What only facts about the Middle Ages we did not see when we prepared this material. Sometimes an eyebrow would rise and arch in surprise so much that he Jack Nicholson would envy. We are no longer talking about the fact that the phrases “Yes, laaaaaadno!”, “What kind of“ piiiiiizanskaya tower ”was going on there?” and “Ooooh, unexpectedly!” sounded literally every 5-10 minutes. We suggest you familiarize yourself with only a small part of the facts about Middle Ages that interested us the most.

Brothers Grimm- Authors of favorite fairy tales from our childhood. But few people know that we read already revised and adapted texts. In the original, the Brothers Grimm were collecting folklore. And he often did not at all resemble a fairy tale, where everything is rosy and beautiful, and in the end everyone gets married and has fun. For example, in the original fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty", the prince does not kiss the main character, but rapes her. And in "Cinderella" the sisters manage to try on the "shoe". That's just for this one had to cut off his toes, and the other heel. And the handsome prince would have married one of them, but this was prevented by pigeons, who noticed that the “shoe” was filling with blood ...

The standard of beauty in the 15th-16th centuries can be represented as follows: a high forehead, even a very high forehead, many women even shaved, plucked their hair to get closer to the ideal of beauty. Also, a decent woman should not have eyebrows on her face, they were most often completely plucked out. "Mona Lisa" met all these requirements.

The custom of clinking glasses dates back to the Middle Ages. At feasts, it was enough just to pour poison into the glass of an enemy or competitor. When the vessels hit each other, the drink overflowed from one glass to another. So the poisoner himself could suffer from his own poison. Clinking wine glasses is a demonstration that there is no poison in the drink.

plague doctors These are not fictional characters from horror films. They existed in reality, they were specially hired to treat people during the plague. It was hard not to notice them, because their clothes consisted of a leather coat, gloves, boots, a hat and an unusual mask with a “beak”, which was not aesthetic, but practical in nature - special collections of dried flowers, herbs, spices, other substances that had a strong smell - impregnated the fabric with camphor or vinegar. It was believed that this not only interrupts the terrible smell that was in the villages where the plague raged, but also saved people from contracting this disease.

In the Middle Ages, there were cases of extremely strange church trials. And they were carried out over ... animals. Everything went according to the rules: prosecutors, lawyers and witnesses were present. And the accused could be any domestic animals, be it a rabbit, a chicken or a cat, or even insects - locusts or dragonflies. Domestic cattle were most often accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death, and wild ones - for wrecking, they could be excommunicated from the church or “forced” to leave the country.

In the Middle Ages, "adult life" began quite early. From the age of 12, girls were considered quite ripe for marriage. For a boy, this age began at the age of 14. Almost always, parents or guardians made decisions about the marriage of their children, since, first of all, marriage at that time contributed to the unification of lands, the conclusion of political unions, or simply contributed to material improvement, strengthening. Quite often, in wealthy families, a son or daughter was engaged from early infancy. In addition, no one was worried about the big age difference between those entering into marriage (regardless of who was older - the bride or the groom).

In the castle towers, spiral staircases were erected so that the ascent along them was clockwise. This was done so that in the event of a siege, the defenders of the tower would have an advantage during hand-to-hand combat (a strong blow with the right hand can only be delivered from right to left, which cannot be done by ascending the stairs).

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The Middle Ages are full of mysteries. And the farther it goes, the more it becomes overgrown with fiction. How to understand, to understand where is the truth and where is the lie? Let's open the veil of mysterious centuries and dwell on interesting facts about the Middle Ages.

What is this period?

What is the Middle Ages? This is a period from 500 to 1500, although the exact dates have not yet been established. What interesting facts about the Middle Ages in Europe are reported by modern historians? It is noteworthy that at that time there was no central authority or government. It was an intermediate time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. Asceticism became the official ideology in the early Middle Ages. A person had to prepare himself for the afterlife even during his lifetime and spend time in prayers and repentance. The influence of the church on public life waned slightly from 800 to 900.

Early Middle Ages. Interesting Facts

The Early Middle Ages is the period from the 6th to the 10th centuries. The second name of this stage is “late antiquity”, which speaks of the connection with the era of antiquity. That time was later referred to simply as the "Dark Ages".

An interesting fact: the period of the Middle Ages was marked by the arrival of Germanic tribes in Western Europe, primarily Goths and Vandals, who did not know cities, European culture. Many of them were pagan tribes. Cities fell into decay, many were plundered, local residents fled. Trade began to decline: it became dangerous to transport goods and trade. At this time, the expansion of the Frankish state began, reaching its greatest strength under Charlemagne (768-814). Charlemagne decided to create a new Roman Empire.

