List of common misconceptions about the Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a traditional division of Western European history that roughly lasted from the 5th to the 15th centuries. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, civilization in different parts of Western Europe receded at different rates and at different times. Eventually, the Carolingian Empire was established in the 9th century and reunited much of Western Europe, but it later broke apart into many states.

Even as historians learn more about the Middle Ages, many wrong ideas about this time still exist. One common misconception is called the Dark Ages, a term that suggests the period was full of barbarity and ignorance. However, scholars have shown that these ideas are not true.

In fact, the Middle Ages was a time of big changes and progress. Many smart and important developments happened during this period, including the start of the university in the late 12th to the 13th centuries. These changes show that the Middle Ages was not as dark or backward as many people think.

History of the "Dark Ages" misconception

Main article: Dark Ages (historiography)

A writer named Petrarch was the first to call a time period the "Dark Ages." He lived during a time called the late Middle Ages and thought the ancient Greeks and Romans were very great. Petrarch traveled around Europe and found old Latin and Greek books that he republished. He wanted to bring back the pure Latin language. He believed that after the great ancient times, there was a dark time and he was living in it. He hoped that later times would be better.

During the time when new religious ideas spread, called the Reformation, many people also thought the Middle Ages were dark. They believed this partly because of problems they saw in the Catholic Church at that time. Later, during a time called the Age of Enlightenment, many smart thinkers thought the Middle Ages were the opposite of reason and science because religion was very strong then.

Misconceptions

Belief in a flat Earth

Main article: Myth of the flat Earth

Many people think that people in the Middle Ages believed the Earth was flat, and that explorer Christopher Columbus proved it was round. But this idea is not true. It started in the early 1800s with a book by Washington Irving. In fact, most educated people in Europe since ancient times knew the Earth was round. Writers from that time, like Johannes de Sacrobosco and Thomas Aquinas, wrote about the Earth being a sphere.

How many angels can fit on the head of a pin?

Main article: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

Some stories say that medieval thinkers spent lots of time arguing about how many angels could fit on the tip of a pin. But this never really happened. The story began in the 1600s. Even though some medieval scholars did worry about big questions, the pin debate is just a myth made up later.

Cat massacres and the subsequent plague

Cats were often kept in homes during the Middle Ages to catch mice and rats. A book from 2001 claimed that the Catholic Church killed many cats, which led to more rats and the spread of a big sickness called the Black Plague. But this is not true. The Pope's writing mentioned evil things but did not talk about killing cats. Even if cats had been killed, it would not have caused the plague, because fleas could still spread the sickness between people or from rats to people, and cats can also catch and spread the sickness.