Criminalia

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Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, the 'Scientific Swindler' Jan 11, 2022

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More than 500 years after his death, Heinrich Agrippa is considered one of the most influential occult philosophers of the early modern period. But not everyone in his lifetime was pleased with his theories and experimentation. While his work was denounced as heretical, it, and the work of fellow alchemists, laid the foundation for what we now call chemistry.

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Agnes Waterhouse and Her Cat, Satan Jan 04, 2022

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Agnes, also known as Mother Waterhouse, was accused of bewitching to death William Fynne. In the bigger picture, she was accused of using witchcraft to cause illness -- and her 18-year-old daughter was accused of the same crime. Agnes was hanged for a crime you may not guess, becoming the first woman executed for witchcraft in England.

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Stedelen: Swiss Sorcerer or Village Scapegoat? Dec 28, 2021

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A man named Stedelen was accused of practicing witchcraft between the years 1397 and 1406, in Switzerland. His was one of the earliest trials for maleficium and diabolism in Europe, and for certain, in Switzerland – at least according to the historical record.

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Ursula Kemp and the St Osyth Witches Dec 21, 2021

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For centuries according to the historical record, it was midwives who were most often prosecuted for witchcraft. Often in the historical record, midwives were written of as, quote, "unwomanly." And of course not assuming all 16th --century midwives are alike, many were considered suspicious for such things as being unmarried, or for their sexual behavior. Ursula Kemp made a living as a midwife -- and that made her a good choice as a scapegoat.

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Welcome to Season 5 of Criminalia: Witches and Alchemists Dec 14, 2021

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Season 5 is going to be all about witchcraft and alchemy, and the fate of many who practiced such things – or, who maybe didn't. And just like we always do, we'll look at the lives and motivations of some of women and men who were accused of using the so-called 'black arts' throughout the centuries.

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Season 4 Finale: Walking the Plank Dec 14, 2021

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One of the problems with uncovering the real stories of pirate legends is that there isn't always much historical evidence about many of them, especially if they never were captured or put on trial. If there is evidence of their lives, the stories often – but not always -- have been embellished. Embellished or not, though, they did all have interesting stories. Among the pirates, we did definitely had our favorites – as we're sure you have, too.

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The Unrepentant and Really Good Pirate, Charles Vane Dec 07, 2021

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Charles Vane has been described as good, but unlucky, in his career of piracy during the Golden Age of Piracy. He's often spoken of as being one of the most skilled pirate captains among his peers, which included men such as Blackbeard and Black Bart. He was also known as a cruel and ruthless pirate who tortured and murdered his prisoners. And as captain, he preferred punishing his crew with extreme tortures. And he was unrepentant of his life as a pirate.

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Lioness of Brittany: Jeanne de Clisson and Her Bloodthirsty Revenge Nov 30, 2021

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We recently talked about Stede Bonnet, a wealthy landowner who ditched it all for a life of piracy. Bonnet though was not the only aristocrat to turn his back on his life for a life plundering the high seas. Jeanne de Clisson is another noble-turned-pirate who got into the revenge business - upon her husband Olivier's execution by the King of France.

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Sayyida al-Hurra, the Muslim Pirate Queen Nov 23, 2021

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Sayyida al-Hurra -- which translates roughly as "Lady who is free and independent" in Arabic -- was born as Lalla Aicha bint Ali ibn Rashid al-Alami. Aicha was queen of Tétouan from 1515–1542 -- and she was a pirate queen. And she is considered to be one of the most important female figures of the Islamic West in the modern age.

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A Pirate’s Life for Gentleman Stede Bonnet Nov 16, 2021

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Stede Bonnet was not really your typical pirate, if there is such a thing. Many pirates, such as unemployed sailors or laborers, chose the lifestyle because they didn't have many options. But Bonnet chose piracy over a wealthy and a respectable life. Was he was just looking for something bigger and more adventurous, or was there more to it?

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