There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in  which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Fake Eyebrows From Rodent Fur

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During the 1400s, the beauty standards were such that women desired high foreheads, and would often shave off their eyebrows to make it seem bigger, and make themselves seem more child-like and innocent. But if they wanted to bring back their eyebrows to life, it would take some time. To speed up the process drastically, they’d just attach rodent fur, usually from mice.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

They Slept In Beds Full Of Lice And Bugs

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Pests such as lice and various bugs were a regular part of Medieval life. Bed’s were full of them, especially if you were a low tier servant who slept with many people in the same room. Even so, having a straw mattress that was changed once a year didn’t make much of a difference for the upper classes either.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Leeches Cured Everything

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Medicine was a really controversial topic during Medieval times, as Church often refused to give doctors and scientists permission to do research on corpses. Thus leeches and various other medicinal approaches were developed. It was believed that blood impurities were the main cause of most illnesses, and for that reason leeches were used to detoxify the blood. Definitely not the most pleasant method of treatment.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Doctors Used Urine To Diagnose Illnesses

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Urine is used for diagnostic purposes today as well, but the method various a lot. In Middle Ages doctors would determine the illness according to how the urine looked, or better yet – how it tasted. Yes, they would take a sip and if for example the urine was “too sweet” it was a sign of diabetes. Now that’s what I call a dedicated medical provider.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

They Used Special Pins To Get Rid Of Head Lice

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Lice were the ultimate enemy of medieval men and women. They used to crawl all over their heads, especially if they had long hair. That is why they used special pins to extract these pests and break them in two. I assume that this was considered to be a sort of passtime, especially throwing the enemy in the fire and hearing him pop in the ghastly heat.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Baths Were A Rare Commodity

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Unless you lived by a lake, river or the sea, taking baths was not something you got to enjoy very often. Just think of it – there was no plumbing, and you had to travel for miles to reach a well. There was no time and no opportunity to take baths very often. Most people washed a few times each year, and they rarely washed their faces at all. It just wasn’t a regular custom.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

They Washed Clothes With Urine

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Washing powder was non-existent in Middle Ages. Soap was really expensive. So what can a wife and a mother do other than use some high quality urine to get those clothes shiny and fresh? Urine was used to remove stains and for pre-wash soaking by most peasants.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

There Was No Toilet Paper

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Since there was no toilet paper, people used various natural products instead. Recently, archeologists found wooden barrels in Denmark, and those were full of excrement from the Middle Ages. They discovered that the people used various materials to get the job done – leather, moss, leaves and various fabric as well. Talk about a refreshing discovery!

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

There Were Magical Fart Jars

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If you had just caught the bubonic plague, what you were advised to do is fart in a jar and then smell the fart. The idea behind this practice was that bubonic plague was just toxic gases, and if you smelled the fart you could dilute those gases with your own. I guess that the survival of the fittest comes in various forms.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Chamber Pots Were Kept Under Beds

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Number 2 or number 1, it doesn’t matter. If you had to go to the toilet during night, you used a chamber pot. Upon waking up, you’d just pour all the contents out in the street. No wonder they were so disease ridden.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Live Frog Pie Was A Specialty

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Getting enough protein was a real problem during the Middle Ages. Peasants lived on grains for almost the whole year, unless there was some special occasion that warranted having a feast of sorts. Anyway, to get protein, but also to entertain guests, they’d sometimes put live frogs in their pies. Imagine having a taste of that.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Strange Hair Potions

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Women used all sorts of weird concoctions to make themselves more beautiful. Some of those were hair potions that were filled with ants’ eggs, vinegar and onion juice. You’d just rub all of that goodness in the desired area and wait for magic to happen.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Taking A Dump On The Street Was Considered Normal

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Medieval peasant women would sometimes just squat on the street and do a #2. No one would really care, since it was a regular occurrence. The nobility and royalty never did this of course, but peasants had the ultimate freedom when it came to such things.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Everyone Tried To Be Pale

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Having a bronze tan was not considered attractive at all in Medieval times. Instead, people tried to be as pale as possible. Aristocratic women used white powder that actually contained toxic lead to make themselves look extremely pale. They’d also cut their arms and drain their blood to get a similar effect as well. Talk about suffering for beauty.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Barbers Performed Surgeries

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Barbers not only shaved people, they also took care of injuries and performed various medical procedures. If you needed to get your molars out, you’d ask the barber for the special offer. Yep, I’m glad to be with you all in 2017.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

No Forks

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Since there were no forks, people just ate with their bare hands, regardless of which food was on the table. This was true both for the lowly peasants and for royalty. If you’ve watched the Tudors, you probably noticed that as well.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Wound Licking

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Some saints would go around licking people’s wounds, especially those of lepers and other diseased individuals. This was considered to be a sign of their humility and lack of care for the flesh.

There are two ways to look at the Middle Ages. One depiction is that of glorious battles, castles and knights, as well as a Church which united Europe under the same banner and created some astonishing works of art. The other depiction is that of the “Dark Ages”, in which people lived horrible, disease ridden lives filled with chaos and made even more difficult by their illiteracy. The reality was probably somewhere between those two extremes. But for the fun of it, we’ll be focusing on the “Dark Ages” aspect, and showing a few awful habits that were considered normal at the time.

Animals Were Trialed As Criminals

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If you commited a crime, you were sentenced regardless of whether you’re human or animals. I think vegans would be pleased to know that animals were treated as equals at some point in history.