Middle Ages fact check

Middle Ages · Myth & fact

Was the Inquisition really as brutal as it’s portrayed in films? A fact check

Red-hot irons, fanatical monks – films paint a grim picture of the Inquisition. What is historically documented and what is myth? We take a closer look.

12 November 202618 min

Middle Ages · Myth & fact

Animal trials in the Middle Ages: When rats stood trial

Rats in the dock, pigs before the judge: animal trials were a matter of the utmost seriousness in the Middle Ages. How such proceedings unfolded and what lay behind them.

15 August 202613 min

Middle Ages · Myth & fact

Was Robin Hood a real person? Myth versus history

Was Robin Hood really a flesh-and-blood person? Court records, chronicles and ballads provide surprising clues – but the truth is more complex than we might think.

30 July 202619 min

Middle Ages · Myth & fact

Travelling in the Middle Ages: how far could you get in a day - and how dangerous was it really?

Whether on foot, on horseback or by boat – travelling in the Middle Ages was arduous and fraught with danger. We take a look at daily distances covered, road conditions and the real dangers faced.

25 July 202614 min

Middle Ages · Myth & fact

Fact check: Dark ages, stagnation, regression? The Middle Ages between myth and progress

Was the Middle Ages really so dark? Between myth and reality: how universities, new technology and the urban boom are challenging the image of the ‘Dark Ages’.

21 June 202611 min

Middle Ages · Myth & fact

Stupid Middle Ages - How myths, superstition and disinformation shaped history

The ‘dark ages’ are a myth in themselves – yet real misconceptions and misinformation did exist. Read on to find out what this era teaches us about misinformation.

26 May 202611 min

Middle Ages · Myth & fact

War in the Middle Ages: Fact check - Constant war in the Middle Ages?

Was the Middle Ages really a time of constant warfare? A fact-check using historical examples shows how this well-known cliché stands up to scrutiny.

16 May 202611 min

Middle Ages · Myth & fact

Hygiene in the Middle Ages: How dirty was it really?

Dirty and unkempt? The Middle Ages have a bad reputation – but that’s not actually true. Find out how people really dealt with hygiene back then.

7 May 20269 min

Middle Ages · Myth & fact

Travelling in the Middle Ages: how far could you get in a day - and how dangerous was it really?

Whether on foot, on horseback or by boat – travelling in the Middle Ages was arduous and fraught with danger. We take a look at daily distances covered, road conditions and the real dangers faced.

21 April 202614 min

Middle Ages · Myth & fact

Robin Hood - The hero of Sherwood Forest

Outlaw, folk hero, or both? Robin Hood has fascinated people for over 700 years. We take a look at the legend behind the man from Sherwood Forest.

11 April 20269 min