logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2025
1 h

582. The Body in the Woods: A Medieval M...

Goalhanger
About this episode
Why was a boy grotesquely and mysteriously murdered in a wood in Norwich in the 12th century? Who was his killer? Was it a ritual child sacrifice? Why was the murder blamed on Norwich's Jewish community, and in what appalling way? How did the incident set in motion a whole wave of Jewish persecution across the world, as more and more children disappeared and ... Show More
Up next
Feb 5
641. Rome’s Greatest Enemy: Hannibal’s Nemesis (Part 2)
What happened at the Battle of Ibera, a totemic though overlooked battle of the Punic Wars? With the forces of Carthage closing in on a depleted Rome, would a young Roman, Publius Cornelius Scipio resurrect the fortunes of the Republic? And, could he destroy Carthage’s most cruci ... Show More
1h 1m
Feb 4
The Arnolfini Portrait, with Laura Cumming
Why is Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait perceived as one of the greatest mysteries of the arts? What elements and symbolisms provoke debates about its identity and meaning? And, what do we know about its provenance, its travels through European royal courts, and its influence on ... Show More
10m 12s
Feb 2
640. Rome’s Greatest Enemy: Carthage at the Gates (Part 1)
Did Hannibal march on Rome after his legendary victory at the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC? How could Rome fight on after losing so many men? And, where would their next cataclysmic clash take place…? Join Tom and Dominic, as they discuss the beginning of the end for the once might ... Show More
1h 3m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2025
Could You Survive Medieval Childbirth?
<p>Childbirth isn't for the faint-hearted at the best of times, let alone in the medieval period.&nbsp;</p><br><p>What was a birthing room like at this time in history? Who would have been in there helping bring a new baby into the world? And how suspicious were the church of the ... Show More
37m 26s
Oct 2024
Inside the Witch Trials: Pendle | The Child Who Condemned Her Family
tail spinning
36m 18s
Aug 2024
Medieval Life During Plague & War
<p>When so much of history is written by men, Margaret Paston's letters offer us a rare insight into the life of a woman and the world around her in 15th century England.</p><br><p>How did she cope with waves of plague wiping out her town? What did she do when the War of the Rose ... Show More
40m 42s
Apr 2024
Jack the Ripper
<p>What is it about this case that holds the imagination after all these years? When did that fascination with it begin? How early on did the myths of Jack the Ripper evolve?</p><br><p>Anthony and Maddy look at how the newspapers and showmen were quick to pounce on this case, tur ... Show More
51m 54s
Oct 2025
Wife-Swapping Magician of the Tudor Court
The 16th century was a dangerous time to be talking about magic and hidden forces, so how did John Dee end up being invited into Elizabeth I's court?He was an astronomer, occultist and alchemist who dedicated his life to understanding how celestial activity influenced life on ear ... Show More
38m 54s
Mar 2025
The Servants' Revenge: Arsenic & a Poisoned Pint of Beer
<p>Why did two servants living in Plymouth, England, poison their whole household in 1675? How did they sneak arsenic into the food? And what on earth is pottage?</p><br><p>Today Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney talk to Dr Blessin Adams, author of "<em>Thou Savage Woman: female ... Show More
51m 51s
Nov 7
Who was the Husband Poisoner of Renaissance Italy?
Odourless, tasteless, colourless, lethal. In the mid-17th century, men were dropping like flies in Italy. And this wasn't just the plague - it was the work of the poison Aqua Tofana.So what is Aqua Tofana? And who was its apocryphal purveyor, Giulia Tofana? In this episode we are ... Show More
35m 20s
Aug 2025
133. What Was Hiding in Germany's Göhrde Forest? The Göhrde Murders // DARK SUMMER VOL. 2
Match cakes, cookies, and candy in thousands of fun puzzles, when you download Cookie Jam today using the link: http://jamcity.me/HeartStartsPounding Official Göhrde Police Investigation Website: https://www.pd-lg.polizei-nds.de/startseite/kriminalitaet/deliktsbereiche/cold_cases ... Show More
46m 19s
Aug 2025
134. The Mysterious Disappearance of The Beaumont Children: Australia’s Most Puzzling Unsolved Mystery // DARK SUMMER VOL. 2
In 1966, three children vanished without a trace in Australia, and no one knows what happened. It’s a mystery that still plagues the country to this day, and may credit it as the reason people started locking their doors there. But today, we have a much clearer picture of the cri ... Show More
52m 45s
Oct 2025
147. The Werewolf: H.H Holmes and His Murder Castle // MONSTERS SERIES
Step inside the legend of H.H. Holmes and the chilling labyrinth he built during the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. We'll follow a string of disappearances through the “Murder Castle” he built: a three story building with the sole purpose of killing as many people as discreetly as po ... Show More
52m 56s