CRAZIEST Facts About The Middle Ages!

Summary

The video unveils some of the most peculiar and unbelievable facts about the Middle Ages, showcasing a variety of bizarre practices and social norms. From the extremely fashionable yet impractical pointy shoes known as crakows to using urine as an antiseptic, the era was filled with oddities. Football was banned in England due to its violent nature, and forks were considered uncivilized. Cemeteries were bustling centers of activity, and cruentation was used to identify murderers. The concept of 'peasants' didn't exist as it does today, becoming a knight was a costly endeavor, and bloodletting was a go-to treatment for many ailments. Finally, overcrowded cemeteries led to the creation of ossuaries, where bones were artistically arranged. Each fact paints a cartoonish, almost unreal picture of medieval life.

Highlights

• Crakows, the pointy shoes, were a status symbol but totally impractical. Fancy, but you couldn't even kneel properly in them! 👞
• Using urine as an antiseptic was not just common, but advised by royal surgeons. Who needs antiseptic cream when you have urine? 🧴
• In 1314, football was banned in England because it was chaotic and violent. Imagine a no-rules game with a pig's bladder as the ball! 🏐
• Forks were viewed with suspicion and considered the devil's tool. Fingers were the king of cutlery back then! 🙌
• Imagine running a business in the cemetery! Medieval churches used them as social and commercial places. 🏗️
• Testing guilt with bleeding corpses was an accepted legal practice, known as cruentation. Creepy courtroom, anyone? 🧛‍♂️
• The idea of a 'peasant' is a myth; medieval farmers were part of a complex feudal system. Hierarchy in the farmland! 🌾
• Becoming a knight required wealth and years of training. Think of knights as medieval elite athletes. ⚔️
• Bloodletting was the cure-all remedy, even for depression and fever. Got an ailment? Let's bleed it out! 😊
• In ossuaries, bones were arranged not just for storage but as spiritual art. Talk about recycling with a twist! 🎨

Key Takeaways

• Pointy shoes called crakows were all the rage in medieval fashion, despite their impracticality. 👠
• Urine was used as an antiseptic, even by royals, due to its sterility compared to contaminated water. 🚰
• Football, known as 'mob football', was banned in England due to its violent nature. ⚽
• Forks were once considered uncivilized in medieval Europe, seen as a sign of barbarism. 🍴
• Medieval cemeteries were social hubs, hosting events from elections to commerce. 🏛️
• Cruentation, a bizarre method to identify murderers, was widely accepted in medieval justice. 🔍
• There was no true concept of 'peasants'; the feudal system had complex social hierarchies. 🏰
• Becoming a knight was a costly and difficult process, akin to training to be a modern athlete. 🏇
• Bloodletting was believed to cure many ailments, despite being medically dubious. 💉
• Overcrowding in cemeteries led to the artistic arrangement of bones in ossuaries. 💀

Overview

Step into the weird and wonderful world of the Middle Ages, where fashion was as pointy as a crakow and hygiene included antiseptic urine! Yes, the medieval folks had their quirks. Those elongated crakows were the Louboutins of the time—glamorous but utterly pointless if you wanted to walk normally. Urine was the go-to antiseptic for everyone, even royalty—thank goodness for modern medicine, right? The Middle Ages were a time when the things we wouldn't dream of today were pretty much the norm.

Talk about throwing caution and rules to the wind—medieval football was so wild it was banned for sheer chaos! Forget leagues; it was all-out war with a pig's bladder. And eating with forks? Ha! The good folk of medieval times thought them barbaric! Forks were as suspicious as a witchcraft spell! However, what we find bizarre today was all part of everyday life then. Cemeteries were the place to hang out, shop, and discuss the day's news. Social life at its finest, right next to the dearly departed.

Legal systems were puzzling, to say the least, with things like cruentation deciding guilt by accusing corpses. Becoming a knight was more than just having shiny armor—it was a grueling journey only the wealthiest could hope to take. And while bloodletting might make us squeamish, it was a one-stop solution for all ailments. Oh, and those overcrowded cemeteries? They turned bones into art displays, memento mori style. The Middle Ages were an era of contrasts and curiosities, wrapped in chainmail and served with a pint of mead!

