Rude Tudors

Faking demonic possession was easier than you might think. In this episode, Renaissance scholar Liz Rodriguez and nerdy laywoman Nicole Keating explore the signs and symptoms of devilish possession laid out in religious history, the New Testament, and early modern pamphlets. Whether Catholic or Puritan, Satan was a problem for everyone, tempting minds even if he wasn't possessing bodies. From physical manifestations like swelling and stiffness to mysterious lumps roving through the body, the visuals associated with demonic possession were creepy as hell. Find out how some people could have simulated these signs of distress and why they were both doubted and believed.