5 Common Myths About the Middle Ages

While it’s widely acknowledged today that Christopher Columbus didn’t discover America, some still cling to the misconception that his voyage was crucial for proving that the Earth is round. One might argue that Columbus had to set sail across the ocean—otherwise, how could people of the 15th century have known that the Earth wasn’t flat? Let’s examine this and other widespread myths about the Middle Ages, from the causes of feudalism’s decline to the bathing habits of medieval society, inspired by an episode of Misconceptions on YouTube.

1. Myth: People in the Middle Ages thought the Earth was flat.

In reality, many people in the Middle Ages understood that Earth was spherical, a concept that dates back to Greek philosopher Pythagoras and Roman astronomer Ptolemy. By around 600 BCE, Pythagoras had reportedly suggested that the Earth was round, an idea later supported by Aristotle and Euclid. Ptolemy, a 2nd-century figure from Alexandria, Egypt, not only developed a detailed Earth-centered universe theory—later proven incorrect—but also created maps featuring latitude and longitude coordinates for thousands of locations. His method of depicting Earth as a sphere on flat maps was a significant achievement in cartography at the time.

Even after the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century CE, some scholars continued to explore geography using the mathematical models of the Greeks and Romans. The English monk, the Venerable Bede, wrote in the 8th century CE that the Earth was more like an “orb,” not “simply circular like a shield or flat like a wheel, but more akin to a ball.” In the 9th century CE, Islamic scholars continued to expand upon and refine this knowledge.

By the 1300s, scholars in Europe revisited these ideas and began reproducing manuscripts of Ptolemy’s writings and maps. In 1406, his Greek text was translated into Latin, making it more accessible to a wider audience.

These advancements had a profound impact on later medieval and Renaissance thinkers, including Columbus. He owned a copy of Ptolemy’s book and relied on his map projections to chart his unconventional westward route to the Indies.

But what about Columbus’s sponsors in the Spanish court—did they still believe the world was flat? Not quite. Ironically, a 16th-century source claims that Columbus was told his plan would fail because the Earth was a sphere. According to The Life of the Admiral Christopher Columbus by His Son, Ferdinand, some authorities insisted “if one were to set out and travel directly west, as the Admiral proposed, they wouldn’t be able to return to Spain because the world was round. These men were absolutely convinced that anyone who left Ptolemy’s known hemisphere would be going downhill and thus unable to return, much like sailing a ship to the top of a mountain—a task even the strongest winds couldn’t make possible.”

So where did this misconception come from? From a much more modern source than you might expect: Washington Irving, the highly popular 19th-century author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. In his fictionalized account of Columbus’s voyages, published in 1828, Irving claimed that Columbus tried to persuade Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain that the Earth was round. However, they insisted that even if the Earth were round, its immense circumference would take three years to sail around, by which time he would run out of food and water. Despite their objections, Columbus set sail, returned victorious, and proved Europe’s smartest minds wrong.

While some aspects of Irving’s story are based on fact, the notion of a flat Earth was a product of his own imagination. He wasn’t the first to portray medieval people as flat Earthers—Thomas Jefferson once remarked, “Galileo was sent to the Inquisition for affirming that the Earth was a sphere.” But Irving is often credited with associating the myth with Columbus, creating a misconception that people in the Middle Ages were unaware of geography, other cultures, science, and so on. This brings us to the next misconception.

2. Misconception: The term 'Dark Ages' refers to a period of hopeless ignorance.

Some view the Middle Ages as the 'Dark Ages,' seeing them as less progressive compared to the Classical Era and the Renaissance, two periods that highly valued humanism and individualism. The Classical era contributed to the foundations of modern democracy and philosophy, while the Renaissance birthed masterpieces in art, literature, and beautiful ceilings.

The Middle Ages in Europe, often associated with the Christian church, has been portrayed by some historians as a period where the church suppressed dissent and any efforts to uplift humanity. However, this oversimplifies the situation. The church actually played a key role in supporting some of the most remarkable and revolutionary art of the era.

Throughout Europe, monasteries became vibrant centers of intellectual and philosophical activity. One notable figure, the Venerable Bede—yes, him again—resided at the influential twin monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow in northeastern England, which housed one of the country’s largest libraries. Bede authored over 60 works on topics like nature, astronomy, mathematics, and religion. His most famous work, An Ecclesiastical History of the English People, marked the beginning of English history writing, earning him the title of the father of English history.

Many monasteries also housed artists' workshops where monks created beautifully illuminated manuscripts. These works featured incredibly detailed illustrations, often incorporating recurring themes such as interwoven knots, animals, mythical creatures, and biblical scenes. One of the finest examples, the Book of Kells, was produced around 800 CE in a Scottish island monastery and is now preserved in the Trinity College Library in Dublin.

In the early Middle Ages, monastery architecture was relatively simple. However, around the 10th century, French architects introduced a new style known as Romanesque, which reflected the Church’s growing influence and wealth. This architectural style is characterized by thick stone walls and massive round arches, showcasing impressive feats of both artistry and engineering.

Around two centuries later, a French priest named Abbot Suger astounded the public by rebuilding an old church in the revolutionary Gothic style. The main innovations of the Church of Saint-Denis, located just north of Paris, included large, pointed-arched windows that flooded the interior with light. Later French cathedrals adopted flying buttresses—external supports that transferred the building’s weight outward—allowing the construction of even taller structures with awe-inspiring, light-filled interiors.