An interesting fact: in the empire of Charlemagne there was no capital. He, along with his court, traveled from one estate to another. Feudal relations began to develop in the state. Free people were forcibly turned into slaves. The power of large feudal lords who lived in their castles increased, they became absolute masters of their lands. And after the fall of the Carolingian Empire, the lands were completely divided between lords and princes, which further strengthened the power of the feudal lords.

Locks

In the 12th-16th centuries, any European state consisted of cities and fiefs. Large feudal lords lived in large castles surrounded by a moat and a wall that could protect against enemies. Indeed, at that time it was necessary to defend not only from an external enemy, but also from the attacks of a neighbor who claimed fertile lands. The outer wall went into the ground for several meters, so that it was impossible to make a tunnel. The thickness of the walls reached 3 meters, the height - up to 6 meters. Holes were made on the walls above, loopholes, so that you could shoot from a bow and crossbow. Stone towers were built into the walls, from where observation was carried out.

Inside the courtyard there must have been a well, the construction of which was a very costly business. But the feudal lords did not spare money for a source of water: it is not known how long the siege of the fortress could last. Some wells were up to 140 meters deep, as feudal castles were built on hills.

Next to the castle there was always a church and a tower - the highest part of the fortress. From here, observations were made of the surrounding area, and women and children hid here in the event of a break in the siege.

The weakest part of the walls were the wooden gates. To strengthen them, they were protected by wrought iron bars. Some castles had double gates, which could cause an enemy to be trapped between them.

Interesting facts about medieval castles:

1. The castles were well adapted to protect the population, but it was very inconvenient to live in them: inside it was often damp, twilight, because the sun's rays could not enter through small windows, and poor air circulation.
2. The most important pets in the fortress were cats and dogs. They saved the premises from the attack of rats.
3. In almost every castle, secret passages were created in order to move unnoticed from one room to another.
4. The siege of the castle sometimes lasted several months: the besieged sometimes surrendered only when famine began.
5. A bridge with a lifting structure passed through the ditch; in the event of a siege, the bridge rose, and the wide ditch prevented the enemy from coming close to the walls.
6. Windsor Castle is one of the famous medieval castles in the world. After William the Conqueror became King of England, he built Windsor. Today the castle is still used by the English queen.

Age of chivalry

The history of medieval knights goes back to the ancient world, but the actual phenomenon became popular in the middle and late medieval times. Chivalry goes back to the Catholic order of chivalry. The first knights appeared among the Visigoths, who lived in Italy and Spain. And by the end of the 12th century, almost all nobles were knighted. Next, interesting facts about the knights of the Middle Ages will be presented.

Rite of knighthood

A remarkable fact: it turns out that being a knight was very expensive. It was necessary to buy armor, a horse, a servant. These were the prerequisites. All these knights had to provide the ruler. He gave them plots of land that could be rented out and with this money they could buy everything they needed.

Another interesting fact about life in the Middle Ages: knighthood took place after the execution of 20 years or 21 years in the presence of a ruler or lord, whom the young man pledged to serve. The rite of passage was borrowed from the ancient Romans. The seigneur approached the future knight, who knelt before him, and struck several times with his flat sword on the shoulder. The young man took an oath of allegiance to God and his lord. After that, a horse was brought to the knight.

This rite was preceded by years of preparation for knighthood: starting from the age of eight, boys of noble origin were trained in the use of a sword, bow, horseback riding, secular manners. Often they were given for training in the family of lords, where the boys played the role of a servant and at the same time studied various martial arts.

Knights - the elite of the state

Ideally, a knight should have been distinguished not only by a noble birth. They were supposed to be Christians, defenders of the church, models of bravery and courage, bearers of honor and dignity. The knights acted in the campaign of their master against another feudal lord, participated in the crusades as preachers of Christianity. In their free time from the war, tournaments were organized, participation in which the knights considered it an honor. After all, it was an opportunity to demonstrate their military prowess.

And yet, many of the knights were considered notorious villains who robbed the common people, who were treated with contempt. In France, under King Charles VI, the elite of the state. Basically, these were the same aristocrats who appeared in public or at tournaments surrounded by a whole escort. But there were also poor "single-shielded" knights who stood at the lowest level of the hierarchy. Each knight, except the king, obeyed his master.

A noteworthy fact: if in the 10th and 11th centuries everyone could become a knight, then already in the 12th century restrictions appeared. Under King Louis VI, people from the lower classes were publicly deprived of this noble title, spurs were beaten off on a dunghill.

Crusades

In just two centuries, eight crusades were undertaken. Their goal was to protect the Christian world from enemies - Muslims, but in fact everything ended with robberies and robbery. In gratitude for participating in campaigns, the knights received material rewards from the church, public respect and forgiveness for all sins. The most memorable was the third crusade, led by Emperor Frederick I of Germany, King Philip II of France and King Richard the Lionheart of England.

During the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart established himself as a great military leader and worthy knight. He led the third crusade and proved to be a brave warrior.

