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Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

Important:

The Middle Ages cover a 1000 years. Of course nothing was true always and everywhere during this long era. If you want to claim something about the Middle Ages in general this cannot really be done. It should really always be formulated as: within a certain period in time (of ca 20 years), in such and such a place, something was about so and so. General questions can only be answered in a very general way, which is unsatisfactory to the caller. Be therefore as specific as you can and we can guarantee that you will be satisfied. See the end of this page.

Incidentally: we don't answer queries from students for history-projects, except if they're willing to pay for our trouble.

When were the Middle Ages?

ca 500 - ca 1500 AD

Why are they called the Middle Ages?

Because scholars in the period of the Italian Renaissance (ca 1400-1500) thought that the centuries between the Classical Era, especially the Roman Empire, and those they lived in, distinguished by the re-discovery of the Classics, were no more than a time of barbarian darkness between two enlightened eras. Until recently this was the common way of thinking about the Middle Ages with large parts of the western population.

Were the Middle Ages really that dark?

Not likely, even then the sun shone. It could be dark at night though...

Were the Middle Ages really that violent?

Not really. When you compare these 1000 years to the 20th century, it is a fact that during these 100 years more people died in its wars than during the whole period of the Middle Ages and the 400 years after them.

Were medieval people really that pious?

During the whole of the Middle Ages people have protested against the official church and have broken away in hundreds of more or less 'heretic' sects. The Roman catholic church was responsible for a lot of violence against its own believers and other religions and many of its clergy were greedy and corrupt, something that was clearly seen at the time. Most of the obviously faithfull were probably, like now, women or widows of a certain age and those who wanted to be noticed as pious. However; God and the saints were invoked by everybody for all and everything. Superstition was, as now, a very important part of religious beliefs (so when have you last walked under a ladder?)...

Were medieval people really that filthy?

The average medieval person had not more dirty habits than our parents and grandparents of the fifties, when hot water on tap was rare and there were hardly any showers. They took a hot bath once a week and monday was linen laundry day. Sidewalks and sewers around the house had to be clean, dunghills weren't allowed next to roads and streets, livestock (except for chickens) was kept in styes, pens, hutches and stables and the freshness and hygienic conditions of meat and fish, butter and bread were strictly controlled.

Do you have more questions, just ask them via a short e-mail. If we have to do research than there is a fee. See the Index page.