An armoured knight on a lumbering steed; toiling serfs, tied to the lands of their lord, cloistered monks and nuns, lost in prayer. And don’t forget the scenery: high-walled castles, great gothic churches, and farms, farms, and more farms. We all know the kind of things we’d find during the Medieval Age. But what actually WAS the Medieval Age?
Life in the Middle Ages, between the fifth and the fifteenth centuries, was hard. Long before the discovery of penicillin, the people accepted that death was going to be with them sooner rather than later. Infections spread quickly and there were no inoculations, no cures and no defences against the misery it could inflict on the people of medieval England. Disease became man’s greatest enemy because it was almost impossible to avoid. Let’s take a look at some of the worst diseases to catch during the middle ages...
The Middle Ages is renowned for being one of the most violent periods of history. The thousand years lasting from the 5th to the 15th centuries was a time of brutality and inequality. In the Middle Ages most European countries were legally allowed to use some form of torture. By the 12th century it had achieved its peak with the aid of more sophisticated and brutal devices. Torture was often used as part of sentencing against a criminal and was carried out in public to deter others. At a time when even starving children were hanged for stealing food it’s no surprise that torture was seen as the best way to coerce information or deliver retribution.
You would think that there would be just a few occupations during the Middle Ages. There would be the lord of the manor, the knights, the lord’s household and the peasants. But this is just a broad outline of the myriad of jobs that were available and each one fulfilled an essential role in Medieval society. Really there were just two classes, the elite and the workers but the lord and his court could not survive without the assistance of the labourers. Some of the jobs such as carpenters, bakers and barbers still continue to this day. Others have disappeared into the annals of history. For the following jobs, that is not a bad thing.
In the previous episode of Medieval Madness, we looked into some of the worst jobs available in the Medieval era - these included jobs such as the gong farmer, the executioner, the tanner and the leech collector. Now it's time to look at some of the best jobs!
In today's episode, we take a look at the various food groups and their position within the diet of an average medieval peasant!
From about 1150 onwards the monarchy began to play a much larger part in the management of the justice system in England. Of course, it would be several centuries before the legal system that we know today would be in place, but the start of jury led trials began in this period. Some medieval laws and punishments seem quite shocking by today’s standards and justice during the period was certainly not without its faults and cruelties. Lets take a look at 7 obscure types of medieval laws!
During the medieval period lucky jesters were the ones who were employed by nobles or royalty to perform at court. But he or she wasn’t just an entertainer, they were part of the social fabric of a region, whilst court jesters were valued with great privileges. Today in Medieval Madness, we look at the life of a Medieval Jester.
Saint Augustine’s ideal of the unbreakable marriage dominated the Middle Ages. By the late medieval period the marriage vows contained the phrase ‘till death do us part’, emphasizing the seriousness of the commitment that was being made. And it certainly was serious! In today's episode of Medieval Madness, we will be exploring divorce in the middle ages, as well as taking a look at the story behind Ridley Scott's newest film The Last Duel, starring Adam Driver, Matt Damon and Jodie Comer.
European maps from the Middle Ages are full of strange lands, legendary races and fabulous monsters. Only the Church with the help of God was able to provide protection against these horrors. The medieval world was hard to understand, and the people believed that their souls were always in danger of being stolen away by all sorts of spiritual creatures. In todays episode of Medieval Madness, we have a look at a few of those creatures!
Unicorns, centaurs, griffins, manticores, mermaids and dragons. These are all medieval monsters we learned about in a previous episode. Today we're going to travel a little further afield in the middle ages, to learn about beasts such as the ones described as, “ugly folk without heads” with their “mouths round like a horseshoe, in the middle of their chest”. Welcome to Medieval Madness!
The smock, hose, kirtle, dress, belt, surcoat, girdle, cape, hood, and bonnet are just some examples of the more standard medieval clothing. However, fashion trends did sometimes get a little ridiculous too. So, strap your gucci boxers tight as we travel back in time to look at fashion during the middle ages. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
In the Middle Ages most people never saw a doctor. Peasants would normally visit a cunning woman or a monk who would provide them with some sort of herbal remedy as well as prayer. The few physicians that were available would only treat the rich. Naturally, people didn't tend to have quite as high of a life expectancy as we do these days. In this video, we're going to look into some of the many reasons why.
We previously looked at the diet of a medieval peasant, so in todays episode we're going to explore the diet of the upper classes of the middle ages! What did the medieval upper classes actually eat?!
A lot has been written about the medieval period and a lot of it generally portrays the people as being unsophisticated, cruel, and ignorant. Superstition was a dominating force that filled peoples lives. Violence, death, and disease skulked around every corner, waiting to pounce. But there are also many misconceptions about the Middle Ages making it one of the most fascinating periods in history. Here are five things that you probably didn’t know about the Middle Ages. It may not be all that you believed.
It seems that students of the modern world and their reputation for drunken debauchery aren't too dissimilar to students of the medieval world. Lets travel back in time and learn about learning in the middle ages. Welcome to Medieval Madness!
The elite women of ancient Greece and Rome regularly used cosmetics, a custom that was adopted from the ancient Egyptians. During the Middle Ages the tradition continued only among the nobility, as most of the peasant classes didn’t have the money for such luxuries. Of course, in medieval times the church kept a watchful eye over everything, and this included the makeup habits of its female parishioners. Adding makeup to one’s face was thought to question the workmanship of God’s vision. And early in the period [any English] “woman who wore makeup was seen as an incarnation of Satan”, as the use of cosmetics was only found in brothels. In today's episode, we look at Disturbing Health & Beauty Fads of the Middle Ages.