Another famous medieval knight was El Cid, a Spanish nobleman who fought bravely against the Moors in Spain in the 11th century. The people called him the winner, and after his death they turned him into a folk hero.

Military orders

Military orders played the role of a standing army, necessary to maintain order in the conquered lands. The most famous knightly orders: the Teutonic Order, the Order of the Knights Templar, the Order of the Hospitallers.

An interesting fact about the knights of the Middle Ages: the soldiers of the Teutonic Order fought with the Russian army, led by Alexander Nevsky on Lake Peipus, and were defeated.

Secular chivalry

After the end of the Crusades, religion lost its influence on chivalry. During this period, the knights took part in the Hundred Years War between England and France.

Palace chivalry

Subsequently, the knights were palace servants and played a purely secular role: they took part in jousting tournaments, arranged fights over a beautiful lady, and practiced secular manners at balls.

Epidemics in the Middle Ages

People were powerless before them. The reasons for their spread were unsanitary conditions, dirt, bad food, hunger, high population density in cities. One of the most terrible epidemics is the plague. Let's dwell on interesting facts about the plague:

• In the Middle Ages, namely in 1348, the "black death" claimed the lives of almost 50 million people, that is, a third of the population of Europe. And in populous cities, the disease mowed down more than half of the inhabitants. The streets are empty, the wars have stopped.
• Doctors were powerless in front of this disease, they did not know how to treat, who was its peddler. They blamed people, cats, dogs. And spread the disease most often rats.
• Not knowing the causes of the infection, people began to go to church, pray to God, donate their last money. Others, more superstitious, turned to magicians and sorcerers.

Such epidemics were repeated several times and completely changed the face of medieval cities. To prevent the disease, they began to wash the streets, sewers for waste appeared, and residents began to be provided with clean water.

Interesting facts about the culture of the Middle Ages

It's interesting to know:

• When did the first universities appear: in the 12th century - Paris, in the 13th century - like Oxford and Cambridge in England, and then another 63 higher educational institutions.
• Another interesting fact about the Middle Ages: during this period, the free-thinking and cheerful poetry of the vagants (goliards) develops - itinerant singers and musicians who glorify a carefree free life. They took poetic rhymes from Latin literature: “Life in the world is good, if the soul is free, and the free soul is pleasing to the Lord!”.
• The monuments of the heroic epic are recorded, which were previously transmitted only orally.
• It was in the Middle Ages that the cult of the beautiful lady arose. And it is associated with the development of courtly poetry and the work of troubadour poets.
• The first chivalric novels appear. Among the first courtly novels is the story of Tristan and Iseult.
• In architecture, a new style appears - Gothic. The main buildings in this style were cathedrals - large-scale structures of great height. They were distinguished by light and slender columns, carved walls decorated with sculptures, large windows with stained-glass windows made of multi-colored mosaics. Notre Dame Cathedral in France became one of the brightest Gothic monuments.

• The era of the Late Middle Ages was marked by great geographical discoveries. Genoese Christopher Columbus made 4 voyages to the shores of South and Central America. But the territories he discovered were named after Amerigo Vespucci, who described the new lands and proved that they were separate continents. Another achievement of this time was the opening of the sea route to India. The Portuguese, led by Vasco da Gama, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and reached the shores of India. And the Portuguese nobleman Ferdinand Magellan made the first trip around the world in 1519-1521.

The role of the church in the Middle Ages

The Church in the Middle Ages acquired great economic and political influence. Huge tracts of land and monetary wealth were concentrated in her hands. All this gave her the opportunity to influence state power, to subjugate culture, science, and spiritual life. Interesting facts about the church in the Middle Ages:

• The most notorious enterprises under the leadership of the church entered the history: the crusades, the witch hunt, the inquisition.
• In 1054, the church split into two branches: Orthodox and Roman Catholic. The gap between them gradually widened.

1. The Middle Ages are called the era that came after antiquity.

2. In the Middle Ages, many states and empires were born, which later became the forerunners of modern countries.

3. Sometimes the Middle Ages are called the Dark Ages, as if opposing enlightened antiquity and the Enlightenment, which went before and after the Middle Ages.

4. But for some reason, it was after this relatively short era, which lasted one millennium and was full of wars and epidemics, that democracy, technological progress began to dominate in Europe, and such a thing as human rights arose.

5. In the Middle Ages, important changes took place in many areas of people's lives. The Middle Ages were characterized as the time of the establishment of Christianity. It was with the help of religion that many changes occurred in the minds of people, which was reflected in the changes in society as a whole.

6. Women were completely equal in rights with men. Moreover, a woman in the ideals of chivalry has become a higher being, not attainable for understanding and a real inspiration for a man.

