Interesting facts of the Middle Ages. Interesting facts from the history of medieval Europe

Why are there large holes in the walls of many medieval churches?

In the medieval churches of Western Europe, hagioscopes were equipped - special holes in the walls through which one could listen to what was happening inside and see the altar. This was done so that lepers and other sick people, as well as those who were excommunicated from the church, could see the service and not be deprived of spiritual comfort.

Whose clothes had more than 10,000 buttons sewn on?

Buttons appeared long before our era, but were used only as decoration. Around the 12th and 13th century, buttons were again recognized in Europe, but now they also have a functional meaning of fastening into loops, and not just decorative. In the Middle Ages, buttons became such a popular accessory that one could judge the status of the owner by their number on clothes. For example, on one of the outfits of the French king Francis I, there were 13,600 buttons.

Where was the gallows that could serve 50 people at a time?

In the 13th century, a giant gallows of Montfaucon was built near Paris, which has not survived to this day. Montfaucon was divided into cells by vertical pillars and horizontal beams and could serve as an execution site for 50 people at a time. According to the plan of the creator of the building, de Marigny, an adviser to the king, the sight of many decomposing bodies on Montfaucon was supposed to warn other subjects from crimes. In the end, de Marigny himself was hanged there.

In what era was beer the most popular drink in Europe?

In medieval Europe, especially its northern and eastern parts, beer was a truly massive drink - it was consumed by people of all classes and ages. For example, in England, beer consumption per capita reached 300 liters per year, although now this figure is about 100 liters, and even in the Czech Republic, which is the leader in this parameter, it is slightly more than 150 liters. main reason This was the low quality of the water, which was eliminated in the fermentation process.

What expression about a useless deed was literally carried out by medieval monks?

The expression "tread water in a mortar", which means doing a useless thing, has a very ancient origin- it was used by ancient authors, for example, Lucian. And in medieval monasteries, it had a literal character: the guilty monks were forced to crush the water as a punishment.

Why does Mona Lisa have her forehead shaved and her eyebrows plucked?

IN Western Europe in the 15th century, there was such an ideal of a woman: an S-shaped silhouette, an arched back, a round, pale face with a high, clean forehead. To match the ideal, women shaved their hair on their foreheads and plucked their eyebrows - just like the Mona Lisa on famous painting Leonardo.

Why were spices so expensive in Europe in the Middle Ages?

In medieval Europe, on the eve of winter, mass slaughter of cattle and meat harvesting began. If the meat is simply salted, it loses its original taste. Spices, which were brought mainly from Asia, help to keep it almost in its original form. But since the Turks monopolized almost the entire spice trade, their price was prohibitive. This factor was one of the motives for the rapid development of navigation and the beginning of the era of the great geographical discoveries. And in Rus' because of the harsh winters urgent need there were no spices.

Who in the Middle Ages, having failed to conquer the castle, bought it?

In 1456, the Teutonic Order successfully defended the fortress of Marienburg, withstanding a siege by the Poles. However, the Order ran out of money, and there was nothing to pay off the Bohemian mercenary soldiers. This fortress was handed over to the mercenaries as a salary, and they sold Marienburg to the same Poles.

When were books in libraries chained to shelves?

In the public libraries of medieval Europe, books were chained to shelves. Such chains were long enough to remove the book from the shelf and read, but did not allow the book to be taken out of the library. This practice was common until the 18th century, due to the great value of each copy of the book.

Why did medieval ladies wear marten and ermine furs?

Medieval ladies of European high society wore fur-trimmed clothes or entire stuffed stoats, sables, and martens over their dresses to bait fleas. Another way to deal with these insects were special boxes with slots - flea traps. A piece of cloth soaked in resin, blood or honey was placed in a twisting box, and the fleas crawling inside stuck to such a bait.

Why stairs in towers medieval castles were they twisted clockwise?

The spiral staircases in the towers of medieval castles were built in such a way that they were climbed in a clockwise direction. This was done so that in the event of a siege of the castle, the defenders of the tower would have an advantage during hand-to-hand combat, since the most swipe right hand can only be applied from right to left, which was not available to the attackers. However, if most of the men in the family were left-handed, then they built castles with a reverse twist - for example, the fortress of the Earls of Wallenstein in Germany or Fernyhurst Castle in Scotland.

