QI | How Medieval Is Iron Maiden?

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This clip is from QI Series M, Episode 12, 'Medieval Macabre' with Stephen Fry, Alan Davies, Matt Lucas, David Mitchell and Julia Zemiro.

[@marycanary86]

"yes i am aware there is a group" is a very mitchellian quote

[@lucasdelima537]

"I'm aware there's a group." (MITCHELL, David)

[@angemaidment5640]

Trying not to sound uncool 🤣🤣🤣

[@richg2250]

They're a bit oniony as well.

[@LPKelly380]

“I’m aware of music. I don’t approve of it.” (from a WILTY episode) 😂😂

[@chrisstar969]

To be honest, I’m surprised he’s even aware there’s a group.

[@angemaidment5640]

@@chrisstar969 I’m surprised I knew about the group AND the torture device. I’m about as cool as David 🤣🤣🤣

[@Danelius90]

Stephen: knows lots of important historical dates Also Stephen: what's a mini milk

[@ConstantChaos1]

Me an American: ok but what the fuck is it? Im thinking of Japanese coffee milk and that's the best I can come up with unless it's the breast milk of an animated mouse

[@rachelcookie321]

I also did not know what a mini milk is but I googled it and I think I’ve had those before, I just didn’t know the name.

[@hks2377]

@@ConstantChaos1They’re like ice cream popsicles, but made with just milk, instead of milk & heavy cream. They use fruit flavored syrups for sweetening.

[@ConstantChaos1]

@hks2377 I mean yeah o figured, I think using my confusion to make a joke about Minnie mouse was pretty cleaver

[@weswheel4834]

Stephen just reads the autocue ;)

[@tricesimo]

I didn't expect Alan to bring up the Spanish Inquisition...

[@empebee]

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition

[@simontay4851]

Our chief weapon is surprise, surprise and....

[@KissMyFatAxe]

Haha you beat me I was gonna comment that 😂

[@MrCerir]

3 weeks ago! I didn't stand a chance! I fart in your general direction!

[@misssugartooth5253]

Magnus Eriksson actually they gave you 30 days notice lol (Learned that on another QI episode)

[@Gooberpatrol66]

Stephen: "What is a mini milk?" Americans: WHAT HE SAID

[@ZephrymWOW]

born and raised merrikan... tf is mini milk?

[@MediumRareOpinions]

@@ZephrymWOW A branded ice lolly snack, imagine a milkshake but frozen and served on a stick.

[@lukeyyyyyy]

honestly forgot what they were until i googled it myself. you don't really see them around anymore but i remember them being popular a while ago when ice cream vans were around more and those ice cream freezers were outside shops.

[@ChrissieBear]

GOOGLE IT

[@ashleyy6329]

the way stephen asked what a mini milk was, is very reminiscent of the Dowager Countess saying "what is, a weekend?"

[@howardchambers9679]

A *hand bag?!!*

[@Daniel-gb9ex]

It's an actual pole, it's not a polish gentleman. Dammit Alan !

[@somegirl558]

No: therr is a vast difference.

[@JohnComeOnMan]

No, really, what is a mini milk?

[@jacobseager4897]

One of the greatest ice creams ever invented

[@colemyst]

I'm going to have to google it because I don't know what it is either.

[@Knoar]

@@shade9592 How unnecessarily condescending of you.

[@amoral_minority]

@@shade9592 and I am going to be condescending too and point out that you spelled "alone" wrong

[@colemyst]

Just found it ---Mini Milk was a small cylindrical vanilla ice milk bar on a stick, introduced around 1976/77.

[@nunyanunya4147]

im 100% certain that night Stephen Fry did indeed try a Minimilk and thus... has more knowledge than i ever will

[@NewMessage]

So... the torture wasn't overseen by a Judas Priest either? Bah.

[@bubbaguy4411]

Well..., they wouldn't only Kiss a Saxon on the day of the Black Sabbath while aboard a Deep Purple colored Led Zeppelin operated by a Motörhead named Alice Cooper either.

[@abhilashmessi31]

Torture was mainly done by regular priests ;p

[@arvindhmani06]

@@bubbaguy4411 I wonder if the Led Zeppelin was Metallic...uh?

[@typacsk]

I guess we had Another Thing Coming

[@duke_hugo]

Yet there was such thing as a Tool

[@jca111]

The shock to "What is a mini milk"!!!