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction The chapter 'Introduction' covers some intriguing and unusual facts about the Middle Ages. It begins by highlighting a range of surprising customs and practices from that time period, such as unique methods of wound cleaning and hosting parties in cemeteries. Additionally, it notes the fashion trend of pointy shoes, which were extremely popular during the 14th and 15th centuries, akin to today's modern-day sneakers.
• 00:30 - 01:30: Pointy Shoes Were All The Rage The chapter titled "Pointy Shoes Were All The Rage" discusses the historical fashion of wearing crakows, shoes named after Krakow, Poland. Despite being fashionable, crakows were impractical due to their excessively pointy and elongated shape, making walking and other activities difficult. They could damage other people's leather or cause injury by poking someone in the shin. The impracticality was so pronounced that there are records of people being unable to kneel for prayer while wearing them. The fashion trend was met with regulatory pushback as Charles V of France banned the production of pointy shoes in Paris in 1368.
• 01:30 - 02:30: Urine as an Antiseptic The chapter explores the use of urine as an antiseptic, highlighting an unusual application of a natural resource to maintain hygiene and prevent infections.
• 02:30 - 03:30: Football Was Banned in England This chapter discusses the historical context in which football was banned in England. It mentions quirky practices from medieval times, such as the use of urine as an antiseptic, which was prevalent among both commoners and royalty. The chapter suggests that during the Middle Ages, examining urine was a crucial diagnostic tool for doctors to determine medical conditions.
• 03:30 - 04:30: No Fork The chapter "No Fork" discusses historical medical practices involving the use of urine for treating various ailments and injuries. It highlights that during times, even as late as the reign of King Henry VIII, urine was considered a sterile solution for cleaning battle wounds and preventing infections. This practice was based on the understanding and experiences of past cultures, as the available water was not always clean or safe to use.
• 04:30 - 05:30: Cemeteries Were Lively Places The chapter titled 'Cemeteries Were Lively Places' discusses historical and unusual practices from the past, such as the use of urine for disinfecting wounds by the Aztecs. While noting the impracticality of such a method today, it emphasizes the progression of medical practices beyond the Middle Ages. The chapter briefly transitions to highlight an interesting historical fact about England, a country renowned for popularizing football (soccer), having once banned the sport. The narrative encourages engagement through subscribing and enabling notifications to stay updated with new content.
• 05:30 - 06:30: Cruentation The chapter titled 'Cruentation' explores the historical context of football in medieval England. During this period, football, known as 'mob football,' was a violent and unregulated game played across neighboring towns and villages. The game involved large numbers of people, lacked strict rules, and famously used an inflated pig’s bladder as a ball. The chapter provides insight into how the sport was once banned in England due to its brutal nature.
• 06:30 - 07:30: No “Peasants” The chapter 'No “Peasants”' describes the chaotic and violent nature of early football games in medieval England. It explains how violence and disorder were rampant, to the extent that King Edward II had to impose a ban on football in 1314. Despite over 20 bans in the following centuries, it illustrates how the English people's love for football persisted. Today, football has evolved to include rugby as another avenue for enthusiasts of the sport. The chapter highlights the enduring passion for the game despite attempts to curb its unruly nature.
• 07:30 - 08:30: Becoming A Knight Was Hard The chapter explores the historical usage of the fork, highlighting that although it existed in ancient times, it was not widely adopted during the Middle Ages. In contrast, spoons and knives were extremely popular cutlery items during this era. The fork's lack of popularity is attributed to various theories, with the prevailing notion being that it was perceived as strange and uncivilized.
• 08:30 - 09:30: Bloodletting Cures Everything The chapter explores the historical aversion to the use of forks in medieval Europe, highlighting the cultural and religious resistance to this dining utensil. It describes a notable incident in the eleventh century when a Byzantine princess used a fork at her wedding feast, shocking the Venetian guests and clergy who viewed fingers as the God-given tools for eating.
• 09:30 - 10:30: Bone Houses The chapter titled 'Bone Houses' discusses how commonly used items and places in medieval times often had unexpected purposes. It starts by discussing the fork, which was initially seen as offensive but eventually became a staple in everyday life due to its practicality. The chapter then shifts focus to cemeteries during medieval times, which surprisingly were not just places for burial. They served as lively social hubs where important town or village events were held, highlighting the diverse and vibrant uses of cemeteries beyond their primary purpose for the deceased.
• 10:30 - 11:30: Conclusion In the concluding chapter, the text explores the multifaceted roles of medieval cemeteries, which were not just places for burials but also hubs of everyday social and economic activities. Cemeteries hosted events such as elections, sermons, public debates, trials, and theatrical plays. At night, they served as venues for sex work. Historians like Philippe Aries argue that due to their association with the church and tax-exemption status, cemeteries were ideal sites for trade and commerce, attracting small-business owners to conduct their operations there without tax obligations.

