Medieval History — Strange & Bizarre Tales from the Middle Ages
Step into the Middle Ages (500–1500 AD), a time of knights, plague, and strange superstitions. Discover the bizarre beliefs, odd practices, and peculiar events that defined medieval life — from flagellant processions to trial by ordeal and everything in between.
The Queen Mother Who Wouldn't Let the King of France Sleep With His Wife
When Louis IX of France married Margaret of Provence in 1234, his mother Blanche of Castile refused to let the newlyweds be alone — and she had the guards to prove it.
6 min read
The Iron Cage That Silenced Women: The History of the Scold's Bridle
In 16th and 17th century Europe, women who spoke too freely risked being fitted with an iron cage designed to make speech physically impossible.
7 min read
The Painful Price of a High Forehead: Medieval Beauty's Strangest Obsession
In the medieval and early Renaissance periods, noblewomen endured shaving, plucking, and caustic chemicals to push back their hairlines — all in pursuit of a beauty ideal that equated a bare forehead with refinement and intelligence.
6 min read