Just as they do now many people in the Middle Ages journeyed for business, pleasure, and religious reasons. But unlike today people had just two options when travelling in the medieval world. They could either go by land or sea. In today's episode, we look at 4 Modes of Transport in the Middle Ages. Welcome to Medieval Madness!
Throughout history, there have always been people who belong to the LGBTQ community. In Antiquity same-sex relations were common, and it was acceptable for men to have both male and female lovers outside of marriage. Regarded as a way of controlling the population, Plato compared the acceptance of homosexuality to democracy and its repression to tyranny. Both the terms heterosexuality and homosexuality were not created until the 19th century, and there was no understanding of these terms in the Middle Ages. No one in medieval Europe would have referred to themselves or anyone else as ‘gay’, ‘straight’, ‘lesbian’, ‘transgender’ or ‘bisexual’. There was only normal and abnormal sexual behaviour, and what was normal was decided by the Christian Church at that time. For the most part, there aren’t many historical resources during the Middle Ages about same sex relationships between women, although any sort of sex that did not result in conception was known as sodomy.
Let’s be honest, daily life for a medieval serf in England, and many other European countries wasn’t much fun. The feudal system meant that peasants were bound by law to work for the nobility, who owned the land they lived on. The outside working day started at dawn, which meant that during the summer months it could be as early as 3am. And it didn’t end until dusk. Work in the fields was back breaking and included reaping, sowing, ploughing and haymaking depending on the time of year. As well as helping her husband with the farming, women were also responsible for the preparation of all meals. They took care of any children and livestock such as chickens and tended the vegetable plot as well as foraging for berries and herbs. Weaving, spinning and the mending of clothes were also part of a womans work. And children were also expected to join in.
Even in the 21st century, many people are still afraid to visit the dentist, as it can be an unpleasant experience. Try to imagine it in the Middle Ages without anesthetic and with no sophisticated dental tools. Any affliction of the teeth meant a trip to the barber surgeon, who was the go-to medical practitioner at the time, or even the blacksmith if no barber was available. It is a common misconception that dental care was poor during the Middle Ages, a lack of medicine and unhygienic conditions made the era a perfect environment for disease and ill health. Surprisingly though, there is a lot of historical evidence to show us that Medieval people actually made great efforts to look after their teeth and gums. Lets travel back in time, and look at dentistry in the middle ages!
In the Middle Ages how much leisure time a person had would depend heavily upon their social status. Because they had such a favoured position in life, and many servants to fulfill their every need, medieval royalty had lots of free time that they could just fritter away. They could also afford to pay for the best activities for themselves, and for any guests who they needed to entertain.
The disease known as the plague has been stalking humanity for over 5,000 years, and there have been many outbreaks. In fact, there have been three pandemics caused by the bacillus bacterium Yersinia Pestis. The first was in the 6th century. It devastated the Byzantine Empire and was known as The Plague of Justinian. The third began in China in the mid-19th century and quickly spread throughout the world. But it is the plague that began in 1346 which killed more than 50 million people in just seven years that we refer to as the ‘Black Death’. The Middle Ages was a time of superstition, religious fanaticism and ignorance and so they thought it was the end of the world. In reality it was the largest pandemic in the history of humanity.
The Medievals had three types of hospitals. The first, known as the leprosaria, for those afflicted with leprosy. The second were those erected for the general use of pilgrims and sick travellers and the third were intended to give shelter to the elderly. A lot were a mixture of the three types, and all were used to look after the needs of the poor, where the inmates would receive care and possibly some rudimentary forms of treatment. Only the rich would have been able to afford the expertise of a trained physician or surgeon, and they would have been treated in their own homes. Poor-sick people would have used the skills of local healers and herbalists as well as the domestic cures passed on to them from female relatives.
The attitude towards love, sex and marriage went through some interesting changes during the medieval period. Probably due to the prevalence of religion, especially Christianity becoming such an important part of life. One impression that we often associate with medieval sexuality is that of complete repression. A world where a group of people, namely priests and other clerics, who don’t have sex, tell the people who are having sex how they should and shouldn’t be having it, and even what their thoughts regarding sex should be.
We often think that jobs during the Middle Ages were quite different than those that exist today, but actually many of them are connected. Some even have the same titles now as then.
During the early medieval era imprisonment was not really a thing. It was more common to either fine, mutilate or execute criminals. But in turbulent times of war, it was often necessary to hold political prisoners who could be used for negotiation and inducement. Even so, only the most high-level captives would actually be held hostage for long periods of time. Incarcerating common criminals was just not worth the effort or the expense. Today, we're going to learn about The Oubliette, a medieval torture of unspeakable horror.
When we think of crime and punishment in the medieval period, we often think of a chaotic system of judgement, and brutal punishments, that seem out of proportion with the seriousness of the crime. In medieval Europe law and order was harsh. It was assumed that people would only behave well if they feared the penalty of breaking the law. There was a gibbet on the outskirts of most towns in England. There, criminals would be hanged, their bodies left to rot for many weeks as a stark warning as to the reality of breaking the law. In todays episode, we look at what it would be like to be a criminal in the middle ages!
