreams and our nightmares, Apsû and Tiamat reveal much about how the Babylonians saw the world, acting as projections through which their anxieties about nature could be expressed, examined and, perhaps, mastered. Fast forward more than a thousand years and, in Naturalis Historia (c77 AD), the earliest extant work of natural history, the Roman author Pliny the Elder argued that the largest animals found in the sea “exceed in size any of the terrestrial animals” because of the “superabundance of moisture with which they are supplied”. One such giant creature is the kraken, its origins lying in Nordic mythology and folklore. In his 1752–53 proto-scientific work The Natural History of Norway, Danish bishop Erik Pontoppidan described the “Kraken, Kraxen, or, as some world name it, Krabben” as an island-sized creature, “round, flat, and full of arms, or branches”. Alfred, Lord Tennyson was so energised by reports of this monster of the deep that, in 1830, he wrote a poem in its honour, describing an ancient, giant-armed creature slumbering “Below the thunders of the upper deep; Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea.” British naturalist Henry Lee offered a more rational perspective. In Sea Monsters Unmasked (1883), he stated that kraken sightings by sailors were most likely exaggerated reports of giant squid (Architeuthis dux), described a quarter of a century earlier by the Danish biologist Japetus Steenstrup. Even after that, though, kraken and other squid-like monsters proliferated in literature. Herma…

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The REAL history behind 'All Creatures Great and Small'
type: item
date: 2025-11-04T14:49:06.000Z
creator: Lauren Good
subject: 20th Century
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: TV interest
description: Discover the vet who inspired a legacy that is still enjoyed today by fans of PBS America and Channel 5's All Creatures Great and Small
encoded: HistoryExtra's Lauren Good explores the life and career of James 'Alf' Wight, and what led him to write about his experiences as a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales. From his early years to his struggles with mental illness, this video shines a light on the man who wrote a series of books that would capture the public imagination and go on to sell in their millions. View Green Video on the source website

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Who was the real James Herriot? The true story behind All Creatures Great and Small
type: item
date: 2025-09-30T07:30:19.000Z
creator: Lauren Good
subject: 20th Century
subject: Period
subject: Historical people
description: The anecdotal works of the veterinarian James ‘Alf’ Wight have captivated readers for decades, been turned into a popular television series and even a must-see tourist attraction. Lauren Good explores the life and career of the man behind James Herriot, from his life in Thirsk, Yorkshire, to going AWOL during the Second World War and a struggle with mental illness
encoded: Since his book If Only They Could Talk was published in 1970, James Herriot – the pen name of James Alfred ‘Alf’ Wight – has delighted generations with endearing stories of his life as a veterinarian in North Yorkshire from the 1930s-50s. The charm of a country vet going about his rounds has since brought Wight global fame, from his first appearance in If Only They Could Talk (1970) to films (All Creatures Great and Small (1975) and It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet (1976)) and television adaptations (the original from 1978-1990, and the Channel 5 series 2020-present). Yet, in his heart, he always favoured the quiet life in Yorkshire over the glare of the spotlight. Where was James Herriot born? Wight was born on 3 October 1916 at his mother Hannah Wight’s family home in Sunderland in the north of England. Having visited Sunderland to give birth, Hannah returned to Glasgow when Wight was just three weeks old, which is where he spent his early years – and explains the lilting Scottish accent that many associate with his literary alter-ego, James Herriot. An only child, Wight attended Yoker Primary School and Hillhead High School, before taking a place at veterinary college at the age of 17. James Herriot’s career as a vet Since he was a young boy, Wight had always loved animals and spent much of his time walking with his dog, an Irish Setter. His interest blossomed into a desire to be a vet – so that he could care for all kinds of creatures – when he read an article in Meccano Magazine about veterinary surgeons. Two years later, when a vet visited his school to give a lecture, his mind was made up; that was what he wanted to do with his life. Wight joined Glasgow Veterinary College and graduated just over six years later, in 1939 at the age of 23. It should have taken him five years, but he suffered from gastrointestinal problems and had to miss lectures, causing him to fail many of his modules on the first attempt. Still, Wight’s progress at the college was impressively …

