Interesting facts about the life of a medieval person. In modern fashion, conditions are dictated by Western fashion designers and designers.

In the Middle Ages, people did not live sweetly, and this is a fact. But believe me, everything was not as bad and tragic as historians and just lovers of various historical films and series are used to telling and presenting.

Today Interesting to know will tell you about some of the most common facts that are actually not very true.

1. In the Middle Ages, 9 out of 10 people did not live past the age of 40.

Historians claim that average age inhabitants of the Middle Ages is 35 years. Such information can be considered true if we take into account the fact that 50% of people did not live up to 5 years, and some even up to a year of life. And so there are facts that those who managed to overcome the border of 30, then lived up to 50, or even 60 years.

2. In the Middle Ages, people were shorter than us.

Another lie! Eat true fact, found on the ship "Mary Rose", which describes people with a height of 170 cm. The skeletons found from the Middle Ages also prove that people were not lower than us.

3. People of the past were very dirty and rarely washed.

Myth - people were dirty and smelled bad. There are many facts that people tried by any means to monitor their hygiene, but they did not succeed, because at that time inventions and technology did not allow people to heat water as often as they would like.

4. Once upon a time, the Pope under the name John was a woman

Not many historians support this legend, as it is believed that Pope John sat on the throne for 2 years, from 855 to 857. But this is very unlikely, because in reality Leo IV occupied the papal throne from 847 to 855, and Benedict III from 855 to 888. The interval between them is only a few weeks.

Also, the legend says that Ionne's female gender became known after she gave birth right on the street in front of hundreds of passers-by. This is also unlikely .. why did no one notice in 9 months that the Pope was pregnant?

In addition, the first mention of the Pope to a woman became known only 200 years later, why, right after this story, not a single witness wrote about the shocking incident that had taken place?

5. In the Middle Ages, scientists spent hours debating how many angels could fit on the head of a pin.

There is no evidence that scientists in ancient times asked such stupid questions.

6 Some Medieval Armor Was So Heavy That Knights Had To Be Hoisted On Horses With A Rope

Not true! The armor was heavy, but not that heavy.

7. Vikings wore helmets with horns

There is no reliable evidence that their helmets were horned, nor evidence that their helmets had wings.

8 Joan Of Arc Was Burnt Like A Witch

She was burned not for witchcraft, but heresy, as she wore men's clothing, and did a lot of things that did not meet church standards.

9 Before Columbus, People Thought The Earth Was Flat

In fact, people in the Middle Ages certainly knew that the Earth was round.

10. In the Middle Ages, spices were used to hide the fact that the meat was spoiled.

This is not true for one simple reason - the spices were expensive pleasure. Only the richest could buy them, and they did not sell meat, they only added it to food to make it tastier.

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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 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 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.


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 murders 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 for his 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.

BONUS


Sourced from listverse.com


According to the church decree, the wife had to behave modestly and quietly during intercourse, that is, lie still, move as little as possible, not make sounds, etc., while nightgowns, of course, were not removed. And then one day the husband, returning home from hunting late at night, went to his wife in the bedroom, fulfilled his marital duty.
I must say that the wife behaved as usual, that is, she was cold and silent, and in the morning it turned out that she died in the evening, while her husband was hunting. This story reached the pope himself, since the unfortunate man was not satisfied with the usual confession and went to atone for his sin in the Holy City. After that, a decree was issued in which women, during the performance of marital duties, were supposed to show signs of life from time to time. In short, the church lifted the ban on absolute female passivity, without denying great restraint.

In fact, sexual prohibitions and prescriptions permeate not only the Middle Ages, but the entire history of mankind. Priests and legislators, thinkers and revolutionary figures have exhausted many tons of clay, papyrus, parchment and paper, trying to explain to people how, with whom, when, for what and in what conditions it is possible or not to have sex.

And in the Middle Ages, this trend was simply global.
This is the time that we call "dark", and we learned many basic ideas about sex and morality from them, obscurantist and terrible, carrying these ideas as the banner of the triumph of morality.

