History Series / Cadfael

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Brother Oswin.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Brother Jerome deserves everything he gets.

* ThePaldin: Olivier, the heroic Crusader knight [[spoiler: And Cadfael's son]], is both virtuous protector and matchless warrior. Cadfael goes so far as to literally call him Ermina's Paladin.

* InspectorLestrade: Hugh Beringar and the previous sheriff, Gilbert Prescotte, represent both sides of the Lestrade coin. Hugh is compelled to suspect and investigate the most obvious killer, but he is always willing to listen to Cadfael and gives him leeway to investigate. Gilbert is the kind who declares a case open-and-shut, resents Cadfael, and once wounds an unrelated person after mistaking him for the suspect.

** Prestcote gets cranky whenever Cadfael tries to give him advice or contradict his suspicions.

* SympatheticAdulterer: Eudo Blount loved his wife Donata, but her illness had left them unable to continue their sexual relationship for several years. That was when Generys sought his help in preventing her husband Ruald from becoming a monk, which would take her from him but leave her unable to remarry. They end up starting an affair, which kicks off the plot. Although Donata couldn't bear the thought of a divided husband, she wasn't all that angry at him or Generys either.

* MarriageOfConvenience: Godfrey Fuller's proposal to Judith Pearle is based mostly on this. Her business is wool and his is dye, so joining them would benefit them both.

* FortuneTelling: In ''The Holy Thief'', the ''sortes Biblicae'' is ultimately used to determine what should be done with "Saint Winifred's" bones. This leads to some [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane very apt]] verses being associated with the characters who perform it.

* JuxtapositionOfBirthAndDeath: Done with an animal birth in "Sanctuary Sparrow." Cadfael, aglow in the satisfaction of delivering a newborn foal, washes up in the river and spots Pesh's floating corpse.

Creator/SeanPertwee played Hugh Beringer in the first four episodes only, and was later [[TheOtherDarrin succeeded in the role]] by Eoin [=McCarthy=] and Anthony Green. Future stars who appeared in this series include Creator/TobyJones, Creator/TaraFitzgerald, Creator/StephenMoyer, Creator/AnnaFriel, Creator/JonnyLeeMiller, and Natasha [=McElhone=]. Creator/JulianGlover also pops up in one episode.

* SimpleStaff: Cadfael is forced to use a quarterstaff to defend someone at one point, showing that while violence is against his code, his skills haven't slipped.

Creator/SeanPertwee played Hugh Beringer in the first four episodes only, and was later [[TheOtherDarrin succeeded in the role]] by {{Eoin McCarthy}} and Anthony Green. Future stars who appeared in this series include Creator/TobyJones, Creator/TaraFitzgerald, Creator/StephenMoyer, Creator/AnnaFriel, Creator/JonnyLeeMiller, and Creator/NatashaMcElhone. Creator/JulianGlover also pops up in one episode.

Creator/SeanPertwee played Hugh Beringer in the first four episodes only. Future stars who appeared in this series include Creator/TobyJones, Creator/TaraFitzgerald, Creator/StephenMoyer, Creator/AnnaFriel, Creator/JonnyLeeMiller, and Creator/NatashaMcElhone. Creator/JulianGlover also pops up in one episode.

* BaitAndSwitch: In "The Rose Rent":
-->'''Cadfael''': Oswin, it surely is not in your vows to listen to gossip.\\
'''Oswin''': ''(abashed)'' No, Brother.\\
'''Cadfael''': Well, don't let that stop you.\\
''(Oswin grins.)''

** Cadfael does this on behalf of Meriet in "The Devil's Novice", severely chastising Leoric for refusing to see any worth in his younger son to the point of instantly believing him a murderer. [[spoiler:Although it doesn't sink in until the whole truth comes out, Leoric is genuinely guiltstricken and apologizes to Meriet at the end.]]

* HeroicBystander: Brother Oswin puts up a pretty decent effort against the fleeing murderer in "The Devil's Novice" and though he eventually gets half-strangled it buys the time needed for Cadfael and Prescotte to take over.

* IdiotBall: In "The Devil's Novice", [[spoiler:Janyn]] gives the murdered Clemence's brooch to Rosanna, and she wears it as an ornament at her wedding. It's a huge, eye-catching piece of jewelry that probably would have tipped Eluard off to its origins anyway, even without the fact that the bishop actually had it made ''for'' Clemence. It's also a case of AdaptationalDumbass; in the book, Rosanna/Roswitha tried to hide it, but Isobel/Isouda quietly pinned it on her shoulder before the ceremony and Roswitha didn't notice until it was too late. [[spoiler:Since it is a unique piece, Rosanna and Tristan are forced to confess their complicity in Clemence's death, their reason being that they were conspiring with nobles who wanted to declare for Maude.]]

* UnreliableVoiceover: [[spoiler:Cynric says that he could do nothing to save Ailnoth, as he had been struck in the head during his fall from the bridge and this he took him for dead. The audience, however, is shown that he saw Ailnoth struggling to keep from falling to his death and refused to help]].

* ExternallyValidatedProphecy: In "The Virgin in the Ice", when Brother Jerome explains his theory of the crime, Hugh scoffs, ''"you may as well argue that the earth goes around the sun with as little proof!" Since, at this time, ''everyone'' knows the Earth is the center of the universe.

* LotsaPeopleTryToDunIt: Who killed Ailnoth? His manservant was secretly in service to Maud, and Ralph was enraged by Ailnoth's decision to seize Foregate lands from the villagers who'd been farming it, and the whole Foregate blamed him for Eleanor's death. [[spoiler:Ralph does admit that he intended to kill Ailnoth but couldn't find him. His manservant was attacked ''by'' Ailnoth, a Stephen fanatic, and believes he killed him but claims self-defense. In the end, it turns out that no one actually gave Ailnoth the fatal push into the river.]]

* SinisterMinister: Father Ailnoth has no interest in carrying out the actual office of minister. His main concerns are extracting profit from the fields that his predecessor had allowed the villagers to use, saving his own soul, and most of all pursuing the enemies of King Stephen. He treats his parish with impatience and disdain and his refusal to accept Eleanor's confession makes an enemy of the entire Foregate.

* INeverSaidItWasPoison: Cadfael tells Edwin his stepfather was 'cut down' and Edwin disclaims drawing a blade against him. That he didn't correct Cadfael, combined with trustingly putting his lips to a beaker of monkshood oil, combines to convince Cadfael of his innocence.

* TurnInYourBadge: The Prior throws Cadfael out of the abbey for ignoring instructions to leave the murder investigation to Prescott. Radulfus declines to finalize the decision after taking charge, however.

* WhatTheHellHero: In "The Raven in the Foregate", both Eleanor's sister Katherine and, to a lesser extent, Cynric chew Cadfael out for sending Eleanor away when she came to him for help. An ashamed Cadfael admits he behaved badly.

* BerateAndSwitch: Brother Oswin is passing along some things he's overheard about the current mystery, prompting Cadfael to scold that his vows surely don't include listening to ''gossip''--and then adding "but don't let that stop you."