Medieval Madness

During the Middle Ages, disabled people were found in all parts of society. Those born into ordinary peasant families just got on with their lives and coped as best they could, whatever their impairment, be they “lame”, “blynde,” or “dumbe”. However, the ‘Little People’ with their short stature found themselves popular with monarchs across Europe. At court, they were required to fill roles such as the King’s Fool or Jester, giving them a level of prestige that the Medieval disabled person couldn’t find anywhere else. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 14th century wasn’t a great time for sunbathing in Europe. Right from the start it seemed as though a distinct chill had settled over the land. The Baltic Sea froze over twice in 1303 and again over the winter of 1306 to 1307. For many years following there were cold storms and heavy rains, resulting in a rise in levels in the Caspian Sea. What the Medievals could not have known then, was that this was the start of what we now call the ‘Little Ice Age’. It wasn’t a real ‘Ice Age’, more of a cooling down of the temperature, and it caused havoc for the Europeans. Let’s travel back in time now to take a look at rain, snow and cannibalism in the Middle Ages. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of us, Halloween is the commercial holiday celebrated every year on the 31st of October, when people carve jack-o-lanterns from pumpkins and dress up in scary costumes to go out trick or treating. But what did Halloween mean to the Medievals and how did their superstitions and beliefs influence how we celebrate Halloween today? Let’s travel back now to a time of witches, soul-hunters, and ‘Stingy Jack’. Welcome to Medieval Madness!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like us, the Medievals wanted to step out looking and smelling their best. For women especially, grooming was not just about creating the illusion of beauty, it was also a way to show off their social status because the higher the rank and wealth then the more access people had to expensive cosmetics made with rare ingredients.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

English soldier and knight, condottiero, Captain-General of Florence, Duke of the Duchy of Spoleto. Who was this man? A man nicknamed John Sharp by the Italians in reference to his “cleverness and cunning”. A man so highly thought of by the Italians that he is depicted in a fresco painted by Uccello at the Duomo in Florence. Could such an honourable man really be responsible for one of the worst massacres of the Middle Ages?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where do we go when we die? It’s a question that humans have been pondering for thousands of years. For the Christian Medievals, there were only three options – heaven, hell, or purgatory. The problem was, they didn’t know what condition their soul was in until they died and that was causing concern. Even the theologians, with all their ecclesiastical knowledge and writings, debated the problem without success so what chance did the common people have? Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ll begin, as all good murder stories do, with the finding of a body. It was the end of May 1375, in the Lincolnshire countryside when the decomposing remains of a man were discovered in the fields near Grayingham. The man was about 30 years old and had been lying there for several months but his clothes showed he was a man of means.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Medievals consumed alcohol all the time. At every event, whether that was a wedding, a funeral, a business negotiation, or the completion of an apprenticeship ... they didn’t really need an excuse. They even drank at work, all day, every day. Which begs the question. Were the people who lived through the Middle Ages always drunk? It makes you wonder how they could work, fight their many wars, or even function properly when they were all constantly hammered. Welcome to Medieval Madness!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the Medievals, summer was a time of celebration for all classes. Perhaps the best time of the year for social gatherings. But work still had to be carried out in the fields and summer was also a time of heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, plague, and fever. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the West, the Middle Ages was a superstitious time, a time when what was real and unreal became blurred. Dragons, witches, basilisks, and zombies were just some of the beasts that offered an ever-present threat to Christian society. 
Is it any wonder then, that in a time when everything had a religious significance, any unexplained phenomenon in the skies was interpreted as either an omen, the manifestation of an angel or demon, or even a message from God himself? It was a time rich with mystery and wonder. Was it possible that the Medievals were not alone in the universe? Welcome to Medieval Madness!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices