There are numerous modern misconceptions surrounding the Middle Ages.
- Medieval People Didn’t Believe the Earth was Flat
One is that medieval people believed the earth to be flat. Almost every medieval scholar believed the Earth to be round. In the 19th century, the idea that medieval people believed in a flat Earth emerged and was widely circulated as an example of how backward that era was believed to be.
2. Chastity Belts Weren’t Used in Medieval Times
Another common misconception is that medieval women were forced to wear chastity belts to keep them from having sex. Tales of lords leaving on a crusade and using this contraption on their wives to keep them from cheating began circulating in the Victorian era when a fascination with medieval torture devices emerged. Before then, the term chastity belt had a symbolic meaning of purity. This device never existed in medieval times.
3. Not all Medieval People Were Pious
The last misconception we’ll discuss today is that medieval people we all extremely pious. While it’s true that many were religious, a lot of people were indifferent when it came to religion. And others formed their own ideas about God, which were different than the church’s teachings.
4. Women Did Have Some Rights
It’s inaccurate that women had no rights in Middle Ages. Women could inherit, buy and sell property, and even run a business. Women’s rights would actually diminish in the Early Modern Period. While they did not have as many rights as men and were certainly denied major rights (like choosing who they’d marry), the idea that they were completely denied rights isn’t an accurate representation.
5. Medieval People Did Have Hygienic Practices
The idea that medieval people didn’t practice good hygiene is another misconception. Combs and personal grooming devices were used, and people did take baths and tried to keep clean. Hands and faces were washed with water before and after meals. Some nobility even used rose petals to scent the water.
6. Medieval People Didn’t Believe Tomatoes to be Poison
Another more humorous misconception is that they believed tomatoes to be poison. Tomatoes weren’t around during that time in Europe. It wasn’t until the 16th century that they were imported from South America and soon became common in most areas of Europe.
7. Vikings Didn’t Wear Horned Helmets
Picture a Viking in your mind right now. Are they wearing a horned helmet? Not that we have evidence of, anyway. According to this article, the legend likely comes from the 1800s when Scandinavian artists popularized nomadic raiders wearing horned helmets. But horned helmets were used in the Bronze Age.
8. Medieval People Lived Past the Age of 30
Another misconception is that life expectancy in the Middle Ages was around 30 years old. If someone was to make it to their 25th birthday, they would likely live to be around 50 years old. Since this is an average, many people would have lived into their 70s and 80s.
9. People did Travel in Medieval Times
It’s also inaccurate that people during the Middle Ages didn’t travel. Records show that medieval people traveled and even moved to other parts of the country. Many people also made pilgrimages to see religious sights.
10. Medieval Medicine Wasn’t Solely Based on Superstition
Surgeons and doctors did exist in medieval times, and though some of the medical standards of their day are both frightening and now we know not helpful, they did the best they could with what they knew. They used a lot of plants—like we do today—to heal. If they were an especially good healer, they were believed to be doing the work of God.
