Interesting facts about the history of the Middle Ages. Yes, yes, there is an opinion that women’s hair was cut short, convicting them of cheating on their legal spouse
A wedding has always been a joyful and bright event. However, in ancient, and often rather rude times, this holiday was quite harsh. Many ancient and medieval traditions are now perceived as barbaric, savage, or simply ridiculous.
However, be that as it may, marriage remained for many centuries an enviable goal for both men and women. But why was this so important? For a girl, an alliance with a man was often the only possibility get social protection and maintain a good reputation. The man almost always received a rich dowry, and sometimes lands that belonged to his wife’s family.
In the Middle Ages there were fewer old bachelors than in our time. Weddings took place more often and took place in more early age than now. An unmarried person in some cities could not count on promotion. For example, in the last quarter of the 15th century, a law was passed in Augsburg according to which a bachelor could not become a Ratman.
A custom was gradually established in the workshops, according to which an unmarried person could not receive the title of master. Widowers and widows also mostly got married. Widowers entered into a new marriage some 6-8 months after the death of their wife, although widows were supposed to remain so for a whole year, which was called the “year of crying and sorrow,” but they got married before this period.
Girls of 14 or 14 and a half years old were already getting married. They got engaged to eight-year-olds. Betrothal was considered at that time the main act, while church marriage only strengthened it. Matchmaking and betrothal consisted of three the most important moments. First of all, they agreed on the gift that would be given to the bride by the groom, and on the dowry that would be given for the bride. After this, the father gave his consent to his daughter’s marriage, and the groom gave his consent to the marriage. Finally, the bride's father and groom shook hands, and the betrothal was considered completed.
Over time, obligations that were there before oral, began to be written down. Such a contract was drawn up in the presence of witnesses. Following the betrothal, there was usually a feast in the bride's house, in the town hall, or even, which is especially strange in our opinion, in the monastery. In Nuremberg in 1485, any celebrations in monasteries were prohibited. The feasts that followed the engagement were accompanied by dancing and drinking.
But the time had come for the wedding to take place, it was approaching “ high time", as the wedding day was called then. This usually happened in late autumn, “when the granaries and cellars are full, when the time of rest comes for both the villager and the sailor.” In other cases, the bride herself invited guests to the wedding; in others, this was done by persons chosen specifically for this purpose by the bride and groom.
They rode around on horseback, accompanied by several horsemen. They deliberately took with them a man who was known as a joker, who knew how to speak in jokes and rhymes, which was supposed to give the entire embassy a particularly cheerful character. (Such a joker was called Hangelein or Hegelein.) It happened that those participating in the embassy dressed up, and in this way something like a masquerade was arranged.
They liked to invite more guests. To limit the size of the celebration and the expenses it absorbed, city councils discouraged large gatherings and established normal number guests, more than whom it was forbidden to invite.
A few days before the wedding, or even on the eve of it, there was a solemn procession of the bride to the bathhouse, where they danced and feasted. This custom is similar to our “bachelorette party”.
Finally the sun rose on a joyful, longed-for day. In some places it was Thursday, in others Friday. The wedding usually took place during the day and even in the morning, shortly after mass. The wedding celebration opened with processions accompanying the bride and groom to the church.
They did not go to church together. The bride traveled with her friends, and sometimes also with groomsmen, in a carriage drawn by four. The bride is wearing a red satin dress, a muslin collar, and a belt richly trimmed with silver. On her head she wears a light crown sprinkled with pearls.
Pearls and magnificent gold embroidery cover her shoes. The groom and his attendants rode on horseback. Musicians with flutes, violins, trumpets and drums moved in front of both the bride and the groom. It goes without saying that these processions were also carried out on foot in those cases when the church was close.
Just imagine such a procession. Music, colorful and new clothes, cheerful faces, chatter, laughter, all around you the already familiar panorama of the medieval city, and above blue sky, silvery clouds and bright sun, illuminating the whole picture with its golden rays! When the procession approached the cathedral, the latter seemed to greet it ringing bells. To prevent the sexton from being lazy and stingy, he was treated to wine
happened in 1051 significant event- wedding in the Reims temple of King Henry I...
The procession approached the cathedral. Its main entrance opened hospitably. Stone images of saints, surrounded by stone lace and flowers, seem to have come to life in the brilliance of the sun, in the presence of such a living gathering, and graciously looks at the people passing under them.
The inside is a wonderful sight gothic cathedral. Space, height, groups of high columns connected to each other, supporting pointed arches, intertwining pointed arches of a high ceiling - all this amazes you, elevates your feelings, your thoughts, as if lifting you higher and higher. Only after a while do you begin to look around and become familiar with the individual parts of the grandiose whole.