In those times sex life man was under the vigilant control of the priests. The vast majority of types of sex were called capacious word "fornication". Adultery and fornication were sometimes punished death penalty excommunication from the church.

But, at the same time, these same controllers - the priests were very curious about intimate life man, they really wanted to know what was happening in the beds of the laity. Spurred on by curiosity, theologians have left a plethora of descriptions and testimonies that give us some idea of ​​what sex was like in the Middle Ages.

Here are 10 facts about sex in the Middle Ages.

1. Courtly love: You can look, but don't you dare touch

The church forbade openly showing sexual interest, but allowed that love could have something to do with sex.

Courtly love is usually understood as the relationship between a knight and beautiful lady, and it is very desirable for a knight to be brave, and the object of his worship is inaccessible.

It was allowed to be married to someone else and be faithful, the main thing is not to show reciprocal feelings for your knight in any case. One could be pale and weak, sadly bow her head and sigh, only hinting to the knight of reciprocity.

2. Adultery: keep your pants buttoned up, sir

For those who took seriously the dictates of Christian morality, sex did not exist at all. Sexual intercourse was allowed only in marriage. Premarital or extramarital affairs were punished very cruelly, up to the death penalty, and the Church also often acted as a court and executioner.

But it was not just about Christian laws. Marital fidelity was the only reliable way for men to noble origin to be sure that their children are really theirs. There is a case when the French king Philip, having caught his own daughters in relations with some of his vassals, sent two of them to a monastery, and killed the third. As for the guilty courtiers, they were executed by a cruel public execution.

The church dictated exactly how people should have sex. All poses except for the "missionary" were considered a sin and were forbidden. Oral and anal sex and masturbation also fell under the strictest ban - these types of contacts did not lead to the birth of children, which, according to purists, was the only reason for making love.

Violators were punished severely: three years of repentance and service to the church for sex in any of the "deviant" positions. Just tell me, how did they know? Were they voluntarily told in confession? Like this: Share with me, my son, how did you have a wife at night?

However, some theologians of that time proposed to evaluate sexual intercourse more gently, for example, arrange the permissible postures in this order (as sinfulness increases): 1) missionary, 2) on the side, 3) sitting, 4) standing, 5) behind. Only the first position was recognized as pious, the rest were proposed to be considered “morally dubious”, but not sinful. Apparently, the reason for such softness was that the representatives of the nobility, often suffering from obesity, were not able to have sex in the most sinless position, and the Church could not help but meet the sufferers.

The Church's position on homosexuality was firm: under no pretext! Sodomy was characterized as an "unnatural" and "godless" occupation and was punished in only one way: the death penalty. Lord, what did the monks do in their monasteries?

In the 12th and 13th centuries, it was common for sodomites to be burned at the stake, hanged, starved to death and tortured, of course, in order to "cast out the demon" and "atone for sin." However, there is evidence that some high society still practiced homosexuality. For example, about English king Richard I, nicknamed " Lion Heart"for exceptional courage and military skill, it was rumored that at the time of the meeting with his future wife he was in a sexual relationship with his brother. The king was also convicted of "eating from the same plate" with the French king Philip II during visits to France, and at night "sleeping in the same bed and having passionate love with him."

5. Fashion: Is this a codpiece or are you just really happy to see me?

One of the most popular men's fashion accessories in the Middle Ages there was a codpiece - a flap or pouch that was attached to the front of the trousers to emphasize masculinity, focusing on the genitals. The codpiece was usually stuffed with sawdust or cloth and fastened with buttons or tied with braid. As a result, the man's crotch area looked very impressive.

Of course, the Church did not recognize this "devilish fashion" and tried in every possible way to prevent its spread. However, her power did not extend to the king of the country and his closest courtiers.

