Medieval Madness

A lot of Medieval cities were similar to ours today in that they had governing bodies, educational structures, bankers, lawyers, hospitals, merchants, and an exchange of goods and services, as well as some extraordinary cathedrals that are still standing today. Though the Medievals themselves were unsure about the advantages of their cities. The English chronicler and monk Richard Devizes wrote ab...

Most people know what it means when someone is described as a conman. It’s short for confidence man: what we would know today as a scammer. People who use deceit, cleverness and lies for their own ends. The scam is usually about greed and is a way of defrauding someone to get their money. Although we associate scams today with phones and modern technology they have been around for hundreds of year...

Eirikr raudi Thorvaldsson was an interesting character to say the least, and could easily claim to be the most famous Viking of all time. Born in approximately 950AD in Norway and dying at only 53 years old, Erik lived life in the fast lane. Exiled twice and renowned for his temper, Erik embodies the hot-blooded Viking to the full. We know about his deeds (and misdeeds) from the Saga of Erik the R...

There are many famous mysteries from the Middle Ages that have kept us guessing. Such as the fate of King Edward II and the princes in the Tower, or the meaning of the Voynich Manuscript. Today we thought we would take you on a journey back to the Middle Ages to discover some more puzzles that have stumped the curious for centuries. Welcome to Medieval Madness.  Learn more about your ad choices. V...

It’s been called the most mysterious manuscript in the world and for centuries researchers, historians and linguists have all failed to decipher the puzzling drawings of plants, astrological symbols and bare-naked ladies. It’s a book that no one can read and has no title. In 1962, American cryptanalyst and author Elizabeth Smith Friedman felt that trying to decipher the manuscript was “doomed to u...

Worship of the saints was a central belief of the medieval church. But not all saints had equal importance. The appeal of some was universal and they were revered right across Christendom. Usually established very early on they were often figures from the Bible such as Saint John the Baptist or Saint Paul who were martyred during Roman rule. But at the opposite end of the scale were also the littl...

Dive into the fascinating world of Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England, in this captivating documentary here on MedievalMadness. We'll explore his life, reign, and the controversies that surrounded him, from his rise to power to his untimely death at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Discover the truth behind the myths and legends that have shaped his legacy, and learn about the recent a...

It has been argued that during the Middle Ages, up to 85% of the population were peasants. Their working day was long, hard, and extremely difficult. For some their day of backbreaking labour could begin as early as three o’clock in the morning during the summer. If you were lucky or unlucky enough (depending on your point of view) to avoid the high rate of infant mortality and the constant threat...

It was supposed to be an end to the Danish Civil War and a celebration of peace. But by the third day of revelries one of the three men who were fighting for the throne was dead, another wounded and the third was being blamed. So what really happened in the Danish capital of Roskilde on August 9th, 1157? Was it an acceptable preventative strike or just good old, premeditated murder? Let’s travel b...

Throughout human history one thing has remained constant, namely the enjoyment of having sex, but by the late Middle Ages both gonorrhoea and syphilis were widespread. Although the poor could only make do with superstition and herbal remedies, the rich could rely on their expensive physicians. Without antibiotics though the success of any treatment was mostly based on luck. Especially when you con...

In 1960 the author Philippe Ariès published his controversial book Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life. In it he claimed that “in Medieval society the idea of childhood did not exist”. So, let’s travel back in time now and find out if the idea of childhood really is a modern phenomenon, what it was like to be a teenager in the Middle Ages, what age children went out to work for...

Once upon a time in a land far, far away there was a king. He was not only a great king but also a committed Christian. His name was Prester John, and he reigned over 72 countries. The lands that he ruled were rich with gold and silver and overflowing with fantastic creatures. King Prester wrote to many popes in Rome to declare his faithfulness to the Catholic Church. He also described, in his let...

In the Middle Ages fighting females were uncommon. Joan of Arc being a rare exception. But she was not the only woman to strap on armour and wield a sword. In this video we will travel back to the 14th century to meet a vengeful noblewoman who became a pirate and reigned down terror on the King of France. Welcome to Medieval Madness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15th century Florence was the epitome of a Renaissance city and home to some of the greatest philosophers, inventors and artists that have ever lived. A place full of new ideas, free thinking and beauty and also home to two families with tremendous wealth and power, the Pazzi’s and the Medici’s. On Easter Sunday 26th April 1478, a group of conspirators from the Pazzi family decided it would really...

Public executions were a major part of life in the largest and most significant city in the kingdom. The first recorded execution happened there in 1196, but we can be certain that capital punishment took place in London long before the 12th century. London offered an impressive backdrop for some of the most infamous executions in history. As the power of the state became greater, public punishmen...

Remember the expression ‘You’ve got to laugh or else you’ll cry’, well we all need a little bit of laughter in our lives and the Medievals were no different. Let’s face it having to deal with poverty, being supremely pious and suffering from horrific diseases like the Black Death was enough to make anybody miserable and the Medievals had to grab whatever joy they could. Let’s travel back in time f...

With this video we continue to look at the records kept by the royal official known as the Coroner. In the Middle Ages witness testimony was often all an investigator had to go on and often the only witness available was the victim or perpetrator of the crime. And neither were likely to give a fair and balanced statement. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, when these records were made...

When a Medieval death occurred in England an official appointed by the crown and known as the Coroner was responsible for finding out what had happened. By the 13th century there were four coroners in every county. Each one of them had a deputy who would sometimes hold an inquest. Their duties extended to a range of criminal matters, not just a violent or sudden death, but if that was thought to b...

Animals were everywhere in Medieval life. They were used to pull carts and plough fields, they were milked, sheared, skinned and eaten. But were they ever kept just for the sake of companionship, as we keep them today? We often think of pets as animals that live indoors with us. The word ‘pet’ as describing a sort of companion animal wasn’t even used, in the English language until the 16th century...

Were the Middle Ages really as brutal and sadistic as we imagine today? There are many records from the time that actually do prove the stereotype to be true. Let’s face it we all know what the character Marsellus Wallace meant in the film Pulp Fiction when he threatened, “I’m gonna get Medieval on your a*s!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Through the ages humans have resolved disputes by fighting with one another and this was also true in the Middle Ages when judiciary duels were often held.   Also known as trial by combat or battle by combat it was seen as a chivalric way to settle a dispute. If an accusation was made against someone, without a witness or a confession, fighting in single combat was the only way to recognise who wa...

How did people live and die during the harshest months of the year? How did they stay warm? What did they eat? How did they keep themselves entertained in an age before modern day luxuries like electric blankets, double glazing, and Netflix? The onset of the Little Ice Age, between 1300 until about 1870 meant that the long, dark winters of the Late Middle Ages were colder and more dangerous. With...

From the beginnings of civilization, humans have always looked up to the heavens in wonder. Sightings of stars and planets, comets and eclipses are awe inspiring and help us to try and understand our place in the cosmos. Technological advances made just over the last few decades with larger and more powerful equipment mean that we can now probe much deeper into the unknown universe of countless ga...

For our fourth video in our ‘Day in the Life’ series we will travel back in time to the 13th century, where the spectre of heresy loomed large over all the regions of Europe. But especially in the Languedoc area of what is now South West France. Why was the Catholic Church so threatened by a group of celibate vegetarians? What were their beliefs? How were they connected to our old friends the Knig...

The English historian James Anthony Froude once said. “Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow creatures is amusing in itself”. And it would seem that the Medievals were outstanding in creating torture devices that were both breath-taking in their aesthetic and brutality. So we’ve put together another compilation of some of their most crea...