About this episode

Kelli explores the bizarre French Pig Trial of 1457, where a pig was tried for murder.

Join Kelli as she looks into the weird world of European animal trials, focusing on the French Pig Trial at Savigny in 1457, where a sow owned by Jehan Bailly was put on trial for the murder of 5-year-old Jehan Martin. That's right - the pig was put on trial for murder. Not her human owner. But where does the legal precedent for animal trials come from? Let's find out! Sources Referenced: Alexander Lee, “Pigs Might Try,” 2020. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/natural-histories/pigs-m...

People in this episode

Host: Kelli Beard

Topics covered

• animal trials
• European history
• legal precedent
• murder trials
• cultural practices

Keywords

• animal trials
• French Pig Trial
• Jehan Bailly
• Jehan Martin
• 1457
• legal history
• cultural practices

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: History Today

Books & works: Pigs Might Try

More episodes of A Popular History of Unpopular Things

• The Navajo (Diné) Long Walk · May 31, 2026 · 54 min
• The Erfurt Latrine Disaster · April 5, 2026 · 29 min
• The Voynich Manuscript · March 15, 2026 · 22 min
• The Story of Peter the Wild Boy · February 8, 2026 · 34 min
• The Cannibalism of Johan de Witt · January 18, 2026 · 34 min
• The Story of Boudica, Warrior Queen · December 7, 2025 · 41 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the A Popular History of Unpopular Things podcast page.