Medieval Historian Answers The Most Asked Questions About Medieval Life

[@Heylon1313]

I always enjoy this "expert answers question about X" format, feels like I learn souch more than from a linear narrative

[@HistoryHit]

Good to know!

[@mwright_boomer]

Agreed. It usually deals with questions were more curious about rather than random facts, so it’s more memorable

[@MAdisMas]

Did kids ask these questions? Even as a kid I could have answered the majority of these questions.

[@whyjnot420]

A good survey in the form of a course or series of lectures is indispensable. Especially when talking about a subject on a broad scale. Q&A needs some basics to be laid before you can even attempt them. The firmer this base, the more fruitful the Q&A session. But if it is patchwork, then you are only learning this or that tidbit. And context is everything. Learning this or that little fact is like an archaeological find taken out of the context it was found in. Such things have little value in and of themselves relative to what they say in the context they are found. Historical facts are no different in that regard. They only really mean anything surrounded by all that gives them context. Context is king.

[@JustinPuyear]

*such

[@Oxtocoatl13]

It's not just that there were medieval universities, the university is a medieval invention. It's much more systematic and networked than any ancient academy, and more focused on providing a mix of scholarly education and skills transferable to the work-life, like studies in law and theology.

[@samuelkeogh1058]

I cant imagine they had lectures

[@Oxtocoatl13]

@@samuelkeogh1058 they did, though they were more informal events and the teachers would lecture in taverns and parks, etc, and usually be paid by the students on the spot.

[@politicallyincorrect2564]

Is that what happened in Ancient Greece? I think you are confusing it.​@@Oxtocoatl13

[@politicallyincorrect2564]

The Platonic Academy existed 1500 years prior

[@Oxtocoatl13]

@@politicallyincorrect2564 yes but there is no evidence the Academy had a structured curriculum or awarded degrees so I wouldn't consider it a university in the modern sense, even though it fostered discussion and important networks between the scholars of it's time.

[@mrchambers31]

The ancient Greeks knew the earth was round using maths. Knowledge which was passed to the Romans and later on to the medieval period. Any educated person would know the earth was round.

[@stephenwodz7593]

Anyone who traveled to different latitudes would notice the way the constellations moved, and that the only explanation was a spherical Earth. Also, anyone living in a coastal location would notice ships sailing below the horizon.

[@kath1626]

2024: Welcome to the era of flat earthers! 🎉

[@Grendel650]

The entirety of the world's knowledge at their fingertips, and suddenly, that's not so clear, apparently.... 😂

[@Canonall]

Considering the vast majority of people would not have a formal education and wouldnt travel very far, I imagine many had either never thought about it, or just assumed it was flat. While nowadays it's almost trivial to prove the earth is a sphere, there is really no reason for someone without knowledge of basic physics, geography and other natural sciences to assume so, or any particular shape other than what the eyes see, for that matter. In costal towns, you might notice ships disappearing bottom first but, even then, you could just assume there was some curvature or "noise" (similar to how there a mountains on land) in the earths shape, without concluding it was a sphere.

[@danilo6680]

Well, maths did came way before the Greeks, any educated person would know this.

[@TheGoodDoctor1701]

Can't get enough of these sort of videos

[@adamkowalski6733]

Agreed, more please!

[@theaxe6198]

I ❤ them too

[@grannygrammar6436]

"these sort" ??

[@TheGoodDoctor1701]

@@grannygrammar6436 Obviously it should have been "this sort". The message still stands, though

[@kevinbishop7149]

Loved this and what a personable presenter

[@DanielaVilu]

Matt Lewis is great! we like him

[@ceridwen04]

Siesta is kind of needed tbh. We do it too in italy. Or well did it in the past.Working in the hottest hours of the day in the summer it is not only very difficult but could be dangerous. You get sleepy soon after lunch and if you had already 5/6 hours of labour on your back

[@Jasonfallen71]

What music did they listen to? The music that was played for them. Perfect. I don’t know why I enjoyed this Q&A in particular so much lol

[@belbrighton6479]

I love Matt Lewis and the Gone Medieval podcast. It is bloody brilliant

[@heybigbender]

At least the whole 'dentistry wasn't affordable for most people' hasn't changed, relatable ol medievals.

