ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Nutty Productions Creepy Things That Were Normal in Elizabethan England
Welcome to the Elizabethan era, a time when people spoke in a fancy way and wore clothes with lots of puffy sleeves. This was the age of Shakespeare, great adventures, and exploring the world. Let’s dive into some of the strange and creepy things that were considered normal back then.
The Elizabethan era was named after Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled England from 1558 to 1603. This time was known as a golden age because England was peaceful, prosperous, and full of artistic achievements. Queen Elizabeth was called “Good Queen Bess” because she helped bring peace between Catholics and Protestants and made England richer. But, funnily enough, her teeth were not so great!
Queen Elizabeth and the upper class loved sugary treats, which were brought from England’s colonies. They used sugar in fruits, vegetables, and even made sculptures out of it. People thought sugar was good for their health, so they rubbed it on their teeth to prevent decay. Unfortunately, this only made their teeth worse. In fact, having black and rotten teeth became a sign of wealth, so poorer people would blacken their teeth to look rich!
During this time, diseases like the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, were a big problem. People didn’t understand how germs spread, so they believed in the miasma theory, which said diseases were caused by “bad air.” Plague doctors wore masks with long beaks filled with herbs to protect themselves from this bad air, but it didn’t work. These masks have become famous in popular culture, like in the “My Hero Academia” series.
The Elizabethan era also had some strange legal practices. People were very afraid of witches and used bizarre methods to find them, like throwing them in water to see if they floated. Witches were blamed for many bad things, including the plague. Even knowing about herbs could make someone a suspect. Queen Elizabeth was a bit fairer than others; she didn’t allow torture and didn’t let the church get involved in witch trials. In England, witches were usually hanged, not burned.
Another odd legal practice was used for suspected murderers. If someone was accused, they had to poke the corpse of the person they were accused of killing. If the corpse bled, it was believed to reveal the murderer. This was called cruentation, a trial by ordeal where people expected divine intervention to show who was guilty. As science improved, these practices disappeared by the end of the 17th century.
The Elizabethan era was a time of great change, with old ideas meeting new ones. It was a period of extravagance and innovation, but also of strange beliefs and practices. Who knows? Maybe things we consider normal today will seem odd to future generations. As Shakespeare wisely said, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Imagine you are part of Queen Elizabeth I’s court. Create a short skit with your classmates where you act out a day in the life of the Elizabethan court. Include elements like the fashion, language, and customs of the time. This will help you understand the social dynamics and cultural norms of the era.
Conduct a simple experiment to understand the effects of sugar on teeth. Use eggshells as a substitute for teeth and soak them in different sugary solutions. Observe the changes over a week. Discuss how the Elizabethans’ love for sugar affected their dental health and compare it to modern dental practices.
Create your own plague doctor mask using materials like paper, cardboard, and paint. Research the purpose of the mask’s design and discuss how it reflects the medical beliefs of the Elizabethan era. Present your mask and explain its features to the class.
Participate in a debate about the fairness of witch trials in Elizabethan England. Divide into two groups: one supporting the trials and the other opposing them. Use historical evidence to support your arguments. This activity will help you explore the legal and social aspects of the time.
Simulate a trial by ordeal using a fictional scenario. Create a mock trial where one student is accused of a crime, and others play the roles of judges and witnesses. Discuss the logic behind such trials and how they compare to modern legal systems. Reflect on the evolution of justice over time.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Forsooth, good lords and gentle ladies! It is the Elizabethan era, a time when we say things like “tis” and wear puffy clothes. This was the time of Shakespeare, the empire, and circumnavigating the world. Today on Nutty History, we’ll explore some of the creepiest things that were considered normal in the Elizabethan era.
The Elizabethan era was the period of English history during which Elizabeth I reigned as queen from 1558 to 1603. It was considered a golden age for England—a time of relative peace, prosperity, and artistic achievement. Queen Elizabeth managed to moderate the Catholic versus Protestant divide that had been tearing England apart in the previous century, and her fiscal policy led to financial prosperity. There was a reason she was known as “Good Queen Bess,” but let’s not look too closely at her teeth.
