Well done to the Rotary Club for putting on an excellent Medieval Fayre. My family and I had such a lovely time! We attended both day, and enjoyed the puppet shows, animal shows, games and food.
Here are some interesting medieval facts taken from Jo's Planet:
1.) People in the Middle Ages had spoons, and they had knives, but there were no forks. This contributed to much sickness since the hands were used considerably in the consumption of food, and the wash basins were not usually located near the dining areas.
2.) The contraceptive of choice back in the Dark Ages? Sheep dung... I shall not elaborate further on this one.
3.) To brush one's teeth, burnt rosemary was placed on a cloth and then one would scrub their teeth with it. People desperately tried to keep their teeth since tooth extraction was extremely painful what with no anesthetic and all.
4.) People believed that diseases were spread by foul odors.
5.) Unlike WoW today, women were barred from joining a guild.
6.) Disease was believed to be the consequence of sin.
7.) The lance received its name from the legendary Sir Lancelot. (I wonder if his name had been Sir Lancelittle, would they still have named a battle weapon after him??)
8.) The elements of the Universe were considered to be water, air, fire, and earth. These elements directly corresponded to the body, so the elements were thus linked; phlem-water, blood-air, yellow bile-fire, and earth-black bile. The bodily elements were called humors.
9.) The term "Coup de Grace" comes from the death blow given to an opponent in jousting.
10.) Pilgrimages were more often made to cure ailments than for spiritual fortification.
11.) Before becoming a knight, one had to serve at least 7 years as a page and an additional 7 as a squire.
12.) Scientific achievements in Medieval times may seem laughable at times, but the fact is that many commonly used appliances and tools today came from this time period: the pump, the hydrostatic balance, the pendulum, the sector, the thermometer, the telescope, and the lodestone.
13.) Cobwebs were believed to cure warts.
14.) Jesters got away with speaking out loud and in public about politics in a time where it was forbidden to suggest one's political opinion. They got away with it because the law declared that everything came out of a jester's mouth was to be taken as "jest".
15.) It was high fashion to shave off one's eyebrows in Florence during the Renaissance. This is the reason why the Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.
16.) Some scientific observations and discoveries in the Middle Ages include: observance of sunspots, satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, tides, comets, longitude of the sea, and the phases of Venus to name but a few.
17.) It was a mark of beauty to have one's viens show through on their face. It was a sign of translucence.
18.) Alchemy actually began in China and worked its way through India, Greece, and Egypt before it ever gained popularity in Europe.
19.) Nail polish only came mostly in shades of green because of the abundance of malachite.
20.) The most deadly disease of Medieval times was the Black Death. It killed an estimated 25-50 million in European countries alone (which was approximately 30-60% of their population).
21.) Only castles in the late part of the Middle Ages had indoor plumming in the form of simplistic privies which led to the moat surrounding the castle. No wonder the princess always lives in the highest room of the tallest tower (to escape the smell).
22.) Medieval alchemy produced very useful concoctions; nitric acid, sodium carbonate, and hydrochloric acid.
23.) Many women put a false "beauty mark" on their face. This mark was made of a circular patch of black fabric. When one applied it to the corner of one's eye it indicated passion, for above the lip it indicated a quality of coquetry, and the forehead indicated grandeur.
24.) In jousting there were actually 3 weapons permitted; the lance, the axe, and the dagger/sword. There was a document created in the 1300s that made it acceptable to cease war if there was a major joust scheduled.
25.) Pigs were the main source of meat because they were plentiful and cheap. A peasant's diet mostly consisted of pottage and dark breads. Water was an unreliable hydration source, so ale was the beverage of both choice and neccesity.