Only here do you stop your eyes on the high altar in the recess of the apse, and on the luxurious preaching pulpit, decorated with sculptural images and a high canopy, only here do you notice the statues under the huge upper windows, bordering the entire middle nave with wondrous lace, only here do you begin to look at the multi-colored images on glass. The colossal rose*** above the entrance, all made up of multi-colored glass, attracts your attention for a long time. You involuntarily think, you involuntarily delve deeper into yourself.
“When you,” says one foreign researcher, “step under these bold vaults, it seems to you that something is enveloping you, taking possession of you. new homeland. It spreads an atmosphere of melancholy dreaminess around you. You feel liberated from the miserable bondage created by worldly attachments, but at the same time you feel stronger, more extensive connections. It seems that God, whom our limited nature tries to imagine, actually lives under these arches and descends here to direct communication with humble Christians who bow before Him.
Here nothing resembles a human home; everything that surrounds our miserable existence is forgotten here. The One to whom this house was erected is Strong, Great, Divine; like a merciful Father, He accepts us into His abode, the weak, the small, the poor... Medieval Christianity found in the Gothic style a flexible and expressive, naive and thoughtful language that spoke to a soul filled with holy rapture, pouring its inexpressible poetry into it.”
The wedding procession entered the interior of the temple. The bride and groom head to the main altar. The sounds of the organ thunder above them, filling the entire cathedral. The ceremony began, and soon the words of the priest flashed over those present; “I unite you in marriage in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (“Ego conjimgo vos in mat-rimoiiium in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spirit! Sancti”). And the organ began to sing again.
The young people left the cathedral. The groom walked ahead and, having reached his father-in-law's house, did not enter the house, but waited for the young woman. When the latter approached the house, he met her. A servant brought a tray with a flask of wine and a glass. A glass filled with wine went around to all the guests present, after which the young man drank, followed by the newlywed. After drinking the wine, she threw the goblet over her head. After this, one of the groomsmen took off the newlywed's hat and covered his young wife's head with it.
This ritual seemed to invest her with power. Now she was the first to enter the house, followed by everyone else. Of course, first of all, the young people accepted congratulations. Ladies and girls approached the bride, men approached the groom. Then they brought wedding gifts. At one wedding, celebrated in the mid-15th century, the newlyweds were presented with thirty silver bowls and goblets, a necklace, a gold belt and more than thirty gold rings.
During congratulations and offerings, music was played, songs were sung, and so time passed until lunch. The beginning of the latter was announced by the beating of drums. After dinner, dancing began and continued until midnight. During the holidays, sweets, wine, beer and other treats were distributed. As midnight approached, a new procession was formed.
The bride was taken to the designated chamber. For the most part she was accompanied by her relatives and best man, but it happened that everyone present became the escort. Candles were carried in front, music was playing, in a word, it gave the impression of a great celebration. The young woman was led by one of the groomsmen. When the procession arrived at the bedchamber, the best man seated the young woman and removed the shoe from her left foot. This shoe was then passed on to one or more bachelors who were at the wedding. It must be assumed that this gift expressed a wish that the recipient would quickly leave his single life.
The day following the wedding began with the newlyweds exchanging gifts (Morgengabe). Gifts in general were an integral part of the wedding: the newlyweds gave each other, the guests who came to the wedding were the last to bring gifts, the bride's parents, in turn, gave various things to the guests and servants, sent money and food to the poor, wandering students, the guard of the main city tower, and servants at the town hall, the cellar servant visited by the groom, his teacher, the bathhouse attendant; At the same time, they did not forget the executioner and gravediggers. City councils constantly sought to reduce the costs associated with weddings, and, among other things, limited the wedding celebration to one day only.
This was the case, for example, in Nuremberg. The city council of this city, having determined the exact number of people invited to the wedding, allowed people who were not at the wedding, mainly friends of the bride and her acquaintances, to be invited the next day after the wedding. For this purpose, a breakfast was arranged, the main dish of which was scrambled eggs; Various cookies, vegetables, cheese, wine were served here, but scrambled eggs took precedence and were decorated with artificial flowers. The evening of the second day ended with a very original “kitchen dance” (Kiichentanz).
Those who were invited, contrary to the regulations of the city authorities, became spectators. The servants danced, and each of the servants had with him some object of his specialty, such as, for example, the cook - a spoon, the wine manager - a mug, etc. On the third day after the wedding, if, however, the latter took place in the summer, a fun walk into the garden outside the city walls (Gartenfahrt).