7. Antiquity was filled with such a close connection with nature that it was actually deified and feared at the same time. Antiquity, despite some technical progress, was characterized by a small number of scientific achievements. That is, the foundation of scientific knowledge was laid, but in general, there were few discoveries and they rarely arose.

8. In the Middle Ages, people stopped deifying nature and natural phenomena. From Judaism to Christianity came the teaching that nature was created for man, and should serve it. This became the basis of technological progress.

9. In the Middle Ages, the foundations for the protection of human rights were laid. Strangely enough, the Inquisition court was a model of justice, where the accused was given the opportunity to defend himself, witnesses were interviewed, and they tried to obtain information as fully as possible without using torture.

10. Torture was used only because it was part of Roman law, on which medieval justice was based. As a rule, most of the information about the cruelty of the Inquisition is nothing more than ordinary fiction.

TEMPLE OF THE MIDDLE AGES

11. Despite close cooperation, religion and the state in the Middle Ages began to separate from one another, which became the basis of a secular state and religious tolerance. This came out of the principle "To God - God's, and to Caesar - Caesar's."

12. You can sometimes hear that the medieval church held back the development of culture and education. This information is not true, since it was the monasteries that had large collections of books, schools were opened at the monasteries, medieval culture was concentrated here, since the monks studied ancient authors.

13. In addition, church leaders knew how to write at a time when many kings put a cross instead of a signature.

14. In medieval Western European churches, special holes were made in the walls for lepers and other patients who could not contact other parishioners.

15. Through these windows people could see the altar. This was done in order not to completely reject the sick from society and so that they would have access to the Liturgy and church sacraments.

CITIES OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE

16. False facts about the Middle Ages appeared thanks to Hollywood, where many directors mix different periods and pass everything off as the Middle Ages. Of course, because of this, this period seems to us romantic and at the same time dangerous.

17. It is believed that in the Middle Ages, everyone used one-handed chains as weapons in battle. But historians believe that one-handed chains were unpopular in the Middle Ages because they were difficult to control. Two-handed weapons were mainly used at that time, as they were easier to control.

18. Many believe that people were tortured in the Iron Maiden. "Iron Maidens" are devices resembling an iron cabinet with spikes inside, designed to torture and execute people. In fact, such a device appeared only at the end of the 18th century and has nothing to do with the Middle Ages.

19. There is a fact that men forced women to wear chastity belts in the Middle Ages, but this is not true. The idea of ​​a woman wearing a metal chastity belt with a lock and key to protect her virtue was a joke or part of an allegory, but not a reality in the Middle Ages.

20. It is not true that medieval people thought the earth was flat. But all educated people in the Western world have known that the world has been spherical since the third century BC.

CONICAL HATS

21. In the Middle Ages, women's fashion was interesting - girls and women wore sharp conical hats up to one meter high. This greatly amused the guys who tried to throw something to knock off their hats.

22. Also, ladies wore long trains on dresses, the length depended on wealth. There were laws that limited the length of this decorative piece of clothing. The violators cut off the excess part of the train with a sword.

23. Marriages in the Middle Ages were sometimes concluded at 12-14 years old.

24. The real problem of the Middle Ages was the plague, the epidemics of which mowed down entire cities. Then the now widely known plague doctors appeared, easily recognizable by their mask with a beak.

25. Medieval doctors believed that the infection spreads along with smells, and fragrant herbs were placed in this beak on the mask so that the doctor could breathe through this kind of respirator.

MEDIEVAL LIBRARY

26. Books at that time in libraries were chained to the shelves. This is due to their great value and monetary value.

27. Books were especially valued, the pages of which were made of calfskins - parchment and copied by hand. The covers of such publications were decorated with noble metals and precious stones.

28. It is not at all true that all people then were incredibly dirty. Bathing figured prominently in the Middle Ages as a social, sexual, and festive activity. While bathing, they used soap, herbs and oils. Of course, people at that time were not as clean as they are today, but despite this, they also took care of hygiene.

29. Many have heard that in the Middle Ages, "witches" were tracked down and burned at the stake. This is not entirely true. Intensive persecution of the so-called witches occurred approximately in the period: XVI-XVII centuries. But even then, the preferred method of killing witches was hanging rather than burning at the stake. For most of the Middle Ages, people thought that witches were not real, and those who thought they were witches were simply deceiving themselves. The Catholic Church decided that witches were a threat around 1484, towards the end of the Middle Ages.

30. Contrary to popular myth, life expectancy in that era was only statistically low. Mortality was much higher, it is a fact, but people with normal health had every chance of living to old age.

MEDIEVAL CAFTAN

31. At the beginning of the Middle Ages, buttons were used only as a decorative element of clothing. They began to be used for fastening later, around the 13th century.

32. For men of that time, the level of wealth could be determined by the boots - the longer the boots, the richer the person was. The length of the toes of shoes could reach one meter. Since then, the proverb “live in a big way” has gone.

