Medieval Superstitions & Medicine

Use the following websites to start your research:

1. http://listverse.com/2014/03/03/10-completely-uncanny-superstitions-from-the-middle-ages/
2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8913709/Tony-Robinson-on-the-top-fivesuperstitions-that-gripped-medieval-Britain.html
3. http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/13-strange-superstitions
4. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/health_and_medicine_in_medieval_.htm
5. http://listverse.com/2013/07/31/10-bizarre-medieval-medical-practices/
6. https://www.aimseducation.edu/blog/medieval-medical-practices-still-use-today/
After skimming the websites above, choose the 1 superstition AND the 1 medical
practice that intrigue you the MOST. Continue your narrowed research to learn the
specific details of each. Compile a list of at least 10 facts about each. Bookmark the
website(s) where you found your information on your Pearltrees account.
Superstition: The Spectral Wild Hunt (http://listverse.com/2014/03/03/10-completelyuncanny-superstitions-from-the-middle-ages/)

The hunt would break into houses, stealing food and drink
People lived in terror of Spectral hounds
Hounds would be accompanied by phantom huntsmen and warriors
People who practiced magic would have their souls join in the hunt while they
was physically sleep
Anyone unfortunate enough to behold the ghostly spectacle might be carried
away by it and dropped off miles from where they was taken
People would fling themselves down to avoid seeing them
Hearing the hounds passing overhead amid the darkness and the howls of winter
winds drove some people crazy
Hounds sometimes was accompanied with the sounds of rattling chains ad
clanging bells
In Germany, it is believed that hunts included the souls of unbaptized babies
In France, it was said that to be led by King Herod pursing the Holy Innocents

Medical Practice: Bloodletting(http://listverse.com/2013/07/31/10-bizarre-medievalmedical-practices/)(

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Barbers performed this practice in their shops

Bloodletting was used for many aliments such as sore throats and the plague
Two main ways of bloodletting was leeching and venesection
Leech was placed onto the problem area and the blood worm would suck the
blood
5. Some people did Bloodletting on the regular because the thought it would keep
them healthy
6. Venesection is when a doctor would open our vein using a knife called a fleam
and allow the blood to drain from your body
7. Blood and excess blood was considered as the cause of multiple ailments
8. Doctors would remove large some of blood from a persons body in HOPEs of
curing them
9. Dirty Knives were also used which increased the risk of the patient
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The idea behind bloodletting was trepanning in that it released bad blood
from your body