All wedding celebrations ended with the newlyweds being taken to their own home. But there were times when a young for a long time She lived with her husband in her parents' house. Often such accommodation was provided for in a contract. We have documentary news before us. One burgher from Frankfurt (Sifried Volker) engaged his daughter (to Adolf Knoblauch) and promised to support the newlyweds in his house, at his expense, for four whole years after the wedding (“in sinem huse und in siner koste zu halten”) or, otherwise case, pay them 50 guilders per year for the same period of time.
Wedding customs
In some countries there were customs such as departure of the groom to the territory where he met the future missus and her friends on the day, then the groom was obliged to take the bride home.
It happened like this. As the two crowds approached, the noble groom's friends threw darts at the bride's friends, but this was done with great long distance, so injuries were very unlikely. Although there is a known case in the history of the era when Lord Howth lost an eye due to such a custom.
There is another custom in which the groom, arriving at the girl’s house, demands to give her away immediately. The bride's entourage refuses and a fight breaks out over the girl. The girl then jumps on the horse and gallops away from this brawl. The groom and his retinue rush in pursuit of the bride. Then, when everyone gets tired of this chase, the groom captures his bride and goes with a feeling of satisfaction to his native place, where this ritual ends with a large and grandiose feast. Sometimes a large number of people take part in such pursuits of the bride.
By wedding traditions arrangements were made for the groom various competitions. It could be physical obstacles that prevent the groom from reaching his goal. But there could also be intellectual games (verbal duels) or poems on a certain topic.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, in order to get married, you first had to... buy a bride. At first, livestock was used as a measure of price, later - crops, and even later - a symbolic coin, which the bride, in front of witnesses, threw on the scales brought by the groom. Since ancient times, there was another way to find a betrothed - to steal her from parents' house. The tradition of bride kidnapping, reflected in the epics of many nations, has survived to this day, transformed into a symbolic act of parting with one’s home.
In medieval Ireland there was some variety in the forms of marriage: there were marriages - abductions, temporary and other marriages, but the main one was marriage by agreement between families. The feelings that the bride and groom had for each other did not have of great importance, successful bargaining for the dowry and bride price was important. However, there were many rituals that somehow compensated for the dryness of the marriage contract. For example, the bride's relatives greeted the groom with laughing hostility. Knotted gates, rope barriers and other obstacles blocked the groom's path to the church and return to the bride's house. In order to successfully reach his goal, he had to pay a ransom.
Adrien Moreau. After the wedding
Such an important element as wedding in church began to be carried out approximately from the 13th century. Previously, a medieval priest could perform this wonderful ceremony in any place he liked. The priest read prayers at the wedding, after which he asked the newlyweds if they wanted to be together and bear together all the sorrows and joyful events before God. If the newlyweds confirmed their mutual consent, then a marriage union was concluded.
Then, according to custom, the priest conducted a prayer service, asking for perfect love, identical thoughts among the young, a life devoid of vices, and the birth of children. When the priest finished the wedding ceremony, he joined the hands of the happy newlyweds.
With the advent of Christianity, a church wedding became an indispensable component of any wedding. Before going to get married, young people should have asked for the blessing of their parents. Secret marriages caused public condemnation, and it was generally accepted that nothing good would await such families.
The history of wedding dresses is also interesting. So, White dress the bride is a symbol, not of chastity, as is commonly believed, but of joy and prosperity. For a long time, white was just one of the traditional holiday colors, and brides wore pink or red dresses to their weddings. The change in tradition occurred only in the 17th century, and according to different versions, Queen Victoria of England or Anne of Austria are considered to be the trendsetters of the new wedding fashion.
A symbol of the bride's innocence is the veil, which comes from the ancient Roman wedding veil. That is why those women who have been married before go without a veil at the wedding ceremony. Another attribute of the bride, the wedding wreath in the past was made from plants that, according to legend, had magical powers. Such wreaths were not thrown away after the ceremony, but were carefully stored for a long time.
As for the groom's suit, one of its obligatory elements - a boutonniere, that is, a flower in the buttonhole of a jacket - also came to us from the Middle Ages. Just as a medieval knight wore the colors of the Lady of his heart in battle, one of the flowers that makes up the bride’s bouquet should be chosen for the boutonniere.
Revelry
At a wedding feast in England the main role was devoted to the cake prepared by the bride. It was the most important result of the celebration, after it was cut by the young wife - it was announced that “the mistress of the house has appeared.” Also in medieval England, guests themselves had to bring buns, which piled up in a huge pile, and the bride and groom tried to kiss on top of it.
