It’s been called the most mysterious manuscript in the world and for centuries researchers, historians and linguists have all failed to decipher the puzzling drawings of plants, astrological symbols and bare-naked ladies. It’s a book that no one can read and has no title. In 1962, American cryptanalyst and author Elizabeth Smith Friedman felt that trying to decipher the manuscript was “doomed to utter frustration”. So just what is the Voynich Manuscript, and would the information contained in it really revolutionise our understanding of Medieval history, if we could just decode it? Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Worship of the saints was a central belief of the medieval church. But not all saints had equal importance. The appeal of some was universal and they were revered right across Christendom. Usually established very early on they were often figures from the Bible such as Saint John the Baptist or Saint Paul who were martyred during Roman rule. But at the opposite end of the scale were also the little-known saints connected to local cults. Let us travel back in time and take a look at some saint worshippers who were at odds with one another, the martyred and murdered children and the strange relics that were all part of the Medieval Cult of Saints. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Dive into the fascinating world of Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England, in this captivating documentary here on MedievalMadness. We'll explore his life, reign, and the controversies that surrounded him, from his rise to power to his untimely death at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Discover the truth behind the myths and legends that have shaped his legacy, and learn about the recent archaeological discoveries that have shed new light on this enigmatic figure. Join us as we unravel the mystery of Richard III and reveal the man behind the crown. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more intriguing historical medieval content!

It has been argued that during the Middle Ages, up to 85% of the population were peasants. Their working day was long, hard, and extremely difficult. For some their day of backbreaking labour could begin as early as three o’clock in the morning during the summer. If you were lucky or unlucky enough (depending on your point of view) to avoid the high rate of infant mortality and the constant threat of deadly disease then as a medieval peasant farmer you had an exhausting, cruel, and short life to look forward to. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

It was supposed to be an end to the Danish Civil War and a celebration of peace. But by the third day of revelries one of the three men who were fighting for the throne was dead, another wounded and the third was being blamed. So what really happened in the Danish capital of Roskilde on August 9th, 1157? Was it an acceptable preventative strike or just good old, premeditated murder? Let’s travel back in time now to the middle of the 12th century in Scandinavia and find out about Danish political affairs, family feuds and treachery. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Throughout human history one thing has remained constant, namely the enjoyment of having sex, but by the late Middle Ages both gonorrhoea and syphilis were widespread. Although the poor could only make do with superstition and herbal remedies, the rich could rely on their expensive physicians. Without antibiotics though the success of any treatment was mostly based on luck. Especially when you consider that one popular medication, for those who could afford it, was mercury ointment, which we now know to be toxic and would end up fatally poisoning the patient anyway.

In 1960 the author Philippe Ariès published his controversial book Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life. In it he claimed that “in Medieval society the idea of childhood did not exist”. So, let’s travel back in time now and find out if the idea of childhood really is a modern phenomenon, what it was like to be a teenager in the Middle Ages, what age children went out to work for a living and why Elizabeth Paston was beaten until her head broke. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Once upon a time in a land far, far away there was a king. He was not only a great king but also a committed Christian. His name was Prester John, and he reigned over 72 countries. The lands that he ruled were rich with gold and silver and overflowing with fantastic creatures. King Prester wrote to many popes in Rome to declare his faithfulness to the Catholic Church. He also described, in his letters many beasts that were unknown in the Western world; men with three eyes and horns on their foreheads, unicorns, female warriors who fought on horseback and men who lived to be 200 years old.Of course, it’s easy to dismiss the story as a fairy-tale but there is evidence to support the legend actually having its roots firmly planted in historical fact. And his name crops up again and again during the Middle Ages. So, just who was Prester John really and where did he come from? Welcome to Medieval Madness.

In the Middle Ages fighting females were uncommon. Joan of Arc being a rare exception. But she was not the only woman to strap on armour and wield a sword. In this video we will travel back to the 14th century to meet a vengeful noblewoman who became a pirate and reigned down terror on the King of France. Welcome to Medieval Madness

15th century Florence was the epitome of a Renaissance city and home to some of the greatest philosophers, inventors and artists that have ever lived. A place full of new ideas, free thinking and beauty and also home to two families with tremendous wealth and power, the Pazzi’s and the Medici’s. On Easter Sunday 26th April 1478, a group of conspirators from the Pazzi family decided it would really like to destroy the Medici family and would start by murdering its two leaders Giuliano and Lorenzo. Of all the places for this vicious attack to take place it was the beautiful Florentine Cathedral during High Mass that was chosen and what followed was a bloodbath. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Public executions were a major part of life in the largest and most significant city in the kingdom. The first recorded execution happened there in 1196, but we can be certain that capital punishment took place in London long before the 12th century. London offered an impressive backdrop for some of the most infamous executions in history. As the power of the state became greater, public punishments were used to deter others from taking on a life of crime. The watching crowds grew larger as people became more comfortable with the spectacle of violence. Executions were always carried out in public but in London they became a theatrical performance. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Remember the expression ‘You’ve got to laugh or else you’ll cry’, well we all need a little bit of laughter in our lives and the Medievals were no different. Let’s face it having to deal with poverty, being supremely pious and suffering from horrific diseases like the Black Death was enough to make anybody miserable and the Medievals had to grab whatever joy they could. Let’s travel back in time for some more funny stories and naughty jokes from the Middle Ages. Where, traditionally the butt of the joke would either be the voracious sexual appetites of women, the corruption of the clergy or the stupidity of peasants.