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Medieval warhorses: 5 moments horsepower changed the course of history
type: item
date: 2025-08-20T08:00:44.000Z
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Medieval kings and queens
subject: Medieval life
description: From William the Conqueror’s battle-winning cavalry to Richard III’s fatal final charge, Oliver H Creighton and Robert Liddiard explore five moments when horsepower changed the course of medieval history
encoded: 1. 1066 and all that Horses were involved in King Harold’s defeat at Hastings – but also in the demise of his Norman conqueror It’s one of the most famous of all medieval images. Harold II stands upon the battlefield at Hastings, desperately grasping at an arrow lodged in his eye. This incident – depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry – is credited with ending the English king’s life and extinguishing centuries of Anglo-Saxon rule. Yet look to the right of Harold and you’ll find an image that arguably goes even further in explaining his defeat: it depicts a sword-wielding warrior mounted upon a horse. The Norman conquest of England in 1066 was an era-defining event – and its centrepiece was the battle of Hastings. That clash is graphically represented on the Bayeux Tapestry, most memorably in the image of mounted Norman knights charging the line of Anglo-Saxon warriors on foot. It’s a powerful rendition of horses making history – and for William, Duke of Normandy, those animals proved critical in securing his victory. William began the day of the pivotal action, 14 October, by ordering reconnaissance missions, receiving intelligence from returning mounted scouts on the whereabouts of Harold’s forces. When the two armies later closed in to do battle, the Bayeux Tapestry shows us, the duke mounted his warhorse and exhorted his knights to “prepare themselves manfully and wisely” as they cantered towards the forthcoming engagement. During the nine-hour struggle, William was in the thick of the fighting – and two, or possibly three, of his horses were killed beneath him. The crucial part of the battle came when a rumour spread among the Normans that their commander had been killed. The duke hurriedly rode among his now-fleeing troops, his helmet raised to prove that he was alive, so preventing a rout. At this key moment it was the mobility provided by his mount that allowed William to be in the right place at the right time, averting disaster (for him). Despite the oft-repeated…

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"Dog poo was valuable": 5 things you (probably) didn't know about dogs
type: item
date: 2025-02-26T16:05:11.000Z
subject: General History
subject: Membership
subject: Period
description: Chris Pearson reveals surprising facts about humanity’s evolving relationship with its canine companions over the centuries
encoded: 1. Dogs were treated as workers, not pets Today, most dogs – certainly in western societies – are pets, providing companionship in return for food, strokes and a comfy bed (or sofa). But pet-keeping is a relatively recent phenomenon. In the Middle Ages, pets were largely the preserve of wealthy women and scholars. Most dogs were expected to work outdoors as guard dogs, herders and hunters. From the 18th century, though, urbanisation, industrialisation and the rise of middle-class consumer cultures fuelled a boom in pet dogs that led increasingly leisurely lives. Working dogs became less common, and some types disappeared altogether. Take the turnspit dog, forced to run around in a wheel to turn meat cooked in front of kitchen fires. These small, sturdy dogs with long bodies, short legs and stumpy tails worked for hours on end in sweltering conditions. Possibly the last recorded uses of turnspit dogs was at St Briavel’s Castle, Gloucestershire in 1844. They were replaced by coal-fuelled smoke jacks. Listen | How dogs shaped city life 2. Rabies changed how we live with dogs Rabies is a rare but horrific viral disease that attacks the nervous system. It has ancient origins: the Marduk Prophecy, an Assyrian text dating from between 713 and 612 BC, listed rabies as one of the plagues that would afflict Babylon should the deity Marduk leave the city to its fate: “Dogs will become rabid and bite people. All the persons whom they bite will not survive but will die.” The symptoms of rabies are terrifying – including, most notoriously, a fear of water – and, once they have developed, death is almost inevitable. Historical treatments for rabies, including the hair of the dog – placing a hair from the rabid animal on a bite wound – were ineffective. Unsurprisingly, then, outbreaks of public hysteria about rabid dogs erupted sporadically, often whipped up by the press, which gleefully reported stories of ‘mad dogs’. Such anxieties led to changes in how humans and dogs lived toge…