Pieter Bruegel. Peasant wedding
The belief was that if they overcome the last obstacle, then their living together will be happy and rich. During the reign of Charles II, all these buns were combined into one large cake. According to legend, he was visiting a certain French cook who felt sorry for the spouses who were unable to even see each other because huge amount pies. He decided that it would be much better to cover the “guest gifts” with glaze and place them on a special multi-tiered stand. This is how the idea of a “multi-story miracle” arose.
What you must attend at a wedding a wedding cake, is far from accidental. Since ancient times, the wedding cake has symbolized abundance, and many rituals have been associated with it.
In medieval England, guests brought pies with them, piled them in the center of the table, and the bride and groom tried to kiss on top of the pile of pies. By the way, it was from this mountain that the tradition of making a multi-tiered wedding cake came from. Of course, the wedding menu different countries very different, but the concepts with which this or that dish is associated are similar everywhere, probably because people everywhere strive to find happiness and find fidelity in love and marriage.
Jan Steen. Wedding of Tobias and Sarah
The wedding loaf is mentioned in many ancient Russian books; a lot of customs and signs are associated with it. But another pie, bridesmaid, belongs to a vanished tradition, and little is known about it. Meanwhile, back in 1800, a wedding table was unthinkable without a bride’s cake: without it, the marriage’s chances of success were considered minimal. Some suggest that the figurines that decorated the wedding cake were only remnants of those more overt symbols of marriage and fertility, which in earlier times were sculpted from dough and placed on wedding bread. An echo of this tradition is the figurines of the bride and groom on modern wedding cakes.
The shape of the bride's cake was invariably round, like the sun - a symbol of light and happiness.
By the way, in Russia (and not only) in addition to the bride’s pie, as the main decoration of the wedding table is usually called, there was also a groom’s pie. Usually this was the name for a kurnik with a figurine of a groom made of dough. This custom is now not as widespread as before, but you can still sometimes see a groom’s cake at a wedding. There are also superstitions regarding a wedding cake-pie. In Yorkshire it was once believed that that a bride who cuts her own wedding cake risks remaining childless. To this day, in all counties, when the bride cuts the cake, the groom helps her with his left hand.
In 1475, in the Church of St. Martin, the son of the reigning Duke Ludwig IX walked his daughter down the aisle. Polish king Casimir II. The groom Georg and the tear-stained bride Hedwig saw each other for the first time - their parents brought them together for their own reasons of state. But how magnificent and majestic this wedding was. Many chronicles have been preserved in which all holiday expenses are documented. To prepare the wedding feast, 323 bulls, 285 pigs, 1133 Hungarian rams, 625 newborn lambs and 1537 lambs, 490 calves, 11,500 geese and 40,000 chickens were used. The holiday cost 60 thousand guilders, equivalent to about 12 million today's euros.
WEDDING CAKES
If a crumb from a wedding cake is passed through three times wedding ring and put it under your pillow, then your betrothed (or betrothed) will appear to you in a dream.
A variation on the theme of “wedding cake under the pillow” is another northern ritual. The oldest resident of the village stands on the threshold of the house into which the bride enters and throws the wedding cake over her head. Those guests who manage to get a piece of this cake will see their betrothed at night
Broken dishes
There is an English wedding belief: “the amount of happiness destined for the newlyweds depended on the number of fragments.”
In the East Riding (Yorkshire), the groom was served a large dish with pieces of wedding cake. The groom had to throw this dish over the bride's head onto the road, where the children snatched up its contents. If the dish did not break from falling, the groom's groomsman had to trample it with his foot, since the amount of happiness destined for the newlyweds depended on the number of fragments. 
Giulio Rosati. Wedding
"BRIDE DOOR"
"Run to the bride's door." Even in the North of England, where traditions live longer than anywhere else, the custom of "run to the bride's door" has become obsolete, but is still remembered. It was recorded by Halliwell: “Young people from neighboring houses ran to the bride’s doors, wanting to receive a prize from the hands of the bride. Standing at the church gates, they waited for the end of the ceremony, and then raced to the doors of the bride's house. The winner was usually given one of the bride's garters; later the prize was a ribbon, which the winner wore on his hat all day.
"BRIDE CHAIR"
A bride who has not sat in the “bride chair” will never have children. (Northumberland).
It must obviously be added that this superstition prevails chiefly in the district of Jarrow. And the chair, most likely, was originally called “Bede’s chair” and belonged to the Venerable Bede (673 -735). It is kept in the sacristy of the church, and all the brides rush there immediately after the wedding to sit in this chair.
This ritual was supposed to protect spouses from infertility. For many centuries, not a single marriage concluded in this church was considered completed until the bride sat in the chair. The chair, which looks very rough and durable, is made of oak; it is 4 feet 10 inches tall, has a straight back and what appears to be armrests on the sides.