[@TheFarCobra]

I am now picturing David rocking out to the melodic tones of Bruce Dickinson and the lads.

[@TonyHavenMusic]

Some times I feel a bit sorry for Stephen that he missed out on soooo many childhood things bless him

[@joealtmaier9271]

Yeah he was despondently eating tira misu while the rest of us had stale freezer treats!

[@TonyHavenMusic]

@@joealtmaier9271 I ate tira misu when I was a kid, was awful, most kids don't enjoy coffee flavours when they're young, hence the invention of mini milks

[@argonautilus9540]

He got the experience of giddily nicking jam from his boarding school pantry instead. Perhaps he comes out about even.

[@stevevasta]

​@@joealtmaier9271 ...with onions!

[@ConstantChaos1]

What the fuck is a mini milk I mean its obviously a frozen dairy treat of some kind but what the fuck? It sounds like the breast milk of a cartoon mouse

[@xxxxSandyxxxx1509]

Two back to back David Mitchell clips🙌

[@rhiannontalbot1]

I thought the Iron maiden was a chastity belt? Stephen: No, they call that a chastity belt.

[@deaddoll1361]

Julia Zemiro's only contributions on QI seem to be receiving clever retorts from the others.

[@stevevasta]

🤣🤣🤣

[@slicktop2jz855]

Julia Zemiro is a legend

[@5TRICT9]

Yeah I though an iron maiden was a chastity belt? Stephen fry: No that would be a chastity belt. She's a fucking idiot

[@zainshanqiti4117]

@@5TRICT9 / woosh the joke was that an iron belt would keep a woman a 'maiden', seems like no one understood it...

[@5TRICT9]

@@zainshanqiti4117 she was not making a joke

[@bluebottle9555]

i think julia said "i don't know either" at the end lmao

[@dielaughing73]

I don't think we had them in Oz

[@Tjalve70]

Hah! I'm faster than Stephen. I asked myself "What's a mini milk" before he did. Actually, I paused the video and googled it. And the first thing that happened when I restarted the video, was Stephen asking "What is a mini milk?"

[@jimp4170]

People watching this video ON THE INTERNET asking what a mini milk is. Oy.

[@troymundschenk8432]

Could I request that the titles for these clips match the questions in the show? A lot of times titles like this one are phrased in a slightly different way that spoils the answer for people who like to try to get it for themselves.

[@angelcdeath]

Loving that tie of his.

[@AutomaticDuck300]

Bruce Dickinson isn't that old, is he?

[@The_Other_Ghost]

Was going to say 1975.

[@edwardcamp3376]

THE Bruce Dickinson?

[@KishoreShenoy1994]

He's 62 years old

[@pronkb000]

@@edwardcamp3376 The cock of the walk, baby.

[@howardchambers9679]

But he is really good with antiques ao maybe he is! 🙄

[@fortunatefantasy]

I do like that the "Aussie" contributer was like... Huh? This is what we need to think about keeping on living, on any given particular day.

[@sourenazokaei4649]

David is just too smart for Telly!

[@MajesticDemonLord]

Up the Irons \m/

[@Cthulhu1970]

I don't know why they scoff at Alan's suggestion about the Spanish Inquisition. They still existed well into the 1800's.

[@darylcheshire1618]

I thought the inquisitors couldn’t draw blood so had lots of ingenious devices like the rack that didn’t draw blood unless it was turned enthusiastically.

[@AlexPinkney]

Ooh, I was in the audience for this one!

[@simontay4851]

Did you shout out "Nobody expects the spanish inquisition" at 0:56

[@singaporesammy]

I normally trust Stephen, but you can't expect me to believe that Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure was historically inaccurate.

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

it was historically inaccurate.

[@weswheel4834]

@@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo It was inaccurate historically, but is accurate now? Good to know.

[@simpainter]

I would pick something Sandi, but I’ve watched it all. You need to pick up the pace luv.

[@jimp4170]

Back in the day, the NYC subway had these gigantic black turnstiles installed at entrances where there wasn't a token booth. You would put your token in and ostensibly the turnstile would then allow you onto the subway platform without your having to walk a block to an entrance with a token clerk. They were always getting jammed and people were afraid they'd get stuck in them and have to be rescued. They were called iron maidens. I admit to missing the old subway token, but I can count on one hand the number of times I actually used an iron maiden.