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Why is a mythical catfish to blame for earthquakes in Japan?
type: item
date: 2025-02-07T09:36:31.000Z
creator: Jonny Wilkes
subject: General History
subject: Period
subject: Evergreen
description: According to Japanese mythology, the thrashing of a giant subterranean catfish causes the earthquakes that wreak havoc on the country. Far from being a feared or hated monster, however, this catfish can also be a force for good
encoded: Japan is no stranger to earthquakes. Located on the Ring of Fire, a seismically active area around the edge of the Pacific Basin, the country experiences around 2,000 quakes every year and around 20 per cent of all the world’s seismic events over a magnitude of six on the Richter Scale. Long before scientific explanations, Japanese folk myth came up with its own reasons to explain why the ground could suddenly and violently shake. At first, the blame was placed on dragons or serpents; then in the 17th century, it shifted to a creature called Namazu. Who is Namazu, the Earthshaker? Namazu is a giant catfish believed to live in underground rivers and seas beneath Japan and caused earthquakes by rubbing its body against the rocks or thrashing its mighty tail. In Japanese myth, the thunder god Takemikazuchi did manage to subdue and restrain the creature by pinning the head down with a stone (though in some versions, he thrust a sword through the catfish’s head.) The stone, kaname-ishi, is so large that its uppermost tip can supposedly be seen on the earth’s surface, sticking out of the ground at the Kashima Jingu shrine in Japan’s Kanto region. When Takemikazuchi becomes distracted, however, or is called away to an annual gathering of the gods, Namazu is able to wriggle around. That’s enough to bring about an earthquake. Read more | Dragons: from mythological beasts of history to the fire breathers of fantasy Images of symbolic catfish in Japan date back to the 15th century, and the animal may have been chosen as the mythical harbinger of destruction as the result of a widely held belief among Japanese fishermen. Apparently, they would observe catfish acting strangely right before a seismic event. Today, the catfish is used as the logo for early earthquake warnings sent out by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and also appears on the road signs to let drivers know which highways will be shut in the event of a quake. Which earthquakes have been blamed on Namazu? It was af…

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How pigs caused a stink in medieval England
type: item
date: 2025-01-13T07:30:22.000Z
creator: Spencer Mizen
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Medieval life
description: Dolly Jørgensen explores medieval England's love-hate relationship with the urban pig
encoded: They attacked children. They exhumed dead bodies. They were even thought to be in league with the devil. And yet, despite this long list of misdemeanours, pigs were an indispensable part of urban life in the Middle Ages. Speaking to Spencer Mizen, Dolly Jørgensen reveals why medieval city-dwellers were so dependent on swine – and explains what city authorities did to prevent rogue pigs from running riot. Dolly Jørgensen is the author of The Medieval Pig (Boydell Press, 2024) Buy now on Bookshop.org Buy now on Amazon Buy now on Waterstones

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Pigs in the medieval city
type: item
date: 2024-11-18T07:31:45.000Z
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Long reads (podcast series)
subject: Medieval Life and Death
description: Dolly Jørgensen considers why the pig was so vital to urban life in the Middle Ages
encoded: They killed children, exhumed dead bodies and caused an almighty stink. So why, asks this Long Read written by Dolly Jørgensen, were our medieval ancestors so dependent on the urban pig? HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2024 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.