[@CorvusCorone68]

i've heard chewing on birch twigs, which contain xylitol which is a sugar alcohol that prevents tooth decay, was common, and also using pieces of willow as toothbrushes

[@Escritorez]

​@@CorvusCorone68 I heard they just put a beaver on a broomstick and used it as a toothbrush.

[@kanaric]

ya that has changed, a lot. It is affordable for most people today in any western nation lol

[@GlassShardBallPit]

I really like this guy. He is hella affable.

[@damienleigh9943]

Affordable*

[@Lauren-uv8nc]

@@damienleigh9943affable: friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to

[@belezabayequestrian2486]

I don't know what I imagined them to look like before, but thinking about all these military men walking around with the Will Beyers special is so funny to me.

[@elgersmam]

Cat people know about second sleep. First you get up and feed your cat after about 4 hours of sleep, then you get up a few hours later and feed them again. 😂

[@mina-ala]

😂😂😂

[@katielynnt]

True!!

[@sparrowdrone]

This sleep cycle a relic of felines domesticating humans since Egypt

[@elizabetha2601]

Yes!! Cat plus people with bad sleep habits and kids

[@TerezatheTeacher]

my cats say you're right and they're hungry

[@queenannsrevenge100]

“Monks consumed obscene amounts of wine” 😄 Since they often ran vineyards and made wine, it is no surprise they were often high on their own supply.

[@emma_tm]

This guy is a great storyteller, very charismatic

[@drywme]

Great video! And I'm stealing the line "if the bishop's not around then the party is on" 😂

[@Starburst858]

Thank you for this upload! I love Matt Lewis, I just finished his biography on Richard III and it was a great read ❤

[@obcl8569]

Thank you for the recommendation!!

[@marsspacex6065]

The Greeks suggest a round earth around 500bc and showed how big the earth was in 200bc. Any well educated medieval scholar would have know this. Columbus just miscalculated the size because of unit conversion.

[@pacmonster066]

Columbus didn't *just* miscalculate the size due to unit conversion. People in the Italian court that he first tried to fund his excursion with pointed out his logic was flawed. Columbus refused to listen. He was also initially rejected by the Spanish court as well until repetitioning the crown.

[@Arkantos117]

That's why there's a conspiracy that Columbus knew that there was another landmass, based on sailors tales from Italy & England, and was trying to hide the true goal of his expedition so that he could benefit the most from it by claiming whatever he found without any competition.

[@BernardDauphinais]

@@pacmonster066 Pretty sure Columbus never petitioned the Italian court to fund his voyages. He left Genoa when a teenager and first tried to get funding from Portugal, where he lived and married, and then Spain.

[@Oxtocoatl13]

@@pacmonster066 And Columbus would have died long before reaching Asia if hadn't happened upon America. The man was so bad at math it would have killed him if not for an insane stroke of luck.

[@plokijm22]

​@BernardDauphinais, there wasn't an "Italian" court in Columbus' time for him to petition. Italy was divided amongst a fair few duchies, kingdoms and republics.

[@idk-dr7qg]

I‘m a history student soon graduating from college. I absolutely love the medieval period and it sucks so many people have these stereotypes about it and don‘t even bother to learn about those times! Thank you for this great video

[@LQOTW]

@idk-dr7qg - Are you a member of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism)?

[@idk-dr7qg]

@@LQOTW Not yet!

[@LQOTW]

@@idk-dr7qg You may find many like-minded nerds right in your backyard. Plus, we have snacks!

[@steener5884]

1:32 poor peasant boy Joe, gets the sad music while in the fields

[@M-_-O]

Do another one like this please. About medical courts and justice: could you appeal decisions? Assuming you had the resources, could you get the king to adjudicate on your case? If not the king, maybe a king appointed judge? I’ve never heard of a “King Solomon” type story from the Middle Ages.

[@MrShnier]

Really love these style of videos, so informative and the delivery & execution (no pun intended) is amazing.

[@HistoryHit]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AlbinoKiwi47]

second sleep would've been really useful for dairy farmers too, you milk cows twice a day so if you went to bed early and got up early for the first milking you could then go back to bed and have a snooze and get up in the afternoon for the second

[@butkusfan23]

I always thought the first sleep was basically shortly after dark, because your already been working long hours, and most poor folks didn't have much to do after dark anyway. Then you got up around midnight for a few hours, tended to animals sleeping inside your house, stoked the fire, tossed out any poop the animals may have dropped, and if you could afford candles or if you could make them yourself you might do some other things like repair clothes or sharpen tools and such. Then you'd go back to sleep for a few hours and get up around sunrise for the new day. I could definitely be wrong, but I sincerely thought I remember a book or another historian explaining it this way.

