In Episode 16 of RenFare, Jaimie and Kelly get delightfully dark — first exploring the history of poisoning as a weapon, a tool of resistance, and an unexpected driver of forensic science, then rounding out their three-part Appalachian series with the region's best Appalachian folklore featuring cryptids, hauntings, and superstitions.

First, Jaimie breaks down the history of poisons and the women who used them, from Giulia Tofana to Agrippina the Younger. The section closes on the cultural history: why women used poison more than men, its connection to accusations of witchcraft, and how the arsenic poisoning epidemic directly drove the development of forensic toxicology .

In this episode section: Ancient Poisons & Female Poisoners

1. Plant-based poisons: hemlock, deadly nightshade, wolfsbane, and the death cap mushroom
2. Mineral and metal poisons: arsenic, mercury, and lead
3. Animal poisons: viper and cobra venom, toad and frog toxins, and the myth of Cleopatra's asp
4. Giulia Tofana, Aqua Tofana and the 17th century poison ring that allegedly killed around 600 abusive husbands
5. Agrippina the Younger and the suspected poisoning of Emperor Claudius
6. Mary Ann Cotton, the Victorian serial killer who poisoned at least 21 people for their life insurance
7. Nanny Doss, the 'Giggling Granny' who laced food with arsenic to kill four husbands
8. Why women used poison disproportionately
9. The development of forensic toxicology and the 1836 Marsh Test for arsenic

Then, Kelly closes out the Appalachian trilogy with folklore, cryptids, and a collection of Appalachian superstitions, from haints and blue porch ceilings to woolly worms and persimmon seeds that predict the winter.

In this episode section: Appalachian Folklore & Superstitions

1. The Appalachian storytelling tradition
2. What a cryptid is — and why Appalachia has so many of them
3. The Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia
4. The Wampus Cat: Cherokee legend
5. The Bell Witch of Robertson County, Tennessee
6. The Moon-Eyed People: Cherokee legend
7. The Brown Mountain Lights of North Carolina
8. How to protect yourself from Appalachian evil spirits
9. Weather prediction with nature
10. Appalachian luck superstitions

Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 – Kicking off with poisonous intentions
• 00:02:48 – Plant, mineral, and animal-based poisons
• 00:16:40 – History's most infamous female poisoners
• 00:28:22 – From undetectable toxins to forensic science and misogynistic fears
• 00:33:13 – Appalachian storytelling, the Mothman, and the Wampus Cat
• 00:44:03 – The Bell Witch, Moon-Eyed People, and Brown Mountain Lights
• 00:56:21 – Navigating the woods, warding off haints, and predicting weather with Appalachian lore

About the Hosts

Jaimie and Kelly are two friends and lifelong arts and culture obsessives who believe history is better when told with warmth, wit, and a refusal to leave women out of it. RenFare is their deep dive into the Renaissance and beyond — the art, the politics, the folklore, and the women the textbooks forgot.

Find RenFare

• Instagram: @renfarepod
• TikTok: @renfarepodcast     
• YouTube: @renfarepod

Sources & Further Reading

Giulia Tofana & Ancient Poisons:

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giulia_Tofana
• historiamag.com/giulia-tofana-poisoner-murderer-saviour/
• ncdv.org.uk/giulia-tofana-serial-killer-or-heroine/
• Dark Side City Tours — @darksidecitytours on Instagram

Appalachian Folklore:

• https://www.arc.gov/about-the-appalachian-region/
• https://www.thecollector.com/what-is-appalachian-culture/
• https://appalachianmemories.org/2024/12/03/appalachian-superstitions-a-journey-into-the-mystical-beliefs-of-the-mountains/

https://www.thecollector.com/appalachian-folk-stories-scary/