It is no surprise that the vocation of Medieval executioners is up there as one of the most undesirable jobs in the Middle Ages, along with leech collector and gong farmer. Lawlessness and crime were so widespread across the world. Rape, murder, theft, heresy – every type of sin and debauchery ran unchecked throughout medieval society. Most countries were trying to move away from the idea of criminal prosecutions being a private matter. The authorities developed new legal procedures whereby they could arrest suspects without waiting for an accusation from the victim. This meant that they could investigate, question and secure a confession from the accused, and once found guilty, for most people justice was swift, brutal and without mercy. With most criminals evading arrest an example had to be made of those who were caught, and what better deterrent than a public execution?
What exactly happened in Strasbourg during the mysterious dancing plague of 1518? Lets travel back in time and have a look at the Mysterious Dancing Plague of 1518. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
It began in Essex as a response to the harsh economic demands of parliament and was one of the most significant uprisings in Europe during the medieval period. A national movement of people that spread as far as York and Scarborough in the northeast and over to Somerset in the southwest of England. Previous uprisings had always been led by noblemen, ambitious to overthrow the out of touch government and seize power for themselves. This time it was different, the so called ‘Peasants Revolt’, was led by a group of commoners, men like Watt Tyler, John Ball and Jack Straw. A group of men and women from all walks of life who wanted to radically change English society rather than seek out personal advancement.
Mediaeval phantoms were commonly referred to as revenants. There are reports of spectres floating through walls, like a transparent sheet or sail floating through the air. Some of the apparitions were described as being much more unhappy and paler than they had been in life and were dressed in ragged clothing. But many seem to be far more palpable than how we imagine a spirit to be today. There are reports of ghosts being grappled with and physically held until a priest could come and hear their confession and enable them to leave their earthly prison.
Being a queen in the 14th century was a dangerous occupation and no woman knew that better than Joanna I of Naples. She had a talent for ruling; an ability which inevitably threatened the powerful men around her.
At its heart this tale is a medieval mystery, which sadly involved the death of two children. Innocent boys who found themselves at the mercy of the politics, plotting and greed of two competing royal houses. Henry II of England ascended the throne in 1154 and is considered to be the first Plantagenet king. Essentially two houses descended from the Plantagenets – the House of York and the House of Lancaster. It was the rivalry between these two branches that brought about the Wars of the Roses, a bloody civil war and fight for the English throne that lasted for over 30 years. The war claimed the lives of 12 Princes, 200 nobles, about 100,000 commoners and gentry and wiped out two generations of the lines of Warwick and Somerset. In fact, by the final battle at Bosworth Field in 1485 all the males from both houses were dead, the English Middle Age was over, and a new Tudor Age was ushered in.
When we think about the Medieval period, we often imagine people not just living in filth, but being happy to do so. However, the Medievals did wash, bathe and clean their teeth more than we would expect, even if they were unable to achieve the levels of hygiene that we do now. There were medical guides about health and cleanliness and people did their best to keep themselves and their clothes dirt free.
The first few months of 793 was a worrying time for the north of England. Great portents of impending disaster were seen across the heavens. On Lindisfarne the monks had to suspend their evening prayers when an astonishing sight was observed in the night sky. Fiery dragons were seen flying through the air, followed by sheets of lightning that rippled out in huge arcs before piercing the ground with giant forks. Just a few weeks later the dragons returned but now they were on the front of Viking longboats. This was the first recorded Viking Raid.
The Middle Ages were turbulent times. Constant warfare and disease meant that millions of people died all across the world. Some of the ways that death came upon them can still be recognised today, some are a little more imaginative. These eight ways to die give us an insight into the daily lives of the Medievals, their attitudes and the conditions in which they lived and subsequently died.
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"…as a thief therefore you shall be hanged; as a traitor…you shall be drawn and quartered, and your quarters dispersed throughout the kingdom; and as you were outlawed, by our Lord the King and by general consent, and have come back to the court…you shall be beheaded; and because at all times you have been disloyal and a formenter of strife between our Lord the King and our most noble Lady the Queen…you shall be disembowelled, and after that you bowels shall be burned. Confess yourself a traitor and a renegade! And so go to meet your doom. Traitor! Evildoer!! and Convicted!!!" This was the sentence handed down to Hugh Despenser the Younger in 1326 after a hasty trial. A man responsible for a civil war and the downfall of a king. Today we found out where he went wrong!
Death by pressing or crushing has been around for centuries, although the method used has varied greatly from place to place. In general, it meant that some form of heavy weight would be placed on top of a person with the intention of causing their death. Ow.
It was August1453. King Henry VI of England left his pregnant wife Margaret of Anjou at home and travelled from court to the West Country on a judicial visit. Stopping off at Clarendon Palace in Wiltshire the 31-year-old king was, “suddenly…taken and smitten with a frenzy and his wit and reason withdrawn”. What was the terrible and mysterious illness that struck down Henry VI who was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses?
Most of us have burned ourselves at one time or another, perhaps on a stove or on a candle, so we know how painful it can be, and can only imagine how it would feel to be completely engulfed in flames. Being scalded with boiling water is no joke either so just imagine being submerged into a whole pot of it. These are just another two of the worst forms of execution in our Medieval punishment videos.
What exactly was it that the monks saw that night in the sky in 1178? Could it have been the impact of an asteroid hitting the Moon’s surface? Or a meteorite entering the earth’s atmosphere just at the right moment? Did the Moon really split in half or was it just a shared delusion? In this video we shall talk more about this strange Medieval mystery that has baffled historians and scientists alike for almost 850 years. It should be said that the monks in question were more than willing to take an oath to substantiate what they had seen. Gervase further reported, “They are prepared to stake their honour on an oath that they have made no addition or falsification in the above narrative”.
