The Ghosts of Byland Abbey: Medieval Ghost Stories from Yorkshire
The Ghosts of Byland Abbey
Executive Porducer:
- Michelle Oleander
Associate Executive Producer:
- Mari Hopegood
Around the beginning of the fifteenth century, someone at Byland Abbey in Yorkshire began recording stories about ghosts said to haunt the surrounding countryside.
These were not the pale, drifting spirits of later ghost stories. The ghosts of Byland could knock men from horses, tear their clothes, follow travelers for miles, change shape and, apparently, even be physically wrestled to the ground.
Most were not simply wandering the earth to frighten the living. They had unfinished business. A debt remained unpaid, a sin required absolution, stolen property had to be returned, or some other wrong needed to be put right before the dead could finally rest.
These were not the pale, drifting spirits of later ghost stories. The ghosts of Byland could knock men from horses, tear their clothes, follow travelers for miles, change shape and, apparently, even be physically wrestled to the ground.
Most were not simply wandering the earth to frighten the living. They had unfinished business. A debt remained unpaid, a sin required absolution, stolen property had to be returned, or some other wrong needed to be put right before the dead could finally rest.
In this Medieval Archives Halloween special, we head into medieval Yorkshire to meet some of the strange spirits preserved in the Byland Abbey stories, including Snowball the Tailor and his shapeshifting ghost, the restless Robert of Kilburn, a dead rector who refused to stay buried, a traveler pursued along a dark road, and a father who encounters the child he never knew.
So pull up a chair, pour yourself something appropriate for Halloween, and spend a little time with the dead.
Well...
the dead who refused to die.
In This Episode:
- The ghost stories recorded at Byland Abbey around 1400
- Why medieval ghosts were surprisingly physical
- Snowball the Tailor and one seriously persistent spirit
- Restless corpses, haunted roads and unfinished business
- What the stories reveal about medieval ideas of sin, absolution and the dead
- The strange and heartbreaking story of Richard Rowntree’s child
Read More:
Read the companion article: The Ghosts of Byland Abbey: Medieval Ghost Stories
Contact: podcast@medievalarchives.com
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- (00:00) - Medieval Archives Halloween Special
- (00:06) - Welcome to the Medieval Archives
- (02:19) - The Man with the Beans
- (03:52) - Snowball the Tailor
- (10:25) - Robert of Kilburn
- (12:02) - Stories of the Dead
- (16:25) - The Child on the Road
- (19:03) - The Sister of Adam de Lond
- (21:12) - The Stories from Byland Abbey
- (22:34) - Thank you for Listening!
- (23:15) - Become a Producer
Contact: podcast@medievalarchives.com
Follow Medieval Archives on X.com | Mastodon | Bluesky
📜Sign Up for our newsletter
Medieval Archives is proudly independent and ad-free thanks to our community of producers. If you enjoy the show and want to help preserve and share medieval history, consider becoming a producer
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- Share the epic tales: Send it to a friend who enjoys medieval history or share it on social media.
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Creators and Guests
Host
The Archivist
Illuminating the Dark Ages for the Digital World. Podcast and website dedicated to the medieval era.