False facts about the Middle Ages appeared thanks to Hollywood, where many directors mix different periods and give out everything for the Middle Ages. Of course, because of this, this period seems to us cool and at the same time dangerous, like the fictional Westeros of Game of Thrones. Fortunately, all the misconceptions about the Middle Ages that we will refute here will not make this historical period less exciting.

1. Everyone used this weapon in battle

Historians believe that one-handed chains were unusually rare and mostly useless on the battlefield during the Middle Ages because they are difficult to control. Two-handed weapons were mainly used at that time, as they were easier to control.

2. Everyone was incredibly dirty

Bathing figured prominently in the Middle Ages as a social, sexual and festive activity. While bathing, they used soap, herbs and oils. Of course, people at that time were not as clean as they are today, but despite this, they also took care of hygiene.

3. The water was so nasty that everyone drank wine and beer instead

People drank water in the Middle Ages. In fact, cities have spent a whole lot of money to ensure reliable sources of water supply. And also at that time, medical documents appeared, according to which it was recommended to drink water. Pure water was also free and easily accessible (rain, rivers, melting snow, etc.).

4 Men Forced Women To Wear Chastity Belts

The idea of ​​a woman wearing a metal chastity belt with a lock and key to protect her virtue was a joke or part of an allegory, but not a reality in the Middle Ages.

5. People ate rotten meat (but masked the taste with spices)

People in the Middle Ages were just as inclined to eat rotten meat as they are today. Spices were awfully expensive back then, so it's unlikely that peasants would spend entire wages just to make rotten meat less disgusting.

6. People were tortured in the "Iron Maiden"

"Iron Maidens" are devices resembling an iron cabinet with spikes inside, designed to torture and execute people. In fact, such a device appeared only at the end of the 18th century and has nothing to do with the Middle Ages.

7. People thought the earth was flat

All educated people V Western world known that the world was spherical since the third century BC.

8. Vikings drank from the skulls of their enemies.

The Vikings in the Middle Ages drank from vessels made from animal horns like real gentlemen.

9. Knights on horseback dominated the battlefield

Ground troops were much more useful than mounted knights. Especially in the XIV century, wars were more oriented towards archery than cavalry.

10 The Armor Was So Heavy The Knights Had To Be Mounted On Horses

Field armor in the Middle Ages actually weighed 20 to 25 kilograms, which is lighter than modern fire and oxygen suits.

11. Basically everyone died early.

Average life expectancy was naturally shorter in the Middle Ages - 31.3 years for men born between 1276 and 1300, for example, but that's just average. If the men survived early childhood, and women experienced childbirth, they, as a rule, lived much longer.

12. "Witches" hunted down and burned

Intensive persecution of the so-called witches occurred approximately in the period: XVI-XVII centuries. But even then, the preferred method of killing witches was hanging rather than burning at the stake. For most of the Middle Ages, people thought that witches were not real, and those who thought they were witches were simply deceiving themselves. Catholic Church decided that witches were a threat around 1484, towards the end of the Middle Ages.

13. Doctors didn’t know and didn’t understand what they were doing

Doctors in the Middle Ages did their best, using all available knowledge. Their practice was not barbaric stupidity: they led to discoveries that laid the foundations of modern medicine.

Modern books and films about the Middle Ages do not always tell the truth about everyday life ordinary people during that period.

In fact, many aspects of the life of that time are not entirely attractive, and the approach to the life of medieval citizens is alien. people XXI century.

1. Desecration of graves

In medieval Europe, 40 percent of graves were desecrated. Previously, only cemetery robbers and grave robbers were accused of this. However, recently discovered two cemeteries showed that, perhaps, ordinary residents of the settlements did this. The Austrian cemetery of Brunn am Gebirge contained 42 graves from the time of the Lombards, Germanic tribe VI century.

