Whatever the case, the medieval past continues to fascinate filmmakers and audiences alike. And then there are those who use the historical setting to explore themes and concerns that remain as relevant today as they were over half a millennium ago. Some use the historical distance of the Middle Ages to deal with topics that were not open to discussion in their own societies. Some come from a propagandistic angle, evoking a nation’s heroic past as a means of fostering a spirit of nationalism. That exotic, even alien, quality is partly what draws filmmakers to the medieval period, but there are many other reasons why they might choose the age as a vehicle for their particular stories and thematic concerns. The epoch has always seemed remote, however, not only temporally speaking, but psychologically and spiritually. Universal Pictures “Oh no, we killed another one.The past may well be a foreign country, but in a world still plagued by political and ideological conflict, Holy Wars in the Middle East, and the threat of a worldwide disease pandemic, the Middle Ages is not so removed from our modern times as you might suppose. At the same time on the other side of the world, medical science is prospering.” There are no doctors, no hospitals, only traveling barbers with poor knowledge. The Physician isn’t just a movie starring Ben Kingsley and Stellan Skarsgård that a total of only five people saw, but it’s also an historical 11th century film that opens with the following prologue: “In the Dark Ages, the art of healing developed in the Roman era has been widely forgotten in Europe. 2 Medieval People Weren't Oblivious About Medicine By the end of the Middle Ages, going to a bathhouse was as common as it is for us to eat at restaurants (an activity that would only take off during the Renaissance era). The Middle East and Northern Africa also delighted in the use of public bathhouses. It wasn’t just Europeans who enjoyed splashing around in baths back then. Cleanliness was promoted as good health practice by the medical community, and some health manuals had entire sections on the importance of scrubbing your butt in the tub. While the wealthy Medieval folks had their big, lavish baths, there were plenty of public saunas and bathhouses for the rest, even the peasants. University of Manchester John Rylands University Library via The Guardian Translation: Something something probably yum. Like this cookbook, compiled by King Richard II’s cooks in the 14th century: This is simply not true, because there are many actual cookbooks and recipes still intact from that time. Also, if we believe what movies and TV shows portray, people in the Middle Ages only ever ate turkey legs. While most of Europe didn’t use forks until the 17th century - they were apparently considered “too Italian” - people did have spoons and knives and didn’t just eat everything with their bare hands. They were big on washing their hands before and after a meal - a custom many people choose to ignore today. These books taught children (and some adults) things like how to drink properly from a cup (wipe your lips after) and not to chew on bones “because that is what dogs do.” Proper etiquette included not loosening your belt at the table, and never picking your teeth at the table or passing any gas. Table manners (and just good manners in general), was such a big deal back then that it spawned its own genre of literature dubbed the courtesy books. They did, however, have cutlery and table manners, but looking at the movies and shows, you’d think those were only reserved for the rich and noble. We’re most certainly using these IPs, then, as they contribute to people’s ideas of a time when humans didn’t have fancy auto-flushing toilets yet. Martin’s knowledge of Medieval Times, and also they’ve stated as much. 4 Medieval People Didn’t Eat Like Barbarians (And They Had Some Real Fancy Cooks)īefore we dive in, a quick note: Yes, this article includes examples of The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones because, while both depict fantasy worlds, both stories are based on J.R.R. Let us then venture yet again into that time between the 5th and the 15th century, and debunk some beliefs audiences have about the people who came before us, all thanks to that darn Hollywood. We’ve looked at what Hollywood loves to ignore about Medieval warfare (knights were real freakin’ Chads), and we’ve done a full investigation of what life was like for a Medieval peasant (conclusion not great). We here at Cracked lowkey enjoy dunking on the common misconceptions of those times somewhere in the middle of the ages.
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