The Medieval Blood Ritual You Didn't Learn About in School... Artwork

Medieval Madness

An armored knight on a lumbering steed, toiling serfs, tied to the lands of their lord, cloistered monks and nuns, lost in prayer, and don’t forget the scenery: high-walled castles, great gothic churches, farms, farms, and more farms. We all know the kind of things we’d find during the Medieval Age. But what actually was the Medieval Age? Join us here at MedievalMadness to find out...

All Episodes

Medieval Madness

The Medieval Blood Ritual You Didn't Learn About in School...

June 18, 2026 • Hit The Lights

0:00 | 11:01

The 22nd of March 1144 was Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. Outside the city walls, the forester Henry de Sprowston was riding through Thorpe Wood on the outskirts of Norwich, England. Among other things, Henry was looking for thieves, who were known to cut timber without permission. Suddenly he came across a peasant who led him to the mutilated body of a young boy lying under a tree. It was obvious that a crime had been committed. The boy's name was William, and no one could have imagined that the discovery of his body would lead to the first-ever example of a ritual murder charge, with horrific consequences that would echo down the centuries. Welcome to Medieval Madness.