Ireland's First Convicted Witch

Gone Medieval

History Hit

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4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 January 2023

⏱️ 38 minutes

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Summary

In 1324, Alice Kyteler became the first woman in Britain and Ireland to be tried for witchcraft. Married to four different husbands - all of whom died in suspicious circumstances - Alice was accused of murder, heresy and having carnal relations with the devil. But was she guilty? Or just another woman who fell victim to the medieval distaste for women in power?

In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Cat Jarman is joined by Professor Claire Downham to discuss why Alice’s status as a successful business woman put a target on her back, how she found herself caught up in a web of religious politics and intrigue, and the significance of Britain and Ireland’s first ever burning at the stake for witchcraft.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Transcript

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1:33.2	Hello and welcome to Gone Medieval. I'm Doctor Cap German. In 1324, a woman by the name of Alice
1:41.5	Kittler became the first person in Ireland to be tried for witchcraft. The charges against her
1:47.9	included heresy having carnal relations with a devil and using sorcery to get rid of not just one
1:54.4	but four husbands. Alice was a successful and influential business woman and moneylender in kill
2:00.7	Kenny. But was she guilty of murdering her husbands and defrauding her stepchildren? Or was she
2:08.1	simply a woman caught up in a complex web of religious politics? With me today to talk about Alice,
	...

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