MEDIEVAL KNIGHT

33. Contrary to popular belief, knights on horseback did not dominate the battlefield in the Middle Ages. Ground troops were much more useful than mounted knights. Especially in the XIV century, wars were more oriented towards archery than cavalry.

34. It is not true that the armor at that time was so heavy that the knights had to be mounted on horses. Field armor in the Middle Ages actually weighed between 20 and 25 kilograms, which is lighter than modern fire and oxygen suits.

35. Earwax in those days was actively used on the farm. So, the dressmakers smeared the ends of the threads with it so that they would not fray, and the scribes isolated from it the pigments they needed to draw illustrations in books.

36. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that a beautiful female forehead should be high - this feature was linked with aristocratic origin. Therefore, some secular ladies even plucked their hair over their forehead so that it seemed higher. Such was the fashion.

37. Before winter, animals were slaughtered in the villages and meat was prepared for the winter. The traditional way of harvesting was salting, but such meat was not tasty and they tried to season it with oriental spices. And massive demand in Europe supported high prices - pepper was literally worth its weight in gold.

38. There is a misconception that the doctors of the Middle Ages did not know and did not understand what they were doing. It is a myth. Doctors in the Middle Ages did their best, using all available knowledge. Their practice was not barbaric stupidity: they led to discoveries that laid the foundations of modern medicine.

39. At that time in castles, spiral staircases were twisted clockwise so that those on top would have an advantage in battle. Defenders could strike from right to left, this strike was not available to the attackers.

40. It happened that in the family the men were mostly left-handed, then they built castles in which the stairs twisted counterclockwise - for example, the German castle of the Wallensteins or the Scottish castle of Fernihurst.

41. Beer in Medieval Europe was consumed not only by men, but also by women. In England, each resident consumed almost one liter per day (on average), which is three times more than today and twice as much as in the modern country of the beer champion - the Czech Republic.

42. Beer was popular mainly in the northern and eastern countries of Europe. In the south, wine has traditionally been drunk since Roman times - children and women diluted, and men could sometimes afford to drink undiluted.

43. The reason for this was not general drunkenness, but the fact that the quality of the water was poor, and the small amount of alcohol that was in the beer killed the bacteria and made it safe to drink.

44. There is a widespread myth that in those troubled times the Vikings drank from the skulls of their enemies. This is not true. The Vikings in the Middle Ages drank from vessels made from animal horns, like real gentlemen.

45. The Middle Ages, of course, was a dangerous time - only the strongest, tenacious and adapted survived in this seething cauldron. But the development of sciences and, as a result, technologies brought new times, more civilized, but, perhaps, devoid of some of that romance, now forever lost.

This is the time of the great migration of peoples, the Crusades, the Mongol invasion, the opening of the Great Silk Road and the period of the Renaissance. We present interesting facts about the Middle Ages, which are even impressive.

Buttons in the Middle Ages were first used not only as an element of clothing decor, but also as a practical detail with which these clothes were fastened. It symbolized wealth and luxury. The more buttons on the outfit, the higher the status of its owner. King Francis I of France sported a suit with 13,600 buttons sewn on.

Glasses were invented in the Middle Ages. And first there were "progenitors" of sunglasses. In 12th century China, judges wore dark plates of smoky quartz. This was done in order to hide the expression of the judge's eyes from those present. And in the 13th century, eyeglasses appeared in Italy that improved vision.

The tradition of clinking glasses appeared in the Middle Ages. At feasts, glasses of wine could be poured with poison to get rid of the enemy. When the mugs hit each other, the liquid from one mug overflowed into another.

Thus, the poisoner's poison could get into his dishes. Clinking glasses, those present at the feast confirmed that there was no poison in the liquid. A big offense and the beginning of enmity was considered the refusal to clink glasses.

1493 is the year of birth of the Snowman, a funny companion of a snowy and frosty winter. For the first time, such a figure was made of snow in 1493 by the famous Italian sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti. In the Middle Ages, the Snowman was an evil and frightening companion of winter. They frightened naughty children. And only by the 19th century the Snowman became kind and cheerful.

Spices in the Middle Ages in Europe were very expensive. For example, 450g of nutmeg could be purchased for one cow or four sheep. Spices served as a currency and a means of accumulating capital, they could pay for purchases, pay fines. For 2 years they were on their way to get to Europe. Spices were the cause of new crusades, new voyages and significant geographical discoveries.

Mona Lisa, or Gioconda, in the mysterious painting by Leonardo da Vinci is the ideal of a woman of the Middle Ages. In the 15th century, a high forehead, lack of eyebrows, pallor, round face shapes and figures were in fashion. Many fashionistas of that time deliberately completely plucked their eyebrows and shaved their foreheads.

Other interesting facts about the Middle Ages can be found in the film.

Whose clothes had more than 10,000 buttons sewn on?