Elizabeth’s teeth, like those of many in the upper class, were quite poor—often black and rotten. English high society frequently indulged in expensive luxury items shipped in from England’s colonies, particularly sugar. They would put sugar in fruits and vegetables and create elaborate sculptures out of various sugar pastes like marzipan. Queen Elizabeth had a major sweet tooth and loved expensive sugary treats like rose water, sugar cubes, and gingerbread. Interestingly, they believed sugar had medicinal properties, leading to the ironic practice of rubbing sugar on their teeth to prevent decay, which, as you might guess, didn’t work.
The end result of this sugary indulgence was that the wealthier you were, the worse your teeth tended to be. Fashion often followed the rich and powerful, so the poorer classes, wanting to appear fancier, would purposefully blacken their teeth with soot. It was quite the social faux pas to have perfect teeth in that era.
We can’t discuss medicine in the Elizabethan era without mentioning the infamous plague doctors. Disease was a significant issue during this time, and the science of germ transmission was not well understood. Most populated areas had terrible sanitation, creating perfect breeding grounds for the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, which had previously killed off a third of Europe in the 1300s. At the time, they believed the plague was caused by “bad air,” a now-debunked idea known as the miasma theory of disease. To combat this bad air, doctors wore masks with long beaks stuffed with sweet-smelling herbs, which, needless to say, did not work.
As our understanding of disease improved, the beak masks fell out of fashion, but they did find a place in popular culture, such as in the “My Hero Academia” series.
Wacky scientific theories weren’t the only peculiarities of the Elizabethan era; they also had some strange legal theories. You’ve probably heard of the bizarre methods used to hunt for witches, such as throwing them in water to see if they float. If they weighed as much as a duck, they were deemed guilty. Witches were often blamed for various misfortunes, including the plague. Just having knowledge of herbs could mark someone as a witch, as it was believed such knowledge came from a pact with the devil.
Queen Elizabeth, in a somewhat unusual way, was fairer than others towards those accused of witchcraft. Although she passed harsher anti-witch laws, torture was not allowed, and witchcraft was not defined as heresy, which kept the church from becoming involved in the trials. In England, witches were generally hanged, unlike the American practice of burning them.
Another strange legal practice involved suspected murderers. If you were accused, one method was to poke the corpse of the person you supposedly murdered. If the corpse bled, it was believed to identify you as the killer. This method, known as cruentation, was a form of trial by ordeal, where the court expected divine intervention to reveal the innocent and punish the guilty.
As scientific understanding increased, these practices gradually faded away, and England stopped using cruentation by the end of the 17th century. The Elizabethan era was a time of extravagance and innovation, but also a period where old ideas collided with new ones. It’s possible that things we consider normal today will seem strange to future generations. As Shakespeare said, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any inappropriate or overly casual language.
Elizabethan – Relating to the period of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign in England, known for its flourishing arts and exploration. – During the Elizabethan era, playwrights like William Shakespeare wrote many famous plays.
Queen – A female monarch who rules a kingdom or an empire. – Queen Elizabeth I was one of the most powerful and influential queens in English history.
England – A country that is part of the United Kingdom, known for its rich history and cultural heritage. – England experienced significant changes during the Industrial Revolution, transforming its economy and society.
Sugar – A sweet substance obtained from plants like sugarcane and sugar beet, used in foods and drinks. – In the 16th century, sugar became a popular commodity in England, leading to increased trade with the Caribbean.
Plague – A contagious bacterial disease characterized by fever and delirium, often resulting in death. – The Black Plague, which struck Europe in the 14th century, drastically reduced the population and changed the course of history.
Witches – Individuals, often women, who were believed to have magical powers and were accused of practicing witchcraft. – In the late 1600s, the Salem witch trials led to the execution of several people accused of being witches.
Trials – Formal examinations of evidence in a court, typically to decide guilt in a case of law. – The witch trials in Salem were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft.
Teeth – Hard, bony structures in the mouth used for biting and chewing food. – In the past, people often used herbs and twigs to clean their teeth before modern toothbrushes were invented.
Beliefs – Convictions or acceptances that certain things are true or real, often without proof. – During the Middle Ages, many people’s beliefs were heavily influenced by the teachings of the Church.
Adventure – An unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity. – The Age of Exploration was a time of great adventure, as explorers set out to discover new lands and trade routes.
