5 Most Frightening Legends and Creatures From Medieval Times

It's that time of year again when we want to hear tales about ghosts, demons and mythical monsters. And what better era was there for stories of these supernatural and fabulous occurrences than the Middle Ages? A period in European history that was thick with superstition and when religion commanded everything. A time when the Christian church decided to place All Souls Day right in the middle of what Celtic pagans call Samhain. The point of the year where Welcome to Medieval Madness. Bis Claveret A nobleman lived in Brittany, France. He was a brave and handsome knight, an honourable man, the favourite of his king and admired by everyone around. He married a beautiful noblewoman and the couple were deeply in love. But she worried about her husband because he would stay away from the family home every week During these times no one knew where he went so when he returned one day in great spirits she brought up the matter. Her husband wrapped her in his arms and kissed her gently saying I am glad to hear this, said his wife. I am so frightened on the days that you are away. My heart aches because I am afraid of losing you. Please tell me where you are going and what it is that you do. I believe that you have another lover and you are going to her behind my back. Her husband pleaded for her not to ask that question and begged for pity because telling her the truth would cause not only the loss of her love but also the loss of his own life. But the lady continued to harass her husband, questioning him in such a way that he eventually When I leave here I go off to the forest to become a werewolf. I become Bisclavret and travel deep into the forest to feed off whatever prey I can find. When he told her the story she asked what happened to his clothing when he changed into a werewolf. He replied that he took all of his clothing off and went around naked as Bisclavret. Then his wife asked where he left his clothing and the knight replied that he couldn't tell her that because if he ever lost the clothes then he would have to stay forever in the form of Bisclavret. But she kept on at him until he finally gave in and told her I leave my clothing on the edge of the forest. There is an old chapel and there beneath a large boulder I leave them until I can retrieve them and return home to you. Now the lady began to fear her husband and she plotted ways in which she could leave him. She had a former suitor who was still in love with her and she sent a message to him which said I will no longer refuse your advances. I will pledge my body to you and become your mistress. She told him everything about her husband and where his clothing could be found. So Bisclavret was betrayed by his wife and unable to return to his human form. Everyone believed that the knight had left forever. A search was called at first but after a long time he was thought dead and the lady married her new ardent knight. After a year the king was hunting when his pack caught the scent of Bisclavret in the forest. When the hunt tracked and cornered him he was about to be killed when the werewolf saw the king and came forward begging him for mercy. He even kissed the king's feet. The king took Bisclavret to his castle and under his protection the wolfman became his favourite and he was accepted and loved by the other knights. The king held a feast and the knight who had married Bisclavret's wife was invited. On seeing him Bisclavret attacked the nobleman. On seeing his wife he lunged forward and bit off her nose. Because the werewolf was so well loved and never violent the king realised that it must have some grievance against the couple. The lady was tortured and admitted how she had betrayed her husband and stolen his clothes. The king ordered her to bring them and Bisclavret was transformed back into his human shape. His former wife and her lover were banished and although she gave birth to many children after, the girls were all born without noses. The Succubus The word first appeared in medieval English in the late 14th century and means to lie beneath. This refers to the sexual position of the sleeper because the succubi is a sleep demon that comes to seduce men in their dreams. The she-demon takes the form of a beautiful young woman but on closer inspection she is hideous and deformed. The succubi couldn't walk upright and instead had to crawl along the floor. They were often talked about by medieval Christian theologians because according to belief succubi are descended from Lilith who was the first wife of Adam, the Adam from the bible who was expelled from the garden of Eden with Eve. First mentioned in ancient texts from Babylonia it was during the middle ages that Lilith came to light as Adam's terrifying wife. She flew away because Adam would not agree that they were equal and she dared to speak God's unspeakable name. To the medievals this blasphemy was unforgivable. God sent three angels after Lilith. She was told that if she refused to return to Adam then 100 of her demon babies would die every day. She is blamed for the diseases inflicted on men, pregnant women and children. The medievals believed that a man having repeated sexual activity with the demon succubi would deteriorate