Another "bride's chair" exists in Wharton (Lancashire).
At one time, brides were also taken to him after their wedding.
First night right.
This pagan custom was alive for a long time in medieval Europe. A married peasant presented his young wife to the master for defloration. There is a known case when the monks of the monastery of Saint Theobart bought a village from a local feudal lord, and with it the right of the first night. The monks diligently carried out their assumed duties until the Bishop of Toulouse intervened.
The first night or the right of the first night (Jus primae noctis, Recht der ersten Nacht, Herrenrecht, Droit de cuissage, Droit de prélibation) is the customary right of feudal lords to enjoy the first wedding night of their serf women when they marry.
This most shameful manifestation of serfdom is the subject of controversy among scientists: some researchers (Schmidt) completely reject the existence of such a custom as a legitimate phenomenon, but the majority cite a number of facts indicating the undoubted existence of the “right of the first night.” It was widespread in almost all European countries; its remnants reach our century. Even those who belonged to the clergy, as feudal lords, widely used this right, as there are many indications from a zealous researcher of this issue.
For example, the canons of the Cathedral of Saint-Victor in Marseille were officially allowed to use the first wedding night of their serf girls. The same Collin de Plancy cites the fact that the right of the first night was sold by one owner in Orleans for 5 sous, and by another feudal lord for 9½ sous.
Regarding the origin of this right, there are different opinions. Some, like Voltaire, see it as an inevitable consequence of slavery: “a man who can control another man like an animal, who has power over his life, can just as easily sleep with his wife.”
V. Polenov. Sir's right.
Others explain the origin of the right of the First Night by the fact that serfs could marry only with the permission of their master. Villan, in order to obtain such permission, had to make some “concessions”; some gentlemen gave their permission only under famous family conditions, and from isolated cases a custom developed little by little, which turned into law.
No matter how valid such explanations may be for individual cases, but the fact of the existence of the First Night right in various countries and various peoples indicates more ancient origin this custom. Bachofen, Morgan, Engels see the right of the First Night as a remnant of group marriage.
In the era when the paired family was already beginning to take shape, men still retained the right to all the women of their tribe. WITH gradual development culture, the circle of people who have the right to women becomes smaller and smaller, the exercise of this right is limited in time, and, finally, it comes down to only one wedding night, first for everyone, then only for the head of the family, for the priest, the military leader and for the lord - in the Middle Ages.
"Jungferzins" (to give virginity), preserved until the very last days the rule of feudalism, its very name indicates that it was a direct continuation of jus primae noctis. Also significant is the ritual according to which the master, on the wedding day of his serfs after the wedding, had to step over the wedding bed or put his foot on it.
To this symbolic confirmation of the right to first wedding night refers to the characteristic decree of 1486, issued by Ferdinand the Catholic and confirming the very fact of the existence of jus primae noctis; “We believe and declare,” says the decree, “that gentlemen (seniors) cannot also, when a peasant marries, sleep the first night with his wife and, as a sign of his dominance on the wedding night, when the bride has gone to bed, step across the bed and across the mentioned woman; masters also cannot use the daughter or son of a peasant against the will, for pay or without pay."
(quoted in the Catalan original in Sugenheim, "Geschichte der Aufhebung der Leibeigenschaft", St. Petersburg, 1861, p. 35).
It is difficult to say when the right of the First Night fell out of use, since it did not last for the same long time in all countries. In France, this classic country of feudalism, back in 1789 there were isolated cases of the use of this right - however, cases that ended sadly for the feudal lords.
In 1855, 6 years before the abolition of serfdom, Privy Councilor Kshadowski was tried and sentenced to a fine for using the right of the first night.
Black widows
It was also possible to free oneself from the burden of an unsuccessful marriage in the event of the sudden death of the husband. In this case, widows received freedom and even the opportunity to remarry. Some wives skillfully used this right, deciding to kill their husbands. Black widows - that’s what these women were called.
For example, the Italian Teofania Di Adamo was a representative of an entire ancient dynasty of poisoners. Like all her relatives, she was engaged in the production of poisons under the guise cosmetics- colognes and powder compacts. Some historians believe that the most famous victims of Theophany were the French prince Duke of Anjou and Pope Clement XIV.
In France, the most famous black widow was the Marquise de Brenvilliers. She poisoned not only her husband, but also her father, two brothers, a sister, and even several of her children.
One of the most famous poisonings of the 19th century also occurred in France. In 1840, Marie Lafarge poisoned her husband with arsenic, but was caught and convicted. The Lafarge case became the first in world judicial practice when the accused was sentenced on the basis of a toxicological examination.