In most European countries today, we use the premise that a person is presumed innocent unless they have been proven guilty. At trial, evidence has to be produced so that a jury or a judge can decide on the culpability of the accused. But during the Middle Ages when someone was suspected of a crime, and they were actually innocent it was believed that God would intervene on their behalf. So, they were made to go through a physical trial and the ‘Judgement of God’ would enable them to prove it. It seems illogical to us now, but religion played such an important part in the lives of the Medievals that it is easy to see why they would want to model their justice system on the trials that God had set out in the Bible. It was easier to give judgement over to an omnipotent God rather than rely on fallible human beings.
Probably the most common form of execution and the first one that people think about in regard to Medieval executions, hanging was the usual method of capital punishment for the Anglo Saxons. Other means of execution have been implemented but none of them has been so common and used for so many centuries in Europe, as death by hangman.
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This has to be one of the most inhuman forms of punishment ever invented and was the most extreme penalty available in English law for those guilty of high treason, which was considered the most serious attack on the monarch’s authority. Those who were being punished in this way were seen as sub-human and the dishonour, pain and cruelty that they suffered was meant to create a division between themselves and the audience. The message being that a ‘normal’ man would not be made to suffer three deaths. And it was only men that could be put to death in this fashion. It was thought to be too indecent to expose a woman’s body in such a way. Therefore, a woman convicted of treason would either be burned at the stake or beheaded. Which on reflection wasn’t really that much better.
Public humiliation was a major part of both corporal and capital punishment during the Middle Ages. In small communities, those being admonished would be well known to everyone else, and having the accused person put on view, usually in the center of a town or village was all part of the punishment. Audience involvement was a key part of the success of the judgment because it only increased the victim’s shame.
The town of Falaise, Normandy, Northwest France. The year 1386. The murderer had sneaked into the couples home. The husband, Jonnet the Builder was away helping to erect a nearby church while his wife was down at the nearest stream washing some linen garments. Their child was fast asleep in his crib. Seeing her opportunity the killer crept up to the infant and attacked him, mutilating his face and tearing off his arms. It was not long before the perpetrator was caught and given a speedy trial. Being found guilty of murder she was sentenced to be ‘mangled and maimed’ before being given the death penalty. Despite being a female the prisoner was dressed in a new white shirt, waistcoat, a pair of drawers and taken to the gallows. Local people brought the prisoners friends and family down to watch the execution in the hope that they would be deterred from pursuing a life of crime like their associate. This killer was also made to wear a human mask as she was in fact, a pig.
Almost every night, for the last ten years of her life, Ermine de Reims was systematically battered and tortured by demons. How did a 14th century peasant woman get caught up in a number of religious controversies? Was she possessed? Was she ill? Was she undergoing a divine ‘state of grace’? In this video we will find out about the visions experienced by Ermine and the supernatural forces that affected her Medieval daily life.
When the Scots were oppressed, and Scottish fortunes were at their lowest he was the chief inspiration for their resistance. A man who stood up to the King of England, Edward I, emerging from obscurity to gain a spectacular victory over the English, before enduring a crushing defeat and being put to death in the most barbaric way. A national hero who has gained great admiration, this is the story of Sir William Wallace one time Guardian of Scotland.
During the Middle Ages, it was felt that the people needed to be afraid of the Civil authority and the Church. The only way to keep order was to make sure that the citizens were terrified of any punishment that would be given out if a person was found guilty of a crime. And so, with the use of corporal punishment penalties were harsh. The inventiveness of the techniques and instruments used by the Medievals for both physical torture and punishment were remarkable. Prisoners, usually those from poorer backgrounds might be branded on the forehead, have feet, hands or even their tongues removed, and then they would be sent out into the world to carry on their lives as best they could, while showing the rest of society how they too would suffer if they dared to break the rules.
Before the Enlightenment the Medievals had no choice but to use their imaginations to make sense of the world around them. Because of the enormous influence that the Church held over their daily lives anything that could not be explained was seen as either sinister or magical. Some of their strange and often ridiculous superstitions are what we will talk about in our video today.
The Middle Ages is often thought of as a dark period in our history and from that time there are many dark tales. Here we have put together seven of them for you. Some are creepy, others funny but all of them are strange.
What did people in the Middle Ages really find funny? It would seem that the same things have been found to be amusing right across the ages. Many of the riddles that the Medievals told have double entendre’s and the jokes are rude with references to sex and bodily functions. No one was exempt from being the target of a Medieval joke; stupid husbands, unfaithful wives, bishops, even royalty.
They say it is “the oldest profession in the world”. In Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt there were temples dedicated to ‘sacred prostitution’. There are ancient Sumerian records dating back to 2400 BCE that refer to prostitution as an occupation. In this video we continue our “day in the life” series and travel back to 15th century Germany, to see what life was like for one particular prostitute in the exploitative and abusive world inside a Medieval brothel. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
He was the right-hand man of Joan of Arc and the single richest and most powerful nobleman of Anjou. He was a war hero, the Marshall of France. But he has also been described as the most horrific serial killer in French history, a man who inspired the grizzly tale of Bluebeard. In this video we will discuss Gilles de Rais the man who supposedly sold his soul to the Devil and eventually paid the ultimate price.
Over thousands of years human beings have spent an inordinate amount of time working out how to kill one another. So, it wasn’t long before they had the idea of using drowning as a form of lethal punishment. And regardless of the beliefs of the Medievals it wasn’t as pain free or as instantaneous as they thought.
