10 Interesting Medieval Facts

I find history very interesting, not all the bits about dates though. No, I find that bit boring, I am talking about all the weird, gory facts. Now they are interesting. I found out a few interesting history things about the medieval era and I decided you would like to know them too. I wasn’t actually alive back then, but I do know that the medieval period was a very big and weird stage in our history. I hope you enjoy reading all about it, just as much as I did.

Slug Soup

Muslims used to protect themselves from torture by drinking a poison called aconite. Of course, these Muslims died. In the 14th century, Guido da Vigevano found out that if you ate a slug it would solve the problem, so he made a slug soup. Next time when you sit down for dinner just imagine a slug bobbing up and down in a bowl of water- because that once saved someone’s life.

Bad Blood

A medieval medical procedure that they use to use was when doctors cut open skin to let out the ‘bad blood.’ It became very popular and soon everyone was doing it. In fact, some people wrote articles on which Saints’ day would be the best for bloodletting. They even wrote which part of the body was the best to cut open, depending on the zodiac. Next time you get pains in your legs, just think about people having to bleed out that pain in a dirty hospital ward.

Healing saints

This may be disgusting but it is true. Medieval saints were

usually classed as healers. Usually they treated people with lepers and other horrible diseases. To heal they would often lick the wounds. St. Mary Magdalene of De’Pazzi sucked maggots out of wounds and St. Angela of Foligno purposely drank the water she had used to bath a leper’s foot with, and then she sucked up one of his scabs. I don’t think reading this just before you eat is very clever idea. Oops, I said that too late.

Poor kitty...

In the medieval times black cats were classed as a bad, omen. A king believed that witches stroked the cats everywhere including their ‘hind parts.’ This superstition caused a lot of cat killing, which resulted in more rats carrying the plague. I would keep your cat close but don’t worry, that is in past…. right??

The guilt

Medieval people believed that a corpse still had a tiny spark of life left in it, so whoever they thought murdered the man was told to touch the corpse. If the body suddenly started to bleed, then it showed the man’s guilt. When you’re guilty and you go to court just be thankful you don’t have to touch a decaying dead body.

The Horrible Crop!

While the plague was going on, people were also

dying for other reasons. This is because the really wet summers had made the crops turn bad.15% of the population died because of this ‘wet’ event. So be careful next time you eat a vegetable but let’s look on the bright side, you now have an excuse not to eat your veggies.

The child migration

In 1212 there was a crusade. The Christians wanted Muslims to change religion. Instead of sending themselves they sent children as they believed that children carried more emotion. The children were only halfway there when a merchant said he would take them in, but instead he sold them into slavery. This proves children: do not talk to strangers.

The Spiked Chair

One torture method was getting the victim and putting them on a chair full of spikes. The worst part about this, is that the person would be alive for the entirety of the torture. They only died when they were taken off the chair. Can you just imagine lots of little sharp points digging into your skin and reaching your bones? Then slowly being pulled away from them.

Wearing a mask

Not all medieval punishments were bad though. Some were just weird. Sometimes if you had done something bad, they made you wear a scary animal mask. This wasn’t as bad as being killed of course but you would have to wear it around town. You also might have to wear a badge showing what you had done for the rest of your life. This was classed as embarrassing but at least you wouldn’t have to die for your treachery.

Are you dead?

In the medieval times it was hard to know whether someone was dead or alive. So, they had their own ways to test it, such as: pulling the persons toes, twisting their fingernails and even pricking them with a needle. There is even a poem that says a man bit another man’s toe to wake him up. If that person was alive it would probably make them wake up and scream or they would flinch. But if they were dead, they would not move at all. Luckily doctors have changed since then, but just a piece of advice: don’t fall asleep in the streets because then you might need to have one of the ‘tests’.

Well I sure am glad I wasn’t born at that time. I don’t think I could have survived, even for an hour. I would have died the very second I was born. I mostly said all the bad things about the medieval period, but it wasn’t all terrible. Sometimes, it was really quite pleasant. They made science experiments; they had a renaissance; and lived happy lives, when not fighting battles and taking treason for their crimes. So, just remember two things from this day forth, history isn’t just dates and not everything was bad in the medieval period.