Of course, not everyone decided to commit a crime. Many women tried to get a divorce officially. As a rule, these attempts ended in nothing. At that time, only the Church could divorce spouses, but it was not interested in this.
The Church sought to give marriage a special character. There are different opinions among researchers about the reasons for this, but the main thing is that the Church seeks to give marriage an indissoluble character: it was argued that marriage is indissoluble, and the Church very carefully monitored the fulfillment of those conditions, the fulfillment of which was necessary for marriage. And often the Church participated and directly monitored the situation within the marriage itself
Vasily Maksimov. Family section
It would seem that in such matters the aristocrats had a better chance with their money, connections and titles, but the queens were not able to dissolve the marriage. The spiritual authorities preferred to turn a blind eye even to egregious cases.
This happened with the famous marriage of Princess Eupraxia Vsevolodovna from the Rurik family and King Henry IV of Germany. Unable to endure her husband’s bullying any longer, the princess turned to the clergy with a plea to free her from this union.
“The Church had to have a sanction for divorce, some reason, it couldn’t just divorce people, at least in that era. So the Church organized something like hearings about this. And these hearings are often almost pornographic character, because she really spoke about monstrous things. We still don’t know what of what she said is true and what is not, I do not have the role of an arbiter to judge what is true and what is not , and, of course, my heart still leans towards the Russian princess, and not towards Emperor Henry. But, nevertheless, in some ways she may have lied to him, because it is so monstrous (there is a black mass, and sodomy, and anything else),” says Fyodor Uspensky.
This marriage was never dissolved. Aristocrats received approval for divorce only if the spouses proved that they were closely related. For example, if they were each other’s second or fourth cousins. But cheating on your spouse was never considered good reason for annulment of marriage. Such behavior was not even condemned in society.
Infidelity could only become a reason for condemnation if the wife was convicted of it, especially if this happened in medieval Europe. Adultery, as we know, was a grave crime and a mortal sin. But even when adultery became public, the spiritual authorities were inclined to blame the woman first of all.
Harlots and temptresses
It was generally typical for the Middle Ages special treatment to the weaker sex: every woman, first of all, was the embodiment of evil, a harlot and a temptress. The man was often the victim, unwittingly seduced by her charms. At the same time, the person accused of seduction may not have been seductive at all, but this did not matter for the verdict of the Church.
A harlot could be punished very cruelly. This torture device is called the "iron maiden". It was installed in the center of city squares for everyone to see, so that the townspeople knew what an unenviable fate awaited adulteresses.
“The metal sarcophagus in which the traitor was placed was measured in height so that her eyes were at the level of these metal slits. Then the sarcophagus was closed, and the spikes pierced her torso. The spikes were made so that they did not touch her vital organs, so that she would suffer longer ",
The history of the origin of this monstrous instrument of torture is quite mysterious. No one knows exactly where, when and by whom this metal sarcophagus was invented. And most importantly, what purposes did it originally serve? In the chronicles of European capitals there is almost no mention of the “iron maiden”, and the information that is still found is very fragmentary and confusing.
“The “maiden” itself appears only in the 14th-15th centuries in Nuremberg in Germany. Again, the rumors are very contradictory. That is, at first they use it as something closed, they say that in order to see the “maiden” you need to go through seven cellars, that is open seven doors, and then you can meet her.
But at the same time early Middle Ages there is evidence that a similar sarcophagus was used for unfaithful wives, including in Sicily, say, Palermo,” explains Pereverzev.
Unlimited rights, medieval husbands could legally control intimate life their wives. Thanks to devices such as a chastity belt. By the way, the key was made in a single copy.
Thus, going on a long trip, for example, a spouse could literally lock up your wife and get a 100% guarantee of her devotion. After all, it was impossible to remove the belt without his consent and participation.
“The chastity belt, everyone usually imagines it this way, maybe it’s such a stereotype, and when reconstructions are done in museums, this particular place in the belt is considered the main one, it is made in the form of such a pike’s mouth. That is, you know, pikes have very flexible teeth , curved inward and very sharp.
That is, something goes into the pike’s mouth very well, but it doesn’t come out again. “Everyone wants the chastity belt to be designed on such a principle that it not only protects her from love pleasures, but that it can also expose her, and be able, so to speak, to catch the adulterer,”
The iron belt injured the skin, causing infectious processes. Many wives died painfully from illnesses without waiting for their husbands. But in the history of marriage, other ways of using a chastity belt are known.
