Puss-Drinking and
Scab-Eating--The
general populace scorned lepers for their appearance and disease.
As an act of humility and caring, many female saints such
as St. Catherine would care for these "untouchables" by licking
away the puss in their wounds then eating the scabs. People
considered these saints especially holy.
These men would take a ladder, climb up to the top of a ruined
Roman column, sit down, and then kick away the ladder, vowing
to remain there contemplating God until they died.
Women were widely considered inferior during the Middle Ages. Even though some women possessed considerable - and often extraordinary - power, most of them were very poor and had to work 12 hours every day just to get by. Behind every great king and ruler, was a woman. The influence of women during the Middle Ages is often underestimated.
Most women of the Middle Ages were totally dominated by men. Any man in the family could order a woman to do as he wished. If a woman refused, she was beat into submission, as disobedience was considered a crime against God.
While it is often believed that women possessed no rights during the Middle Ages, that was generally not the case. They had to obey men, but they were often treated well. Women of the royalty lived luxuriously and when chivalry was finally introduced, they were more respected by men. We could say that women were treated based on their social rank, but this would also show some inconsistencies. Some peasants who lived in peaceful times could only work as much as we do today and still live well.
Great site for quest 7
Has the parts of the castle.
Castle MoatsFacts: Castle Moats were used for defensive purposes. To prevent undermining of a castle. Moats were either filled with water or wooden stakes to create a difficult barrier for men and horses
Castle DungeonsFacts: Castle Dungeons were intended for holding prisoners and in extreme cases for torturing them
Castle Murder HolesFacts: Castle Murder Holes were used for defensive purposes. Murder Holes were holes in the ceilings of castle gateways, barbicans or passageways through which heavy missiles or dangerous substances could be thrown on enemy soldiers. The Missiles dropped from 'Murder Holes' included heavy stones, hot sand, molten lead, boiling water and boiling tar or pitch.
The clothing of peasants during the Middle
Ages was very simple, while the clothing of nobility was fitted with a
distinct emphasis on the sleeves of the garments. Knights adorned themselves
with sleeveless "surcoats" covered with a coat of arms. Barbarian nomads
wore clothing made of fur, wool, and leather. They wore long trousers,
some of which had attached feet. Fine leather shoes were also worn. Imports
such as turbans and silks from the East were common for the more fortunate
of society.
As with today, clothing styles of medieval
men changed periodically
At the end of the 13th century, the once loose
and flowing tunics became tighter fitting. Besides tunics, the men also
wore undershirts and briefs covered by a sleeveless jacket and an additional
tunic. Stockings completed the ensemble. Men's medieval clothing also
consisted of cloaks with a round opening that was slipped over the man's
head. Such cloaks were worn over other clothing as a type of "jacket"
Women, especially those who were married, wore tight-fitting caps and
nets over their hair, which was wound in a "bun" on their heads. Other
women wore veils over their hair, which was left either hanging loosely,
or braided tightly.
Fenestral windows, with lattice frames that were
covered in a fabric soaked in resin and tallow, allowed
in light, kept out drafts, and could be removed in good
weather. Only the wealthy could afford panes of glass;
sometimes only churches and royal residences had glass
windows.
In
peasant families, the wife did the cooking and baking.
The peasant diet consisted of breads, vegetables from
their own gardens, dairy products from their own sheep,
goats, and cows, and pork from their own livestock.
Some churches had instruments such as
organs and bells. The organistrum or symphony (later
known as a hurdy gurdy) was also found in churches. Two
people were required to play this stringed
instrument--one to turn the crank and the other to play
the keys.
Medieval drama grew out of the liturgy, beginning in
about the eleventh century.
hese dramas were performed with
costumes and musical instruments and at first took place
directly outside the church. Later they were staged in
marketplaces, where they were produced by local guilds.
No-one was surprised by Henry’s choice as both he and
Thomas were very good friends. They enjoyed hunting, playing jokes and
socialising together. Becket was known to be a lover of wine and a good horse
rider. Henry II loved to ride as well but his personality was troubled by his
fearsome temper. He tried to keep his temper under control by working very hard
as it distracted him from things that might sparked off his temper.
