Evil deeds and dastardly doings are the stars of this medieval murder map.
If you delve back into London’s murky past, you’ll find all manner of dark deeds. Even so, the Medieval Murder Map that’s been released by the University of Cambridge’s Violence Research Centre is pretty grim reading. Charting the grisly killings that happened within the City of London in medieval times, the map is a fascinating, albeit gruesome, peek into the capital’s past.
Easily my favourites, however, are those murders where the researchers have decided to sharpen their comedic chops with a good pun. ‘Cripplegate cobbler boots city messenger into eternity‘ is a surprisingly literary description, but it pales in comparison next to the witty ‘Welsh tailor kills Irish Will and goes Scot free‘. Ah, the whimsy! It’s almost enough to make you forget that these are brutal murders, isn’t it?
As for how the people were committing these dark deeds, the researchers have helpfully outlined the weapons used, including axes, knives, a bow, and even something called an ‘Irish knife’. A look through the historical background section of the map is highly encouraged for those of a macabre disposition – it’ll tell you on which day the murders were committed, and which body part received the fatal blow. It’s pretty fascinating stuff, and you can see the full map here.