[@taraa4281]

Thank you for mentioning Zoroastrianism! Many Persians/ Iranians are still Zoroastrian

[@The_Malcontented]

@11:22 Which was why Edward I Longshanks got his name. He was 6 foot 2 inches, which is on the tall side TODAY, but back then (the second half of the 13th century) he was a GIANT. His ancestor William the Conqueror was around 5 foot 10 inches, which today would be perfectly average for an American or UK man, but in the 11th century people probably viewed him the way we today would view someone who is 6 foot 4 inches tall- not staggeringly shockingly tall, but quite noticeably a large man

[@dxfifa]

No, actually it was only about 3 inches difference. 5 foot 10 was more like 6'1" now

[@rfvtgbzhn]

14:10 actually pilgrims sometimes got a very bad reputation. For example in Viennese dialect the insult "Pülcher" (meaning something like a vagabond, petty criminal or parasite) has it's etymology in the German word "Pilger", meaning pilgrim. The reason for that is that every christian had a duty to accomodate and feed pilgrims and some pilgrims were using this priviledge too much, living off of families that were already struggling before they arrived.

[@Joanna-di1jj]

so it was really like a holidays for them 😮 free food and staying at someone's home, I bet many would abuse that law

[@irasan77]

Daher kommt Pücher/Bücher? 😱 So interessant wo manche Worte or Redensarten heimkommen.

[@legolasdbk]

As far as second sleep is concerned... There are still monastic communities who go to bed in the evening and wake up (to pray) at midnight.They go back to sleep after a couple of hours and get up again 5 o'clockish

[@Morna777]

I first heard about monks praying at midnight when I was a young teen and then, as now, had absolutely no tolerance for sleep deprivation. I thought it was absolutely horrible that they were waking them up. I didn't know about the second sleep thing and that they probably would have been awake anyway. I wonder what average people did during the watch. Although I do know that it was considered a particularly good time to make babies.

[@Mrgnothing1]

Why tf did we get rid of second sleep? Bring it back so I can do what I normally do but without shame

[@obcl8569]

I think you could quickly find overwhelming support for this cause - with this specific tagline & nothing else. It’s perfect. *Second sleep - so a lot of us can do what we normally do but without shame*

[@JustinPuyear]

You can literally just take a nap 😂

[@JustinPuyear]

@@obcl8569 that didn’t sound smart at all bro.

[@FrancisArmstrong-vu4cg]

A shilling was 12 pence. 20 shillings in a pound.

[@lizzyh7417]

that's what I thought!

[@marianparoo1544]

@@lizzyh7417Until 1970 or so

[@mkdave1955]

Decimalisation was 15-02-71. I remember boarding a bus in Leeds with old money in my pocket and being given decimalised money in change. That was confusing but once we had transitioned to decimalised money alone then young whippersnappers like me were okay. However, some of the old folk never did get it, which is odd because decimalised currency is so much easier to understand.

[@Anatol-e7v]

THANK YOU!

[@bridgetsmith9352]

I've often heard it said that women didn't wear any kind of underwear, but they must have had something at least once a month. I wish we knew more about that.

[@MikeThomas78]

You got the old currency comfused. A shilling was 12 pence; a pound was 20 shillings.

[@CaptFluxi]

Was thinking same thing 😅

[@nigellutze9981]

Don't get me started on florins!

[@tripsaplenty1227]

How many Guineas make a Mafia?

[@michaelharrison3602]

That was in my lifetime 74 i dont know when that started probably around the georgian times. ​@CaptFluxi

[@michaelharrison3602]

Yeah he got it back to front 12 pennies to me shilling 20 shillings to the pound

[@xessenceofinsanityx]

"Do monks party?" I refer you to the seminal work on the subject, Horrible Histories' Funky Monks song

[@CorvusCorone68]

is Horrible Histories the people that do Stupid Deaths?

[@xessenceofinsanityx]

@@CorvusCorone68 they are indeed! And now I've got that song stuck in my head

[@DanielaVilu]

"Play that monky music, funk boy!"

