This week is part 3 of my 3-part blog series about the Middle Ages/Medieval times. This period in history has many documented tales of truly barbaric treatment. But, unlike the message we get from Hollywood's entertainment industry and many novels, Medieval times overall weren't as barbaric as we've been led to believe. And with that thought in mind, here's a list of the ten biggest myths about justice in Medieval times.
10) Go Directly To Jail?
Most Medieval communities actually had a judge and jury type
of system, although it was much quicker than today's long drawn out sessions. Court generally lasted less than half an
hour. At the judge's discretion, he could ask a few simple questions and
deliver a verdict without consulting the jury.
9) The Lawless Middle Age Villages?
Earlier Medieval communities had much more social
responsibility than today. If one member
claimed to be wronged, every resident had to join in the hunt and persecution
of the criminal, otherwise they would all be held responsible.
8) Those Strict Church Types?
The pious Middle Ages were serious about religious offenses.
Each town's church usually ran its own kind of court to investigate everything
from bad attendance to heresy. However, the concept of sanctuary was also well
known with the church as a place where criminals could avoid sentencing or
punishment.
7) Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind?
Criminals who committed lesser offenses were often subject
to a policy of three strikes and you're out—literally. Repeat offenders were
often simply banished from a city and not allowed back rather than killing them
or having them clutter up the prisons. Humane and cost effective.
6) Executions: Left, Right, and Center?
According to Hollywood, Medieval evil-doers were killed on
whim and often in public squares for even the slightest of offenses. In
reality, capital punishment was used only in the most serious cases which
included murder, treason, and arson with the guilty usually hanged.
5) Royal Highnesses High Above the Law?
Medieval nobles did enjoy certain privileges when it came to
bending laws or making new ones to serve their purposes. However, most European
countries had legislation preventing their kings and queens from running wild,
such as England's Magna Carta signed by King John in 1215.
4) Public Beheadings as Weekly Spectacle?
Beheading was swift and painless—as long as the axe was
sharp. It was considered a privileged way to die and reserved primarily for the
nobility. Treason was the crime of choice with the beheadings usually taking
place inside castle walls rather than in public. Henry VIII had two of his
wives beheaded—Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn.
3) The Burning Times?
A few witches, as proclaimed by their accusers, were burned
at the stake during Medieval times. But it was during the following Reformation
period (beginning approximately in 1550) that burning witches at the stake
really took off. However, in England witches were rarely burned. They were
hanged instead. At the Salem witch trials in the U.S., most of the accused who
were actually put to death were hanged.
2) Off With Your Ear?
Mutilation—severing of an ear or hand—was occasionally used
as a punishment for serious crimes, especially in larger jurisdictions such as
London. But more often, Medieval law enforcement used it as an empty threat
rather than actually doing it.
1) Rack 'Em Up?
Immortalized in the film Braveheart, the most famous torture
device of all time was the rack. It probably wasn't used in England until the
very end of the Medieval period. It was used extensively along with other
devices beginning in the torturous days of the 1500s when Queen Elizabeth I,
and other European monarchs, began purging religious opponents.
So, next time you're watching a high budget film set during Medieval times filled with bloody and torturous actions, remember—there's a good chance it didn't really happen that way.
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