jjares reviewed The Weird Middle Ages: A Collection of Mysterious Stories, Odd Customs, and Strange Superstitions from Medieval Times on + 3275 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is another of Charles River's explorations of the odd, awful, and weird. They have decided to talk about the Middle Ages and let me tell you, there was a reason why those folks didn't live long. Viciousness was raised to an art form in those times. The imaginative ways they killed each other were truly gruesome. This is what happens when you don't have television; you have time to think up horrible ways to kill your enemies. ,-)
The Middle Ages are sandwiched between the end of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance. It was about 1000 years of the rise of the Catholic Church and the evolution of warfare, with the gradual consolidation of regions into states. The truth is that life was very difficult with disease (leprosy and plague, particularly), war, and constant strife. People were highly suspicious and believed in omens (any unusual sighting was an omen and usually bad news). People were generally gullible and (generally unlettered) peasants.
Gruesome deaths, strange visions, and wild hermits (often mentally unbalanced individuals who lived alone in the woods) were commonplace in the Middle Ages. People believed in monsters, unicorns, and dragons. In 1561, the first UFO was sited in Germany. There's also a section on 'weird warfare.' Tossing diseased bodies at enemies seems to have been a common practice. Interestingly, Czech nationalists gained independence by using handgonnes and artillery.
Because folks weren't too picky about what they ate, there was an awful outbreak of St. Anthony's Fire (ergot poisoning) in Paris. When rye bread gets damp, a fungus grows on the bread. People scraped off the fungus and ate; getting sores, hallucinating, and vomiting. Thousands died. Chickenpox and measles were thought to be caused by being stabbed by a water witch. Mass hysteria was common.
Charles Rivers has wonderful, quirky books about many subjects. I consider them to be hidden gems. Listed below are some of the fascinating, zany offerings from this company. I think Sean McLachlan is the mad genius behind many of these titles.
Unique Books from Charles Rivers Editors I Can Recommend:
*Weird Ireland: A History of Ancient Mysteries, Fantastic Folklore, and Urban Legends Across the Emerald Isle
*The United States Camel Corps: The History of the U.S.Army's Use of Camels in the Southwest during the 19th Century
*The Black Death: The History and Legacy of the Middle Ages' Deadliest Plague
*The Catacombs of Paris: History of the City's Underground Ossuaries & Burial Network
*Weird Radio and Television: A Collection of SpyTransmissions, Unidentified Stations, Paranormal Activities, and other Mysteries across the Media
The Middle Ages are sandwiched between the end of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance. It was about 1000 years of the rise of the Catholic Church and the evolution of warfare, with the gradual consolidation of regions into states. The truth is that life was very difficult with disease (leprosy and plague, particularly), war, and constant strife. People were highly suspicious and believed in omens (any unusual sighting was an omen and usually bad news). People were generally gullible and (generally unlettered) peasants.
Gruesome deaths, strange visions, and wild hermits (often mentally unbalanced individuals who lived alone in the woods) were commonplace in the Middle Ages. People believed in monsters, unicorns, and dragons. In 1561, the first UFO was sited in Germany. There's also a section on 'weird warfare.' Tossing diseased bodies at enemies seems to have been a common practice. Interestingly, Czech nationalists gained independence by using handgonnes and artillery.
Because folks weren't too picky about what they ate, there was an awful outbreak of St. Anthony's Fire (ergot poisoning) in Paris. When rye bread gets damp, a fungus grows on the bread. People scraped off the fungus and ate; getting sores, hallucinating, and vomiting. Thousands died. Chickenpox and measles were thought to be caused by being stabbed by a water witch. Mass hysteria was common.
Charles Rivers has wonderful, quirky books about many subjects. I consider them to be hidden gems. Listed below are some of the fascinating, zany offerings from this company. I think Sean McLachlan is the mad genius behind many of these titles.
Unique Books from Charles Rivers Editors I Can Recommend:
*Weird Ireland: A History of Ancient Mysteries, Fantastic Folklore, and Urban Legends Across the Emerald Isle
*The United States Camel Corps: The History of the U.S.Army's Use of Camels in the Southwest during the 19th Century
*The Black Death: The History and Legacy of the Middle Ages' Deadliest Plague
*The Catacombs of Paris: History of the City's Underground Ossuaries & Burial Network
*Weird Radio and Television: A Collection of SpyTransmissions, Unidentified Stations, Paranormal Activities, and other Mysteries across the Media