[@glennk.7348]

Very enjoyable!! 😃

[@apitxada]

I love these videos but can we do fewer questions so we can go a bit deeper into each one? I'd love to know more about undergarments!

[@robbieclark2263]

Great video! A history teacher here! Thanks a lot.

[@nikovidya7994]

on the flat earth bit, the globus cruciger should be evidence enough that they definitely believed in a globular earth

[@danlorett2184]

Remember that Aristotle was pretty much the basis for their understanding and Aristotle knew the Earth was round because of lunar eclipses (he saw one). The flat earth thing is a new phenomenon - they didn't believe the Earth was flat when Columbus went on his expedition, Columbus just thought the world was smaller. He hit the Bahamas where he expected Japan to be.

[@Oxtocoatl13]

@@danlorett2184 And other people mocked Columbus' plan because they knew his math was off, which it was. Had America not been there, Columbus would have starved long before reaching Asia. He was dead wrong, and just got immensely lucky.

[@danlorett2184]

@@Oxtocoatl13 better lucky than good any day 😂

[@paynehollis]

I didn’t intend to comment but this is my field so I have to speak up. The 20th century statistics on maternal mortality for both gestation and childbirth are largely under estimated and under-reported. While it’s true that mortality rates have declined with advances in technology and education, those improved outcomes have only been noted in the 20th century and have not improved significantly since despite further advances. These statistics are the result of a number of serious problems that culminate in a state of under reporting. Hence, maternal mortality is a “hidden in plain sight”issue that degree granting programs are only now beginning to acknowledge. Even with advanced technologies, research emphasis in the past century has overwhelmingly been placed on mitigating infant mortality. Those same advancements increased our post mortem testing capabilities and our ability to detect proximal and underlying disease states in the mother. For a number of reasons, this lead to a shift in attribution reporting and primary cause of death is being attributed to these undetected/ undiagnosed/ untreated conditions. While the pregnancy/ childbirth is listed as causally proximal - if at all. Unless one knows how to access and read the detailed breakdown of Morbidity and Mortality Reports (unlikely unless you’re a clinician or work in public health), these “proximal” causes aren’t part of the statistical record. The fact is the vast majority of these conditions can be mitigated and would not necessarily cause death during pregnancy and childbirth had they been detected and addressed. Meaning many of the maternal deaths occurring today are and have long been preventable. The issue is further complicated by the general perception that maternal mortality is a non issue. Meaning institutions and municipalities are not encouraged to begin accurately reporting these numbers given the questions it would invite about standard of care. Additionally there is fact that maternal mortality is absolutely subjective based on access to prenatal and post natal care. The numbers are simply woefully inaccurate and the real question is- with all the advances we continue to see- why isn’t the number falling? Why isn’t it actually insignificant? The answer is that maternal mortality is an issue hidden in plain sight and at minimum- the flawed understanding surrounding it must change. I share this with the deepest hope that it inspires any who read it to look into these issues so we can save more lives. Both mother and child should have every chance possible to survive.

[@jessicacanfield5058]

I have heard that what they call minorities ( people of color) have more mother and I fant deaths because they are people of color and the later is the most horrible thing and that doctors do not follow up or believe when they say something is wrong

[@murrayscott9546]

Although I knew the answers to most of these questions it's always good to refresh one's memory. Thank you.

[@philparkinson462]

Give me moss over the 1970's Izal paper we used at school 😂

[@eskaweeks]

What was wrong with 1970s school tp?

[@scipioafricanus5871]

10:13 Medieval people listened to "Bard-core" obviously.

[@miaow8670]

I love how super detailed knowledge of medieval dentistry Matt has after the thorough lesson from Kevin. 😂

[@Firestormlover]

One thing that wasn't quite answered right was how people told time. Yes, they did need to know how much time had passed for cooking and baking and many other things. One way that a peasant could measure short amounts of time was through prayer. Everyone learned to say their prayers, usually from the Rosary. And everyone learned how to say these prayers at a certain pace, or cadence. Then if someone was told to, for example, whisk the eggs for three Hail Marys, and it usually takes 20 seconds(ish) to repeat this prayer, then they would whisk the eggs for about one minute. This lasted up until very recently. I remember when I would go camping and my grandfather would gauge how hot the wood stove's oven was by opening the door and putting his hand in the baking area. If he could repeat the first line of his favorite hymn, then it was just the right temperature for baking bread.