All of them, except for one, were dug up, and the skulls were removed from the graves, or, on the contrary, "extra" ones were added. Most of the bones were removed from the graves with the help of some kind of tool. The motive for this is unclear, but the tribe may have tried to prevent the appearance of the undead. It is also possible that the Lombards wanted to "acquire" the memory of their lost loved ones. This may be the reason why more than a third of the skulls are missing.

In the English cemetery "Winnall II" (7th - 8th centuries), the skeletons were tied, decapitated, or their joints were twisted. Initially, it was thought that it was some kind of strange funeral rite. However, there is growing evidence that such manipulations took place much later than the funeral, perhaps because locals believed that the undead might appear.

2. Evidence of marriage

Get married in medieval England was easier than making soup. All that was needed was a man, a woman, and their verbal consent to marriage. If the girl was less than 12 years old and the boy was less than 14 years old, then their families did not give consent. But at the same time, neither a church nor a priest was required for the marriage.

People often got married right where they reached an agreement, whether it was the local pub or the bed (sexual relations automatically led to marriage). But there was one difficulty with this. If something went wrong, and the marriage was tete-a-tete, but in fact it was impossible to prove it.

For this reason, marriage vows gradually began to be taken in the presence of a priest. Divorce could only occur if the union was not legal. The main reasons were the presence of a marriage with a previous partner, family ties (even distant ancestors were taken into account), or marriage to a non-Christian.

3. Men were treated for infertility

IN ancient world common in a childless marriage was usually blamed on the wife. It was assumed that this took place in medieval England. But researchers have found evidence to the contrary. From the 13th century, men were also considered guilty of childlessness, and medical books of the time discussed male reproductive problems and infertility.

The books also contain some odd advice for determining which partner is infertile and which treatment to use: Both had to urinate into separate pots full of bran, seal them for nine days, and then check for worms. If a husband needed treatment, he was advised to take dried pig testicles with wine for three days. At the same time, all the wife could divorce her husband if he was impotent.

4. Problem students

IN Northern Europe parents had a habit of sending teenagers out of the house, giving them an apprenticeship that lasted ten years. So the family got rid of the “mouth that needed to be fed”, and the owner received a cheap labor force. Surviving letters written by teenagers show that such experiences were often traumatic for them.

Some historians believe that young people were sent away from home because they were rebellious and their parents thought the training would positive effect. Perhaps the masters were aware of such difficulties, since many of them signed a contract according to which the teenagers taken for training had to behave "properly."

However, the disciples received a bad reputation. Away from their families, they resented their lives, and bonding with other troubled teenagers soon led to gangs. Teenagers often play gambling and visited brothels. In Germany, France, and Switzerland, they broke up carnivals, caused riots, and once even forced a city to pay a ransom.

Violent battles between various guilds constantly took place on the streets of London, and in 1517 gangs of students sacked the city. It is likely that frustration led to hooliganism. Despite all the years of hard training, many understood that this was not a guarantee of future work.

5. Old people from the Middle Ages

In early medieval England, a person was considered old at the age of 50. British scientists considered this era a "golden age" for people old age. It was believed that society reveres them for their wisdom and experience. It wasn't exactly like that. Apparently, there was not even such a thing as letting someone enjoy their retirement.

The elderly had to prove their worth. In exchange for respect, society expected older members to continue to contribute to life, especially warriors, priests, and leaders. The soldiers were still fighting and the workers were still working. Medieval authors wrote ambiguously about aging.

Some agreed that older people were spiritually superior to them, while others humiliated them by calling them "centenary children." Old age itself was called "the anticipation of hell." Another misconception is that in old age everyone was weak and died before reaching old age. Some people still lived well into their 80s and 90s.

6. Death every day

In the Middle Ages, not everyone died from widespread violence and wars. People also died from domestic violence, accidents and too much comfort. In 2015, researchers looked at the records of medieval coroners in Warwickshire, London and Bedfordshire. The results provided a unique perspective on everyday life and dangers in these counties.

For example, death from ... a pig was real. In 1322, two-month-old Johanna de Ireland died in her crib after being bitten on the head by a sow. Another pig killed a man in 1394. Cows have also been responsible for the deaths of several people. According to the coroners, the largest number accidental deaths occurred due to drowning. People drowned in ditches, wells and rivers. Domestic murders were not uncommon.

