The Affair of the Poisons: When the French Elite Turned to Witchcraft and Murder

In 1670s Paris, the glittering court of Louis XIV hid a dark secret - aristocrats were secretly attending black masses, buying poisons from fortune tellers, and murdering anyone who stood in their way. What started as a simple murder investigation exploded into France's most shocking scandal, implicating some of the most powerful people in the kingdom.

At the center was La Voisin, a fortune teller who sold love potions, abortion services, and deadly poisons to desperate noblewomen. But her business went far darker - she allegedly performed satanic rituals using the blood of murdered infants, with aristocratic women lying naked on altars while priests said mass over their bodies. When police finally raided her mansion, they found a furnace filled with infant bones.

The scandal reached the highest levels of Louis XIV's court. The King's own mistress, Madame de Montespan, was accused of using black magic and poison to maintain the King's affections and eliminate rivals. Over 400 people were investigated, 36 executed, and many more imprisoned or exiled. Louis XIV himself was forced to burn evidence and shut down the trials when they threatened to expose too many powerful figures.

This episode explores the bizarre intersection of aristocratic ambition, occult practices, and serial murder that gripped France for over a decade and forever changed how Louis XIV viewed his own court.

Keywords: weird history, Affair of the Poisons, French history, Louis XIV, French court scandals, black mass, historical murders, occult history, French aristocracy, fortune tellers, 17th century France

Perfect for listeners who love: royal scandals, true crime history, occult mysteries, French history, and the dark side of aristocratic life.