[@RaeWetherillMusic]

That's a really interesting fact I never considered but makes complete sense, thank you

[@user-dj8ir5dv3y]

Approaching the casuistry of education in the early Middle Ages, I would like to remind you about a forgotten educational institution, namely the University of Constantinople, which preceded the University of Bologna by 663 years. Although not recognized as a true university, it embraced a diverse approach to education, focusing on Greek language, literature, philosophy, and theology. Moreover, it has democratized education, attracting diverse students and promoting the active research necessary for scientific development. As an informative note, there are sources stating that the University Library housed manuscripts from the Great Library of Alexandria. In conclusion, the meritocratic spirit instilled in this educational institution served as the fertile ground from which the Renaissance era would be born.

[@AthosRac]

Great video, thanks

[@JavieraScarratt]

Re what medieval (European) country was best to live in (as a commoner), there are definite answers to this, though you'd have to be more specific with dates. Basically you want to be somewhere with a lot of resources and a moderate climate. If we're counting it as a country (city state/maritime empire), I think Venice between the 9th-14th centuries would be a standout winner. Unmatched track record of peace, unusually tolerant, enormous wealth and opportunity, no tyrannical monarch, comparatively democratic if you squint, great weather. You might get the plague but that's true everywhere. irl you'd probably be born a rural peasant somewhere in British/Germanic/Scandinavian northern Europe, but if you got to choose, you should 100% go for Venice.

[@keithcummings3260]

My favorite part of the video was how visibly nervous he got when talking about weather during the Medieval period. :-D

[@thelostone6981]

Zoroastrianism is still practiced to this day; albeit by a small number of people. But its influence on other religions such as Christianity and Islam is larger than most people realize and it’s a fascinating study on how religions have evolved and changed over time.

[@diegonorris5842]

University of Salamanca came right after Oxford

[@chrisperry8684]

Really enjoyable video thx

[@dalhousieDream]

Madrigal music was popular; and 9,000 calories was more than you need for a marathon.

[@asburycollins9182]

Yeah i dont believe the calories. Youd need to eat lots of animal fats to just get that much. And would have to produce 4x food per person compared to now. Also it is a society were recources are scarce. 8000 is eddie hall type. Its not possible. Its a chore to eat that much even if youre having cakes etc. A 5'5 man would have to eat almost constantly. Id have to see some evidence.

[@AmiliaSmith]

​@@asburycollins9182 that's why ale was so popular. It was calorie dense and you could drink it on the go. I can believe that farmwork with only hand tools and no mechanical machinery would consume more calories than a marathon.

[@viralityac]

​​​​Believe it or not but he is definitely correct. Peasants would consume extortionate amounts of calories by comparison to today's standards, they worked 10-14 hours every day, 7 days a week doing heavy manual labour so the high calorie diets were absolutely nessassary to sustain their workload. For the most part these calories would be achieved through ale. Medieval ale differs significantly from how ale is today, it was very rich in calories and had a thick and creamy consistency and it was full of nutrients. They treated it as more of a food than a drink and it would be consumed by everyone - men, women and even children (basically from birth). Most people would consume around a gallon of ale each day. For the most part peasants had access to as much food as they could consume. Keeping the population well fed was absolutely crucial for the government to effectively govern the land. I don't even understand how anyone could question it. The middle ages were hard times but everyone was self sufficient. Needed some place to live, you build your own mud hut by hand. You wanted bread, you milled the wheat by hand and baked the bread by hand. Everything was done in house. All these additional tasks, which most of us take for granted required significant amounts of energy. y@@asburycollins9182

[@YOSSARIAN313]

Marathons for the average person is less than 4 hours. A peasant would be doing 10-12 hours of backbreaking work 7 days a week

[@waffloe]

As an Oxonian the townies vs gownies still carries on but its alot less violent these days, people are still surprised when i tell them im actually from Oxford though

[@supernovaleftover1812]

Looking good to say you're a medieval historian.

[@tomparris9397]

We need a video on Lincoln now!!