6. Dildos: Size according to sinful desire

There is some evidence that artificial penises were actively used in the Middle Ages. In particular, entries in the "repentant books" - sets of punishments for various sins. These entries were something like this:

“Have you done what some women do with phallus-shaped objects, the size of which corresponds to the sinfulness of their desires? If so, you must repent on all holy feasts for five years!”

Dildos had no official name until the Renaissance, so they were designated by the names of objects that have an elongated shape. In particular, the word "dildo" comes from the name of an oblong loaf of bread with dill: "dilldough".

7. Virginity and Chastity: Just Repent

The Middle Ages highly valued virginity, drawing a parallel between the chastity of a simple woman and the Virgin Mary. Ideally, a girl should take care of her innocence as her main wealth, but in practice this was rarely possible for anyone: morality was low, and men were rude and persistent (especially in the lower class). Understanding how difficult it is for a woman to remain chaste in such a society, the Church made it possible for repentance and forgiveness of sins not only for non-virgin girls, but even for those who have given birth to children.

Women who chose this path of "purification" should repent of their sins, and then atone for them by joining the cult of the Virgin, that is, devoting the rest of their days of life and serving the monastery.

8 Prostitution: Prosperity

Prostitution flourished in the Middle Ages. IN major cities prostitutes offered their services anonymously, without revealing their real names, and this was considered an honest and perfectly acceptable profession. It can be said that at that time the Church tacitly approved of prostitution, at least, did not try to prevent it in any way.

Oddly enough, commodity-money relations in sexual relations were regarded as a way to prevent adultery(!) And homosexuality, that is, as something that is impossible to do without. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: "If we prohibit women from trading their bodies, lust will spill into our cities and destroy society."

The most privileged prostitutes worked in brothels, less so - they offered their services on the city streets, and in the villages there was often one prostitute for the whole village, and her name was well known to the inhabitants. However, there, prostitutes were treated with contempt, they could be beaten, mutilated, or even thrown into prison, accused of vagrancy and debauchery.

9. Contraception: Do what you want

The church has never approved of contraception, as it prevents the birth of children, but most of the efforts of the churchmen were aimed at combating "unnatural" sex and homosexuality, so people were left to their own devices in the matter of protection. Contraception was viewed more as a minor moral offense than a major sin.

10. Sexual dysfunctions: Sick, take off your underpants

If a man, for some unknown reason, could not have sex, the Church sent "private detectives" to him - experienced village women who examined his "household" and assessed his general health, trying to identify the cause of sexual impotence. If the penis was deformed or there were other pathologies visible to the naked eye, the Church gave permission for divorce due to the husband's inability to procreate.

Chastity belts.

This is very point of contention. I read in one magazine that they were invented later and existed for a very specific purpose: they were used during long walks so that bandits could not rape a woman.

But do not think that the invention of the belt was dictated only by safety rules. Here is what the court archives of past centuries have to say about it.

In the 1860s, a Moscow merchant, “in order to save his young wife from temptation”, ordered an adaptation from an experienced locksmith. From the belt, although "made diligently", the young woman suffered greatly. Upon returning from trips, the merchant staged wild scenes of jealousy and "taught his wife by mortal combat." Unable to bear the cruelty, the wife fled to the nearest monastery, where she told everything to the abbess. She invited the assistant chief of police, who was extremely indignant. They called an investigator, a doctor and a locksmith. The unfortunate woman was freed from the terrible device and placed in the monastery infirmary for treatment.

Another incident, which happened around the same time, ended tragically. A craftsman put on a similar belt for his wife, going to the southern provinces to work. Neither he nor his wife suspected the onset of pregnancy. Through certain time relatives, concerned about the condition of the young woman, were forced to invite a midwife. The pregnant woman was already unconscious. Upon discovering the belt, the midwife immediately called the police. It took several hours to rid the woman of the terrible device. She was rescued, but the child died. The returned husband ended up behind bars and returned home only after a couple of years... Full of remorse, he went to atone for sin in the monasteries and soon froze somewhere along the way.