The Lepers’ Plot - A Medieval Conspiracy Theory
Irish History Podcast
Fin Dwyer
4.7 • 1.8K Ratings
🗓️ 24 November 2020
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Conspiracy theories seem more popular than ever. Increasing numbers of people are turning to what are unorthodox understandings of the world. This is not a new phenomemum. In this episode I examine the Lepers Plot, one of the more bizarre chapters in medieval history. In 1321 the Kingdom of France was gripped by rumours lepers were plotting a coup. This had deadly consequences as you are about to hear.
In this episode, I examine the 14th century Lepers' Plot, one of the more bizarre chapters in medieval history. In 1321 the Kingdom of France was gripped by rumours lepers were plotting a coup. As the conspriacy theory spread thousands were killed.
Given the reemergence of conspiracy theories I thought an episode on this fascinating topic was timely. Seven centuries may have passed but they provide interesting insights on modern conspiracy theories and why people are drawn to them.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, it's Tommy from Tortoise, the newsroom that brings you the slow newscast. |
| 0:04.0 | This episode is brought to you by the Ministry of Justice who are running a campaign to recruit new magistrates. |
| 0:10.0 | Did you know that almost anyone can volunteer as a magistrate and help make decisions in court? |
| 0:15.8 | To find out more about how you can make a real difference in your community, go to I can |
| 0:20.0 | be a magistrate.co.uk. That's I can be a magistrate dot co- |
| 0:23.9 | UK. |
| 0:29.4 | Imagine one day you step outside your front door only to be greeted by a frantic neighbor. |
| 0:35.3 | They're deeply distressed, having just returned from a nearby town which is descended into violence. |
| 0:41.6 | People you have known your entire life have turned on their own neighbors who |
| 0:45.1 | are sick and after accusing them of plotting a coup have started to interrogate them and |
| 0:50.0 | burn them alive. Strange as this sounds, it is in a nutshell the basis of an actual conspiracy |
| 0:56.0 | theory that gripped France in 1321 with terrifying consequences resulting in the deaths of |
| 1:01.9 | hundreds if not thousands of people. |
| 1:04.9 | In this episode we will look at these strange events that gripped medieval France and how they |
| 1:09.9 | related to unsettling chapters in Irish history later that same decade. |
| 1:15.0 | Seven centuries may have passed since the 1320s, but these strange events you are about |
| 1:19.6 | to gear also help contextualize the conspiracy theories that are gaining traction around us today. |
| 1:25.0 | While countless newspaper columns have tried to explain this phenomenon of conspiracy theories in 2020 |
| 1:32.0 | and social media is often blamed. |
| 1:34.0 | These bizarre events from the 1320s reveal conspiracy theories have existed for a long, long time |
| 1:40.0 | and explaining why people are drawn to them is not as simple as blaming social media. |
| 1:47.0 | Hello and welcome to the Irish History Podcast. |
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