Imagine one day your local pharmacist is arrested and accused of drinking the blood of infants and flying on the back of a goat to an orgy involving the devil. From the 14th through the 18th century, there were some wild superstitions about witches. The first witch to confess to riding a broom was a man: Guillaume Edelin. But it was Matteuccia di Francesco who was the first accused and tried for flying.

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<p>Imagine one day your local pharmacist is arrested and accused of drinking the blood of infants and flying on the back of a goat to an orgy involving the devil. From the 14th through the 18th century, there were some wild superstitions about witches. The first witch to confess to riding a broom was a man: Guillaume Edelin. But it was Matteuccia di Francesco who was the first accused and tried for flying.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>

Humans have always committed crimes. What can we learn from the criminals and crimes of the past, and have humans gotten better or worse over time?

Criminalia

There were some wild superstitions about witches when Matteuccia di Francesco was accused of practicing dark arts. She was a wise woman -- a healer -- who, one day accused of drinking the blood of infants and flying on the back of a goat to an orgy involving the devil. She was executed for it.

Matteuccia di Francesco: The Woman Who Could Fly

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/cef9cf9d-e896-4932-bad2-ae2d0173cf68/transcript

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