582. The Body in the Woods: A Medieval Murder Mystery

The Rest Is History

Goalhanger

History

4.6 • 18.6K Ratings

🗓️ 13 July 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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 were found ritually murdered? And, what can this chilling story tell us about mediaeval attitudes to Jews? Join Tom and Dominic as they retell the terrifying story of Blood Libel, one of medieval England’s most terrifying mysteries. The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members’ chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thank you for listening to The Rest is History.
0:02.3	For weekly bonus episodes,
0:04.0	add free listening, early access to series,
0:06.8	and membership of our much-loved chat community,
0:09.5	go to therestishistory.com and join the club.
0:13.2	That is, the rest is the only copy of his work which is known, formed part of a library, bequeathed about the year 1700 to the parish of Brent
0:40.1	Ely in Suffolk by a certain Mr. Edward Coleman, sometime of Trinity College, Cambridge. The collection
0:47.8	included some nine manuscripts, and among them were two of no ordinary interest.
0:55.9	One was the Gospel Book of St. Margaret of Scotland, which was purchased by the Bodleian Library
1:01.3	in 1887.
1:03.1	The other was the volume containing the life of St. William.
1:08.4	Seven out of the nine manuscripts are now in the university library at Cambridge.
1:13.6	And since I'd been myself, to some extent, instrumental in procuring these books, it was with
1:20.1	ex... You're doing so well, Dominic. You're doing so well.
1:25.5	It was with extreme pleasure that on examination I discovered
1:29.0	first that here was a copy of Thomas of Monmouth's life of St William. And next, that no other
1:36.6	copies seem to be known. It is written in a fine hand or two hands on good parchment in double columns.
1:46.0	It retains its original wooden boards, formerly fastened by a strap and pin.
1:51.8	Its date I should place somewhat before 1200.
1:56.6	So if you like ghost stories, especially the classic ghost stories of the late Victorian
2:03.3	early 20th century period, people in the Spotify, have seen I did a sort of necromanic
2:08.3	gesture.
	...

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