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Victorian zoos: animal attraction in the 19th century
type: item
date: 2024-11-11T18:15:22.000Z
subject: Georgian
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Victorian
subject: Life in Victorian Britain
subject: London’s history
description: If the Surrey Zoological Garden was anything to go by, a zoo in the Georgian and Victorian eras was so much more than a place to see animals from around the world. Joanne Cormac reveals how the entertainments put on – which included pyrotechnic re-enactments of the Great Fire of London – reflected Britons’ growing taste for the exotic in the 19th century
encoded: One fine day in late spring 1835, veteran aeronaut Charles Green climbed into a hot air balloon from a raft floating on a lake, and soared into the sky. Flight was nothing new for Green – this was his 198th ascent – but today he was joined by an unusual passenger: Jacopo the monkey, a resident of the Surrey Zoological Gardens. As this unlikely duo floated above Walworth, then just south of London, Jacopo, wearing a smart red jacket, descended “with great velocity” in a specially made parachute, to the delight of the watching crowds. Jacopo was physically unharmed, though newspaper reports of the event noted that he “seemed not much to relish the ride”. A label was attached to the poor primate, promising a small fee – and free admission to the gardens – for anyone who found him. Evidently, Jacopo was brought back safely; two years later he returned to the skies, this time with Margaret Graham, the first British woman to make a solo balloon flight. The hot air balloon ride was one of many attractions at Surrey Zoological Gardens, which had opened on 13 August 1831 in the grounds of Walworth Manor House, Kennington. At the time, zoos were rare novelties but, as the public clamour for encounters with exotic animals swelled, they began popping up across Great Britain and Ireland. Read more | Where was England's first zoo? Many of them no longer exist. Surrey Zoo was one of the casualties, yet in its heyday it was an enormous hit with the public. It is the quintessential example of the menagerie-style zoo that struck such a chord with Britons in the 19th century. In its day Surrey’s zoo was the main rival of London Zoo at Regent’s Park. These were, however, very different establishments. Like most early zoos (including those in Dublin, Bristol and Manchester), London’s had lofty ambitions and was aimed at educated society seeking enlightenment. Surrey Zoo, on the other hand, offered exoticism, imperial display and commercial entertainment for its fashionable clientele – a…

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The surprising history of Victorian dog shows
type: item
date: 2024-11-11T18:00:00.000Z
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Victorian
subject: Life in Victorian Britain
description: Modern dog shows first began more than 150 years ago. Here, Neil Pemberton and Michael Worboys look at the 'Dog Fancy', a fashionable Victorian phenomenon which attracted controversy then as now
encoded: When was the first modern dog show? The first modern dog show, on 28–29 June 1859 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was an added attraction to the annual cattle show. Its country character was clear, as only setters and pointers – sporting breeds – were shown and the prizes were guns. It was a low key start to what would be, by the end of the century, a hugely popular pastime, with dog owning fashionable among all classes of society, and which had huge implications for canine breeding. The first show to include non‑sporting breeds was held in Birmingham later in 1859 and was such a success that a year later, the Birmingham Dog Show Society ran the first National Dog Show, for which there were 267 entries, with 30 breeds, judged in 42 classes. The main organiser was Richard Brailsford, a gamekeeper on the Knowsley estate of the Earl of Derby, then leader of the Conservative opposition and three-time prime minister. The earl’s pointer, Juno, won a prize in 1862, indicating how rapidly participation in dog shows spread to the country’s elite, making dog fancying fashionable and respectable. By the end of the 1860s, the National Dog Show was attracting over 700 dogs and 20,000 paying visitors. The history of the Kennel Club and Crufts The provincial phenomenon came to London in 1862 with the first show at the Agricultural Hall in Islington. In 1863 there was a week long extravaganza at Cremorne Gardens in Chelsea. The new respectable ‘Dog Fancy’ came of age with this event. There were 100,000 visitors, including the Prince of Wales, and it was the occasion of the season. The number and size of dog shows then grew rapidly. Across the country, shows were established by local enthusiasts, often with particular characteristics. For example, at Belle Vue zoological gardens in Manchester, dogs shared the limelight with poultry for many years. Events were of variable quality and more importantly repute, and such was the unease among elite dog fanciers, that, under the leadership of Sewa…

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