“A certain Conrad Eichstedt published a book in 1405, that is, the beginning of the 15th century, a book, simply, about European fortifications. That is, imagine, these are all kinds of defenses of city walls, these are all kinds of devices for repelling attacks on these walls, and so on .
And in this book he sketches for the first time the belt that he sees in Florence, this belt is worn by Florentine women from attacks on them, from sexual harassment", says Pereverzev.
In ancient times, society was extremely patriarchal, and the attitude towards betrayal was largely imposed by male psychology. Research by scientists has shown that in a man’s mind his own infidelity is not perceived as a terrible act; he is often not inclined to associate his adventures with serious feelings.
Intimacy with another woman can only be a physiological act, and nothing more. But if they cheat on him, then this is no longer regarded as a harmless prank.
“Men usually perceive events such as cheating on their spouses more painfully, because, again, we remember the biological component - women give birth. And in this case, there is a kind of threat to their reproduction: aggression, that is, an encroachment on territory, on the future.”
However, the special attitude of men towards betrayal does not mean that a woman treats her easier. Quite the contrary, at all times, betrayal was a deep tragedy that was experienced hard and painfully. Such a strong emotional response is due to physiology.
"During sexual relations A woman produces more oxytocin, the hormone responsible for affection. And the woman literally grows her soul into her chosen one. And in these cases, of course, divorces affect mental health, because there are reactive depressions, and anxiety-phobic disorders, and, of course, self-esteem, very often, drops significantly."
It no longer weighs heavily on modern couples public opinion. Today's laws, unlike medieval ones, make it possible to get a divorce quite quickly and easily. Today, lovers can generally live in free unions. But does such an evolution of views threaten the collapse of the institution of marriage?
In the Middle Ages, many states and empires arose, which later became the forerunners modern countries. But the Middle Ages were a dangerous time - only the strongest, tenacious and fittest survived in this seething cauldron. The development of science and, as a consequence, technology brought new times, more civilized, but perhaps devoid of some of that romance, now lost forever.
Facts about the Middle Ages
- Earwax was actively used in households in those distant times. So, dressmakers lubricated the ends of threads with it so that they would not fray, and scribes extracted from it the pigments they needed to draw illustrations in books.
- In the Middle Ages, it was not customary to wash in Europe, neither in poor shacks nor in luxurious palaces. The custom of washing was brought home by the Crusaders, who picked it up from the Arabs.
- The real problem in the Middle Ages was the plague, epidemics of which wiped out entire cities. Then the now widely known plague doctors appeared, easily recognizable by their mask with a beak. Medieval doctors believed that infection spread along with odors, and fragrant herbs were placed in this beak on the mask so that the doctor could breathe through this kind of respirator.
- In medieval castles, dogs were usually not kicked out of noble feasts. They were useful - they ate scraps that were thrown directly onto the floor and licked the dishes, making the task of the dishwashers easier.
- What’s interesting is that even palaces in the Middle Ages were usually not equipped with not only bathrooms, but even toilets. Guests and residents relieved themselves right on the stairs, or wherever they had to. So, in the famous Louvre there are exactly zero toilets.
- One of the French museums contains a letter from King Henry IV, in which he writes to his waiting wife that she need not wash herself before his arrival, since he will arrive soon, in just 4 weeks.
- It was the Middle Ages that gave humanity such a barbaric invention as the steel chastity belt. These things often caused serious health problems.
- In the Middle Ages, outerwear made of expensive and dense fabrics was usually not washed, but was done by dry cleaning.
- Since the need to purify water before drinking was unknown to anyone in the Middle Ages, people often replaced it with alcohol. The connection between dirty water and a bad stomach was already known, but clean water there was nowhere to take it from, and they had not yet thought of the fact that boiling it would cleanse it. Therefore, instead of water, richer medieval people usually drank wine, and those who were poorer usually drank mash or beer.
- Marriages in the Middle Ages sometimes took place at the age of 12-14.
- Contrary to popular myth, average duration life in that era was low only statistically. The mortality rate was much higher, this is a fact, but people with normal health had every chance of living to an old age.
- At the beginning of the Middle Ages, buttons were used only as decorative element clothes. They began to be used for fastening later, around the 13th century.
- At the doctors medieval era there was no habit of washing hands before examining a patient.
- To increase shelf life, food in those years was usually salted. This helped, but the taste of the food, of course, suffered. Spices also helped, but they were astronomically expensive.
- In the Middle Ages, it was believed that a beautiful woman's forehead should be high - this feature was associated with aristocratic origin. Therefore, some society ladies even plucked the hair above their forehead to make it appear higher. This is fashion.
In the Middle Ages, life was not sweet for people and this is a fact. But believe me, everything was not as bad and tragic as historians and simply fans of various historical films and TV series are used to telling and presenting.