Buttons appeared long before our era, but were used only as decoration. Around the 12th and 13th century, buttons were again recognized in Europe, but now they also have a functional meaning of fastening into loops, and not just decorative. In the Middle Ages, buttons became such a popular accessory that one could judge the status of the owner by their number on clothes. For example, on one of the outfits of the French king Francis I, there were 13,600 buttons.

Where was the gallows that could serve 50 people at a time?

In the 13th century, a giant gallows of Montfaucon was built near Paris, which has not survived to this day. Montfaucon was divided into cells by vertical pillars and horizontal beams and could serve as an execution site for 50 people at a time. According to the plan of the creator of the building, de Marigny, an adviser to the king, the sight of many decomposing bodies on Montfaucon was supposed to warn other subjects from crimes. In the end, de Marigny himself was hanged there.

In what era was beer the most popular drink in Europe?

In medieval Europe, especially the northern and eastern parts of it, beer was a truly massive drink - it was consumed by people of all classes and ages. For example, in England, per capita beer consumption reached 300 liters per year, although now this figure is about 100 liters, and even in the Czech Republic, which is the leader in this parameter, it is slightly more than 150 liters. The main reason for this was the poor quality of the water, which was eliminated during the fermentation process.

What expression about a useless deed was literally carried out by medieval monks?

The expression “to crush water in a mortar”, which means doing something useless, has a very ancient origin - it was used by ancient authors, for example, Lucian. And in medieval monasteries, it had a literal character: the guilty monks were forced to crush the water as a punishment.

Why does Mona Lisa have her forehead shaved and her eyebrows plucked?

In Western Europe in the 15th century, there was such an ideal of a woman: an S-shaped silhouette, a curved back, a round, pale face with a high, clean forehead. To match the ideal, women shaved their hair on their foreheads and plucked their eyebrows - just like the Mona Lisa in the famous painting by Leonardo.

When could not only people, but also animals be accused in courts?

In the Middle Ages, there were frequent cases of church trials of animals according to all the rules - with accusers, lawyers and witnesses. Any animal could be accused, from large domestic animals to locusts and May beetles. Domestic animals, as a rule, were tried for witchcraft and sentenced to death, and wild ones for sabotage could be excommunicated from the church or ordered to leave the country. The last such verdict on a cow was in 1740.

What cruel scenes were removed from the folk tales of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm?

Most of the fairy tales known to us under the authorship of Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm and other storytellers originated among the people in the Middle Ages, and their original plots are sometimes distinguished by the cruelty and naturalness of everyday scenes. For example, in the tale of the Sleeping Beauty, the foreign king does not kiss her, but rapes her. The wolf eats not only Granny, but half the village into the bargain, and Little Red Riding Hood then lures him into a pit of boiling tar. In the fairy tale about Cinderella, the sisters still manage to try on a slipper, for which one of them cuts off her finger, the other - her heel, but then they are exposed by their singing pigeons.

Why were spices so expensive in Europe in the Middle Ages?

In medieval Europe, on the eve of winter, mass slaughter of cattle and meat harvesting began. If the meat is simply salted, it loses its original taste. Spices, which were brought mainly from Asia, help to keep it almost in its original form. But since the Turks monopolized almost the entire spice trade, their price was prohibitive. This factor was one of the motives for the rapid development of navigation and the beginning of the era of great geographical discoveries. And in Russia, because of the harsh winters, there was no urgent need for spices.

Why did only one bronze pre-Christian statue survive in Rome?

When the Romans adopted Christianity, they massively began to destroy pre-Christian statues. The only bronze statue that survived the Middle Ages is the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, and only because the Romans mistook him for the first Christian emperor, Constantine.

Who in the Middle Ages, having failed to conquer the castle, bought it?

In 1456, the Teutonic Order successfully defended the fortress of Marienburg, withstanding a siege by the Poles. However, the Order ran out of money, and there was nothing to pay off the Bohemian mercenary soldiers. This fortress was handed over to the mercenaries as a salary, and they sold Marienburg to the same Poles.

What functions were assigned to female samurai?

The samurai class in medieval Japan consisted not only of men. It also included female warriors ("onna-bugeisha"). Usually they did not participate in battles, but they had weapons to protect the house. They also had a jigai ritual - an analogue of seppuku for men - only women cut their throats instead of opening their stomachs. Such a ritual could be performed simply by the wives of dead warriors who were not part of the samurai class, with the consent of their parents.

When were books in libraries chained to shelves?

In the public libraries of medieval Europe, books were chained to shelves. Such chains were long enough to remove the book from the shelf and read, but did not allow the book to be taken out of the library. This practice was common until the 18th century, due to the great value of each copy of the book.

What did a Czech village have to do to get the status of a city?

In medieval Bohemia, a settlement, in order to receive the status of a city, had to independently administer a court, have a customs office and a brewery.

