English Summary/英文概要： Strange Ways to Die in the Dark Ages takes an amusing yet grim dive into the bizarre, unexpected, and downright ridiculous ways people met their untimely ends in early medieval Europe. Join us as we recount tales of battles gone awry and tell the stories of monarchs who demonstrated they might not be all that fit for the throne. Together, we will uncover what weird and wonderful ways our ancestors attempted to cure themselves or the awful inventions created to torture and execute each other. Tread carefully in the past, though, as you never quite know what perils are lurking.

From Viking warriors felled by cheese to kings who perished in toilet-related mishaps, this book uncovers the strange, often absurd realities of life and death in an age of superstition, blood feuds, and very questionable medical advice. Packed with dark humour, historical oddities, and stories so strange they simply must be true, this is history as you’ve never read it before—deadly, disturbing, and delightfully ridiculous!

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 以詼諧而又陰鬱的筆觸，深入探討了中世紀早期歐洲人離奇、出人意料甚至荒誕不經的死亡方式。讓我們一起回顧那些失控的戰役，以及那些證明自己或許不適合王位的君主的故事。我們將共同揭開先輩們為了治病而嘗試的奇特方法，以及他們為了折磨和處決彼此而發明的可怕裝置。然而，在探索過去時務必謹慎，因為你永遠無法預知潛伏的危險。

從被乳酪擊倒的維京戰士到死於如廁事故的國王，本書揭示了在迷信、血仇和疑點重重的醫療建議盛行的時代，生與死的種種奇異而荒誕的現實。本書充滿了黑色幽默、歷史奇聞軼事，以及一些離奇古怪卻又非同尋常的故事，這是你從未讀過的歷史——既致命又令人不安，同時又荒誕可笑！(Zoe)

艾蜜莉一直熱愛歷史，尤其精通都鐸王朝時期的醫學，堪稱一本活的百科全書。她出生於諾福克郡的金斯林，並在那裡長大。艾蜜莉來自一個充滿愛與關懷的家庭，家人的支持對她來說至關重要。在考文垂大學攻讀法醫與調查研究學位期間，艾蜜莉決定嘗試發展她對音樂劇的另一個大愛好，於是加入了一個社團。在那裡，她遇到了一位來自伯明罕的神秘男子，從此就與她保持聯繫。 除了擔任全職IT技術員之外，艾蜜莉也總是會抽出時間來追求她的創作熱情。她是巡迴劇團「紫色夢想製作公司」（Purple Dreams Productions）的高級製作助理兼主演，同時她也和凱莉一起，是沃特靈頓劇社（The Watlington Players）的忠實成員。週末上午，您還可以收聽西諾福克廣播電台 (Radio West Norfolk) 的節目，聽到艾米麗的聲音。

關於凱莉·英格拉姆-蓋廷斯(Carrie Ingram-Gettins)

凱莉出生於英國伯明翰，並在那裡長大。從小，她就對歷史充滿熱情，這得歸功於父母的鼓勵。許多個週末，她都會興致勃勃地漫步在沃里克城堡 (Warwick Castle) 周圍，或探索附近的國民信託 (National Trust) 旗下的景點。除了閱讀之外，凱莉還盡可能地學習歷史知識，尤其對古代和中世紀的歷史情有獨鍾。 在考文垂大學攻讀音樂學位期間，她因為共同喜愛電視劇《邪惡力量》(Supernatural) 而結識了艾米麗，兩人從此成為好友。 2014 年，Carrie 搬到了諾福克，繼續她對歷史的熱愛，並最終在 2019 年獲得了古典學碩士學位。 Carrie 現在是研究和數據分析師，同時也是沃特靈頓劇社業餘戲劇團體的活躍成員，此外，她還與 Emily 一起主持了頗受歡迎的《一杯美味的歷史茶》播客節目，該節目擁有來自全球的聽眾。

About Emily Bush

Emily has always loved everything historical and is a fountain of knowledge about the Tudor period, particularly in medicine. Born and raised in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, Emily comes from a strong and affectionate family whose support she could not live without. Whilst obtaining a degree in Forensic and Investigative Studies from Coventry University, Emily decided to try and indulge one of her other passions of musical theatre by joining a society where she was approached by a strange Brummie who has hung around ever since.

As well as working as a full-time IT technician, Emily always makes time for her creative passions. She is a Senior Production Assistant and leading actress for Purple Dreams Productions, a touring theatre company and, along with Carrie, an avid member of The Watlington Players. You can also find Emily on the radio waves on weekend mornings with her shows on Radio West Norfolk.

About Carrie Ingram-Gettins

Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Carrie has had a deep passion for the past from an early age, something her parents encouraged. Spending many weekends wandering wide-eyed around Warwick Castle or exploring nearby National Trust properties - when she was not lost in a book, Carrie learned as much as she could about history with a particular enthusiasm for the ancient and mediaeval worlds.

Whilst studying for a music degree at Coventry University, she crossed paths with Emily through their shared love of the TV show Supernatural, and the two have been friends ever since. Moving down to Norfolk in 2014, Carrie continued her love of the past, eventually obtaining a master’s degree in Classics in 2019. Carrie now works as a Research and Data Analyst and is an active member of the Watlington Players amateur dramatic group, as well as hosting the successful A Nice Cup of Histortea Podcast with Emily, which enjoys a global listenership.