Indeed, Suger saw light as a representation of divinity, famously writing, “For bright is that which is brightly coupled with the bright / and bright is the noble edifice which is pervaded by the new light.”

Thus, light symbolized much more than just illumination—it was a central theme of the Dark Ages, both literally and metaphorically.

The notion of the “Dark Ages” took root during the Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries, a time of significant scientific progress. Enlightenment thinkers often linked Christianity with stagnation and conformity, while they admired the scholarship and individualism of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as the Renaissance. To them, the Middle Ages represented a time of decline.

This perspective still persists today, with some people holding the view that the Middle Ages were a time of extravagant feasts and thrilling jousting tournaments. Well...

3. Misconception: The Middle Ages was all about feasting and jousting.

While Europeans may have enjoyed jousting and feasting—at least some of them—these were not the only events shaping the world from the 5th to the 15th centuries. Around the globe, civilizations were flourishing. New religions introduced fresh ideas in science, art, and philosophy. Trade routes laid the foundations for a global economy and facilitated the exchange of ideas across continents. The label “The Middle Ages” is generally used to describe European history, but let’s explore what was happening in other parts of the world during this time.

In the 7th century, while Christianity dominated Europe, Islam arose in the Middle East. Islamic caliphs and skilled military leaders expanded their territories, covering much of modern-day Turkey, the Middle East, and Iran. This expansion ushered in the Islamic Golden Age, marked by incredible advancements in medicine, astronomy, engineering, architecture, literature, and philosophy.

Between the 10th and 13th centuries, China’s Song Dynasty sparked an early industrial revolution. Powered by coal, industrial manufacturing boosted the economy, and Chinese rulers extended their control over the Silk Road, the vital east-west trade route. The Song Dynasty introduced groundbreaking innovations such as movable type, gunpowder, the cultivation of tea and cotton, and paper currency.

In the 13th century, Genghis Khan and his Mongol forces stormed across Eurasia from Mongolia, ultimately establishing an empire that stretched from southern China to Eastern Europe. Their conquest brought an end to the Song Dynasty in China and reshaped the entire region, destroying any city or town that resisted their rule.

At the same time, Indigenous cultures in the Americas thrived. One prominent civilization was the Mississippian Culture, which flourished in what is now the Midwest and Southeast U.S. By the 11th century, the Mississippian people had developed a vast river-based trade network and established the major city of Cahokia, located near modern-day St. Louis. Known for its monumental mounds, the Cahokia site is a lasting testament to their culture.

Meanwhile, in Mesoamerica, the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec civilizations constructed impressive cities and pyramid complexes for religious rituals, as well as achieving remarkable advancements in art and mathematics. The Maya calendar, in particular, is said to be more accurate than our modern Gregorian calendar. Far to the south, the Inca empire stretched across 25,000 miles of roads, which included staircases designed specifically for their llamas. Some of these ancient roads are still in use today in parts of South America.

4. Misconception: People never left their hometowns.

As we’ve seen, people in the Middle Ages were well-versed in geography and produced remarkable art. The belief that Europeans knew very little about the world beyond their villages is similarly a misconception that can be debunked.

Many Europeans during the Middle Ages traveled extensively. They embarked on religious pilgrimages to significant shrines and churches, and participated in a series of Crusades between 1095 and 1291, journeying to the Holy Land. As thousands of people marched from Western Europe to Jerusalem to fight for control of the city from Muslim forces, they encountered diverse cultures along the way, returning home with valuable knowledge of the Mediterranean world—if they survived the battles, that is.

At the same time the Crusades were underway, sailors began venturing beyond European shores in search of new trade routes and territories to claim. The Viking explorer Leif Erikson made it all the way to coastal Canada. A few centuries later, the Venetian Polo family—Niccolò, Maffeo, and Niccolò’s son Marco—traveled across Asia, documenting their journey and bringing new knowledge back to Europe (but contrary to popular belief, Marco Polo did not bring pasta to Italy from China).

Each of these journeys expanded Europe's understanding of the world. During the Middle Ages, European universities began to take root, drawing scholars and philosophers from far and wide: the University of Bologna was established in 1088; Oxford around 1096; the University of Salamanca in 1134; Cambridge in 1209; and the University of Padua in 1222, just to name a few.

5. Misconception: People were filthy.

Contrary to popular belief, people in the Middle Ages were not lacking in intelligence, but did they have a reputation for being smelly? Well, not exactly. While medieval hygiene practices were certainly not as refined as those of the modern era, personal cleanliness was still a priority. People understood the importance of washing their hands and faces regularly. In fact, hygiene guides like the 14th-century *Regimen sanitatis* advised readers that bathing helped remove 'dirt left behind from exercise' and offered tips for maintaining cleanliness while traveling, resting, or even during pregnancy. And before significant holidays, it was expected that people would freshen up.

Bathing was also a routine part of life in monasteries, as mentioned in the *Regularis Concordia*, a 10th-century text. Monks would wash the hands and feet of those in the community as part of their religious duties. Benedictine monks were instructed to bathe at least four times a year, specifically before Easter, at the end of June, at the close of September, and at Christmas. It's likely that they bathed more frequently as well. At Westminster Abbey, a dedicated bathing attendant was employed, receiving two loaves of bread daily along with an annual salary of one pound.

The misconception about the Middle Ages being unhygienic was largely perpetuated by later historians and philosophers. These individuals sought to contrast the so-called 'great' periods such as the Renaissance and Enlightenment with the so-called 'dark' and 'crude' times of the Middle Ages.