[@stevevasta]

Most of the time, they were broken, if not actually padlocked.

[@acelilumelody4445]

My fat ass thinking in new york subway sandwiches had paid turnstyles 😂

[@FoCoPuffs]

Hello, clever people. Stay safe and have a great day

[@SFGJP]

You too 🙂

[@dewolff6937]

4chan

[@lys2303]

You too! 💚

[@JackDManheim]

Stephen asked the same question I was about to.

[@jodrim]

I read about this an hour ago on the "List of common misconceptions on Wikipedia"

[@fredEVOIX]

woaw I did not expect it to be a hoax, but I don't think the brazen bull or bull for Phalaris was one and honestly I would choose the iron maiden between the two burning is way worse

[@simontay4851]

0:56 Alan mentions the spanish inquisition. if wish Michael Palin had been a contestant on the programme. He would've shouted "NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION...." and the audience would've joined in.

[@jimmarshall3668]

Is there any chance they will do a Podcast for this show? I know some episodes are quite visual and maybe would not work for an audio form of entertainment but it would still be wonderful to listen to a large % of the question & answer back & forth banter that goes on between the guests!! Gotta love the English sense of humor!!!!

[@bobson_dugnutt2863]

The writers of Qi do have a podcast called ‘there is no such thing as a fish’. David Mitchell also does a podcast called ‘the unbelievable truth’ which is very similar to Qi.

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

"Eeh, Matt, come back to me dressing room after, I'll show thee the Spanish Inquisition."

[@DiederikAms]

The inquisition was only officially ended in 1962....

[@Hellwyck]

...nobody expected that.

[@charlespeterwatson9051]

The Inquisition was still active in 1793, the time the iron maiden was conceived.

[@simontay4851]

I didn't expect you to know that.

[@charlespeterwatson9051]

@@simontay4851 That and the Spanish Inquisition?

[@WikiPeraX]

I see someone’s got into bardcore over lockdown...

[@JohnyG29]

What is a mini milk?

[@iKozak99]

To be fair to Stephen, I didn't know what a mini milk is either

[@10thdoctor15]

I wonder if Cadbury paid Stephen to wear that jacket.

[@lindahart6049]

I THINK a Mini Milk is a Cadbury Mini Milk Chocolate bar. Keep in the freezer to they don’t get warm and melt. Anyone know for certain?

[@argonautilus9540]

They’re ice milk popsicles/ice lollies. 👍

[@noxiouspython]

What's a mini milk?

[@newgate-zerohour]

The thing is... _Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!_

[@outseeker]

idk what a mini milk is either! i need this critical information

[@jca111]

Its a cheap milk and vanilla ice lolly (ice pop in US) that is very popular with kids in the UK. I think the gasp is because nearly every kid has had Mini Milks, but posh kids probably didn't as they are seen as common. So SF not knowing makes him obviously very very posh indeed.

[@outseeker]

@@jca111 ah lol thanks! :) merry santa hat season jc!

[@dcflake5645]

David Mitchell closet Iron Maiden fan.

[@anophelesnow3957]

He has an Up The Irons tat on his belly.

[@WillBravoNotEvil]

Is mini milk a euphemism for a hemorrhoid medication?

[@mvl71]

And how would you find out it tastes onion-y?

[@FreakyLeek]

Well please come on, have you never seen a Mini Milk?

[@bazza945]

Was this Maggie Thatcher as a wee lass?

[@squiglemcsquigle8414]

The spanish inquisition had very strict torture rules and any confession gained by torture was thrown out.

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

indeed. the spanish inquisition rarely used it. it was basically a court of law for canonical law and to settle ecclesiastical matters. the inquisition has been the target of protestant slander for several centuries..... while torture, which burnings etc was a typical protestant thing.

[@BrooklynJackBlue]

I genuinely had to look into what a Mini Milk is. TO MY CREDIT, my ignorance is based on my being an American...which isn't saying much.

[@rooty]

David sees through the matrix

[@thetessellater9163]

I've never heard of a mini milk, but I might imagine its milk in a small container!

[@Bellocks1]

[klaxon intensifies]

[@somegirl558]

It is a kind of ice cream on a stick, sometimes covered with chocolate.

[@somegirl558]

@@Bellocks1 heh

[@bluefletcherfish]

Steven asks what every American watching this is wondering: What the hell is a mini milk??? We still want to know!!

[@markreynolds1436]

It's a type of frozen lolly.