With this video we continue to look at the records kept by the royal official known as the Coroner. In the Middle Ages witness testimony was often all an investigator had to go on and often the only witness available was the victim or perpetrator of the crime. And neither were likely to give a fair and balanced statement. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, when these records were made, people were happy to accept circumstantial evidence as fact. The investigators recorded as much detail as they were able to gather, noting the time and place of the death, any wounds on the body and who was around at the time of the incident. Despite all of this routine detective work it was very likely that if the culprit was able to get away from the scene, they would disappear into the countryside and may never be held to account. Lets go back in time now and discover some of the poor souls who lost their lives in unusual circumstances and some of the perpetrators who carried out the dirty deeds.

When a Medieval death occurred in England an official appointed by the crown and known as the Coroner was responsible for finding out what had happened. By the 13th century there were four coroners in every county. Each one of them had a deputy who would sometimes hold an inquest. Their duties extended to a range of criminal matters, not just a violent or sudden death, but if that was thought to be the case, then the Coroner and the Sheriff would swear in a jury of local men to investigate how the victim had died. These investigations were chronicled in the ‘Coroners’ Rolls’. For the Medievals carrying weapons was part of daily life, male honour had to be safeguarded at all costs and arguments could very quickly get out of hand. Many of these records from the Coroners’ Rolls in London during the late 13th and 14th centuries have survived. Let’s go back in time and have a look at some of the cases from “the capital of the Kingdom of England”, which the cleric William fitz Stephen described as “one of the most renowned, [cities], possessing above others, abundant wealth, extensive commerce, great grandeur, and significance”. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Animals were everywhere in Medieval life. They were used to pull carts and plough fields, they were milked, sheared, skinned and eaten. But were they ever kept just for the sake of companionship, as we keep them today? We often think of pets as animals that live indoors with us. The word ‘pet’ as describing a sort of companion animal wasn’t even used, in the English language until the 16th century. And then only in the North of England and Scotland. The Oxford English Dictionary definition states that a pet is ‘an animal, a bird, etc. that you have at home for pleasure, rather than one that is kept for work or food’, for the Medievals this wasn’t always the case, as many families who lived in the countryside would have had a byre attached to their living area which they shared with, goats and cattle. Dogs used for hunting often lived indoors as did cats, whose job was to catch mice. Really an animal only becomes a pet because a human decides it is to be given a name and then kept as one rather than eaten. So for the early Medievals real pets as we think of them today were a rarity. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

Were the Middle Ages really as brutal and sadistic as we imagine today? There are many records from the time that actually do prove the stereotype to be true. Let’s face it we all know what the character Marsellus Wallace meant in the film Pulp Fiction when he threatened, “I’m gonna get Medieval on your a*s!”

Through the ages humans have resolved disputes by fighting with one another and this was also true in the Middle Ages when judiciary duels were often held.   Also known as trial by combat or battle by combat it was seen as a chivalric way to settle a dispute. If an accusation was made against someone, without a witness or a confession, fighting in single combat was the only way to recognise who was right and who was wrong. Medieval duels were not just about brute strength, they were often about nerve and cunning. Here we will travel back in time to take a look at this Medieval mode of justice and hear about some of the more famous Medieval duels. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

How did people live and die during the harshest months of the year? How did they stay warm? What did they eat? How did they keep themselves entertained in an age before modern day luxuries like electric blankets, double glazing, and Netflix? The onset of the Little Ice Age, between 1300 until about 1870 meant that the long, dark winters of the Late Middle Ages were colder and more dangerous. With starvation and death from illness always threatening to strike, winter was a frightening time. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

From the beginnings of civilization, humans have always looked up to the heavens in wonder. Sightings of stars and planets, comets and eclipses are awe inspiring and help us to try and understand our place in the cosmos. Technological advances made just over the last few decades with larger and more powerful equipment mean that we can now probe much deeper into the unknown universe of countless galaxies, planets and stars, to understand its origin and growth. We know about pulsars, quasars, dark matter and black holes that all exist together within the vast infinity of space. But for the Medievals, astronomy was also God’s creation and something that influenced their physical, spiritual and mental well-being. Welcome to Medieval Madness.

For our fourth video in our ‘Day in the Life’ series we will travel back in time to the 13th century, where the spectre of heresy loomed large over all the regions of Europe. But especially in the Languedoc area of what is now South West France. Why was the Catholic Church so threatened by a group of celibate vegetarians? What were their beliefs? How were they connected to our old friends the Knights Templars? And what led to their tragic and shockingly violent end? Welcome to Medieval Madness.