In this video, which is part of our day in the life series, we discuss what it was like to be a member of the elite fighting force of the day. Taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, they were so well trained that in battle they were forbidden from retreating unless they were outnumbered three to one and yet so devout that they were considered a monastic order. For almost two centuries they were venerated as devout warriors, gathered from across Europe, who would fight on behalf of God and defend the Holy Land. What could possibly go wrong?
Hated by their contemporaries they earned nicknames like Accursed, Hater of Sunlight and Monster during the Middle Ages. In this video we discuss three individuals who acted with violence, treachery and down right nastiness just because they could.
Lets travel back in time and look at the life of one Medieval monk, who it turned out became a magician, an outlaw, a mercenary, a pirate and even had a brief stint as Admiral of the French fleet.
It’s that time of year when we all want to hear a good old fashioned ghost story. In the Middle Ages many of these tales were often loaded with hidden meaning for the listener and tried to explain the unexplainable to their Medieval audience. Some come from the Viking sagas, others were written by members of the church and others have been passed down verbally through families. Many of the monastic ghost stories involve a dead person pleading for help from the living to lessen their suffering in the afterlife. Here are some of those creepy tales about shapeshifters, witches, ghosts and demons that would have gripped listeners more than a thousand years ago. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
In the Middle Ages, the barber-surgeon became the poor-man’s go to doctor. Someone to deal with the more mundane and dirty jobs. Jobs like bloodletting, pulling out teeth, dealing with minor wounds, rashes and burns. But as time went on they gradually became associated with much more skilled but gruesome tasks such as setting limbs, performing surgeries, even delivering babies and amputations. In this video, we continue our ‘day in the life’ series to see what life was like for the Medieval barber-surgeon.
In 2016 the English theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking said, “We spend a great deal of time studying history, which, let’s face it, is mostly the history of stupidity”. During the Middle Ages people put their faith in things that we now know to be complete nonsense. Here we are going to take a look at some of those outrageous beliefs. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
In 1324 Dame Alice Kyteler was the first Irish woman to be accused of witchcraft. Had she really used the dark arts to acquire her wealth or was she just your every day serial killer? In this video we will delve into the deadly story of a woman who became known as the ‘Witch of Kilkenny’.
She was an ordinary peasant girl that changed the course of the 100 Years War. A teenager that became the figurehead of the French army. But who was she really? This is the story of the Maid of Orléans, her faith, her military role, capture and eventual death.
The English historian James Anthony Froude once said. “Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow creatures is amusing in itself”. And it would seem that the Medievals were outstanding in creating torture devices that were both breath-taking in their aesthetic and brutality. So we’ve put together another compilation of some of their most creative methods for producing suffering. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
For our fourth video in our ‘Day in the Life’ series we will travel back in time to the 13th century, where the spectre of heresy loomed large over all the regions of Europe. But especially in the Languedoc area of what is now South West France. Why was the Catholic Church so threatened by a group of celibate vegetarians? What were their beliefs? How were they connected to our old friends the Knights Templars? And what led to their tragic and shockingly violent end? Welcome to Medieval Madness.
From the beginnings of civilization, humans have always looked up to the heavens in wonder. Sightings of stars and planets, comets and eclipses are awe inspiring and help us to try and understand our place in the cosmos. Technological advances made just over the last few decades with larger and more powerful equipment mean that we can now probe much deeper into the unknown universe of countless galaxies, planets and stars, to understand its origin and growth. We know about pulsars, quasars, dark matter and black holes that all exist together within the vast infinity of space. But for the Medievals, astronomy was also God’s creation and something that influenced their physical, spiritual and mental well-being. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
How did people live and die during the harshest months of the year? How did they stay warm? What did they eat? How did they keep themselves entertained in an age before modern day luxuries like electric blankets, double glazing, and Netflix? The onset of the Little Ice Age, between 1300 until about 1870 meant that the long, dark winters of the Late Middle Ages were colder and more dangerous. With starvation and death from illness always threatening to strike, winter was a frightening time. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
A rabbit stands up on its hind legs and decapitates a man, a knight is defeated by a gigantic snail, a nun plucks penises from a tree. These are just some of the strange images, along with various other messages that were left in the margins of many illustrated manuscripts produced during the Middle Ages. Referred to as marginalia, many of the written doodles are funny and give us a glimpse into the lives of the Medieval people who were carrying out what was probably a very tedious job.
Through the ages humans have resolved disputes by fighting with one another and this was also true in the Middle Ages when judiciary duels were often held. Also known as trial by combat or battle by combat it was seen as a chivalric way to settle a dispute. If an accusation was made against someone, without a witness or a confession, fighting in single combat was the only way to recognise who was right and who was wrong. Medieval duels were not just about brute strength, they were often about nerve and cunning. Here we will travel back in time to take a look at this Medieval mode of justice and hear about some of the more famous Medieval duels. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
Were the Middle Ages really as brutal and sadistic as we imagine today? There are many records from the time that actually do prove the stereotype to be true. Let’s face it we all know what the character Marsellus Wallace meant in the film Pulp Fiction when he threatened, “I’m gonna get Medieval on your a*s!”
