Top Ten Myths and Misconceptions About the Middle Ages
Most People Believed the Earth Was Flat: One of the most prevalent myths about the Middle Ages was that around the time, most people thought the earth was flat.
Vikings Wore Horned Helmets: The Vikings were a group of people from the Nordic countries that began their rise during the Middle Ages.
There Was a Lack of Educational Progress: A lot of people see the Middle Ages as a time where education was almost non-existent and there was no progress in anything education or science related.
Witch Burning Was Common: A lot of people assume witch hunts and burnings were a common practice during the Middle Ages. But believe it or not, people just got the eras mixed up.
Most People Died Young: Generally, the more developed a place is, the higher the life expectancy of a person living there is.
Samurai Only Used Swords: Now this isn't in Europe, rather Japan, but this is still during the Middle Ages. When most people picture them, they see them wielding a sword.
Executions Were Frequent and Brutal: Although executions certainly existed in medieval Europe, they were less common and less brutal than we commonly believe.
Animals were put on trial for their crimes: This is true! Wow. Animal trials were common public events in medieval and early modern Europe.