Some claims were found in the Bright Side that might seem like something that no one would ever believe. And this is really difficult to do.
But, as it turned out, these "facts" were perceived as truth in the Middle Ages. People were not so educated, and they could easily be convinced of the strangest things.
The article describes several unusual misconceptions that can shock a modern person.
Little people existed in semen
Yes, in the 17th and 18th centuries, scientists really thought that way! Moreover, they believed that every child was already formed, and he only had to grow up. And women were considered only as "incubators".
It seems that only later did people begin to challenge this entrenched opinion. They thought the origin of life was somewhere in the female body, and the job of the male sperm was to awaken life. As it turned out, none of them were right.
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Titivillus
In the Middle Ages, monks served as "printing presses". They had to rewrite hundreds of books by hand. Therefore, it is not surprising that sometimes they made mistakes. Apparently, the authors of the manuscripts did not want to recognize them, so they invented the existence of a special demon called Titivillus.
It was argued that the demon collected the mistakes of each monk in a bag so that after the death of the priest, the devil could show mistakes and reduce his chances of being in paradise.
The heart was buried separately from the person
In the Middle Ages, transporting the body was a very difficult task. But what should have been done if someone asked to bury his body in an important and distant place? In the 10th century, people came up with the idea to cut out hearts and bury them in a place where they could not bury a person.
Only rich people could allow such a ritual. Anne Boleyn, Richard I, and Frederic Chopin are among the people who have done this.
Animals could be tried and executed
In the past, even animals could be considered criminals. They can be brought to trial with the involvement of a real lawyer and judge. They could be sentenced to prison and even executed.
Once in Lausanne, the caterpillars were summoned to court because they ate some of the plants in the garden, but the defendants did not appear. The caterpillars were then ordered to leave the city, and they were excommunicated.
Cats were punished especially often because they were believed to be doing the work of the devil. This led to a significant reduction in the population of these animals. For this reason, many rodents have appeared. They spread the plague throughout Europe. It was a real crime!
There was a huge continent in the Pacific Ocean
Medieval people believed that an ancient continent was flooded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. He was called by different names: Pacifida, Mu or Lemuria.
Easter Island legends serve as circumstantial evidence. They tell the story of a huge island that gradually sank under the water and finally sank.
Gladiator's blood could cure epilepsy
Before battles, the gladiators of Ancient Rome made bloody sacrifices to the gods, who endowed them with strength, endurance and stamina. That is why people believed that the blood of warriors possesses miraculous qualities that can even bestow health.
The famous historian Pliny the Elder wrote about this: “Patients suffering from epilepsy used the blood of gladiators. Such facts were encountered frequently. All these people thought that such a remedy was the most effective remedy for their illness. They believed that the blood of a fighter is able to normalize breathing, as well as purify the blood."
Witches kept male genitals as pets
The infamous Malleus Maleficarum manuscript says that witches stole male genitals and interacted with them as if they were pets. They put them in nests and even fed them.
The strangest thing is that this story is actually based on Koro syndrome, in which patients suddenly feel that some of their organs have disappeared. Unsurprisingly, witches were accused of this atrocity during the Middle Ages.
Evil spirits lived in brussels sprouts
Before cooking Brussels sprouts, some people in Western countries make a cross-like cut. They believe vegetables cook faster in this way. But in fact, this habit has its own historical explanation.
In medieval Britain, people were convinced that tiny demons were hiding in the seedlings. If a person ate one of them, then he or she will definitely get food poisoning. It looks like bacteria, doesn't it? We're not sure if medieval people washed vegetables before consuming them, but this was the medieval way of "driving out" the sprouts.
Some animals were born on their own
In the Middle Ages, people thought that mold, worms and insects could just appear out of nowhere - air, debris, dirt or dust. But at this level of understanding of biological development, this was the only possible explanation.
However, oddly enough, mice and rats were also supposed to appear out of nowhere, despite the fact that it was fairly easy to find out how they actually came about.
Bird bees
Medieval encyclopedias about animals can be very interesting to read these days. For example, bees were considered small and very strange birds that not only produce honey, but also wage wars against other hostile hives. It was believed that if a bee broke the law of its hive, it would condemn itself and die of guilt.
Beaver fish
First, an animal such as a beaver was considered a kind of fish, and its meat could be eaten during fasting.
Secondly, beaver testicles were very valuable, as they were widely used in the field of medicine. Therefore, in the Middle Ages, people were actively hunting for these rodents. They believed that when the beaver realized that he could not hide from his pursuers, he bit off his testicles and ran away.
This legend has a reasonable origin, as the secretions of animals are very valuable to modern perfumers.
Babies cannot feel pain
The assertion that children do not feel pain seems like complete nonsense, but the opposite was proven only 30 years ago. It was previously thought that babies' brains were too underdeveloped to feel pain. Therefore, in the past, operations on babies were performed without anesthesia, and if the babies were crying, then people thought it was only because of bad behavior.
Some combination of sounds could summon the devil
In the Middle Ages, the church prohibited the use of certain combinations of sounds in music. For example, the tritone interval, which is three tones between notes, was prohibited. This combination sounded devilish.
If someone heard music with a tritone, then the performer could be thrown into prison.
The notches on the Viking's teeth made him a good warrior
The Vikings made special cuts on their teeth. These incisions were applied to the front teeth. Many scholars assume that the number of notches could indicate belonging to a particular status (merchant, farmer, etc.).
Some researchers believe that the Vikings furrowed their teeth to fight better. However, there is another version: if the warrior was ranked among the elite ranks, then only in this case he could change the shape of his teeth.
The horizontal grooves were made with a skilled hand, but it is still not entirely clear whether the manipulation was decoration or identification.
Our beliefs about the Middle Ages
Although the Middle Ages seem really dark, many rumors about them are exaggerated. It is believed that people only bathed once in a lifetime or that women were not respected. But these facts have no basis.
Of course, such things happened, but they characterized second-class people. Their situation was not dire, but they did not spend all their time sitting at home and reading the Bible.
Not all unmarried women were in the monastery. Some of them helped their parents, and some learned skills and even found jobs. Women worked as copyists, binders, booksellers, brewers, laundresses, and even construction workers, masons and glaziers.
Maya Muzashvili