[@ailillmclaverty1674]

Easiest way to know the average medieval height. I went to the norman castle near me and I am the perfect height to use the arrow slits, I’m 5 foot 6

[@elizabetha2601]

Same my grandma and I were perfect (5’6 5’4) everyone else was too tall (5’9&up..we got the short gene in the family)

[@Morna777]

People would sometimes make low door frames because bending over wasn't really that big a deal and a smaller door would keep in heat better

[@asddsdfsh]

I really enjoyed this video

[@katherinecollins4685]

Enjoyed this

[@patriciam.whalen1020]

Mystery and morality plays by touring companies of actors were popular in the Middle Ages. The scripts are studied today in medieval literature courses.

[@Medievalshields]

Amazing video

[@HistoryHit]

Thanks!

[@pattibee7963]

Very very good and informative!

[@HannibalFan52]

In the realm of music, we also have the Carmina Burana, a 13th-century collection of music compiled in Germany. It includes some religious music, also a lot of love songs and such, plus a number of bawdy drinking songs. Some are in Latin, but most are in medieval French, German, and so on. News from outside the local community was spread by traveling troubadours, who passed information on to each other. Monks also engaged in agriculture, because each monastery was supposed to be self-sufficient. English wool was in high demand because of its quality. In addition, medicinal herbs were raised for the concoction of remedies for all sorts of illnesses.

[@lizzyh7417]

the poems are medieval, the music is from the 1930s

[@HannibalFan52]

@@lizzyh7417 You're thinking of Carl Orff's adaptation, with which I'm very familiar.. The original manuscript from the Benediktbeuern monastery includes the original medieval melodies and sometimes neumes for most of the songs. Several recordings of the originals are available.

[@thelostone6981]

There was Hildegard of Bingen who wrote music earlier than the collection of Carmina Burana and we still have her music to this day. She often is over looked for whatever reason, but if you’re into medieval music she’s worth a listen.

[@Brodie-sy3cu]

Soon as I see Matt Lewis I’m in.

[@Rwthless1]

Dock leaves were the most effective. Used when caught short in the countryside.

[@Allyphant2909]

Apropos the final question regarding the party lifestyle of monks. A friend of mine studied for a time at Blackfriars Hall, the Permanent Private Hall at Oxford attached to the Dominican Priory of the same name. He tells me that there were plenty of formal events organised where the wine flowed like, well, wine and that it was wholly (holy?) inadvisable to try to keep up with any of the friars or other religious officials there as they put away wine, port, and sherry like they have a death wish, seemingly to almost no effect. Although there was a period between the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the re-establishment of Blackfriars in the inter-war period, I can only imagine that this is a very, very, very time-honoured tradition.

[@deborahsolimine5438]

Loved it!!!

[@berits.2346]

I wish I had a friend like him. He's fun.

[@williammullikin2076]

very interesting

[@mikloskallo9046]

I hear this often: if you managed to reach adulthood, you had a good chance to live until 60-70 years. Sure. Except if: - you were a woman (see childbirth in the same video) - got a disease they had no idea of how to cure - got whacked in a feud, civil or other war (violent death was much more common than today, and yes, we know it from archaeological research) - starved to death (famine was quite common)

[@tiryaclearsong421]

Basically your odds of living to 60-70 were a lot better if you made it to 12 or so than at your birth. Every parent had a dead child or several for most of history and the amount of tragedy from the perspective of others went up with age which speaks to just how common this was. A child born sleeping as we refer to it was very commonplace and is basically only addressed in scant medical advice literature. Mostly this seems to cover how to dispose of the child's body safely to avoid spreading noxious illness with some superstitions. Children were not considered to have souls until 2-3 which speaks to how many died before that age. As a woman, if you successfully gave birth to one or two children your chances of dying in childbirth went down as well. Women remained superstitious with subsequent births, but they seem to focus the most energy on superstition to survive the first and that tracks with how about 30% of first time mothers end up with medical interventions. The remaining 70% are considered to have a proven pelvis and are seen as lower risk with subsequent births even though emergencies can still happen. That first 30% probably would not have survived and then some percent would have died in a later childbirth.

[@mikloskallo9046]

@@tiryaclearsong421 Sure, I don't argue with that, but my point is about people claiming the only thing bringing down life expectancy to 40s is infant mortality. Yes, it's definitely a big contributor, but there are the factors I mentioned before.

