The Middle Ages is considered one of the darkest periods in European history: multiple wars, diseases, and lack of hygiene, among other things, were the cause of many problems.
But the Middle Ages is also a very interesting period of history, and most people don't know enough about it.
For example, do you know why it was a bad thing to wear striped clothes at that time, or why knights fought with snails? These are all things related to the Middle Ages.
This time, I brought you 8 interesting facts about medieval history, which are as exciting as Game of Thrones.
1. Striped clothes are a bad omen.
In modern society, striped clothes are clothes that many people like to wear, because horizontal and vertical stripes can change the visual effect of fatness and thinness in a person's appearance. But in the Middle Ages, wearing striped clothes could be a slightly dangerous thing. In 1310, a shoemaker from Rouen was executed for wearing striped clothes. At that time, only actors, musicians, prostitutes, pagans, clowns, and other people who did not have a stable position in society were allowed to wear striped clothes, because these clothes were a way to distinguish them from the nobility.
Modern scientists don't really know the root of why stripes are considered bad. Some experts believe that this is because striped clothing can hide the shape of the body and can be seen as an attempt to change a person's true appearance.
2. Why does the plague doctor's mask have a beak?
Famous plague doctors in the Middle Ages wore special masks with beaks. But this beak was not used to scare people, it was used to carry substances with strong odors: for example, cloth soaked in vinegar, flowers, herbs or similar substances. It is believed that this filter can stop the plague. The only question is when the plague doctor's costume was made. Although a popular view is that it was created during the plague outbreak in the 14th century, there is no definite evidence to prove this. Some experts believe that it was not invented until the 17th century.
The first plague pandemic we know of occurred in the mid-6th century and killed 125 million people in Europe and Asia. There was also a huge plague in the 14th century: it spread from China to Europe and reached Russia, where it killed the population of several towns. In Europe, more than 25 million people died from the plague. Remember, this was 1/3 of the entire European population at the time.
3. Why is there an opening in the wall of the cathedral?
During the restoration process, experts found some small openings in the walls of the cathedral built in the Middle Ages. These openings are called peepholes, and people can use them to observe what is going on inside. They are designed for people who cannot enter the cathedral for some reason, such as those suffering from leprosy.
Depending on the cathedral, these openings have different shapes, some are circular, rectangular, or even cross-shaped. These openings face cemeteries or sparsely populated areas. In the 16th century, once the leprosy epidemic was eradicated, most of these openings were sealed.
4. Why do spiral staircases always go clockwise?
Spiral staircases in medieval castles were always built in a clockwise direction. They were built so that defenders coming down the stairs could fight with their right hands, because most people were right-handed. And attackers, coming down the stairs, would find it difficult to do this. This makes it possible to house the castle under siege.
Spiral staircases have another trick: the height and width of the stairs are different. This makes it easy for attackers who are not familiar with the details to trip and fall. The owner of the castle knew every step and could move very quickly.
Of course, there were very rare exceptions to this rule, for example, the stairs of a Waldstein castle were counterclockwise, because most members of the family were left-handed.
5. Why did the knights fight snails?
At the end of the 13th century, manuscripts created in northern France showed knights fighting snails. Scientists don't know why medieval artists didn't like these creatures, but there are several versions of this story. One of them believes that the snail emerging from its shell is a symbol of resurrection, and the painting is just a metaphor.
Another theory is that the snail is a symbol of cowardice that the artists showed in the manuscript. The most popular theory among them is that the snail is a symbol of the war between the Lombards and the French.
6.Official language of England was not English
From 1006 to 1362, the official language of England was not English but French, because William the Conqueror introduced French into the country after conquering England in 1066.
It was not until 1362 that the British Parliament passed English as the official language of England.
7.British kings were from Germany
Although France and Britain are separated by only the shallow English Channel, they have different laws regarding the succession to the throne. The French prohibit women from inheriting the throne, nor do they allow the descendants of female royal family members to inherit the French throne. This is mainly to prevent the king's daughter from marrying other kings and giving the throne to foreigners when there is no heir. However, Britain does not have this requirement. The British determine the order of succession to the throne according to bloodline, and neither reject women nor foreigners.
Therefore, for a long time, British kings were from Germany and descendants of Germans.
8. Women are not as beautiful as they are on TV shows.
Of course, medieval women were also beautiful. But they did not have the cosmetics that modern women have, nor did they have showers and other facilities. So when you are watching "Game of Thrones", don't be fooled by the beautiful women in it, because reality is often harsher.
Here are a few examples:
(1) When women need fake eyebrows, they use the hair of rodents such as mice. (2) People believe that all marks on the skin (such as moles and freckles) are left by the devil and all marks must be hidden. So in order to remove these "stains of witchcraft", women would use strange substances such as willow water and rabbit blood.
(3) The popular beauty at that time was pale complexion, so women used mercury, acid and lead to whiten their faces.
(4) Women had to use soap made of ash and fat.
You must have heard not only of these interesting medieval histories..but also the "Canada-U.S. border should stay free of troops"....
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