Why did medieval ladies wear marten and ermine furs?

Medieval ladies wore a piece of fur from martens, ferrets and ermines, as well as live weasels, on their arms or around their necks to protect against fleas.

Where did women carry their husbands on their shoulders from a given fortress?

When Weinsberg was conquered in 1140, King Conrad III of Germany allowed the women to leave the ruined city and take whatever they wished in their hands. The women carried their husbands on their shoulders.

WATCH 2011

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Why did boys wear dresses before?

In the period from the 17th to the middle of the 18th century, dressing boys in dresses was the norm. And the decision of the question of what to wear: a dress and a cap or breeches and a frock coat, depended on the age of the child. Why?
It turns out that the clothes of the past did not depend on the gender of the child, as they do now, but symbolized the degree of dependence of young offspring on adults. And if the boy was dressed in girl's clothes, then this meant that he was not yet independent enough to move into the world of men, and he still needed to grow up. As they grew older, the elements of clothes worn by boys changed or completely disappeared from their wardrobe. So, initially it was allowed to take off the caps and open one's hair, at the age of 6-7, take off the dress and put on the breeches. However, if the boys committed any prank, then as a punishment they were dressed back in dresses. Therefore, the interest to stay in the male world took precedence over their pranks, and the boys tried to behave well.

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Sunday became a day off thanks to the decree of the emperor.

Sunday became a day off thanks to the decree of the Roman Emperor Constantine I the Great. Further, everything is in detail: In March, 1691 was celebrated the birthday of Sunday, which in 321 became a day of rest. This historical event took place on the initiative of the Roman Emperor Constantine I the Great, who issued a special decree that declared Sunday a day off.

And the reason for this decision, as often happened with the rulers of those times, was a prophetic dream. On the eve of the upcoming battle on Sunday, the Roman emperor saw in a dream a cross in the sun, and next to it was an inscription saying that with this sign he would win. And so it happened. In the Sunday battle, Constantine the Great defeated his enemies, and his victory was unconditional. Impressed by the vision and his military success, the emperor by a special decree forbade physical labor on Sundays and ordered that this day be dedicated to the Lord.

Since then, Sunday has been a day off, and believers dedicate this day to communion with running and, traditionally, whole families visit churches. However, in Israel, as well as in countries where the main religion is Islam, on Sunday people go to work, and other days are days off.

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What is the relationship between dentistry and the electric chair, what is the annual celebration dedicated to teeth in China, and why did medieval dentists use frogs?

Ancient Japanese dentists removed teeth with their bare hands.

And here are some tips from harsh medieval dentists: to strengthen loose teeth, tie a frog to your jaw, and to relieve gum pain, rub them with the tooth of a person who died a violent death. Such a wonderful thing as an electric chair was also invented by a dentist. Almost 130 years ago, it was invented by Albert Southwick, a dentist from Buffalo, New York. Initially, he thought that electricity could be used in his medical practice as a pain reliever.
Before the technology for making artificial ceramic teeth was invented in the 19th century, the teeth of soldiers who fell on the battlefield were used as material for dentures. After the American Civil War, English dentists received barrels of such supplies.
Not so long ago, dentures were a popular wedding gift in Britain. Apparently, the British decided that they would lose their teeth pretty soon anyway, so they began to speed up the process by removing teeth at a relatively young age. Mao Zedong, like many contemporary Chinese, refused to brush his teeth. Instead, he rinsed his mouth with tea and chewed the tea leaves. "Why clean? Does a tiger ever brush its teeth?” he said. Isaac Newton's tooth was sold in 1816 for £730 (about $1,048 today), after which it was inserted into a ring by an aristocrat who bought it.
The entire chewing muscles can develop a force of 390 - 400 kg, the strength of the chewing muscles on one side is 195 kg. If you are right-handed, then you chew most of the food on the right side of the jaw, and vice versa, if you are left-handed, then on the left. one of the identical twins is missing a tooth, as a rule, the other twin is missing the same tooth. American dentists use about 13 tons of gold per year to make crowns, bridges, inlays and dentures. To increase interest in maintaining healthy teeth and gums among a population of twelve million, a national holiday was established in China, whose name can be translated as "Love Your Teeth Day" and which takes place every year on September 20th.

By the way, according to legend, Mao Zedong, like many contemporary Chinese, refused to brush his teeth. Instead, he rinsed his mouth with tea and chewed the tea leaves. "Why clean? Does a tiger ever brush its teeth?” he said.

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Fact about five-franc coins.

