Episode Notes:
In medieval France, a pig was formally arrested, given a defense lawyer, brought before a judge, found guilty, dressed in human clothing, and publicly hanged. This was not an isolated incident. Between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries, there are documented records of over two hundred animal trials across Europe — pigs, bulls, rats, weevils, caterpillars, and at least one rooster accused of the capital crime of laying an egg. Every proceeding was conducted with complete legal seriousness. Every sentence was carried out by a professional executioner who received new gloves afterward, as they did after hanging a human being.
Host Shawn Spainhour takes you inside the worldview that made this not just possible but perfectly logical — a medieval understanding of justice, order, and humanity’s place in creation that was coherent, deliberate, and deeply revealing about how an entire civilization understood itself. This is not a story about superstition or madness. It is a story about what law means, who it applies to, and what happens when a society draws the boundaries of moral responsibility around everything that lives.
Strange Epochs tells true stories from history’s stranger corners. Each episode is written for deep listening — slow, atmospheric, and immersive. Whether you’re behind the wheel, unwinding after a long day, or settling in for sleep, this show is built to pull you in and carry you somewhere else.
Sources are listed in the show notes:
- Evans, E.P. The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals. William Heinemann, 1896.
- Cohen, Esther. Law, Folklore, and Animal Lore. Past and Present, Volume 110, 1986.
- Dinzelbacher, Peter. Animal Trials: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Journal of Medieval History, Volume 32, 2006.
- Gins, Sven. Casting Justice Before Swine: Late Medieval Pig Trials as Instances of Human Exceptionalism. University of Groningen, 2023.
- Wikipedia contributors. Animal trial. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2024.
- History Today. Pigs Might Try. Alexander Lee, 2020.
- JSTOR Daily. When Societies Put Animals on Trial. 2020.
- Popular Science. In Medieval France, Murderous Pigs Faced Trial and Execution. 2026.
- Ancient Origins. Medieval Justice: Pig Was Tried in Court, Sentenced and Executed for Murder. 2022.