When a Medieval death occurred in England an official appointed by the crown and known as the Coroner was responsible for finding out what had happened. By the 13th century there were four coroners in every county. Each one of them had a deputy who would sometimes hold an inquest. Their duties extended to a range of criminal matters, not just a violent or sudden death, but if that was thought to be the case, then the Coroner and the Sheriff would swear in a jury of local men to investigate how the victim had died. These investigations were chronicled in the ‘Coroners’ Rolls’. For the Medievals carrying weapons was part of daily life, male honour had to be safeguarded at all costs and arguments could very quickly get out of hand. Many of these records from the Coroners’ Rolls in London during the late 13th and 14th centuries have survived.
Animals were everywhere in Medieval life. They were used to pull carts and plough fields, they were milked, sheared, skinned and eaten. But were they ever kept just for the sake of companionship, as we keep them today? We often think of pets as animals that live indoors with us. The word ‘pet’ as describing a sort of companion animal wasn’t even used, in the English language until the 16th century. And then only in the North of England and Scotland. The Oxford English Dictionary definition states that a pet is ‘an animal, a bird, etc. that you have at home for pleasure, rather than one that is kept for work or food’, for the Medievals this wasn’t always the case, as many families who lived in the countryside would have had a byre attached to their living area which they shared with, goats and cattle. Dogs used for hunting often lived indoors as did cats, whose job was to catch mice.
With this video we continue to look at the records kept by the royal official known as the Coroner. In the Middle Ages witness testimony was often all an investigator had to go on and often the only witness available was the victim or perpetrator of the crime. And neither were likely to give a fair and balanced statement. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, when these records were made, people were happy to accept circumstantial evidence as fact. The investigators recorded as much detail as they were able to gather, noting the time and place of the death, any wounds on the body and who was around at the time of the incident. Despite all of this routine detective work it was very likely that if the culprit was able to get away from the scene, they would disappear into the countryside and may never be held to account. Lets go back in time now and discover some of the poor souls who lost their lives in unusual circumstances and some of the perpetrators who carried out the dirt
Remember the expression ‘You’ve got to laugh or else you’ll cry’, well we all need a little bit of laughter in our lives and the Medievals were no different. Let’s face it having to deal with poverty, being supremely pious and suffering from horrific diseases like the Black Death was enough to make anybody miserable and the Medievals had to grab whatever joy they could. Let’s travel back in time for some more funny stories and naughty jokes from the Middle Ages. Where, traditionally the butt of the joke would either be the voracious sexual appetites of women, the corruption of the clergy or the stupidity of peasants.
During the Middle Ages there were some crazy stories of sleaze, extortion and sex, some even involved crazed kings and corrupt popes. From sorcery that prevented a royal marriage being consummated to a cross dressing prostitute. Lets travel back in time and discover some of the strangest and most unbelievable medieval scandals. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
Public executions were a major part of life in the largest and most significant city in the kingdom. The first recorded execution happened there in 1196, but we can be certain that capital punishment took place in London long before the 12th century. London offered an impressive backdrop for some of the most infamous executions in history. As the power of the state became greater, public punishments were used to deter others from taking on a life of crime. The watching crowds grew larger as people became more comfortable with the spectacle of violence. Executions were always carried out in public but in London they became a theatrical performance. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
15th century Florence was the epitome of a Renaissance city and home to some of the greatest philosophers, inventors and artists that have ever lived. A place full of new ideas, free thinking and beauty and also home to two families with tremendous wealth and power, the Pazzi’s and the Medici’s. On Easter Sunday 26th April 1478, a group of conspirators from the Pazzi family decided it would really like to destroy the Medici family and would start by murdering its two leaders Giuliano and Lorenzo. Of all the places for this vicious attack to take place it was the beautiful Florentine Cathedral during High Mass that was chosen and what followed was a bloodbath. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
In the Middle Ages fighting females were uncommon. Joan of Arc being a rare exception. But she was not the only woman to strap on armour and wield a sword. In this video we will travel back to the 14th century to meet a vengeful noblewoman who became a pirate and reigned down terror on the King of France. Welcome to Medieval Madness
Once upon a time in a land far, far away there was a king. He was not only a great king but also a committed Christian. His name was Prester John, and he reigned over 72 countries. The lands that he ruled were rich with gold and silver and overflowing with fantastic creatures. King Prester wrote to many popes in Rome to declare his faithfulness to the Catholic Church. He also described, in his letters many beasts that were unknown in the Western world; men with three eyes and horns on their foreheads, unicorns, female warriors who fought on horseback and men who lived to be 200 years old. Of course, it’s easy to dismiss the story as a fairy-tale but there is evidence to support the legend actually having its roots firmly planted in historical fact. And his name crops up again and again during the Middle Ages. So, just who was Prester John really and where did he come from? Welcome to Medieval Madness.
In 1960 the author Philippe Ariès published his controversial book Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life. In it he claimed that “in Medieval society the idea of childhood did not exist”. So, let’s travel back in time now and find out if the idea of childhood really is a modern phenomenon, what it was like to be a teenager in the Middle Ages, what age children went out to work for a living and why Elizabeth Paston was beaten until her head broke. Welcome to Medieval Madness
Throughout human history one thing has remained constant, namely the enjoyment of having sex, but by the late Middle Ages both gonorrhoea and syphilis were widespread. Although the poor could only make do with superstition and herbal remedies, the rich could rely on their expensive physicians. Without antibiotics though the success of any treatment was mostly based on luck. Especially when you consider that one popular medication, for those who could afford it, was mercury ointment, which we now know to be toxic and would end up fatally poisoning the patient anyway.