Today Interesting to know will tell you about several of the most common facts that actually do not correspond to reality.
1. In the Middle Ages, 9 out of 10 people did not live to be 40 years old
Historians say that the average age of the inhabitants of the Middle Ages was 35 years. Such information can be considered true if we take into account the fact that 50% of people did not live to be 5 years old, and some did not live to be a year old. And there are facts that those who managed to overcome the border of 30 lived to be 50, or even 60 years old.
2. In the Middle Ages, people were shorter than us
Another lie! There is a reliable fact, found on the ship "Mary Rose", which describes people 170 cm tall. Found skeletons of the Middle Ages also prove that people were no shorter than us.
3. People of the past were very dirty and rarely washed.
Myth: People were dirty and smelled bad. There are many facts that people tried by any means to monitor their hygiene, but they did not succeed, since in those days inventions and technology did not allow people to heat water as often as they would like.
4. There was once a woman named Pope John
Not many historians support this legend, since it is believed that Pope John sat on the throne for 2 years, from 855 to 857. But this is very unlikely, because in reality Leo IV occupied the papal throne from 847 to 855, and Benedict III from 855 to 888. The gap between them is only a few weeks.
Legend also says that female field Ionna became famous after she gave birth right on the street in front of hundreds of passers-by. This is also unlikely... why didn’t anyone notice in 9 months that Dad was walking around pregnant?
In addition, the first mention of the Pope to a woman became known only 200 years later, why, immediately after this story, not a single witness wrote about the shocking incident that occurred?
5. In the Middle Ages, scientists spent hours debating how many angels could fit on the head of a pin.
There is no evidence that in ancient times scientists asked such stupid questions.
6. Some medieval armor was so heavy that knights were lifted onto their horses using ropes
Not true! The armor was heavy, but not that heavy.
7. Vikings wore helmets with horns
There is no reliable evidence that their helmets had horns, nor is there any evidence that their helmets had wings.
8. Joan of Arc was burned as a witch
She was burned not for witchcraft, but for heresy, because she wore men's clothing, and did a lot of things that did not correspond to church norms.
9. Before Columbus, people thought the Earth was flat
In fact, people in the Middle Ages probably knew that the Earth was round.
10. In the Middle Ages, spices were used to hide the fact that meat was spoiled.
This is not true for one simple reason - spices were an expensive pleasure. Only the richest could buy them, and they did not sell meat, they only added it to food to make it tastier.
This is the time of the great migration of peoples, crusades, the Mongol invasion, the opening of the Great Silk Road and the Renaissance period. We present interesting facts about the Middle Ages that are even impressive.
In the Middle Ages, buttons were first used not only as a decorative element of clothing, but also as a practical detail with which these clothes were fastened. It symbolized wealth and luxury. The more buttons on an outfit, the higher the status of its owner. King Francis I of France sported a suit with 13,600 buttons sewn on it.
Glasses were invented in the Middle Ages. Moreover, the “ancestors” appeared first sunglasses. In 12th century China, judges wore dark plates of smoky quartz. This was done in order to hide the expression in the judge's eyes from those present. And in the 13th century, glasses appeared in Italy that improved vision.
The tradition of clinking glasses appeared in the Middle Ages. At feasts, poison could be added to glasses of wine to get rid of the enemy. When the mugs hit each other, the liquid from one mug overflowed into the other.
Thus, the poisoner's poison could get into his dishes. Clinking their glasses, those present at the feast confirmed that there was no poison in the liquid. A refusal to clink glasses was considered a great insult and the beginning of enmity.
1493 is the year of birth of the Snowman, a funny companion of a snowy and frosty winter. For the first time such a figure was made from snow in 1493 by the famous Italian sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti. In the Middle Ages, the Snowman was an evil and terrifying companion of winter. They used to scare naughty children. And only by the 19th century the Snowman became kind and cheerful.
Spices in the Middle Ages in Europe were very expensive. For example, 450g of nutmeg could be purchased for one cow or four sheep. Spices served as currency and a means of accumulating capital; they could be used to pay for purchases and pay fines. They were on the road for 2 years to get to Europe. Spices were the reason for new crusades, new voyages and significant geographical discoveries.
Mona Lisa, or Gioconda, on mysterious picture Leonardo da Vinci is the ideal woman of the Middle Ages. In the 15th century, the fashion was for a high forehead, lack of eyebrows, pallor, and round faces and figures. Many fashionistas of that time specifically completely plucked their eyebrows and shaved their foreheads.
Other interesting facts about the Middle Ages can be found in the film.