Day in the life of a Black Death Rat

What did Medieval people think about rats? Did they have any idea that they were the cause of the Black Death? How did they use charms and poisons to try to get rid of them? Today we explore the world of the Black Death Rat with Kathleen Walker-Meikle, historian of Medieval pets and animals whose books include 'Medieval Pets', 'Cats in Medieval Manuscripts', 'Dogs in Medieval Manuscripts'.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Freddy Chick. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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