True Crime Medieval

The fact that some people think that Stephen of Blois -- or maybe Ranulf Meschin -- caused the sinking of la Blanche-Nef allows us to consider it a True Crime.  It wasn't.  But it was the worst teenage drunken party in history, and that's good enough for us.

Outside of our 1000 year mandate!  It's the renaissance!  But only just, since Michelle points out it's still the Middle Ages in England.  And there's a lurid murder!  And a play by Shelley!  That came lots later, though.

In the last episode, we left young Edward V and his brother Richard in the Tower. They went into the Tower in June of 1483.  They never came out alive, to anyone's knowledge.  In this episode, we discuss what happened -- what the rumors were, what the theories are now. 

Edward V, King of England (12 years old) and his brother Richard, the Duke of York (aged 9) went into the Tower of London in 1483 and never came out.  In the first part of this story, we discuss the Cousins' War, and how the boys ended up in the Tower in the first place.

On August 9, 1157, three rival claimants to the Danish throne met for what was supposed to be a peace banquet celebrating their agreement to divide Denmark.  What actually happened was:  Canute dead, Valdemar wounded, Sweyn blamed.   Justified preemptive strike or premediated murder? Join us as we discuss early Danish politics, family dinner parties, and White Mash, that excellent medieval treat. ...

In July of 1329, the city of Treviso surrendered to the besieging army of Cangrande della Scala.  Cangrande entered the city in triumph.  Four days later, he was dead.    Natural causes?  Or murder?     He died from foxglove poisoning, but exactly how or why he ingested foxglove is unclear.  Join us while we discuss Italian politics and the dangerous nature of that lovely plant, foxglove.