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  • Medieval Clergy Needed Very Little Evidence To Convict A Witch on Random 'Monty Python and Holy Grail' Was Surprisingly Historically Accurat

    (#1) Medieval Clergy Needed Very Little Evidence To Convict A Witch

    In Holy Grail, we see a young woman accused of witchcraft by an angry mob. The mob is eager to burn the "witch," but Sir Bedevere stops them from going through with it - at least until they can prove she weighs as much as a duck. If her weight is equal to the duck, he claims, then she is probably made of wood and therefore a witch. That's why witches burn, after all.

    The questions Bedevere poses to the mob, and his test for determining witchcraft, are utterly absurd to a modern audience, but they do hold a sliver of historical accuracy. Nonconformists, or anyone considered an outsider, were deemed by the medieval Catholic Church to be a public danger. Simply deviating from the norm was sensationalized and criminalized. Clerics preached of the eminent threat these groups presented and insisted that their nonconformity was the work of the devil.

    Even women who could not conceive and people born with medical abnormalities were attributed to Satan, as evil resided in both the moral and physical realms. Jews who practiced openly, those accused of homosexual behavior, and, of course, those who were said to practice sorcery were considered offenders deserving of execution. Many accused witches were antagonized until they confessed, then most often hanged or burned.

  • Knights May Have Had Trouble Counting Since They Were Not Educated  on Random 'Monty Python and Holy Grail' Was Surprisingly Historically Accurat

    (#5) Knights May Have Had Trouble Counting Since They Were Not Educated

    Though gifted in the art of war, medieval knights were often uneducated in subjects like mathematics. Until the 12th century, basic arithmetic and geometry were more or less unknown in Western Europe to all but the clergy. Not even basic calculation was taught to most.

    King Arthur bumbling his attempt to count in the Holy Hand Grenade scene - uttering, “One, two, five,” before being corrected with someone saying, “Three, Sir!” - is not as absurd as it may seem.

  • Peasant Life Was Dingy, But They Did Have Plenty Of Free Time on Random 'Monty Python and Holy Grail' Was Surprisingly Historically Accurat

    (#6) Peasant Life Was Dingy, But They Did Have Plenty Of Free Time

    Peasants of medieval times were filthy and constantly endangered by disease, starvation, and the skirmishes of the upper classes. In Holy Grail, peasants are able to identify the king because he doesn’t have “sh*t all over him.”

    When peasants worked, it was hard and unforgiving, but they also had two to six months of “vacation time” each year, as well as time off for holidays and all manner of special events. This may explain the peasants of the film engaging in absolutely ridiculous activities to pass the time, such as bludgeoning streams and repeatedly hurling a cat into a wall.

  • People Would Have Trouble Saying Certain Vowels Due To The Great Vowel Shift  on Random 'Monty Python and Holy Grail' Was Surprisingly Historically Accurat

    (#10) People Would Have Trouble Saying Certain Vowels Due To The Great Vowel Shift

    In the film, there's no explanation why the word "Ni" is so terrible for the other characters to hear, but that's typical of the Pythons' absurdist humor. However, the Knights Who Say Ni may be a subtle reference to the Great Vowel Shift that began in the 12th century, which gradually changed the articulation of words with long, stressed vowels. For example, the stressed “ee” sound in “beet” would have been softer and less pronounced before this shift.

    No one is entirely certain why this change occurred, but it marks the transition from Middle English to today's Modern English pronunciations. Theoretically, it explains Sir Bedevere’s issue with saying “Ni,” though in this instance the vowel shift technically would not have applied.

  • Knights Each Had Their Own Unique Heraldry on Random 'Monty Python and Holy Grail' Was Surprisingly Historically Accurat

    (#8) Knights Each Had Their Own Unique Heraldry

    The signs emblazoned on a knight’s belongings proclaimed their achievements and pedigree, and were unique to each knight. This “coat of arms” was most often displayed on a knight’s shield. Normally, a knight’s heraldry would be ceremoniously bestowed upon them to be displayed as a badge of honor.

    The practice dates back to ancient times, when such heraldry indicated people, families, or groups of peoples. The Lion of Judah was an example of ancient Hebrew heraldry, and ancient Romans sported the Eagle of the Caesars. The totems of Native Americans are another example of the practice.

  • Flagellants Chanted And Punished Themselves So God Would Pity Them  on Random 'Monty Python and Holy Grail' Was Surprisingly Historically Accurat

    (#7) Flagellants Chanted And Punished Themselves So God Would Pity Them

    Just as monks march through the village streets and repeatedly smack themselves in the forehead in Holy Grail, flagellants actually did parade through towns chanting and scourging themselves. The practice was inspired by the fears that came with the prominence of the Black Plague.

    Flagellants hoped their show of self-harm and devotion would spare them the wrath of God and inspire others to repent. The Brotherhood of the Flagellants originated in Hungary and quickly spread across Europe. England, however, had only one parade of the Brotherhood.

    The flagellants marched through towns, with red crosses emblazoned upon their dark garments, their heads hung with eyes shielded by masks or hoods. They sang somber hymns, and each carried a slim flogger with iron on its knotted end. When a signal was given, they whipped themselves and one another.

    When the Brotherhood made their procession through London, the Brits were thoroughly unmoved by the display and forced the flagellants out of their country.

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About This Tool

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is an old British comedy film, the film was released in 1975. The film is based on the legend of King Arthur in the Medieval, telling the story of King Arthur and the Round Table Warriors accepting the will of God to find the legend of the Holy Grail. The exquisite scenes and props that fit the historical description have won unanimous praise from critics and audiences.

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