The Middle Ages extend roughly from the 5th to the 16th century, a total of 1,100 years. Unfortunately, many of the myths and misconceptions that arose then are still believed today.
10. Death penalty
Myth: Capital punishment was common in the Middle Ages.
Despite what many people believe, the Middle Ages produced the jury system, and trials were indeed very fair. The death penalty was considered extremely severe and was only used in the worst cases of crimes such as murder, treason, and arson.
It was not until the Middle Ages ended that people like Elizabeth I used the death penalty to rid their nations of religious opponents. Public beheadings were nothing like we see in the movies - they were given only to the wealthy and usually not performed in public. The most common method of execution was hanging - and burning was extremely rare (and usually done after the criminal had first been hanged to death).
9. Locked bibles
Myth: Bibles were locked away to keep people from seeing the "true word."
In the Middle Ages (until Gutenberg came along), all books had to be written by hand. This was a laborious task that took many months - especially for a book as large as the Bible. The task of printing books by hand was left to monks who were hidden away in monasteries. These books were incredibly valuable and were needed in every church, as the Bible was read every day at Mass.
To protect these valuable books, they would be locked away. There was no conspiracy to keep the Bible from people - the locks meant that the church could guarantee that people could hear the Bible every day (many would not have been able to read it). And just to show that it wasn't just the Catholic Church that locked Bibles for security reasons, the most famous "chained Bible" is the "Great Bible" that Henry VIII created. Created and had read in the Protestant churches.
8. Starving ordinary people
Myth: The poor were almost starved to death.
This is completely false. Ordinary people (those who worked manual labor) would have eaten fresh porridge and bread every day - with beer to drink. In addition, there was a choice of dried or cured meats, cheeses, and local fruits and vegetables every day. Poultry, chicken, ducks, pigeons and geese were not uncommon on the peasants' table. Some farmers also liked to keep bees to provide honey for their tables. If I had to choose between McDonald's and medieval peasant food, I think the peasant food would be more nutritious and better tasting.
7. Thatched roofs
Myth: Common people had thatched roofs with animals living in them.
Initially, the thatched roofs of medieval homes were woven into a tight mat - they were not just bundles of straw and sticks thrown on top of the house. Animals would not have easily gotten into the roof - and considering how concerned the average medieval was if an animal got in, they would be removed immediately - just as we remove birds or other small creatures that invade our homes today . And for the record, thatched roofs were not just for the poor - many castles and larger homes had them as well - because they worked so well.
6. Stinking people
Myth: People didn't bathe in the Middle Ages, so they smelled bad.
Not only is this a total myth, but it is also so widespread that it has given rise to a whole series of other myths, such as the mistaken belief that church incense was intended to mask the stench of so many people gathered in one place.
In fact, incense was part of the rituals of the church, as its history came from the Jewish religion, which also used incense for its sacrifices. In the Middle Ages, most cities had bathhouses - in fact, cleanliness and hygiene were highly valued - so bathing was included in various ceremonies such as those around chivalry. Some people take a bath daily, others less regularly - but most people take a bath. They also used hot water - they just had to heat it up themselves, unlike us with our modern hot water.
The French expressed it better in the following Latin statement: Venari, ludere, lavari, bibere; Hoc est vivere! (To hunt, to play, to wash, to drink - that is living!)
5. Peasant life
Myth: Peasants lived a life of boring and hard work.
While peasants worked hard in the Middle Ages (working in the fields was the only way to make sure you could eat), they had regular feasts (religious and secular) that included dancing, drinking, games, and tournaments. Many of the games from that time are still played today: chess, checkers, dice, blind man's bluff, and more. It was a great opportunity to enjoy the extra warm weather caused by the medieval warming period.
4. Violence everywhere
Myth: The Middle Ages was a time of great violence.
While there was violence in the Middle Ages (as there always has been), there were no equals with our modern Stalin, Hitler and Mao. Most people lived their lives without violence. The Inquisition was not the violent bloodlust that many movies and books have claimed, and most modern historians now readily admit.
In modern times, there was genocide, mass murder, and serial killing - something that was virtually unheard of before the "Enlightenment." In fact, there are only two notable serial killers from the Middle Ages: Elizabeth Bathory and Gilles de Rais.
For those who dispute the fact that the Inquisition resulted in very few deaths, statistics show that over a period of 160 years (at most) 826 executions were recorded - out of 45,000 trials!
3. Oppressed women
Myth: Women were oppressed in the Middle Ages.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the idea that women were oppressed in the Middle Ages was widely held. In fact, we only have to think of a few important women from that time to see that this is not true at all: Saint Joan of Arc was a young woman who has been given total control of the French army! Her downfall was political and would have occurred whether she was male or female.
Hildegard of Bingen was a polymath in the Middle Ages who was held in such high esteem that kings, popes and lords sought her advice. Her music and writing exist to this day. Elizabeth I ruled as a powerful queen herself, and many other nations had female leaders. Granted, women did not work on cathedrals, but they pulled their weight in the fields and villages. Moreover, the rules of chivalry meant that women had to be treated with the utmost dignity.
The biggest difference between the concept of feminism in the Middle Ages and now is that in the Middle Ages it was assumed that women were "equal in dignity, different in function" - now the concept has been changed to "equal in dignity and function".
2. Flat earth
Myth: People in the Middle Ages believed that the earth was flat.
Furthermore, people did not believe that the earth was the center of the universe - the famous monk Copernicus dealt a death blow to this idea (without being punished) long before Galileo was tried for heresy for claiming that the Bible was false.
Two modern historians have recently published a book in which they say: "There was hardly a Christian scholar of the Middle Ages who did not recognize the sphericity of the earth and even knew its approximate circumference.
1. Crude and ignorant
Myth: The people of the Middle Ages were crude and ignorant.
Thanks mainly to Hollywood movies, many people believe that the Middle Ages were full of religious superstition and ignorance. In fact, however, leading historians deny that there is any evidence of this.
Science and philosophy flourished at this time - partly due to the introduction of universities throughout Europe. The Middle Ages produced some of the greatest art, music and literature of all time. Boethius, Boccaccio, Dante, Petrarch and Machiavelli are still revered today for their brilliant minds.
The cathedrals and castles of Europe still stand and contain some of the finest works of art and stone carving that man could create with his bare hands. Medicine at that time was primitive, but it was structured and ready to accept new ideas as they arose (thus we have modern medicine).