It was supposed to be an end to the Danish Civil War and a celebration of peace. But by the third day of revelries one of the three men who were fighting for the throne was dead, another wounded and the third was being blamed. So what really happened in the Danish capital of Roskilde on August 9th, 1157? Was it an acceptable preventative strike or just good old, premeditated murder? Let’s travel back in time now to the middle of the 12th century in Scandinavia and find out about Danish political affairs, family feuds and treachery. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
It has been argued that during the Middle Ages, up to 85% of the population were peasants. Their working day was long, hard, and extremely difficult. For some their day of backbreaking labour could begin as early as three o’clock in the morning during the summer. If you were lucky or unlucky enough (depending on your point of view) to avoid the high rate of infant mortality and the constant threat of deadly disease then as a medieval peasant farmer you had an exhausting, cruel, and short life to look forward to. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
Art is always open to interpretation. You can spend hours poring over a piece and always find something different every time you see it. Paintings, altar pieces and frescos by genius’ such as Da Vinci, Van Eyck and Bosch have always attracted the curiosity of art historians because they are thought to hide mysteries, cryptic details or hidden symbols. Here we take a closer look at the works of three of the worlds greatest painters who were alive during the Late Medieval Period. Welcome to Medieval Madness
Dive into the fascinating world of Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England, in this captivating documentary here on MedievalMadness. We'll explore his life, reign, and the controversies that surrounded him, from his rise to power to his untimely death at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Discover the truth behind the myths and legends that have shaped his legacy, and learn about the recent archaeological discoveries that have shed new light on this enigmatic figure. Join us as we unravel the mystery of Richard III and reveal the man behind the crown. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more intriguing historical medieval content!
Worship of the saints was a central belief of the medieval church. But not all saints had equal importance. The appeal of some was universal and they were revered right across Christendom. Usually established very early on they were often figures from the Bible such as Saint John the Baptist or Saint Paul who were martyred during Roman rule. But at the opposite end of the scale were also the little-known saints connected to local cults. Let us travel back in time and take a look at some saint worshippers who were at odds with one another, the martyred and murdered children and the strange relics that were all part of the Medieval Cult of Saints. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
It’s been called the most mysterious manuscript in the world and for centuries researchers, historians and linguists have all failed to decipher the puzzling drawings of plants, astrological symbols and bare-naked ladies. It’s a book that no one can read and has no title. In 1962, American cryptanalyst and author Elizabeth Smith Friedman felt that trying to decipher the manuscript was “doomed to utter frustration”. So just what is the Voynich Manuscript, and would the information contained in it really revolutionise our understanding of Medieval history, if we could just decode it? Welcome to Medieval Madness.
Most people know what it means when someone is described as a conman. It’s short for confidence man: what we would know today as a scammer. People who use deceit, cleverness and lies for their own ends. The scam is usually about greed and is a way of defrauding someone to get their money. Although we associate scams today with phones and modern technology they have been around for hundreds of years. Let's travel back in time to the Middle Ages and hear about some of those swindlers. There we will meet a fake cursed prince, dodgy government inspectors and some naughty bakers.
It was a spectacular win for the young English King Henry V on St. Crispin’s Day 1415. And everybody loves to see a win for the underdog, a victory for the common soldier over the well-armed knight. It felt like every moment of the Hundred Years War had been leading up to this point. A pivotal battle that would change the course of European warfare forever and saw the French army lose to an English army that was less than half its size. But war is, and was a dangerous and violent affair, so today we continue our ‘Day in the Life’ series and travel back in time to see what life was like for one of Henry V’s soldiers at the Battle of Agincourt. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
The earliest mention of a birthday was around the year 3,000 BCE and was in reference to an Egyptian Pharaoh. Although it was more about his transformation into becoming a God at his coronation than his actual birth into the world. The Ancient Greeks celebrated the birthdays of their Gods every year and believed that every person had a spirit assigned to them at birth. A spirit that had a mystic connection with the God on whose birthday they were born.
For thousands of years, people have placed curses on their enemies and wished them misfortune. Many of these hexes have involved pleas to the forces of the occult with prayers and rituals. Sometimes it might be an actual object or a place that is cursed, like a tomb. Many Medieval tales involve warnings about destruction and deaths that appear to be linked to curses. Let us travel back in time now to the Middle Ages and hear about some of these mysterious tales of a biological bomb, the downfall of a dynasty, and why a bank in Tokyo opened an account in the name of a samurai warrior who had been dead for 1,000 years.
A lot of Medieval cities were similar to ours today in that they had governing bodies, educational structures, bankers, lawyers, hospitals, merchants, and an exchange of goods and services, as well as some extraordinary cathedrals that are still standing today. Though the Medievals themselves were unsure about the advantages of their cities. The English chronicler and monk Richard Devizes wrote about London in the 1190s and said, “Whatever evil or malicious thing that can be found in any part of the world, you will find it in that one city”. So what was life like for these Medieval Metropolitans? Let’s travel back in time and find out.
It’s hard being a teenager. Coping with raging hormones, insecurities, and acne while trying to figure out just who you are and where you fit in society is no joke. It’s not really the best time to try and make important choices about your future. So, just imagine what being a teenager was like without the comfortable, modern amenities that we have today. Let’s face it, in Medieval Europe, you were lucky to have even reached your teens when childhood mortality was so high. Let’s travel back in time now to see what it was like for the youth of the Middle Ages, and why teenagers were given away to strangers and freshers had their teeth forcibly removed.