both mentally and physically and may even die. The Demon's Castle High in the mountains of Girona, Catalonia there was a bottomless lake of black water and a palace with gates that were forever closed. Inside the palace lived invisible demons. Not far from there lived a farmer who was weary with his daughter's never ending crying. One day he was so exasperated by it that he wished the devil would take her away. And sure enough the girl was grabbed by an invisible hand and taken. Seven years later a traveller was passing by the mountain when he heard another man complaining loudly that he had been in the clutches of the mountain demons for many years. The man admitted that he had blasphemes and now the demons rode around on his back every day as though he was a chariot. He said one of his neighbours had his child taken away but that the tired of the child and would give it back if the man went up the mountain to take her home. The traveller knowing about the farmer and how he had suffered the same trouble went back and told him. So the farmer climbed the mountain and ran towards the lake calling to the demons to give his daughter back. Suddenly a violent wind swelled around him and a tall woman was standing there. Her skin was stretched taut across her bones and she had wild staring eyes. Unable to speak it was as though she could not even see the farmer. Afraid the farmer left his daughter there and went home to see the bishop where he was told that the devil seeks out whoever he can devour. The man who was ridden by demons was eventually freed of his faith in God, although he suffered miserably for many years. Listeners are advised to keep their hearts pure lest the devil should catch the sinful soul and plunge it into the lake of everlasting misery. The Linton Worm The monsters lived in a hollow on the side of Linton Hill in a place known as the Worm's Den in Roxburghshire on the border between Scotland and England. The worm came out from its lair at dawn and dusk to devastate the countryside. Eating crops, cattle and people it was said to be over ten feet wide with razor sharp fangs and was capable of devouring a flock of sheep in one sitting. Soon a man named John de Somerville, the Laird of Laveston and a man of immense courage, heard about the great monstrous worm and travelled to the nearby village of Jedburgh. There he heard tales of the monster from the locals and observed the monster from afar to find its weakness. Somerville then had the blacksmith forge, an iron spear with a wheel at the tip that was capable of holding burning peat. At sunrise Somerville rode to Linton Hill carrying his burning lance. As the worm came from its lair and opened its huge maw, Somerville plunged the burning weapon down its throat. The monster slithered back into its hole and died there writhing in agony. The area became known as Wormington and Somerville was knighted and made Royal Falconer and First Baron of Linton. Black Meg Meg was a beautiful young girl who lived near Cromwell in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Meg fell deeply in love with a farmer but he deserted her and ran off to become a soldier. Heartbroken Meg was soon seen in the company of a dark, mysterious stranger who seemed to appear from nowhere. She fell under his spell and sold her soul to the devil. Meg became a powerful witch and filled with hatred she inflicted pain and suffering on all those around her. She would call up storms to batter any passing travellers, strike down cattle with terrible plagues and wither the crops as they grew in the fields. She even inflicted disease and deformity on the local children. The hamlet of Byards Leap lies near Cromwell and it was here that the Knights Templar once held jousts and tournaments during the time of the Crusades. But many parts of the countryside nearby were wild and desolate. One of these areas was named Ancaster Heath and the evil witch chose to live there in a cave. Everyone around was terrified and desperate for someone to come and save them from the malevolence of old Meg. It was her former love that returned and he promised to rescue the local peasants. He had proved himself a noble soldier and been awarded a knighthood for his service. Now he returned victorious on his trusty steed Byard. The pair had been through many battles together but now the mare was old and blind. Nevertheless, the knight rode his faithful horse up to the witch's lair. As they arrived at the mouth of the cave, Byard seemed to take on a whole new lease of life. On seeing the knight, old Meg let out a blood-curdling scream and rushed out of her hole, spitting fire into his face. The knight slashed at her with his sword. Shrieking, Meg leapt in pain and dug her razor-sharp claws into Byard's rump. The blind horse jumped high into the air and landed on the witch, crushing her to death. Old Meg was buried at the crossroads with a stake driven through her heart, so that her spirit would not be able to rise and hoard the villagers. The place where Byard landed can still be seen, his four hoofprints marked in the limestone. Thank you so much for watching this video. Please do subscribe if you enjoy the content and I hope you're having a wonderfully spooky October. See you next week for another video, cheers!