Table of contents:
- Myth # 1. People actively used spices to drown out the taste of spoiled meat
- Myth # 2. The Iron Maiden is the most sophisticated torture device
- Myth number 3. In the Middle Ages, wine and beer were preferred over water because of its pollution
- Myth number 4. People did not live up to 30 years
- Myth number 5. Right of the first night
- Myth No. 6. Before the campaigns, medieval knights put on chastity belts on their ladies
- Myth No. 7. In the Middle Ages, everything was gray and expressionless
- Myth number 8. Neuschwanstein - a medieval castle
Video: 8 common myths about the Middle Ages that have nothing to do with reality
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Modern ordinary people are used to thinking that Middle Ages was one of the most dense and ignorant periods in history. Most of these beliefs are based on fantasy books or popular films. However, much that we used to believe turns out to be wrong. This review collects the most common myths about the Middle Ages, which are taken at face value.
Myth # 1. People actively used spices to drown out the taste of spoiled meat
Spices were brought to Europe from India, China, Muslim countries, so they were incredibly expensive. Therefore, it is logical to assume that those who could afford spices certainly did not eat spoiled meat. In medieval France, one pound of nutmegs was given a cow or four sheep. There are cases when, instead of money, fines were paid with spices. So in the XIII century, the inhabitants of the city of Beziers were ordered to pay a fine for the murder of a viscount - 3 pounds of pepper.
Myth # 2. The Iron Maiden is the most sophisticated torture device
Many articles have been written about medieval torture, however, if you look at it, the active use of torture tools began several centuries later. And the sarcophagus with thorns "Iron Maiden" was completely invented in the 18th century.
Myth number 3. In the Middle Ages, wine and beer were preferred over water because of its pollution
The widespread belief that water was poisoned in the Middle Ages is highly exaggerated. The basis for the existence of cities at that time was the presence of large sources of fresh water, and their pollution automatically meant the death of settlements. And people drank wine not in such quantities as modern inhabitants are used to thinking. For the most part, it was diluted with water so as not to get drunk. Beer was mostly drunk by peasants in the fields to quench their thirst.
Myth number 4. People did not live up to 30 years
Such a sad figure is based on statistics. The fact is that in the Middle Ages there was a high mortality rate of children at an early age. Then there were practically no families where at least one child did not die. Well, those who were lucky to survive childhood and adolescence, quite normally lived up to 50 and 70 years. Well, the number 30 is nothing more than the arithmetic mean of the people of the Middle Ages taken together - both children and the elderly.
Myth number 5. Right of the first night
Often in films and books, the right of the first night is described in bright colors, when the king or feudal lord deprived a girl of her innocence on her wedding night. Apart from literary works, there is no mention of such cases in any official chronicle.
Myth No. 6. Before the campaigns, medieval knights put on chastity belts on their ladies
The chastity belt is another invention of the people of the 19th century who popularized the idea of the dense Middle Ages. The idea of the chastity belts was taken from a painting dated 1405. There, in a comic form, the ancient Roman tradition was depicted, according to which the waist and hips of the bride were tied with a belt. He personified chastity. It has long been scientifically proven that all found metal and other chastity belts are fake.
Myth No. 7. In the Middle Ages, everything was gray and expressionless
The Middle Ages are associated not only with the "dullness" of thinking of people of that time, but also with inexpressive and gloomy shades that were used in clothing or interior decoration. In fact, if you look at the churches and cathedrals of the Middle Ages, you can see beautiful bright stained glass windows. Jewelry of all colors of the rainbow has survived to this day. Of course, most of the murals were destroyed or faded from time to time, and the clothes simply faded.
Myth number 8. Neuschwanstein - a medieval castle
Many believe that Neuschwanstein Castle was built in the Middle Ages. In fact, its construction began only in 1869 by order of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Neuschwanstein was built in the neo-Gothic style, which is why it is confused with ancient castles.
The time of medieval chivalry also arouses curiosity among contemporaries. These 5 revelations about knights help to take a sober look at the "romantic" era of that time.
Recommended:
What the Olympics looked like in the "dark ages", or Why do they think that the Middle Ages destroyed sports?
Five rings and the slogan “Faster. Above. Stronger”are integral symbols of the Olympic Games, which are almost 120 years old. Of course, their history is not limited to such a modest time period, it is much older. Contrary to popular belief that the Middle Ages was a dark time in which sports competitions did not exist, this is not at all the case. Then, too, sports flourished, and competitions were held. What the medieval Olympiad looked like, further in the review
Why did pregnant women and women in labor in the Middle Ages wear parchment belts, and what was depicted on these accessories
Five hundred years ago, not everyone could boast of having a grandmother; most women simply did not overcome a certain age threshold. Forty to sixty percent of women in labor in the Middle Ages died during or immediately after childbirth. It is not surprising that pregnant women were ready for anything to avoid this sad fate. There was no need to think about a breakthrough in the field of medicine and obstetrics, they turned to higher powers
6 reasons why the Middle Ages weren't as dark a time as is commonly believed
The centuries following the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 and its conquest by the barbarians are often referred to as the "dark ages." Many chroniclers of that time described the Middle Ages as a dark period of ignorance, the fall of education and science. Immediately in the brain there are pictures of religious fanatics burning books, and along with scientists, everywhere there is dirt and, of course, the plague. But was the Middle Ages really as "dark" as everyone used to think?
Who traded slaves and other facts that debunk the most common myths about slavery in America
Since ancient times, the slave trade has been an extremely profitable business for people of completely different nationalities and religions. Everyone did this: Arabs and British, Portuguese and Dutch, Muslims and Christians. By the middle of the 18th century, the Americans had joined the European slave traders. The first in New England to legalize slavery in northern Massachusetts. There are many myths and horror stories about this unsightly period in human history. Find out the whole truth about the five most common
The truth about the Vikings: 7 common myths that have nothing to do with reality
Usually, when it comes to Vikings, many imagine fierce blonde warriors in metal armor who boast long formidable nicknames. But actually it is not. In this review, we will debunk the most common myths about these warriors