CRAZIEST Facts About The Middle Ages! Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 From bizarre ways for cleaning wounds to partying in the cemetery, here are 10 things you wouldn’t believe about the Middle Ages! 10. Pointy Shoes Were All The Rage Today, if you decided to wear long, pointed shoes, you might look a little eccentric to say the least, but in medieval times – pointy shoes were all the rage! Forget Adidas, if you wanted to look cool in the 14th and 15th century, you would wear
• 00:30 - 01:00 crakows, named after the former Polish capital of Krakow. These shoes might have been fashionable, but they were NOT practical. They were very pointy and elongated, making it a little ridiculous to just walk around. And if you stood too close to someone they would ruin your nice leather, or you could poke someone in the shin. There’s even a record of people not being able to kneel in prayer because of them. The whole thing went so far that, in 1368, Charles V of France banned the manufacturing of pointy shoes in Paris.
• 01:00 - 01:30 But - fashion is fashion – and crakows dominated European courts for decades to come. These shoes were expensive!! You had to find a talented shoemaker and use only the best quality materials. Only the elite were brave enough to wear them. The tips were stuffed with moss and some kind of overshoe for support. The richer you were, the more extreme and lengthy the tip. Size mattered. Except in battle because no one could walk around freely or carry weapons. They hung on for awhile, but finally common sense prevailed.
• 01:30 - 02:00 ((For many of these we can maybe make our own memes to use? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crakow_(shoe)#/media/File:Arsen_5104_f14_detail2.jpg and we can write: Check out my new kicks!! [Or similar])) 9. Urine as an Antiseptic This medical practice- if you could call it that- wasn’t used all the time, but there is a lot of evidence that using urine as a form of antiseptic was common in medieval times. And it wasn’t done only among the commoners or simple folk – it was actually a part of royal medical practice. Doctors could tell what was wrong with people just by looking at their urine, and during the Middle Ages it became a solid tool for doctors, providing them with all kinds of
• 02:00 - 02:30 information! There is also a lot of documentation advising people to treat ulcers, bites, and stings with urine. Even to fight the plague! Thomas Vicary, who was the surgeon of king Henry VIII (the one with the 6 wives), actually advised for all battle wounds to be washed with urine, to clean them up and prevent an infection. While this was technically after the Middle Ages, the information all came from their past experience. In those days, urine was the most sterile thing around, because even the water was a little iffy.
• 02:30 - 03:00 Even the Aztecs are said to have used urine to disinfect wounds. BUT don’t get any ideas because now, while you could use it to flush out your wound in a pinch, there are much, much better alternatives. After all, there are advantages to not living in the Middle Ages anymore!! And now for number 8, but first be sure to subscribe before you leave and click the notification bell so you don’t miss out on the latest videos!! 8. Football Was Banned in England Who would have thought that the country which popularized this sport was the one that banned it in the first place?
• 03:00 - 03:30 But, it’s true – at one point, playing football wasn’t allowed in England. You can imagine that medieval times were completely different from what we know today, and this goes for playing football as well. In those days, football was played everywhere, without any strict regulations, and it was gruesome and violent. It’s also known as “mob football”, as it literally involved a mob of people. This was played between neighboring towns and villages; the number of opposing players wasn’t strictly defined, and the ball was, in fact, an – inflated pig’s bladder.
• 03:30 - 04:00 The rule was – no murder; but everything else was pretty much allowed. Imagine having a mob scene with everyone punching and screaming at each other in front of your house. Not a pretty sight, I can tell you that. The whole thing got so out of hand that King Edward II decided to ban football in 1314. In the following centuries - more than 20 different bans were imposed! As it turned out, no ban could stop the English from enjoying football. The only difference today is that now we also have rugby, for those of you who prefer a
• 04:00 - 04:30 little more contact. 7. No Fork Although the fork was invented in ancient times, this cutlery item was not used extensively throughout the Middle Ages. It’s not like no one knew about its existence – but it wasn’t all that popular. However, spoons and knives were another thing entirely! Everyone loved those! The fork just didn’t catch on. Why not? Well, there are multiple theories about this, but the general idea is that –for some reason – the fork was considered strange and uncivilized.
• 04:30 - 05:00 It looked barbaric and reminded people of the devil’s pitchfork. The proper way to eat was to pick up things with your fingers, while the fork was a sign of pure savagery. Medieval Europe simply detested the idea of using forks during meals. In the eleventh century, a Venetian nobleman married a Byzantine princess and, during their wedding feast, the princess shocked everyone by using a fork! How dare she?! The local clergy said that God had already provided us with our fingers so using an artificial
• 05:00 - 05:30 fork was actually offensive. It took a few hundred years but eventually, everyone started to realize how practical it was, and the fork became part of every-day life. 6. Cemeteries Were Lively Places This is the last place you would associate with fun and games, but it turns out that in medieval times – the cemeteries were pretty different places. They were more than places to bury your dead – they were actually full of social activity. Many of the important town or village events took place in cemeteries.
