In the Middle Ages, it was believed that babies cannot feel pain, and little men live in spermatozoa. Real delusions - in photographs of historical drawings
We know that people of science in the Middle Ages had a hard life and... not for long. As a rule, everything incomprehensible was declared demonic, and the scientist was declared a sorcerer and taken to the dungeons of the Inquisition, which did not promise him either a long life or good health.
That is why ignorance flourished everywhere, and many scientific facts that every schoolchild now knows would have caused a natural shock in a person of that era. And, on the contrary, they took completely ridiculous statements at face value. Still, because often such beliefs were supported by very naturalistic pictures. Don't believe? See for yourself.
Little men sit in the spermatozoon
So scientists thought until the 18th century. They believed that a small, fully formed man was sitting in the male seed, which had to grow as soon as he entered the mother's womb.
Babies don't feel pain
It was believed that their brains were not developed enough for this. And since nothing can hurt him, then crying is a simple whim.
Witches steal men's genitals
And keep them as pets: make nests for them and feed them. A description of such examples is mentioned in the treatise The Hammer of the Witches. This crazy idea arose on the basis of Koro's syndrome - a mental disorder when it seems to a person that some organ has disappeared from him. And as was customary in the Middle Ages, witches are to blame for everything.
Demons live in Brussels sprouts
European housewives even today, before boiling Brussels sprouts, make a cross-shaped incision on it, supposedly it is cooked better this way. This tradition came from the Middle Ages: it was believed that small demons live between the leaves, and if you eat one, it can cause indigestion. Now we call them pathogenic microorganisms and just wash them off the vegetables with water.
Certain sounds of music can summon the devil
Listening to some modern musical compositions, it's hard not to agree with this. At the same time, it was believed that the tritone interval (when there are three tones between notes) is capable of causing an impure. And if someone was convicted of performing such compositions, they could be accused of witchcraft and executed.
Some animals appear by themselves
Mold, worms, mice and other parasites can appear by themselves, at the behest of evil forces. They do not reproduce in the usual way, but are formed from dirt and dust. And, of course, the witches were also to blame.
Bees are birds
According to medieval bestiaries, bees were classified as birds that could not only make honey, but also wage internecine wars with other hives. It was also believed that if a bee violated the principles of fidelity to its hive, because of guilt, it would kill itself with its own sting.
Beavers are fish
Therefore, beaver meat could be eaten in fasting. Also, beaver testicles were of great medical value, so there were many hunters for this animal. There was an opinion that if a cunning beaver understood that he could not get away from his pursuers, he would bite off his testicles and leave them to the hunters, while he himself fled.
Animals could be sued
In all seriousness. At that time, not only a person, but also an animal could be declared criminals and, for example, they could arrange a trial with a real judge and a lawyer over the caterpillars that ate the leaves in the garden. The culprit could be convicted, imprisoned and even executed. Especially often got cats, which were declared minions of the devil. And since they were exterminated very actively, Europe was filled with rodents that spread the plague.
The heart was buried separately from the person
This happened in the event that the deceased bequeathed to bury him in some distant place, dear to his heart. It would not have been possible to transport the body, because it would not have survived a long journey, and there were no planes and trains then, so only the heart of the deceased was taken to bury. Only rich or famous people could afford such a luxury. So were buried, for example, Anne Boleyn, Richard I and Frederic Chopin.
Titivillus
Before the invention of printing technology, books were copied by hand by monks and, of course, sometimes scribes made mistakes. To relieve themselves of responsibility, they invented the demon Titivilus. He allegedly pushed the monk to make mistakes, collected his mistakes in a bag to present them at the Last Judgment, and the poor fellow could not go to heaven after death.
Gladiator's blood helps with epilepsy
Since the gladiators showed stamina and courage in the arena, and also made bloody sacrifices to the gods before the battle, which should was to enhance these qualities, it was believed that their blood could give strength to those who drink it, as well as relieve epileptic seizures. The ancient Roman writer Pliny wrote about this: “Epileptics drink the blood of gladiators, as if it were a cup of life. They believe that it is best to drink warm blood while the person is still breathing.”
Also, be sure to know What 10 popular misconceptions have been refuted by modern science.
