Was He Murdered Or Was He Not?—Part I: Analyses of Mercury in the Remains of T ycho B rahe

World‐renowned R enaissance astronomer T ycho B rahe died on 24 O ctober 1601, after 11 days of illness. Several conspiracy theories regarding his death have been aired, the first shortly after his death by W illiam S hakespeare in the play H amlet , published in 1603. A key factor in the still lively debate is whether he was administered mercury—as medicine by his own hand, or as poison by an unfriendly hand. In 2010, B rahe's grave was reopened and samples of his bones, hair, teeth and the textiles were procured and analysed. Here, we present evidence that B rahe was not administered lethal doses of mercury.