The Desertion of Drakelow

The Desertion of Drakelow

From Creepy Classics by Juliette Harrisson

June 5, 2026 · 36 min

About this episode

The episode explores a feud between two lords and its impact on peasants, inspired by a 12th century saint's life.

A feud between two lords of the manor, a Norman count and an English Abbot, has devastating consequences for the peasants who live and work in the village, which comes under the power of a dark spirit… This short story is inspired by a 12th century saint’s life, the Life of St Modwenna , and is followed by a chat about its historical context, the medieval cult of saints, and the living and working conditions of medieval serfs. Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/JulietteHarrisson Buy my books! https://books2read.com/ap/nzeerp/Juliette-Harrisson Buy merch! https://www.julietteharrisson.co.uk/store Creepy Classics music written and performed by Ed Harrisson (C) Sources The Penguin Book of the Undead: Fifteen Hundred Years of Supernatural Encounters , edited by Scott G. Bruce. ™an Mortimer, The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England https://www.leidenmedievalistsblog.nl/articles/how-to-be-a-saint-a-medieval-guide-to-sanctity http://www.burton-on-trent.org.uk/category/early-history/1000-modwen Carl Lindahl, John McNamara and John Lindow (eds), Medieval Folklore: A Guide to Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs Thomas Head (ed) Medieval Hagiography: An…

People in this episode

Host: Juliette Harrisson

Topics covered

  • medieval history
  • feudalism
  • supernatural
  • saints
  • serfs
  • dark spirits

Keywords

  • medieval
  • feud
  • dark spirit
  • peasants
  • saints
  • serfs
  • 12th century

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Patreon, Creepy Classics, The Penguin Book of the Undead, Medieval Folklore, Medieval Hagiography

Books & works: The Desertion of Drakelow, Life of St Modwenna

Places: Drakelow, England

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