What is the episode about?
Mørkeland Episode 287, released on June 22, 2025, presents two significant criminal cases from Danish history, both touching on themes of isolation, distrust, and hidden misdeeds. The first case centers around a couple living in Funen, whose desperate desire to start a family is overshadowed by repeated childhood tragedies. In a community marked by superstition, these misfortunes lead to violent witchcraft accusations that have fatal consequences for those involved. The second case in the episode takes listeners into an investigation of a tailor who is struck by a sudden and unexplained illness. The physical symptoms point towards deliberate poisoning, opening up a classic murder mystery involving poison in a Danish context.
The case behind the episode
The case of the witchcraft accusations in Funen traces back to a time when folk beliefs and personal tragedies often intertwined. The Funen couple that the episode concerns experienced the worst imaginable nightmare when they lost their children shortly after birth. Instead of compassion, their neighbors met them with suspicion, and rumors of witchcraft began to circulate in the parish. a href='/krimidex/hekseanklager-fyn'>Witchcraft accusations in Funen /a> highlights how the lack of medical understanding in historical cases could lead to the stigmatization of innocent citizens. The second case about the tailor focuses on the methodical aspects of a href='/krimidex/giftmord'>Poison Murders /a>, where the perpetrator operates in secrecy. The tailor's illness was marked by severe pain and strange neurological symptoms, which today would be recognized as classic signs of arsenic or strychnine poisoning. The hosts of Mørkeland discuss the evidence that was used at the time to convict or acquit the suspects in these complex cases.
About the podcast
a href='/podcasts/moerkeland'>Mørkeland /a> is one of Denmark's most popular true crime podcasts and has been providing weekly overviews of both well-known and forgotten criminal cases since 2018. The podcast is known for its conversational format, where two hosts take turns presenting a case to each other. With over 280 episodes, the program has built an extensive archive of Danish criminal history. Episode 287 is special as it is released in time for Midsummer, which is reflected in the choice of themes such as witches and the occult, historically linked to this holiday in Denmark.