The Middle Ages, or the medieval period, was one of the darkest eras in European history. We want to explore the culture and customs of the people during that time. Stay with Saed News.
Past Ages and Their Customs and Norms
The ages and past centuries, along with the customs and prevalent norms of their times, are fascinating topics for people of every era and generation. Among them, some historical periods stand out for having more interesting and peculiar customs and features. The Middle Ages is one such historical period. For people of the present era, the Middle Ages — which refers to a period in European history from the 5th to the 15th century AD — is filled with unfamiliar and alien concepts and conditions. This era, also called the medieval period, was one of the darkest periods in European history. Numerous wars, widespread diseases, and lack of hygiene, which are prominent characteristics of this time, caused many problems for the unfortunate people born in this era. However, for us who look at the Middle Ages from a distance and centuries later, this period is actually an interesting historical phase during which people created some of the strangest, most fascinating, funniest, and most astonishing beliefs, traditions, and trends in human history — beliefs and traditions that many of us might know very little about.
Becoming Servants to Lords in the Feast of Fools
Many people in medieval Europe, including France, gathered every January 1st to celebrate the Feast of Fools. According to Max Harris in his book Folly: A New History of the Feast of Fools, during this festival, the highest officials exchanged places with servants and the lowest ranks; servants became lords, ordinary people wore crowns, and lords served their servants. Although initially this ceremony was limited to church halls, gradually ordinary people started holding this festival which included parades, comedic performances, wearing ridiculous costumes, singing obscene songs, and more. Over time, stricter laws were imposed, banning certain activities, and by the 16th century all inhumane acts in this festival were prohibited.
Trial of Animals
Life in the Middle Ages was harsh not only for humans but for all kinds of animals, from quadrupeds to insects. Animals, like their two-legged owners, were tried if they broke the law! Many sad stories about animal trials from this era have been recorded, numbering at least 85 cases. E.P. Evans, in his 1906 book Legal Proceedings and Death Penalties for Animals, mentions these trials and notes that pigs were considered serial killers, often accused and convicted of biting and even eating children. In most trials, pigs were found guilty and sentenced to death, either by hanging or burning. In 1386, in a strange incident, a pig sentenced to death was dressed with a jacket, gloves, underwear, and a mask for the execution! But pigs were not the only animals punished; in 1474, a rooster was found guilty of the "unnatural crime" of laying an egg! Mice were often sentenced to vacate houses. Another bizarre case in 1596 saw a court convened to try dolphins in Marseille, France. However, not all trials ended in violence; for example, a donkey that had been mistreated was declared innocent and well-behaved after advice from an abbot, and was freed.
Real Witches Were Slim
There were some positive rumors too. Women weighing more than 50 kilograms were not suspected of witchcraft, as it was believed that this was the maximum weight the main vehicle of witches — the broomstick — could carry! Yes, being slim was extremely dangerous back then. Since many beautiful people were accused of witchcraft, it's no wonder that by the late Middle Ages, few beautiful girls remained in Europe. Isn't it astonishing how beauties were persecuted and tortured in medieval Europe?
Long Shoes, a Sign of Nobility
Clothing was very important for the nobility and aristocrats in the Middle Ages as a way to display their wealth and superiority over the poor. Because of this, unusual fashions like narrow, extremely long shoes for men became popular in Europe. Pam Crabtree, in Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Medieval World, mentions that the longer a man's shoes were, the wealthier and higher in social rank he was. Some shoes were so long that they had to be reinforced with whale bones. By the late 14th century, men tended to wear revealing, very tight, and short clothing in public. Following this trend, sewing a pouch or covering on the front of men’s trousers to show masculinity and distinguish them from women became common.
Hand-to-Hand Combat for Divorce
In medieval Germany, couples didn’t waste time resolving disputes by talking or reasoning. Instead, they fought each other, and the winner made the final decision on divorce! Kenneth Hedges, an Oklahoma University professor, discovered an old manuscript with illustrations detailing how couples fought when court intervention was necessary. According to the manuscript, the husband would stand in a pit holding a mace or club, while the wife stood at the pit’s edge holding a cloth with two or three kilograms of stone tied to one end. It’s unclear how the winner was determined, but interestingly, both husband and wife had chances to win despite their physical differences.