7. This cruel London

As for the bloodshed, no one wanted to transport the family to London. It was the most violent place in England. Archaeologists have examined 399 skulls dating from 1050 to 1550 from six London cemeteries for people of all classes. Almost seven percent of them showed signs of suspicious physical injuries. Most of them were people between the ages of 26 and 35.

The level of violence in London was twice that of any other country, and the cemeteries showed that working-class men were constantly facing aggression. Coroner's records showed what was unnatural a large number of The killings took place on Sunday evenings, when most of the lower class people spent their time in taverns. It is likely that there were frequent drunken arguments with fatal results.

8. Reading preferences

In the XV-XVI centuries, religion penetrated into all spheres of people's lives. Prayer books were especially popular. Using a technique that detects tones on the surface of paper, art historians realized that the dirtier a page was, the more readers were drawn to its content. Prayer books helped to understand what reading preferences were.

One manuscript listed a prayer dedicated to Saint Sebastian that was said to be able to defeat the plague. Other prayers for personal salvation also received more attention than those meant for the salvation of another person. These prayer books were read daily.

9 Skinning Cats

In 2017, a study showed that the cat fur industry had also spread to Spain. This medieval practice was widespread, and both domestic and wild cats were used for it. El Bordelle was a farming community 1000 years ago.

Many medieval finds were made in this place, among which were pits for storing crops. But animal bones were found in some of these pits, and about 900 of them belonged to cats. All the cat bones were dumped into one pit. All animals were between nine and twenty months old, which is best age in order to get a large, flawless hide.

10. Deadly striped clothes

Striped clothes become fashionable every few years, but in those days a smart suit could lead to death. In 1310, a French shoemaker decided to wear striped clothes during the day. He was sentenced to death penalty for your decision. This man was part of the city's clergy who thought the stripes belonged to the devil. The pious townspeople also had to avoid wearing striped clothing at all costs.

Documentation from the 12th and 13th centuries shows that the authorities strictly adhered to this position. It was considered the attire of social outcasts, prostitutes, executioners, lepers, heretics and, for some reason, clowns. This inexplicable hatred of stripes is still a mystery, and there is not even a single theory that could adequately explain it. Whatever the reason, to XVIII century the strange revulsion sank into oblivion.

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The Middle Ages are considered one of the darkest times in European history: numerous wars, diseases and, to put it mildly, not the best hygiene (which, by the way, is quite controversial) literally mowed people down. However, the Middle Ages is not only hopeless darkness, but also very interesting era about which, as it turns out, we know very little. For example, do you know where the border between the Middle Ages and the New Age is, and when did the Inquisition actually rule in Europe? If not, then be sure to read this article.

website I have collected for you some facts about the Middle Ages, which, we hope, will further expand your horizons.

When did the Middle Ages start and when did they end?

"Entry of Mehmed II into Constantinople", Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant, 1876.

According to a number of scholars, the estimated date of the transition falls on 1453, when Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium, fell under the onslaught of the Ottoman Turks. There is another very popular chronological frame among scientists, according to which the Middle Ages lasted exactly 1,000 years - from 500 to 1500.

The very same term "Middle Ages" was coined by the Italian historian Flavio Biondo in the same 1453.

Is it true that there were secret knightly orders?

Jacques de Molay (1244–1314), last Master of the Knights Templar.

It is generally accepted that in the Middle Ages there were secret knightly orders. However, this is not entirely true: belonging to the order was considered, modern language, prestigious and was not hidden in any way, but, on the contrary, was emphasized in every possible way. In general, the very concept of chivalry emerged only at the end of the 10th century: Jacques Le Goff, one of the most famous and influential medieval scholars, wrote in his book Civilization of the Medieval West that the title of knight appeared in 971.

Despite the fact that the knights, according to another well-known medievalist Georges Duby, are primarily warriors, knightly orders differed little from monastic ones: those who entered them took vows of poverty and obedience, and in the first orders they also took a vow of chastity.

The heyday of the Inquisition did not fall on the Middle Ages

Our Lady of the Catholic Kings, Pedro Berruguete, 1493. Behind King Ferdinand (left) is a monk with the face of Torquemada.