[@Sean.Cordes]

The only one of those that is a constant is childbirth - disease comes and goes [and there were long periods with no great plagues or anything going on of that sort (not to say the usual diseases didnt exist, of course they did)], and fairly long periods in the high middle ages in particular during which large scale wars were pretty unusual [and it's also worth remembering that for most of the medieval period, large scale pitched battles were avoided as much as possible and engaged in only as a last resort - so it's not to say that people didnt die in wars, of course they did, but it wasnt a constant and commanders and kings werent just trying to go into those horrendous mosh-pit type battles hollywood always portrays them as].

[@bcaye]

​@@Sean.Cordes Pneumonia-not just a disease for the elderly Heart disease-ditto Septicemia Most serious wounds (although I remember a lady who almost died from a paper cut) Renal failure Hepatic failure Diabetes of both types All common ailments we can treat now but in medieval times they didn't have the resources. They were very clever with medicinal plants. Also, you don't have to have a war to meet violent death. Criminals existed. And I don't think you can ever discount malnutrition. It kills people across history, including today.

[@mikloskallo9046]

@@Sean.Cordes I disagree, by diseases I don't mean the plague, that was obviously a rare event, but common, everyday diseases, which definitely resulted in way more death in the ages when antibiotics and antiseptic measures weren't known, and medicine consisted of using herbs (some of it effective to some extent) and letting blood (mostly making matters worse). Also, by violent deaths I don't necessarily mean wars - which were common and civil casualties were part of life, soldiers usually got some extra payment by plundering enemy villages and raping women, killing those trying to resist. But, in addition, violent crime was much more common between people in general, and there are "minor" things that don't get into history books. I once helped digitizing legal documents from the middle ages and there were lots of cases, like "nobleman X was fined to pay 3 pieces of gold, because he got noblemen Y's two peasants hanged in 1722. At least, this expert says he doesn't know the figures related to common folk.

[@Mr-Science-Stevens]

Thanks

[@Supernova10000]

People tend to be confused/shocked about “second sleep” and it’s honestly so funny to me… like that’s human nature!! If i sleep at the right time, i’ll wake up and then sleep again, and it’s usually the best sleep i can get. The main reason why most people don’t do this is because their schedule won’t allow for it. I’m a student, so during summer i can have a second sleep but for the rest of the year i can’t 😔

[@asburycollins9182]

Woman were more likely to die in childbirth if there was a doctor there. Being in a village increased chance of survival significantly. This was true until like 100 years ago

[@ericteneyck8691]

This was great, thank you!

[@HistoryHit]

You're so welcome!

[@XianHu]

When speaking about news, you didn’t mention town criers. When did they begin using that system?

[@adamshepherd640]

Genuinely thought that was Diamond Dallas Page from the thumbnail for a second

[@diamonddylanpage7150]

And that's not a bad thing, that's a good thing. Positively Page!

[@AlanHarveyAgain]

Re: Money. I encourage you to read "Debt, the First 5,000 Years. by David Graeber, who demonstrates that although coinage was not so common, money in the form of tally sticks, which were used as a medium of exchange. Interestingly, when the the practice (I believe under Sir Isaac Newton, who was the head of the treasury department) was discouraged in the early 19th century, the sticks were collected and an attempt to burn them in the furnace ended up in the 1834 fire that burned down the parliament building.

[@heneagedundas]

If that was in the early 19th century it can't possibly have been Sir Isaac Newton.

[@williamrobinson7435]

In re music, instruments developed in the mediaeval include crumhorns, sackbutts, shawms (wind/brass), tabors and various hand percussion things, rebec, viola da gamba (cello like), viola da braccia (viola type), rebec is an early violin. Troupes of 'waits' would play for alms (sort of buskers) in towns, and the first known example of licencing of this is the award of such a permit to The Waites Of Beverley. 🎶🌟👍

[@ms.badskirt9226]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@blitzer1907]

Will you ever do a video on the Franco Prussian war

[@williamrobinson7435]

The idea of some monks living in a state of continual partying is both feasible and amusing. The amount of wine they appeared to have, beer, mead and so on, well as long as they could keep working, they could be in a constant haze.. Some things never change! Nice one Matt and team. 🌟👍

[@YOSSARIAN313]

Its a bunch of single dudes with no children even if you arent getting laid you can still have fun. Especially since you arent doing backbreaking labor

[@JosueRealty]

An apprenticeship sounds like the way to go in medieval times for the regular people

[@evg3nius]

Yes, agreed. And that's why there was a lot of competition for apprenticeships and you had to have connections to get "cool" apprenticeships.

