Exorcisms and Executions: The Loudun Hysteria

In this episode of Low Expectations, we unravel the infamous Loudun Possessions—a chilling and chaotic 17th-century case where an entire convent of Ursuline nuns claimed to be tormented by demons. Their target? A handsome, defiant priest named Urbain Grandier, who was accused of making a literal pact with the Devil.Was it mass hysteria, a political hit job, or a deeply repressed group of nuns stuck in a powder keg of religion, sex, and superstition? Join Nicole and Lyndsay as they explore this blend of true crime, historical scandal, demonic possession, and public exorcism—all set against the backdrop of religious warfare and societal control in early modern France.Follow us on Instagram @lowexpectationspodcast, and let us know—do you believe the Devil was in Loudun?