5 myths about the Middle Ages people still believe

This myth originated in part from Renaissance thinkers who viewed their own period as a rebirth of classical knowledge and dismissed the centuries in between as an age of decay.

Enlightenment writers later repeated this idea, using the term "Dark Ages" to describe a supposed collapse in learning and civilisation.

However, this portrayal ignores the many new ideas that occurred during the Middle Ages.

Far from being stagnant, the medieval period saw the founding of universities such as Bologna, traditionally dated to 1088; Oxford, where teaching began by 1096, but the university took shape in the early 13th century; and Paris, which developed into a university around the mid-12th century.

These institutions preserved and built upon ancient knowledge, and they translated works such as Aristotle's Metaphysics and Galen's medical writings from Greek, Arabic, and Latin.

The trivium and quadrivium formed the basis of education in these centres. 

Medieval thinkers like Thomas Aquinas, Roger Bacon, and Hildegard of Bingen made important contributions to theology, science, and philosophy.

The period also witnessed new inventions such as the heavy plough, the mechanical clock, windmills, and improvements in architecture, including the use of pointed arches and flying buttresses in Gothic cathedrals.

The invention of eyeglasses in Italy around the 1280s and increased use of the astrolabe further support the argument that this was a time of innovation.

Far from being an age of ignorance, the Middle Ages produced many advancements that laid the groundwork for future scientific and cultural progress. 

It is true that the Middle Ages witnessed numerous wars and conflicts, such as the Viking raids, the Norman Conquest of England, the Hundred Years’ War, and the Crusades.

However, the idea that medieval life was dominated by endless violence is not accurate.

Most people lived in rural communities where warfare was rare, and they were more concerned with agriculture, religion, and local affairs.

Even during times of war, battles were often seasonal and brief due to the agricultural calendar and transport difficulties.

For example, campaigning typically paused during harvest. 

In addition, the Church promoted peace through movements such as the Peace of God (from 989) and the Truce of God (first decreed in 1027 in southern France and gradually adopted more widely), which aimed to reduce feuding and protect non-combatants.

Tournaments and chivalric codes, such as those celebrated in the Chanson de Roland, were designed in part to regulate violence among knights.

Local lords, monasteries, and emerging towns also provided stability in many parts of Europe.

While violence existed, it was not the defining feature of everyday medieval life for the majority of people. 

This myth overstates the living conditions of medieval people, which focuses on the poorest members of society and ignores the range of social classes.

While many peasants lived simply and faced difficulties, their lives were not always gloomy or miserable.

Peasants cultivated their own plots, raised animals, and participated in shared festivals and religious events.

Excavations at places such as Wharram Percy in England show that even village homes included furniture, iron tools, cooking equipment, and decorated pottery. 

Cities such as Florence, Paris, which may have reached about 150,000 people before the Black Death in the 14th century, and London built strong economies with wealthy merchants, skilled artisans, and successful bankers.

The Bardi family in the early 14th century and the Medici family, who rose to prominence in the 15th century, are examples of influential merchant-bankers.

Wealthy nobles lived in castles, often with added comfort, such as decorated cloth, spices brought from abroad, and hired musicians.

Monasteries were important places for economic activity and often had plenty of money.

Cleanliness varied, but many towns had rules for waste removal and health. The idea of universal poor conditions ignores the variety and quality of life across medieval Europe. 

Sports and games were popular leisure activities during the Middle Ages, with activities such as archery, jousting, and hunting being enjoyed by nobles and commoners alike. Board games such as chess and backgammon were also played.

Theater and performance were also popular forms of entertainment during the Middle Ages.

Mystery plays, morality plays, and other types of drama were performed in churches and other public spaces, while traveling performers such as minstrels and troubadours entertained audiences with their songs and stories.

There is a widespread belief that medieval people believed only in magic and witchcraft and accepted miracles, and that they rejected science or reason.

In fact, many medieval scholars studied astronomy, medicine, mathematics, and early science.

Old books from the period show attempts to understand nature through observation and logic.

For example, scholars like Albertus Magnus wrote detailed texts on botany and zoology, and medical schools in places like Salerno and Montpellier trained physicians. 

The Church played a main role in education, and its teachings were often linked with logical study.

In monasteries, monks copied and kept classical works, such as those by Aristotle, Galen, and Euclid.

The impact of Islamic scholars like Avicenna, whose Canon of Medicine was translated into Latin in the 12th century and used in universities for centuries, was important for medieval learning.

While miracles and religious practices were common, belief in the supernatural existed alongside interest in learning and practical knowledge.

The development of scholasticism in the 12th and 13th centuries, exemplified by works such as Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, encouraged careful debate and logical discussion.

As a result, the stereotype of a completely irrational age does not match the historical evidence. 

It is often claimed that medieval women had no influence or authority, but this is not supported by the historical record either.

Women faced legal and social restrictions, but they played important roles in both public and private life.

Noblewomen managed estates, arranged marriages, and influenced politics.

Queens such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, who ruled Aquitaine from the 1130s and later became Queen of England, and Blanche of Castile, who was regent for Louis IX from 1226 to 1234 and again during his crusade from 1248 to 1252, had real power, acted as regents, and directed military campaigns.

In the Church, abbesses like Hilda of Whitby led religious communities and advised kings. 

Women in towns worked as merchants, midwives, brewers, and clothmakers. In guilds, widows could take over their husbands’ businesses and train apprentices, as seen in the silk-weaving guilds of Paris and brewing guilds of Flanders.

Female mystics and writers, such as Julian of Norwich and Christine de Pizan, took part in debates about theology and philosophy.

Legal documents and court records show that women were active in legal cases and property deals.

The idea that women were entirely powerless ignores the many ways they participated in and influenced medieval society. 

If one knows the facts of the Middle Ages, one must study the sources closely and be ready to question popular myths.

Far from being an era defined only by darkness and decline, the medieval period was an active and changing period that helped build modern Europe.