MYTHS ABOUT THE MIDDLE AGES

PEOPLE WERE IGNORANT

Not really. Although Hollywood has definitely propagated this belief,

many of history’s most influential universities (Cambridge, Oxford)

and thinkers (Machiavelli, Dante) were all products of the Middle Ages.

AFTER THE FALL OF ROME THERE WAS VAST CULTURAL

AND ECONOMIC DETERIORATION IN EUROPE UP UNTIL

THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE. THIS IS WHY THE MIDDLE AGES

ARE ALSO CALLED THE DARK AGES.

Originally, because there had in fact been a shortage of written material

concerning some parts of Europe, historians had actually used the term

“dark ages” to refer to the obscurity of the time period. While this

belief is still prevalent in popular culture, recent understanding and

discoveries have changed the scholarly perspective of the Middle Ages.

Therefore, the term “dark ages” is not used in scholarly literature

as often anymore.

THE TERM DARK AGES WAS CREATED BY MODERN MAN

TO DESCRIBE THE DARKNESS OF THE MIDDLE AGES

Source: Mommsen, Theodore (1942). "Petrarch's Conception of the

'Dark Ages.  Didn’t you get what we just said? No, no it wasn’t.

The first person to use the term “dark ages” was actually Petrarch in the

1330s. He used the term as a sweeping criticism of Late Latin literature.

And yes, he lived during what we would today call the “dark ages”.

EVERYONE BELIEVED THE EARTH WAS FLAT

Actually they didn’t. Although science and education was largely a church

funded venture, there was scarcely a scientist who didn’t believe the

Earth was round. In fact, they had already estimated its circumference.

So no, we can’t say everyone believed it.

WELL, THEN THEY DEFINITELY BELIEVE THE EARTH WAS

THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE

Nope, they didn’t believe that either (at least not everybody).

Copernicus killed that notion well before Galileo got punished by

the church for his theories.

WOMEN WERE CONSTANTLY BRUTALIZED

Once again, there is truth to this, but as with the other items, not nearly

as much as you would think. It largely depended on the exact part

of Europe because the continent wasn’t as homogenous as it is today.

THE MIDDLE AGES WERE EXTREMELY VIOLENT

While the Middle Ages were not exempt from violence there is no

evidence that this particular time period was any more or less

violent than other periods in history.

ALL PEASANTS EVER DID WAS BACK BREAKING WORK

It wasn’t easy being a peasant. That’s for sure. But they knew how

to have fun too. Both chess and checkers came to us from this

time period.

AND THEY NEVER TOOK A BATH

Enough with these sweeping generalizations. There are plenty of people

today who don’t shower either. But seriously, they were more into

bathing than we give them credit for. There was even a French phrase,

“Venari, ludere, lavari, bibere; Hoc est vivere!”

(To hunt, to play, to wash, to drink, – This is to live!).