For people in England , there was always the real problem
- do you obey the king or the pope
excommunicating him
Henry II also controlled a lot of France at this time.
William the Conqueror had been his great-grandfather and he had inherited his
French territories as a result of this. When Henry was in France sorting out
problems there, he left Becket in charge of England - such was his trust in him.
Becket became Henry’s chancellor - the most important position in England
after the king.
Henry saw
the chance to give his close friend even more power by appointing him Archbishop
of Canterbury - the most important church position in England.
Henry hoped that by appointing his good friend Becket, he
might have more of a say in how the Church punished offenders. He hoped that
Becket would do as he wished and toughen up the sentences passed out by Church
courts.
The post of Archbishop changed Becket. He dropped his
luxurious lifestyle; he ate bread and drank water, he had a luxury bed but
preferred to sleep on the floor; he wore the rich clothes of an archbishop, but
underneath the fine tunics he wore a horse hair shirt - very itchy and
unpleasant to wear. He gave his expensive food to the poor.
Becket asked the pope to
excommunicate the Archbishop of York who had taken sides with the king.
He is said to have shouted out "will no-one rid me
of this troublesome priest ?" Four knights heard what Henry had shouted
and took it to mean that the king wanted Becket dead. They rode to Canterbury to
carry out the deed. The knights were Reginald FitzUrse, William de Tracey, Hugh
de Morville and Richard le Breton. On December 29th 1170 they killed
Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. After killing him, one of the knights said
"Let us away. He will rise no more."
Becket’s body was still on the cathedral floor when
people from Canterbury came in and tore off pieces of his clothes and then
dipped these pieces in his blood. They believed that they would bring them luck
and keep evil away.
Where Becket died quickly became a place of pilgrimage.
Henry II asked the pope for forgiveness and
he walked bare foot to Canterbury to pray at the spot where Becket was killed.
Monks whipped him while he prayed.
It took 21 carts to remove the valuables from Becket’s shrine at
Canterbury Cathedral.
the momentum started by these people tended to stagnate and it did not develop
at the same pace until the Seventeenth/Eighteenth Centuries.
In Britain, as an
example, most things linked to the Romans
was destroyed – villas were covered up as the Ancient Britons believed that
they contained ghosts and evil spirits. With this approach, it is not surprising
that anything medical linked to the Romans fell into disuse in Britain.
Dissections of human bodies were carried out in these universities
so anyone wanting to study medicine in the Middle Ages was not totally ignorant
of facts about the human body.
However, medicine became steeped in superstition and the
Roman Catholic Church effectively dominated what direction the medical world
took. Any views different from the established Roman Catholic Church view could
veer towards heresy with the punishments that entailed
when the
Roman Catholic Church stated that illnesses were punishments from God and that
those who were ill were so because they were sinners, few argued otherwise.
Urine charts were also used to help physicians diagnose
illnesses. Certain coloured urine indicated certain illnesses. Combined with a
table of the planets, these gave physicians enough information to diagnose a
disease. Once the disease had been diagnosed, a treatment was decided on.
letting blood.
Blood letting was a popular treatment for many diseases.
Many diseases were thought to be caused by an excess of blood in the body and
blood letting was seen as the obvious cure. When a large quantity of blood was
required, the appropriate vein was cut. If only a small amount was needed, a
leech would be used.
Diagnosis was also influenced by astrology
They
believed that the human body and the planets were made up of the same four
elements (earth, fire, air and water). For the body to operate well, all four
elements had to be in harmony with no imbalances. It was believed that the Moon
had the greatest influence on fluids on Earth and that it was the Moon that had
the ability to affect positively or negatively the four elements in your body.
Where the Moon and planets were – and a knowledge of this - was considered
important when making a diagnosis and deciding on a course of treatment.
Remedies for diseases were still crude and based on herbs,
potions or more drastic cures.