From the 12th to the 19th centuries, the people of France and England really believed their king’s touch could heal them of scrofula. Why did they believe it? Were they ignorant superstitious simpletons who knew no better? I do not think so. Before you toss up your hands and write me off as a crank,
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16th Century poison trials were a gruesome business. They were also an early example of the scientific method at work. This is the claim of Alisha Rankin in her recent book, The Poison Trials. She details a dozen of these trials conducted during the 1500s to make her case. In 1524, Pope Clement VII gave
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Early Epidemics: the Plague — the Black Death When people think about early epidemics in France, the plague — the Black Death — is the first that usually springs to mind. It arrived in Europe — Genoa to be precise — in 1348. By 1350 it has killed from ⅓ to ½ the population of
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The codpiece and the pox were two common sights in 16th Century Europe. Was there a relationship between them? King Henry VIII was famed for the size of his codpiece. He probably boasted about the size of his cod as well. [Can you guess from the context the word for which cod is a Renaissance
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In 1536, when Henry was injured jousting, he fell under his horse and lay unconscious. Many of his courtiers feared he had died. The Duke of Norfolk rushed with the news to his niece, Queen Anne Boleyn. She became distraught. Shortly thereafter she miscarried and blamed the loss on the dreadful news. Many believe this
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