• 05:30 - 06:00 For example, things such as elections, sermons, public debates, trials and even plays were conducted in cemeteries, or next to them. At night, they became the place of business for women of the night if you know what I mean... The historian Philippe Aries claims that medieval cemeteries were places of trade and commerce, because they belonged to the church and were thus exempt from taxation. This is why many small-business owners didn’t shy away from conducting their activities
• 06:00 - 06:30 in these places. Imagine a world where the best place to do business is the local cemetery – crazy, right? 5. Cruentation What the heck is that? This is definitely one of the weirdest medieval beliefs. It was actually a method for proving that a suspected murderer was indeed guilty. The idea behind it was as follows: if you bring a body of the murdered person in front of their alleged murderer – the body will let off blood. Yup, that’s the whole concept! If it was difficult to prove that someone was guilty of murder, the victim’s corpse
• 06:30 - 07:00 was brought to them, and they were ordered to put their hands on the corpse. If the corpse bled, or if there were any other unusual signs, it meant that the accused was guilty. This method was a part of a group of laws called the Germanic Laws, used in the Middle Ages, and it was used in countries such as Germany, Poland and Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic). In Germany, it was used as a legitimate legal method until the mid-18th century! King James of England also approved of this method as a legitimate way to condemn the
• 07:00 - 07:30 murderer. After the Protestant Reformation, things slowly started to change. In countries such as Denmark and Norway, Cruentation was seen as unwarranted from a legal standpoint, and a lot of priests even forbade its use. Which, good thing because otherwise we would all be in trouble!! 4. No “Peasants” Contrary to popular belief, peasants as such actually didn’t exist in medieval times. When we now think of a peasant, often people imagine a person living off the land in a
• 07:30 - 08:00 tiny little house with a large family and a bunch of domestic animals. But, in the Middle Ages, the social class system was completely different, and “peasants” as we view them today – were nowhere to be seen. At least they didn’t identify themselves as such. The actual term peasant comes from French, but it didn’t come around until the 15th century. Before that, everything was different. People working the land were divided into several distinct categories, following a strict hierarchy. If we look at the famous English land survey from 1086 – the Doomsday Book, the country
• 08:00 - 08:30 folk can be divided into several categories, including freeman, serfs, and some slaves. But all of these people lived under feudal lords, and they had to pay rent. And go to war for their lord if necessary. Being a farmer could be less than idyllic and living in the Middle Ages for the average Joe was pretty tough. 3. Becoming A Knight Was Hard The joy of fighting in tournaments, the code of chivalry, and the glory of winning battles – all of it is now associated with medieval
• 08:30 - 09:00 knights. However, the problem is that it wasn’t at all easy to become a knight in the first place. First of all, you had to be filthy rich to even attempt it. It’s like becoming a professional athlete today: if you don’t have solid financial backing, chances are you won’t make it to the top. In order to become a knight, you had to be of noble origin and have enough money to afford a horse, armor and weapons. And it wasn’t petty cash, let me tell you that. It was like owning a Ferrari today.
• 09:00 - 09:30 Wealthy families would send off their boy to a noble’s house around the age of eight; there, he would become a page (which is basically a servant running errands for his noble). Then, at the age of 14, he would become a squire, going through rigorous training until the age of 21, when he would finally be dubbed a knight, taking the oath of chivalry. Being a knight was really a great honor, because becoming one was - an ordeal. Also Knights were not always charming. It was more like Game of Thrones than King Arthur….
• 09:30 - 10:00 2. Bloodletting Cures Everything Bloodletting, along with leeching, was a common practice during these times. And afterwards because the Victorians really loved this too! Since blood circulation is essential to our well-being, medieval physicians believed that by getting rid of bad blood (literally) they would cure a patient and help them feel healthy again. How they knew exactly how much blood is enough, and why only the bad blood would go out – is anyone’s guess, but they sure did it. And they went so far as to assume that bloodletting was generally beneficial for the body.
• 10:00 - 10:30 Feeling depressed, got a cough, typhoid fever? The Plague? If you didn’t have an open wound to spill some urine on, then bloodletting was definitely the solution to all of your problems! 1. Bone Houses In medieval cemeteries, there was a big problem of overcrowding and, to make up for the much-needed space, bones of dead people were exhumed and put in places called ossuaries or bone houses. Now, mix this with the human need for creativity – and you get nice little works of art.
• 10:30 - 11:00 Bones were often arranged in ossuaries for esthetic appeal and religious messages. In these times, the church had an integral role in society, and the idea of the afterlife was nurtured and discussed all the time. The idea behind making ossuaries was to have believers contemplating their mortal condition and the approach of death. By looking at these arranged bones, a person would see all the fleetingness of life and futility of earthly delights, since of course we are all headed that way.
• 11:00 - 11:30 Today, this sounds pretty morbid, but in those days – it was more common that you‘d believe! Thanks for watching!! Dont you wish you had those long pointy shoes now? They kind of grew on me….Be sure to subscribe!!