Cracked Archive - History
In The Middle Ages, Reading Was More Complicated Than We Think
Estimates vary on literacy rates in the Middle Ages, but text was everywhere.
- Authors
- By Ethan Tyrrell
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11
11 4 Miserable Moments In The Daily Life Of A Medieval Peasant
The smells. Good lord, the smells.
- Authors
- By Cezary Jan Strusiewicz
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- Comments
- 34
The Trial By Combat, Between A Man And His Victim's Dog
"God would not let a criminal defeat a dog," said the King.
- Authors
- By Ryan Menezes
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- Comments
- 11
Knights Had An Embarrassing (And Dangerous) Risk From Horseback Riding
In addition to the expected risks knights dealt with, they also had to worry about fatal butt problems.
- Authors
- By Ethan Tyrrell
- Published
- Comments
- 3
Diluting Spices Was Once A Crime Punishable By Death
They'd shove that spice down your throat.
- Authors
- By Ryan Menezes
- Published
- Comments
- 4
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5 Unexpected Facts About Life As A Minority In The Middle Ages
Life could be miserable but sometimes surprisingly wasn't.
- Authors
- By Chris Corlew
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- Comments
- 73
Prima Nocta: The Weird Medieval Marriage Law (That Didn't Exist)
Prima nocta was a practice that would really ruin a marriage night. However, it was really just a myth.
- Authors
- By Ethan Tyrrell
- Published
- Comments
- 14
5 Realities of Medieval Warfare Hollywood Refuses to Learn
The Knights of the Round Table weren't exactly the upstanding gentlemen movies keep making them.
- Authors
- By Eirik Gumeny
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- Comments
- 41
Gong Farmers Had The Crappiest Job Of The Middle Ages
In a time before flushing toilets, someone had to get rid of human waste. Gong farmers stepped up to the task.
- Authors
- By Ethan Tyrrell
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- Comments
- 4
4 Odd Realities Of Food In The Middle Ages
Shockingly, the theme restaurant industry has lied to you.
- Authors
- By Amanda Mannen
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- 21
5 Bizarre Tales From The History Of Cannabis
Featuring hemp Nazis, magic spells, and very stoned monkeys
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- By Dana Larsen
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- Comments
- 6
A Dog Went On Trial, For Catslaughter
He was accused of 14 counts of (cat) murder.
- Authors
- By Ryan Menezes
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- Comments
- 8
When Clear Channel Silenced The (Dixie) Chicks
In the amount of time it takes to melt a compact disc on a bonfire, the (Dixie) Chicks' career imploded.
- Authors
- By Nathan Williams
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- Comments
- 32
Superman Beat Joseph Goebbels When It Came To Propaganda
He was also pretty good at punching.
- Authors
- By Ryan Menezes
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- Comments
- 3
When Ping-Pong Helped Improve U.S./China Relations
In 1971, a group of unexpected American diplomats traveled to China and helped create diplomacy between the two countries.
- Authors
- By Ethan Tyrrell
- Published
- Comments
- 3