The concepts of "Middle Ages" and "Inquisition" are firmly linked in our minds. However, a special ecclesiastical court, called the Inquisition and called upon to investigate the cases of heretics, appeared only in 1215 by order of Pope Innocent III. Of his own "flourishing" this one who has become punitive body reached only in 1483, when the post of Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition created 5 years earlier was taken by Thomas de Torquemada, who was distinguished by particular cruelty.

Incidentally, one of the most known victims Inquisition, Giordano Bruno, burned at the stake in 1600, was sentenced to death not at all because of the assertion that the Earth revolves around the Sun. Giovanni Mocenigo, whom Bruno taught mnemonics, wrote a denunciation against him, in which he accused the philosopher of denying generally accepted religious dogmas, that is, of heresy. Giordano Bruno was sent to prison, where he spent 7 years and then was executed. In the final verdict, there was not a word about his scientific beliefs.

Striped clothes are a bad sign

It was not safe to wear striped clothes in the Middle Ages. In 1310, a shoemaker from French Rouen was executed for daring to dress in striped clothes for one day. Wear things like this legal grounds actors, musicians, street women, heretics, jesters and other renegades of medieval society were not only able, but also obliged: this distinguishing mark made it possible not to confuse them with decent people.

Modern scientists do not have an unambiguous opinion about the negative attitude towards striped clothing. Some suggest that the prohibition goes back to the biblical quotation from the Gospel of Mark 6:9: "But put on simple shoes and do not wear two garments." Others believe that striped clothes mask the figure and therefore could be regarded as an attempt to hide their true appearance.

Why was there a beak on the plague doctor's mask?

The famous plague doctors wore special mask with a beak. However, this beak was not needed at all for intimidation: various strong-smelling substances were carried in it, for example, cloth soaked in vinegar, flowers, herbs, or camphor. It was believed that the plague spread through special "miasma", and such a kind of filter was supposed to stop them. By the way, this costume appeared only in the 17th century, so it has nothing to do with the Middle Ages.

The first plague pandemic known to science occurred in the middle of the 6th century and claimed the lives of more than 125 million people in Europe and Asia. The plague also raged in the 14th century: it was brought from Eastern China and captured all of Europe, reaching Russia, where, probably, the population of several cities died because of it. In Europe, more than 25 million people died from the epidemic, which at that time accounted for a third of all its inhabitants.

Why were holes in the walls of cathedrals needed?

In some cathedrals built in the Middle Ages, during restoration work, small holes were found in the walls - hagioscopes, through which one could see what was happening inside the building. They were intended for those who for some reason could not get into the cathedral, for example, for excommunicated or leprous patients: in 1179, at a meeting of the Third Lateran Council, it was decided not to allow lepers to serve, but not to deprive them of spiritual comfort .

Therefore, in the outer, and sometimes even the inner walls, they began to cut round, rectangular or cruciform holes, looking at the altar, thanks to which leprosy patients could “visit” church service. They went out, as a rule, either to cemeteries or to sparsely populated urban areas. With the advent of the New Age, in the 16th century, when the leprosy epidemic came to naught, most of hagioscopes was walled up.

Why are spiral staircases twisted clockwise?

Spiral staircases in medieval castles were always twisted clockwise. This was done in case of a siege: the fact is that with such a design of the stairs, the defender of the castle could strike with his right hand, which, as you know, is the leading one for most people. It was inconvenient for the enemy, who attacked from the lower steps, to strike with the same hand, which tells about the pagan prince Joasaph, who was converted to Christianity by the hermit Barlaam. Having accepted new faith, he turned his people into it, and then, leaving the power handed down to him by inheritance, he went into the desert. , told in the novel, has a mass common features with Indian legends about the Buddha, so the researchers agreed that the European novel is their processing.

Commemoration of Saint Joasaph Orthodox Church takes place on December 2, and in the Catholic - November 27.

Why did the knights fight the snails?