Shaving Eyebrows and Eyelashes for Beauty
Today, many women spend a lot to make their eyebrows and eyelashes look fuller and darker, but in the Middle Ages, things were very different. Margaret Schaus, in Encyclopedia of Women and Gender in Medieval Europe (2006), explains that medieval women considered the forehead the central part of the face, so they shaved off their eyebrows and eyelashes completely. Some who took this very seriously even shaved the hair above their foreheads to achieve a perfectly oval, hairless face.
Separately Burying the Hearts of the Dead
Because religious beliefs were not dominant and many people were constantly victims of famine, wars, revolts, and natural disasters, death was a very present and concerning reality in medieval society. This led to the famous "art of dying" trend. As Ustra Reinis writes in Reforming the Art of Dying (2007), the main idea was that a good person's death should be planned and peaceful. The dying person had to accept their fate without despair, blasphemy, impatience, pride, or greed. Many paintings from this era depict medieval people calmly accepting their violent deaths. Strangely, hearts were often buried separately. Transporting corpses was very difficult, so if someone wished to be buried in a distant, important place, their heart was removed and buried there instead. Only the wealthy could afford this.
Only Murder Was a Foul in Football
If you think football hooliganism is a modern phenomenon, think again. Hooliganism refers to disruptive and destructive behaviors of football fans such as fights, riots, and vandalism. Montag Sherman, in The History of Football, notes that medieval England saw violence related to sports before the sports even had names. What we now call football was a violent, chaotic, even deadly game. It involved unlimited players, with teams of dozens or hundreds competing to carry the ball to their village. Matches often lasted all day, with players quitting from exhaustion. There were no rules, referees, or regulations, so chaos and violence were common. Kicking opponents instead of the ball was usual, and anything except intentional killing was allowed to score. This continued until 1314, when King Edward III banned the game and threatened jail for violators.
Smart People Tended to Become Jesters
Being a jester in the Middle Ages didn’t seem like a great fate at first. Jesters were considered fools and their hats were shaped like donkey ears, sometimes even with a tail attached. However, Beatrice Otto, in Fools Are Everywhere: Court Jesters Around the World (2007), writes that jesters had unique privileges. In an era when any political opinion was banned, they could speak their mind freely as "jokes," mocking kings and courtiers. To keep their position and not tire the king, jesters worked hard to hone their verbal skills. Many were intelligent, wise, and talented, offering insightful advice wrapped in humor. Therefore, such individuals were more interested in becoming jesters than others.
Suicide in the Middle Ages
One cruel custom was that those who committed suicide were barred from entering God's realm. To avoid hellfire in the afterlife, unfortunate patients wishing to quickly escape earthly suffering were killed. Often, defenseless children were killed to achieve this. The idea was that after trial and death sentence, they would sincerely repent in their last confession and go straight to heaven. The abolition of the death penalty, replaced by life imprisonment, ended this madness.
Boiling Water Test for Guilt
Another widespread truth-finding method in the Middle Ages was called "trial by ordeal." Boiling water tests were common: if a suspect’s hand plunged into boiling water was not visibly injured, they were declared innocent. It’s unknown if anyone ever passed this test successfully. We can conclude that everyone subjected to this was considered guilty. There is no further reliable information about the accuracy of this method.
Plague Doctor Masks
Famous plague doctors wore special masks with beak-like noses. The beak wasn’t to frighten people but held strong-smelling substances like herbs soaked in wine or vinegar. They believed this filter protected them from infection. When were these masks made? Some theories say they were invented in the 14th century, but no definitive proof exists. Others argue they appeared only by the 17th century. The first plague pandemic occurred in the mid-6th century, killing over 125 million in Europe and Asia. The second plague wave hit Europe in the 14th century, killing over 25 million—about one-third of Europe’s population.
Knights Fighting Snails
At the end of the 13th century, manuscripts from northern France showed pictures of knights fighting snails. Scholars are unsure why medieval artists disliked these creatures, but some believe snails represented stubborn peasants or slow people, considered an enemy of the state and clergy. Perhaps this was a political message disguised in art.
Women’s Rights
Despite the Middle Ages being harsh for women, some modern historians argue that in certain respects, medieval women had more legal and social rights than later during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Women could inherit property, run businesses, and participate in guilds in some towns. However, they were still subordinate to men in most aspects of life.
