During the Middle Ages, it was believed that ringing church bells during thunderstorms would ward off lightning. However, this practice was discontinued after over 100 bell ringers were struck and killed by lightning.
In the Middle Ages, people believed that…
In the Middle Ages, people believed that a “mandrake root” was a human-shaped root that grew beneath the gallows where criminals had been hanged. It was believed that the mandrake root would shriek when it was pulled out of the ground, and that anyone who heard the shriek would die. As a result, people would […]
Medieval scribes would frequently…
Medieval scribes would frequently scribble complaints in the margins of books as they copied them, as their work was so tedious. Recorded complaints range from “As the harbor is welcome to the sailor, so is the last line to the scribe.”, to “Oh, my hand.” and, “A curse on thee, O pen!”
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Lice were so prevalent during the middle…
Lice were so prevalent during the middle ages that delousing became a social activity. People would sit down and have a chat or gossip while removing eachother’s lice.
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In the late Middle Ages…
In the late Middle Ages, books were so valuable that libraries would chain them to the bookcase. This was widely practiced until the 18th century.
A Beer from the Middle Ages Is Becoming Popular Again
Before 1516, gruit beer was all the rage. What is gruit ale, you ask? Well, it’s beer that is made with an herb mixture as opposed to the hop-heavy beers that are so familiar today.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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Back in the Middle Ages, many drinkers preferred their beer to be made with a variety of herbs such as ginger, lavender, and mugwort. The herbs played the same role as hops, giving the beer flavor and helping to keep out harmful bacteria.
Photo Credit: EarlRivers.org
But in 1516, everything changed. The conservative Puritan movement was in full force and Germany passed a law that declared beer could only be made from hops, water, and barley. Why get rid of the herbs? Because many of them were considered aphrodisiacs at the time, and the Puritans had a big problem with that.
Photo Credit: Public Domain
And so, for the past 500 years, hops have dominated beer production. But gruit ale has been making a comeback lately. Scratch Brewing Company in Illinois released a beer made of dandelion, carrot tops, clover, and ginger. And a brewery in Estonia makes a special beer using herbs, caraway, and juniper berries. By the looks of it, these gruit ales are making a serious comeback. Let’s see if the bearded, tattooed hipsters in your town start making the switch from IPAs over to these herb-based beers any time soon.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
h/t: Mental Floss
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