Supernatural Justice: Ghostly Encounters in Legal History With Richard Sugg

In the realm of the unexplained, the boundary between the supernatural and the legal is often blurred, giving rise to extraordinary tales where ghosts, spirits, and mysterious occurrences intersect with the principles of justice and suspicion. In this episode overview, we delve into captivating cases and historical accounts where spectral entities become witnesses, suspects, or even instruments of judgment in courtrooms across centuries. Join us on a journey through the eerie corridors of the law, where the paranormal meets jurisprudence, and where the line between the tangible and the ethereal is tested like never before.

My Special Guest is Richard Sugg
Richard Sugg is the author of thirteen books, including John Donne (Palgrave, 2007); Mummies, Cannibals and Vampires (Turkish trans 2018; 3rd edn 2020); A Century of Supernatural Stories (2015); Fairies: A Dangerous History (Reaktion, 2018; Japanese trans 2022); The Real Vampires (Amberley, 2019); and Bloodlust (2020). He lectured in English and History at the universities of Cardiff and Durham (2001-2017), and his work has appeared in The Guardian, The Sun, the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, BBC History, the New Yorker, and Der Spiegel, as well as on international television.

Cruentation

Cruentation, or "ius cruentationis," traces its origins back to Germanic law systems in the medieval period. From its inception, this method of finding proof against a suspected murderer spread like a shadow across Germany, Poland, Bohemia, Scotland, and even European colonies in North America. It was one of several mystical ordeals used as tangible evidence, reflecting the superstitious nature of justice during that historical period.

Cruentation, a belief held from the 1100s to the early 1800s, was a curious and outdated legal concept in which a corpse's bleeding was considered evidence of guilt in murder trials. This belief held that when a suspected murderer came into the proximity of a deceased person, the wounds on the corpse would spontaneously bleed, as if the blood itself was accusing the perpetrator. However, this notion contradicted scientific understanding, as blood typically clots and thickens shortly after death. Its eerie influence persisted in Germany until the middle of the 18th century.

Ghosts, The Supernatural And The Law

The William Edden murder case of summer 1829 is a remarkable chapter in legal history, marked by an eerie blend of superstition and justice. After William Edden's murder, his wife testified to encountering his ghost, a spectral appearance that would play a crucial role in the trial of Benjamin Tyler and Solomen Sewell, the accused murderers. In a macabre attempt to determine Tyler's guilt or innocence, Edden's widow permitted Tyler to touch her deceased husband's corpse, believing that the ghostly retribution would manifest if he were the true culprit. This case highlights the extent to which supernatural beliefs once influenced legal proceedings, showcasing an era where the boundary between the material and the spectral was blurred in the quest for justice.

In this episode, you will be able to:

1. Uncover cases involving the police and courts where ghosts and the supernatural intertwine.

2. Explore the practice of 'cruentation:' the trial by touch.

3. Examine the question of ghosts and the law itself including rulings and precedents set.

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