[@mzansime]

South Africans do too! 😉

[@mzansime]

South Africans do too! 😉

[@argonautilus9540]

In another thread, someone explained it like frozen Nesquick. It’s low-fat ice milk in popsicle format.

[@markreynolds1436]

@@argonautilus9540 sounds about right.

[@ric112]

Up the Irons

[@puirYorick]

Why spoiler the clip in the title?

[@drewlovelyhell4892]

Don't cut him off before he explains what a "Mini-Milk" is!

[@johnkidd797]

I don't know what a bloody mini milk is,I assume some sort of small milk container..........for milk.

[@somegirl558]

But the thing with the spikes David mentiones is Iron Maiden..

[@drucifer00]

I love Mini Milks.

[@theshamelesskid2950]

Didn’t the Spanish Inquisition end in the 1800s?

[@sheilaghbrosky]

Pope Benedict was over what the Inquisition is called now.

[@neiloch]

Honestly a strong argument could be made that ancient Rome and the Inquisition just became in whole or part of the Vatican

[@TcheQ]

....so what is a minimilk?

[@glenhughes8013]

That's all well and good, entertaining stuff and all that but what actually is a "mini milk"?

[@violetskies14]

It's a milky ice lolly that comes in chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla.

[@glenhughes8013]

@@violetskies14 Thanks.

[@williamjones7163]

Again I say: Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

[@willsumnall3499]

What is a mini milk? Exactly what I was thinking

[@violetskies14]

Milky ice lolly that comes in strawberry, chocolate or vanilla.

[@BruceNJeffAreMyFlies]

ok but what is a mini milk

[@williamjones7163]

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

[@kronk358]

I dont know what a mini milk is either

[@megs8498]

Umm that was impaling Vlad Dragulia

[@TallSilentGuy]

How big a spoiler is the title?

[@vagabondwastrel2361]

Illiteracy among the poor has been vastly overestimated.

[@gunar.kroeger]

WHAT IS A MINI MILK?

[@violetskies14]

Milky ice lolly that comes in strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla.

[@realGeorgelucas18563]

Well they certainly didn't have Mini Milks in the Middle Ages.

[@___UN]

hello

[@lys2303]

Hello! 💚

[@daretolisten4560]

Iron Maiden aren't medieval at all. They didn't form until 1975.

[@decodolly1535]

Contemporaneous with the Mini Milk!

[@marvinkitfox3386]

Iron Maiden is about as NON medieval as one can get.. Maybe something like Jethro Tull , but even they are not very medieval, but at least they would be closer.

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

by far the most torture divices have been invented well after the medieval era. medieval people rarely used torture. It was a renaissance era thing.

[@ConstantChaos1]

Ok, but as an American what the fuck is a minimilk?

[@Lord_Skeptic]

Iron maiden are not medieval. They have only been around since 1975.

[@MrBigangry]

So you are trying to tell me that an iron maiden has never actually ever been used? I do not believe that.......

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

its true. it was just an object made as a gimmick. they invented a story around it about people being tortured, showed the folks the maiden , charge money for it and get rich. Torture wasnt a thing in medieval era. its a renaissance era thing.

[@MrBigangry]

@@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo I'm sure someone has used it.

[@neilmartinoconnor]

Ooooh early

[@RockWontDie14]

First?

[@r0bw00d]

It's unimportant.

[@ukdnbmarsh]

love these little gobbits sadly spoiled at the end by that sandy

[@GarikKazarian]

you're now breathing manually ...enjoy!

[@chorusofoddities]

And you are now blinking manually also

[@tomw1825]

I wish we still had the Iron Maiden for paedophiles.

[@alisonwunderland9900]

and let rapists and murderers off?

[@christopherwood7559]

@@alisonwunderland9900 Good Lord, no. Just start with the paedophiles, then move one.

[@user-zp4ge3yp2o]

But the point of the video is that we never had the iron maiden...

[@tomw1825]

@@christopherwood7559 exactly.

[@tomw1825]

@@user-zp4ge3yp2o correction they did but they just didn’t have it in the medieval era.

[@JaneDoe-ci3gj]

I love Alan and Stephen but how can you laugh at peoplebeing tortured! Not my kind of clip!👎

[@Lucas012345678901]

In the same way you can laugh when George Carlin figured out a way to make rape funny.

[@williamjones7163]

What is a mini milk?