Medieval Conspiracy Theories: The History of the Most Popular Conspiracy Theories about the Middle Ages

Few eras are easier to let the imagination run wild than the Middle Ages, which have often been coined the Dark Ages based on a perceived lack of progress and information.[1] Indeed, we can say that it is not completely unfounded because we know less about that historical period compared to those that come after it. In addition, it is a period marked by a great number of deaths caused by plague epidemics, crusades, and inquisitorial persecutions. Often, researchers are not even sure how and why certain events happened, and these mysteries still occupy the attention of historians.

This era was very harsh, difficult, and often gloomy. In that greyness, burdened by various fears, people were looking for something that would light up their lives and bring them a feeling of beauty and joy. People experienced all things and events around them more intensely than people do today. They often exaggerated the events that happened, giving them a mystical and divine character. For this reason, medieval sources are taken with a grain of salt and are first carefully examined before believing.

At the same time, some historical mysteries about the era may never be solved, if only because the relevant excavated material has been lost or the archaeological site has been destroyed. In other cases, it is because new evidence is unlikely to emerge, or the surviving evidence is too vague to lead to a consensus. Of course, the lack of answers only makes these enigmas more intriguing. For example, the topic of witchcraft in Europe, once considered marginal and even frivolous, has become the subject of international debate among historians since the early 1970s. However, only a few of the many studies have paid attention to the sabbath - the nocturnal gathering of witches and sorceresses - even though the sabbath is clearly of crucial importance in the history of witchcraft and witch-hunting.

Commencez ce livre dès aujourd'hui pour 0 €

  • Accédez à tous les livres de l'app pendant la période d'essai
  • Sans engagement, annulez à tout moment
Essayer gratuitement
Plus de 52 000 personnes ont noté Nextory 5 étoiles sur l'App Store et Google Play.

  1. Homo habilis and Homo erectus: The History and Legacy of Modern Humans’ Direct Ancestors

    Charles River Editors

  2. The Greatest Generals of the Roman Republic: The History of the Military Leaders Who Led the Rise of Rome

    Charles River Editors

  3. Fighting for Jerusalem: The History of the Most Important Battles and Sieges for Control of the World’s Holiest City

    Charles River Editors

  4. 5.0

    The Amorite Kingdoms: The History of the First Babylonian Dynasty and the Other Mesopotamian Kingdoms Established by the Amorites

    Charles River Editors

  5. America’s Most Influential Jazz Artists

    Charles River Editors

  6. La Guerra Civil española: La historia y el legado del controversial conflicto que estableció la dictadura de Francisco Franco en España

    Charles River Editors

  7. The Moors of Andalusia: The History of the Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages

    Charles River Editors

  8. La Capilla Sixtina: Historia y legado de la capilla más famosa del mundo

    Charles River Editors

  9. The Executions of British and French Royalty: The Lives of the Royals Who Were Put to Death in England and France

    Charles River Editors

  10. 2.0

    The Portuguese Inquisition: The History of the Portuguese Empire’s Religious Persecution of Non-Christians in Portugal and Asia

    Charles River Editors

  11. France in World War II: The History of Nazi Germany’s Conquest of France and Its Liberation By the Allies

    Charles River Editors

  12. France in the Early Middle Ages: The History of the Dynasties that Brought about the Kingdom of France

    Charles River Editors


Catégories associées