[@kevonnegandy5751]

“Almost as far as mine” plsss 😭 7:28

[@lvbfan]

The short version: people haven't changed much over the past 500+ years.

[@michaelgarrett139]

Just whats available to us

[@Oofoofoofoof3]

Lincoln cathedral getting a shout out

[@josephcollins6033]

Wonderful, as always. Thanks!

[@HistoryHit]

Thanks for watching!

[@khallkhall7237]

I think you're conflating priests and monks. I don't think village priests were illuminating many manuscripts.

[@oberstul1941]

Loved this episode - actually made me want to re-read some Kingsbridge by Ken Follett novels. Cheers.. and more please!

[@CL-kn1rq]

Mattttttttttttt!!!

[@feliciasjoberg9886]

More medieval fashion!❤

[@chrisgay4786]

Did you mean 12 penny -> shilling , 20 shilling -> pound. Probalby not the first to catch that.

[@VirtualHolocaust]

you know thats wild thats one of the things i have said and not considered grammar school.

[@Mark_GL]

Salamanca University should have been on that list.

[@HollyMoore-wo2mh]

We really didn’t have toilet paper for everyone til NOW. Paper was expensive.

[@hglundahl]

8:54 _"If you could afford to waste cloth"_ When pieces of cloth are sewn, some pieces that are left over are simply too small to use in sewing. Dito when cloth gets worn. Giving linen to paper mills or using left over cloth for sanitary purposes isn't really waste ... however, the man who could afford cloth in this situation was probably using cloth bought from several people ...

[@jenpw1525]

All sailors knew the earth was round by looking off to a the distance and viewing the curvature of the ocean.

[@helenamcginty4920]

You never mentioned that lessons would be in Latin, esp in monastic schools. Scholars throughout Europe conversed in Latin until the 18th century. Hence Carl Linaeus' use of Latin nomenclature for plants was more or less obvious to him. Latin was the language of the RC mass until the mid 1960s. We also automatically had Latin and French lessons daily at mh 1960s grammar school.

[@LittleMew133]

WOW, I can't believe that Plague killed me in like 12 hours.

[@PlayStation_Paradise]

19:36 "Peasants would eat 8,000-9,000 calories a day" This can't be right. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is an Icelandic strongman who eats 8,000 calories a day, is about 7 feet tall and weighs 400 pounds. The idea that a 5 foot 5 inch tall peasant is eating the same is absurd. I hope this was a misspeak. Maybe he meant a week? 9,000 divide by 6 working days would be 1,500 calories and sensible.

[@Jesse-wn6jd]

You think a man working back breaking labour 14 hour days during harvest could survive on 1500 calories? My guy, this isn't the modern age where people sit their asses down at a computer and "work" this is a time you walked everywhere, you collected and cut wood daily for fire, you were active non stop all day everyday outside of winter or festival days. I've read young Amish men eating 6000-7000 calories just to get through the hay harvest and still felt weak and hungry . 9000 is probably very accurate for short periods during harvest season consisting mostly of fruit, bread and beer

[@rosalievilla6274]

Fantastic videos! 🎉

[@deheavon6670]

Death in chilbirth is a common medieval trope but the mortality rate is estimated at about 1% per live birth. The main risk factor being repeated childbirth at short intervals and perhaps young age. Malnutrition too obviously but that is the case for all causes. Mind that this would still mean that pregnancy often more than doubled the chances of a young woman dying in a given year.

[@matthewlewis2072]

Matthew Lewis, what a guy 😄

[@johnbarata8627]

17:50, weren't the bells of churchs for that purpose? Sure they wouldn't ring at every hour like now, but for sure they would ring some time during the day. About the holidays breaks, there were religious holidays, that would make people have a break from time to time no?

[@Oxtocoatl13]

If you run a farm, there really isn't a break. Your cows still need to milked on St. Crispin's day. There more and less intensive periods, depending on time of year, but there would never be a day without work. A religious holiday just means you also have to attend religious festivities that day, whether it's convenient or not.

[@OversizedPringleToe]

6:12 Because most people are most productive at midnight.

[@Gribbo9999]

23:47 12 pence is 1 shilling, 20 shillings is 1 pound. Ooh! Makes me feels *really* old when an historian doesn't know the monetary system that I used for the first 20 or so years of my life!

[@sylviahuettig8353]

very interesting.Thank you