6 myths about the Middle Ages

Europe during the medieval period. Where unbathed, sword-wielding knights defended chaste maidens, believed the Earth was flat, ate rotten meat, and tortured their adversaries with gruesome weapons However, this is more fantasy than reality. So, where do all of the medieval myths originate? And how did they actually appear? The 1,000-year period known as the "Middle Ages" begins with the fall of Rome in the fifth century and ends with the Italian renaissance in the fifteenth century. The term has also been used to describe other parts of the world, but traditionally it has only been used to describe Europe. One confusion is that middle age individuals were all uninformed and uninformed. For instance, a 19th-century biography of Christopher Columbus made erroneous claims that medieval Europeans believed the Earth was flat. The Earth's shape was not much of a topic of debate, despite the fact that many medieval scholars consider it to be the center of the universe. “On the Sphere of the World” was the title of a well-known text from the thirteenth century. In addition, as monasteries, convents, and universities were established during the Middle Ages, literacy rates gradually increased as well. Additionally, ancient knowledge was not "lost"; The study of Greek and Roman texts continued. In the 1930s, a British book made the idea that medieval people ate rotten meat and covered it up with spices. It used laws prohibiting the sale of rotten meat as evidence that it was frequently consumed and misinterpreted a medieval recipe. In fact, salt curing of meats was a safe way for medieval Europeans to preserve meats while avoiding rancid foods. Spices were well-liked. However, they frequently cost more than the meat itself. Therefore, anyone who could afford them could also purchase fresh food. In the meantime, the French historian Jules Michelet of the 19th century described the Middle Ages as "a thousand years without a bath." However, public bathhouses were well-used in even small towns. Soaps made of ash, scented herbs, and animal fat were used to lather people up. They also used spices and herbs, pastes and powders for teeth cleaning cloths, mouthwash, and mouthwash. What about medieval methods of torture? A group of what were described as "terrible relics of a semi-barbarous age" went on tour in the 1890s. They include: the Iron Lady, which entranced watchers with its spiked entryways — yet it was created, conceivably only a long time previously. Also, there's no sign Iron Ladies really existed in the Medieval times. In contrast, there was a thing called the "Pear of Anguish," but it only existed later, so it couldn't have been used for torture. It could just have been a shoe-stretcher. In point of fact, a number of what appear to be medieval torture instruments are far more recent creations. Middle age official procedures were generally speaking less horrifying than these contraptions recommend. They included fines, jail time, humiliation in public, and some forms of corporal punishment. Although torture and executions did occur, particularly violent punishments like drawing and quartering were typically reserved for high treason offenses. However, chastity belts must have existed, right? Most likely not. They were first mentioned by a German engineer in the 15th century, probably in jest, along with fart jokes and an invisibility device. They were then popular satirical subjects that were later misinterpreted as medieval reality. The interest of people in later times has influenced how people think about the Middle Ages. During the 15th and 16th centuries, scholars who were biased toward the Classical and Modern periods that followed popularized the term as well as the derogatory term "Dark Ages." In addition, medieval people were depicted as superstitious and irrational by Enlightenment thinkers, who celebrated their commitment to reason. Romantic European nationalist thinkers romanticized the Middle Ages in the 19th century. They depicted disengaged, white, Christian social orders, underlining stories of gallantry and marvel. Yet, knights assumed negligible parts in archaic fighting. Additionally, the Middle Ages witnessed extensive interactions. Byzantine, Muslim, and Mongol trade routes brought ideas to Europe. Additionally, numerous merchants, intellectuals, and diplomats traveled to medieval European cities. The most widespread erroneous belief is that the Middle Ages were one continuous period in European history. Initially characterized less by what they were than what they weren't, the Medieval times turned into a ground for dueling thoughts — energizing more dream than reality.

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