The Children’s Crusade of 1212 was a remarkable yet tragic episode in European history. Motivated by religious fervor and a desire to reclaim the Holy Land, thousands of children, led by figures like Stephen of Cloyes and Nicholas, embarked on a journey to Jerusalem. Mostly comprising youths, their innocence and zeal captured the imagination of many. But the crusade lacked organization and direction, leaving the children vulnerable to exploitation by adults. Ultimately, the crusade ended in tragedy, with many of the participants being sold into slavery or perishing along the way. The story of the Children’s Crusade, however, remains largely shrouded in mystery, and many scholars believe the movement to be a mix of factual and mythical events. Join Tom and Jenny on this fascinating journey into medieval history on a crusading episode 400.

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Channel art and audio & video editing by Jenny Ashford. Music & sound effects courtesy of freesound.org users jamespotterboy, corsica-s, enjoypa, capturedlv, luffy, kiddpark, and justkiddink. Video clips courtesy of Videezy & Videvo.

Published by Jenny Ashford

Jenny Ashford is a horror, true crime, and paranormal writer, graphic designer, and podcaster. ​Her most recent books are a three-volume true crime compilation collectively known as The Faceless Villain: A Collection of the Eeriest Unsolved Murders of the Twentieth Century. Volume One was published in 2017, Volume Two in 2018, and Volume Three in 2019. ​Her other books include four paranormal nonfiction books: The Unseen Hand: A New Exploration of Poltergeist Phenomena, The Mammoth Mountain Poltergeist (with Tom Ross), House of Fire and Whispers: Investigating the Seattle Demon House, and The Rochdale Poltergeist (both with Steve Mera); as well as three horror novels, Red Menace, Bellwether, and The Five Poisons; two short story collections, Hopeful Monsters and The Associated Villainies; and a graphic novel, The Tenebrist. A second edition of The Associated Villainies was published in 2019, featuring four new stories, an enhanced print layout, and an audio book version. A second edition of The Five Poisons was published in 2020. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies, including The Nightmare Collective, History Is Dead, 2012AD, ChimeraWorld #3, and ChimeraWorld #4. Her horror blog, Goddess of Hellfire, contains writing news, short stories and articles, and her reviews and opinions on horror films and books. She also co-hosts a podcast with Tom Ross called 13 O'Clock, on which they discuss true crime, unexplained mysteries, paranormal weirdness, ​horror movies and books, food, and other fun, creepy topics. They recently collaborated on a 13 O'Clock cookbook. Jenny's graphic design work can be seen on everything from books and business cards to posters and packaging. She runs an online store called Gravecake selling products with her designs, and also has a board-and-card game concern called Giallo Games, which produces games based around the beloved Italian horror/crime genre, among many other themes.

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