The history of five-franc coins, which in 1804 Napoleon I issued into circulation, is interesting. These coins were large and had a fair weight. The people of France did not take them from the banks. To remedy the situation, Napoleon came up with an ingenious way. In one of the five-franc coins, on his orders, a check was inserted for 5 million francs, giving the right to receive this almost fantastic amount from the state bank.
In the near future, the entire issue of five-franc coins was in circulation. The most reckless search for the treasure-coin began. There has never been a more original lottery in history.
But until now, a check for 5 million francs, personally signed by Napoleon, has not been presented to the bank. Does such a coin exist? The answer to this question is: "Napoleon should be trusted." Something else is also known. At the beginning of our century, the French government confirmed the fact of issuing a coin with a check, but guaranteed payment at presentation of only 5 million francs and interest accumulated over more than a hundred years. Where is this coin? Her secret has never been revealed.

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Why did a Russian man carry a bell with him in the old days?

In the old days, a Russian person always carried a personal bell with him. It was the same necessary accessory, as in our time a mobile phone. And our ancestor had his own reasons for this.

The bell made it much easier to find a person if he got lost in the forest. In addition, the ringing of a bell, according to legend, scared away wild animals and poisonous reptiles.

From time immemorial, it was believed that the trill of a bell drives away evil spirits. And there were no less of them in the past than now.

A bell hung around the horse's neck tuned the animal to a certain rhythm, which could not be knocked down by wolves or other troubles that suddenly appeared on the way.


With the help of the bell, many ailments were treated, for example, migraine and melancholy. In addition, it was believed that the ringing of a bell perfectly awakens a person after a sleepless night and sobers up after abusing strong drinks.

The bell was used when making important life decisions. To do this, you had to continuously ring over your ear for several minutes. The very first thought that arose after the trill was considered correct.

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The shortest war in the world.

This fleeting war lasted only 45 minutes and entered the Guinness Book of Records.

At the end of the 19th century, Zanzibar was under British rule. In 1896, the new Sultan of Zanzibar, Khalid ibn Bargash, tried to get out of hand, seeking support from Germany. He gathered a small army of two and a half thousand soldiers and took out an old 16th-century cannon from the cellars. The British responded by issuing an ultimatum, expiring at 9:00 am on August 27, according to which the Zanzibaris were to surrender.
In response, they hoisted a cannon on their only ship, the Glasgow yacht, and fearlessly went out to sea, towards five English frigates. Exactly at the time appointed by the ultimatum, the Imperial Navy opened fire on the coast. Five minutes later, the Glasgow responded and was immediately sunk by crossfire from two ships. The Zanzibar ship continued to shoot all the time until it disappeared under the water. After half an hour of bombardment, only the masts of the Glasgow were visible from under the water, and the coastal structures were practically destroyed. However, the Zanzibar flag continued to fly from the palace flagpole. The fleet resumed firing. Fifteen minutes later the shore was completely burned, not a single gun answered. The top of the flagpole was destroyed and the flag was nowhere to be seen. The Sultan ordered the soldiers to leave the battlefield, and he himself asked for asylum in the German consulate. The shelling lasted 38 minutes, killing about 570 people from the Zanzibar side, and it went down in history as the shortest war in the world.
After the war, the former sultan lived in Dar es Salaam until 1916, when he was captured by the British. He died in 1927 in Mombasa.

3. Gloves, as it turned out, were strictly a household item of clothing, even though there were a lot of them (ballroom, for hunting). Wearing gloves in crowded places was indecent.

4. It's hard to believe, but in the 20s of the last century in the schools of the USSR it was not decent to write correctly. For excessive literacy, letters to a person could even be conveyed.

5. In England it is still ugly to knit in crowded places. But, nevertheless, talk about this has become popular, especially among the male part of the population. It became the third topic discussed in bars, right after football and politics.

6. For a long time, it was ugly for guests and residents of Bulgaria when a man drank less than 1.5 liters of beer a day. The fact is that in this country such an alcoholic drink costs quite a bit, and drinking too moderately could be considered inhospitable.

7. During the tea ceremony in the houses of Japan, the posture of the person sitting at the table plays a very important role. It is also considered indecent to pose when a person sits cross-legged in front of him, and sitting, stretching his legs to the side. Most often, the Japanese drink tea with their legs tucked under them.

8. In Russia in the 19-20th centuries it was ugly to take land for a summer residence, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich was less than 12 acres.

9. Following the rules of good manners, in boyar estates, during a conversation, one should not stand sideways to the interlocutor. If someone entered the living room, it was uncivilized to examine him from head to toe. So it was possible to put a modest person, and especially a woman, in a very awkward position.

10. It is not customary for the people of Thailand to touch the head or pat on the shoulder when talking to another person. This refers to the display of tenderness, which in this country is indecent to show in public.

In the Middle Ages, a "moment" was understood as a very specific unit of time - 90 seconds, no more and no less. And in our time, the concept of "moment" has become somewhat more vague. The term "moment" was first used by John Trevize in 1398, when he wrote that one hour consists of 40 moments. But nowadays, this word is understood as a very short period of time, and no one remembers its original meaning.