True Crime Medieval

78. Special Episode: April Fool's Debunking of the Myth of the Medieval Shame Flute

April 13, 2023 Anne Brannen and Michelle Butler Season 4 Episode 78
78. Special Episode: April Fool's Debunking of the Myth of the Medieval Shame Flute
True Crime Medieval
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True Crime Medieval
78. Special Episode: April Fool's Debunking of the Myth of the Medieval Shame Flute
Apr 13, 2023 Season 4 Episode 78
Anne Brannen and Michelle Butler

If you go and peruse the internet, you will discover many discussions of the medieval shame flute, an instrument created specifically to be fastened to a bad musician, in order to shame him. There are pictures. There is a lot of certainty about this. Alas, it wasn't there. Michelle went to find them, and, though there are a couple of torture museums which have examples, those are not medieval examples. In fact, do we think that there were ever any shame flutes, even after the middle ages? We do not. Because we think, really, when bad musicians come to your town, you can just make them leave. And then not hire them any more. Michelle found some pretty nifty postcards, though, with lots of shaming devices, and you can buy them.  And send them to your friends. 

Show Notes

If you go and peruse the internet, you will discover many discussions of the medieval shame flute, an instrument created specifically to be fastened to a bad musician, in order to shame him. There are pictures. There is a lot of certainty about this. Alas, it wasn't there. Michelle went to find them, and, though there are a couple of torture museums which have examples, those are not medieval examples. In fact, do we think that there were ever any shame flutes, even after the middle ages? We do not. Because we think, really, when bad musicians come to your town, you can just make them leave. And then not hire them any more. Michelle found some pretty nifty postcards, though, with lots of shaming devices, and you can buy them.  And send them to your friends. 

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