Ep. 159: The Poison Affairs
Episode description
If you find a big, mysterious, red trunk full of poison (and labeled as belonging to someone else), better just leave it alone. French authorities in the 17th century did not do that, and thus began a scandal that would spur a social panic like France had never seen: the Poison Affairs. This week, Hannah tells Katy about the time one woman's tumultuous life (and poor decisions) opened the public's eyes to the possibility that anyone and everyone was involved in witchcraft and/or poisoning. We promise, it's not as dark of an episode as we're making it sound (it's French, so you know Hannah's going to stumble over pronunciations). The girls talk confession letters, poor wording, and why chilled soup is just wrong.
Pour a drink (but maybe have someone taste it for you first), and join us for this macabre historical tale!
Sources:
Somerset, Anne (2003). The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV. St. Martin's Press.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/affair-of-the-poisons-france-witch-hunt-occult
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affair_of_the_Poisons
https://www.historyextra.com/period/stuart/scandal-conspiracy-and-the-affair-of-the-poisons-inside-the-court-of-louis-xiv/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_de_Brinvilliers
https://www.britannica.com/event/Affair-of-the-Poisons
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