TALES OF THE MIDDLE AGES

THE MIDDLE AGES WERE FULL OF

CRAZY TORTURE DEVICES

While people have always been creative with the ways they found to

make others suffer, most of the torture devices that are popping

into your head actually came after the middle ages

(iron maiden, pear of anguish, etc.)

PEOPLE DRANK WINE AND BEER BECAUSE

WATER WAS POLLUTED

This may have some truth in it, but people also added water to wine

in order to dilute it. And besides, if the water really was polluted

then people typically would drink it anyway and get sick.

It still happens today.

PEOPLE THOUGHT TOMATOES WERE POISONOUS

Tomatoes weren’t even imported into Europe until the

16th century.

PEOPLE ATE WITH THEIR HANDS

Sometimes, yes. But wooden cutlery was also relatively common

ever since forks were introduced to Italy in the 11th century.

PEOPLE NEVER TRAVELLED

They certainly didn’t fly Delta but that doesn’t mean they didn’t

go anywhere. Migrations, silk roads, and general movement of

people was pretty common.

THERE WERE TORCHES EVERYWHERE

Torches definitely had their place but it was nothing like what

Hollywood would have you believe. Given that an average torch

only burns for about an hour, that pretty much eliminates the

whole walls-romantically-lined-with-burning-torches idea.

EVERYBODY ATE TURKEY LEGS ALL THE TIME

Once again, turkey is native to the Americas and wasn’t introduced

until after the Middle Ages.

PEASANTS WERE A SINGLE CLASS OF PEOPLE

It’s not that simple. Depending on the region, there was

definitely a hierarchy.