During the Middle Ages, ale was the most popular drink in England, and Medieval taverns, inns, and alehouses held a very important role in society, providing drink, food, and lodging to weary travellers, pilgrims, and even occasionally royalty. When we think of the Medieval tavern we imagine dark and smelly places with huge wooden tables and benches, places of gambling, violence, and shady business deals. But what were pubs really like in the Middle Ages? Let’s travel back in time for some leather mugs, a bit of royal paranoia, and the occasional stabbing. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
One thing has never changed throughout history. The basic need for humans to go to the toilet. It was pretty easy for those living in the countryside who could just go squat behind a bush. Things were a little different in the more urban areas though. Those who had enough money could afford themselves a personal privy. But for the common people, answering the call of nature in a public space was prohibited. In 1339 a small child, who was begging, was killed on a London street, by a cart, as he squatted to take care of business. In the public records, he was described as a ‘savage’. So what did the Medievals do when they needed to make a special delivery?
Death by elephant. It sounds like a bizarre and horrific way to go. And it may sound absurd, but death by elephant, also known in India as Gunga Rao, was actually a popular method of execution in Africa and Asia during the Middle Ages. Elephants are easily domesticated and extremely intelligent. Research has shown that they have extraordinary memories, can use objects as tools, and even recognise their own reflections. Human beings are also quite intelligent and at times extremely cruel, especially in finding new ways of killing other human beings when it comes to capital punishment. Then, it seems the one common theme is brutality, and the only differences are the methods used, because of location and cultural differences. Let’s travel back in time to take a look at this monstrous topic and the role that elephants played in both war and punishment during the Middle Ages.
Most of us have heard the fairy story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. What many of us don’t know is that the legend is based in truth. There is very little evidence as to what actually happened in the German town of Hamelin during the 13th century. In 1384 a short and sinister entry appeared in one of the town’s chronicles. It stated – “It is 100 years since our children left”, but what does this mean?
Alberico was many things, a friend and patron to troubadours, an Occitan poet, a mercenary, and a Podesta. But being politically allied to his notoriously cruel brother Ecelino didn’t help Alberico when he was eventually captured by Papal troops. What was Alberico so guilty of that had caused him to be hated in the Italian city of Treviso? The Middle Ages were violent, pitiless, and revenge-driven times. So today we continue our ‘Day In The Life’ series and travel back in time to see what life was like for Alberico Ezzelino on the worst day of HIS life, the day that he faced his execution. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
In the 21st century, we regard suicide through the lens of psychology and mental health. But in the Middle Ages, the Medievals thought of it as one of the worst sins and treated those who had died by suicide as criminals. Let’s travel back in time now and find out about Eyres, discover what Deodands are, and why the Swiss dug up Mrs Beringer and threw her into the Rhine. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
At what age was someone considered to be ‘old’ in the Middle Ages? Did greying hair automatically guarantee respect from the younger generation? Were Medievals afraid of becoming old, with all its infirmities, or were they happy to live to such a great age when death was everywhere? Now, let’s travel back in time and discuss cougars, flying monks, fat children, and their urine. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
For almost 700 years, these disciplined warriors were respected and feared in Japan, and they carved out a path that made them legends across the world. A group of the fighting elite, trained in martial arts, these highly disciplined men and women, with their light armour and super sharp blades, made European knights look like clumsy amateurs. And the badass stories told about them are insane. Let’s travel back in time and hear about some of these Samurai Warrior legends. Welcome to Medieval Japanese Madness.
On the southern bank of the River Thames is an area named Southwark. It’s over the other side of the river and across the only bridge in the city, London Bridge. In the Middle Ages, it was a land of entertainment with its own rules, a Medieval Las Vegas where people would go to watch bear and bull baiting and visit theatres, taverns, and brothels. And the person making the most money out of the whole disreputable affair was a high-ranking Bishop of the Catholic Church. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
What would the Medievals want with a burnt owl, a chopped-up cat, or dove faeces? How do you help a bald man with gout? Or a woman with ‘blocked menses?’ If they weren’t too complicated, most medicines in the Middle Ages were homemade. Many were quite practical, and most of the ingredients make sense to us because they are still recognisable today. Others are just downright freaky… Previous known as: What Was Medieval Medicine ACTUALLY Like?
Menstruation is a milestone in the life of any girl or woman. A biological phenomenon that changes her body and her social standing. But what about women who lived during the Middle Ages? Knowing what we do about Medieval hygiene it’s hard not to feel sympathy for them, without the convenience of modern pads and tampons. Did they understand what was happening to their bodies during their period? What sort of sanitary products and pain relief did they use? Why did the Medievals believe that menstrual blood was poisonous and could trigger some quite shocking magical feats? And why were medieval women wearing pouches filled with the ashes of burnt toads? Welcome to Medieval Madness.
Just suppose you could travel back in time and experience life as a Medieval. Maybe go back to the Middle Ages and live there, in England as an adult, (now why the hell would I want to do that, I hear you shouting, but just bear with me, it’s quite interesting). How would you survive? What would you eat, or wear? Where would you work? How would you avoid getting into trouble with the Church and the authorities? Let’s journey back through time now and experience the past through the eyes of a Medieval time traveller. Welcome to Medieval Madness.
Many people look at the Middle Ages through romantic eyes. They think about “armoured knights on lumbering steeds”, beautiful damsels in pointy hats, dragons, chivalry, and courtly love. Nothing could be further from the truth. For most people, the Middle Ages were dirty, difficult, and really dangerous. Let’s find out now why it was unlikely that you could stay alive and prosper and why you were likely to die quite quickly during that time. Welcome to Medieval Madness.