At the end of the 13th century, drawings with images of knights fighting snails began to appear on the margins of manuscripts created in the northern regions of France. Scientists do not have exact data on why these creatures are so disliked. medieval artists, but several versions still exist. One of them was expressed by the bibliophile Comte de Bastard, who suggested that the snail emerging from the shell is a kind of symbol of the resurrection from the dead, and the drawing is a Christian allegory.

According to another version, the snail is a symbol of cowardice and cowardice, which the artists ridiculed in such drawings. However, the most likely theory seems to be that the snail is a symbol of the Lombards, who in those years were at enmity with the French. This version is also supported by the fact that at the time of the creation of the drawings, the poem “About the Lombard and the Snail” was popular, main character which entered into a "difficult" fight with a gastropod.

An interesting fact: the word "pawnshop" appeared precisely thanks to the Lombards, who in those days were often engaged in usury, which, of course, became last reason dislike for them.

What only facts about the Middle Ages we did not see when we prepared this material. Sometimes an eyebrow would rise and arch in surprise so much that he Jack Nicholson would envy. We are no longer talking about the fact that the phrases “Yes, laaaaaadno!”, “What kind of“ piiiiiizanskaya tower ”was going on there?” and “Ooooh, unexpectedly!” sounded literally every 5-10 minutes. We suggest you familiarize yourself with only a small part of the facts about Middle Ages that interested us the most.

Brothers Grimm- Authors of favorite fairy tales from our childhood. But few people know that we are reading already revised and adapted texts. In the original, the Brothers Grimm were collecting folklore. And he often did not at all resemble a fairy tale, where everything is rosy and beautiful, and in the end everyone gets married and has fun. For example, in the original fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty" the prince does not kiss main character but rapes. And in "Cinderella" the sisters manage to try on the "shoe". That's just for this one had to cut off his toes, and the other heel. And the handsome prince would have married one of them, but this was prevented by pigeons, who noticed that the “shoe” was filling with blood ...

The standard of beauty in the 15th-16th centuries can be represented as follows: a high forehead, even a very high forehead, many women even shaved, plucked their hair to get closer to the ideal of beauty. Also, a decent woman should not have eyebrows on her face, they were most often completely plucked out. "Mona Lisa" met all these requirements.

The custom of clinking glasses dates back to the Middle Ages. At feasts, it was enough just to pour poison into the glass of an enemy or competitor. When the vessels hit each other, the drink overflowed from one glass to another. So the poisoner himself could suffer from his own poison. Clinking wine glasses is a demonstration that there is no poison in the drink.

plague doctors These are not fictional characters from horror films. They existed in reality, they were specially hired to treat people during the plague. It was hard not to notice them, because their clothes consisted of leather coat, gloves, boots, a hat and an unusual mask with a "beak", which was not aesthetic, but practical actions - special collections of dried flowers, herbs, spices, other substances that had a strong smell were placed in the “beak” - they soaked the fabric with camphor or vinegar. It was believed that this not only interrupts the terrible smell that was in the villages where the plague raged, but also saved people from contracting this disease.

In the Middle Ages, there were cases of extremely strange church litigation. And they were carried out over ... animals. Everything went according to the rules: prosecutors, lawyers and witnesses were present. And the accused could be any domestic animals, be it a rabbit, a chicken or a cat, or even insects - locusts or dragonflies. Domestic cattle were most often accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death, and wild ones - for wrecking, they could be excommunicated from the church or “forced” to leave the country.

In the Middle Age " adulthood' started quite early. From the age of 12, girls were considered quite ripe for marriage. For a boy, this age began at the age of 14. Almost always, parents or guardians made decisions about the marriage of their children, since, first of all, marriage at that time contributed to the unification of lands, the conclusion of political unions, or simply contributed to material improvement, strengthening. Quite often, in wealthy families, a son or daughter was engaged from early infancy. Besides, nobody cared. a big difference aged between those entering into marriage (regardless of who was older - the bride or the groom).

In the castle towers, spiral staircases were erected so that the ascent along them was clockwise. This was done so that in the event of a siege, the defenders of the tower would have an advantage during hand-to-hand combat (a strong blow with the right hand can only be delivered from right to left, which cannot be done by ascending the stairs).

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