Even a slice of bread can be deadly, the family is probably planning a way to get rid of you, and if you fall over the ruler, you will face a fate worse than death. The medieval city is a real survival school. But don't worry! We have 10 tips for you on how to survive in it.
As always, all rankings are based on our published articles. This time, we have selected 10 texts that could serve as a survival guide for a medieval burgher. You can read more about everyday life in the cities during this dark age HERE.
By following these 10 tips, you would have a chance to survive. While we can't promise anything…
10. Find a well-paid job
The profession of executioner was perhaps not the most pleasant one, but in the Middle Ages it was one of the most needed. Illustration from the 14th-century manuscript "Chroniques de France ou de St Denis".
Getting financial independence is always a good idea. Although in the dark ages, not all activities guaranteed a decent income, but - regardless of interests - everyone could find something for themselves. From a merchant or seamstress, through an executioner and apothecary, to ... a human crane or a bear guide - in terms of the variety of "job offers", the Middle Ages were really impressive (read more about it) .
9. Do not trust even the closest
King Philip I of France decided to get rid of his wife, Berta, because he thought she was ... too fat.
If a gang of armed thugs suddenly stand in front of you in a dark alley and you don't have anything valuable with you, you can assume with a high degree of probability that your family sent them. Even at royal courts, plotting and plotting against a spouse was one of the favorite pastimes. Anyway, there was no lack of ways to get rid of an unwanted husband or (more often) wife (read more on this topic) .
8. Don't put yourself at risk for the ruler…
After an unsuccessful attempt on the life of the royal family, the ruler of Hungary, Karol Robert, was rightly angry. The cruel revenge reached not only the would-be killer, but also his relatives.
This advice should be taken to heart in particular. What were the consequences of angering a medieval monarch? For example, being torn by horses and thrown to the dogs to be eaten. Moreover, the death penalty could apply not only to the culprit, but also to the family up to the third degree. The more distant relatives encountered "only" loss of property and life slavery. Sounds brutal? Some rulers went even further (read more on this) .
7. … Nor the Church
According to legend, when the Grand Master of the Order, Jacob de Molay, was led to the stake on March 18, 1314, he cursed his persecutors. The curse would haunt France for centuries.
Although the curse seems to be a mild punishment in the face of the sadistic aspirations of angry monarchs, it should not be underestimated. The Church had tremendous power in the Middle Ages, and the curses of disgruntled bishops and popes were taken dead seriously . Also, the prospect of parading barefoot and in a sack of penance just to get rid of the excommunication seems unappealing (read more on this) .
6. Think carefully about whether you really want to have children
Caesarean sections were rarely performed in the Middle Ages. Usually, it served to save a child from the womb of the deceased mother.
And it is not about whether you have found a good job and are able to contribute to their maintenance. There was mortal danger during pregnancy and childbirth in the Middle Ages. As a result of complications, not only the mother died, but also the newborn child - this was the case with Jadwiga Andegaweńska, for example.
As historians Joseph and Frances Gies tell in the book "Life in a Medieval City" :“Caesarean section was used only when the newborn or mother were already dead, and even then, of course, without anesthesia or disinfectants. If the birth paths were too narrow for the baby's head, nothing could be done " (read more about this) .
5. Be careful what and how much you eat
Menstrual blood, dried fetal membranes, fish killed between the breasts and poisonous herbs - the ingredients of medieval love potions give you shivers.
Hunger and poverty? Not at all! It was not impossible to die from overeating in the Middle Ages - at least a few Polish rulers ended this. But ordinary mortals also had to be alert - and not only for fear of poisoners.
There was no shortage of "inventive" men and women who, in pursuit of happiness and love, served to unaware people apples previously worn under the arm or potions spiced with menstrual blood (read more on this topic) .
4. It's best not to get sick at all
This is what the sick suffering from St. Anthony's Fire looked like - a deadly disease that could be caused by ... a slice of bread.
Medieval medicine was in a poor state, to put it mildly. Of the painkillers the doctors had only herbs at their disposal, the surgeon's job was mainly based on amputations and the universal remedy for all ailments was to be prayer.
So it was definitely better to focus on prophylaxis. The more that the deadly disease could have been contracted from eating a slice of bread (read more on this topic) .
3. Don't admit to loving heartbreak
Medieval doctors considered unhappy love a disease, and they mitigated the effects of being hit by Cupid's arrow with drastic methods.
Are you suffering from a broken heart? Better do it in silence! A medieval recipe for unfulfilled love could cost an unhappily in love even his life. Burning with white-hot iron, bloodletting, applying leeches or whipping these are just some of the drastic treatments for the heartbreak in the dark ages (read more about it) .
2. Don't travel unless you absolutely have to
Traveling in the Middle Ages was tedious and dangerous. Criminals like the legendary Robin Hood were waiting for the travelers.
Probably everyone knows the legend of Sherwood Robin Hood in the woods. There were also many thugs like him on other medieval routes. Travel was therefore a lethal threat. Especially since they rarely lasted a short time (read more on this topic) .
1. And - whatever you do - drink lots of beer!
Beer was a favorite drink of our ancestors in the Middle Ages.
Why? Because… you can. In the Middle Ages, everyone drank beer - in large quantities. Nutritious hop soup replaced many people's breakfast . Even Queen Jadwiga, who drank more than two liters of the brewery a day, did not regret the drink, and Bolesław Chrobry, due to his taste for this drink, was labeled a beer drinker (read more on this topic) .