Crusader Criminals with Steve Tibble
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Daniele speaks with Steve Tibble about why there was so much crime committed by men who were supposed to be holy warriors, and what people did about it.
Murder Below Stairs: Killing Servants in the 12th Century
Life in the crusader states and their Muslim enemies could be harsh – and the strictures of that life occasionally drove people to murderous violence
A Surfeit of Blood? Murders in the Middle Ages
Murder in a time of perpetual war seems faintly ridiculous.
Medieval Corruption and Protection with Jonathan Lyon
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Jonathan Lyon about a powerful medieval position which could easily lend itself to violence and corruption: church advocate.
The Mysterious ‘Lord S’ and a Murder in the Latin Empire of Constantinople
Who killed William, Archbishop of Philippi, in 1217?
The Corrupt Archbishop: The Story of Alexander Bicknor
Corruption by powerful officials is a familiar tale throughout history, where men and women succumb to the temptation of greed. One notable instance occurred in the 14th century with an Archbishop of Dublin, who orchestrated an elaborate plot of embezzlement and forgery.
The Murder of the Bishop of Acre in 1172
The murder of the bishop of Acre, however, which took place on the night of 29 June 1172, was something altogether more disturbing.
Murder, Government and Power in the Crusader States
Violence in the crusading period was endemic – and even at the top of society, tragic accidents were suspiciously commonplace.
A Medieval Case of Sexual Harassment
A look at a case of sexual harrassment from the 15th century.
The Invention of Homicide: Crime, Honor, and Spectacular Justice in Late Medieval Flanders
How people thought about homicide in fifteenth-century Flanders, and how changes in the perception of killing over time impacted judicial practice.
Project maps murder cases in medieval London, Oxford and York
A project mapping medieval England’s known murder cases has now added Oxford and York to its street plan of London’s 14th-century homicides, and found that Oxford’s student population was by far the most lethally violent of all social or professional groups in any of the three cities.
Tale of 14th-century Killer Monk uncovered by historian
A historian searching through manuscripts in the United Kingdom’s National Archive in Kew has uncovered a fourteenth-century document that describes the extraordinary criminal career of John of Tintern, abbot of a Benedictine monastery in Wiltshire.
Gallows with Kenneth Duggan
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Kenneth Duggan about capital crime in medieval England, how the community was involved in the justice system, and some of the unexpected events that might happen at a gallows.
The Beheaded Banker of Barcelona
Was a medieval banker in Catalonia executed for going bankrupt?
New Medieval Books: Social Memory, Reputation and the Politics of Death in the Medieval Irish Lordship
This book looks at what happened in Ireland when someone died an unusual death in Ireland between the years 1257 and 1344.
True Crusader Crime: Criminality on Campaign
During the Middle Ages, maintaining discipline on campaign was always difficult – and commanders knew that criminality was a ‘gateway behaviour’ which opened up the path to an even greater breakdown of authority.
How Criminals got new names in Medieval England
If you were deemed a criminal or a delinquent in medieval England, you might find yourself with a new last name.
The secrets of defrauding your medieval lord
Imagine yourself working for a medieval lord, running his farm and taking care of his business. Would you be tempted to skim off some of his profits?
Forensic Sciences in the Middle Ages
This article looks at the state of forensic sciences in the Middle Ages and unveils the role of medical practitioners and coroners in the tedious process of crime-solving.
True Crusader Crime: Petty Crime and Petty Quarrels
High-profile crime might be plastered across the chronicles, but it was just the visible end of a much bigger problem. Criminality was everywhere.
Stealing the King’s Crown in 1440
A servant named Helene Kottanner was tasked with stealing the crown of the King of Hungary. Helene tells us how she did it.
“Monkey hangers”, Cockatrices, and Murderous Pigs: Animal Trials in the Middle Ages
The list of wrongdoings was long, ranging from crop damage to harm to an individual, and was dealt with in a variety of ways.
Running Naked in the Streets: Repression of Adultery in the Later Middle Ages
Adultery was a serious crime in the Middle Ages, where marriage was sacred, indissoluble, and monogamous.
True Crusader Crime: What Bloody Man is That? Murder, Government and Power
Violence in the crusading period was endemic – and even at the top of society, tragic accidents were suspiciously commonplace.