THE ARCHAEOLOGIST
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Inhuman Practices of the Dark Ages: Wedding Night Horrors
In the hallowed halls of our collective past, shrouded by the veils of time, echoes a tale of an era steeped in tradition and rigid societal norms. Welcome to the Middle Ages, a period spanning the 5th to the late 15th century, a time when unions were not always born of love but dictated by power, alliances, and the exchange of wealth.
How does the image of a blushing bride of tender age, such as the infamous Margaret Beaufort who was wedded and bedded at the tender age of 12, make you feel? Can you imagine a world in which love was often a mere footnote to the harsh political realities of the day? Marriage, especially among the nobility, was a transaction, a bargain struck for the consolidation of power and wealth. Such was the case for the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, betrothed to Matilda of Flanders when he was in his early twenties and she was only a child.
On the night of such a union, rituals steeped in superstition took center stage. The wedding night was a spectacle, and often, the marital bed became a stage, with the gruesome custom of displaying the bloody 'proof' of the bride's purity. This was a world where privacy was a privilege that few could afford, especially on the so-called 'night of nights'.
As we delve into the customs, we are reminded of the words of Geoffrey Chaucer from his legendary 'Canterbury Tales': "Marriage is a misery and a woe." A rather fitting sentiment for the young brides of the Middle Ages, wouldn't you say?
Join us on a journey back in time, as we peel back the layers of the Middle Ages, explore the truth behind forced marriages and uncover the disturbing rituals of the wedding night.