Uploaded July 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
How Brutal was Medieval Law Really?
Law and order in medieval Europe have for a long time been a subject characterized by cruelty and barbarism. Hangings, beheading, and corporal punishments are often been thought to be the go-to punishments given to people guilty of even the most minor of transgressions.
But is this depiction of medieval law accurate?
Since the late twentieth century, historians have been critically studying the subject of law and order in medieval Europe and revealed a reality of crime and punishments in the middle ages that is more nuanced and less dark than commonly portrayed. What did the medieval legal landscape look like? What legal procedures did medieval courts use, and was execution really as common as generally believed?
These are the questions we're going to cover in this video. If you liked it, feel free to check out my other videos at youtube.com/channel/UCCkBMq5Kspo38-RopmroyPQ/videos
Note: I try to use copyright-free images and stock footage at all times. However, if I have used any of your artwork or video content then please don't hesitate to contact me and I’ll be more than happy to give the appropriate credit. Mail: inkhistorycontact@gmail.com
Music credits: The Pyre, Lost Time, Folk round, Crusade, Gregorian Chant, Heart from Nowhere, and Lost frontier by Kevin Macleod
Sources.
God’s Philosophers(James Hannan. 2009).
Crime and conflict in English communities, 1300-1348(Barbara Hanawalt. 1976).
Crime And Punishment In England - An Introductory History(John Briggs et al. 1996).
Violence and Social Order: East Anglia 1422-1442(Philippa Maddern. 1992).
The Thief, the Cross, and the Wheel(Mitchell B. Merback. 1999).
Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Age(Classen and Scarborough. 2012).
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:31 Origins of the medieval legal landscape
07:12 Medieval Legal Procedures
11:19 Medieval punishments
How Brutal was Medieval Law Really?
Law and order in medieval Europe have for a long time been a subject characterized by cruelty and barbarism. Hangings, beheading, and corporal punishments are often been thought to be the go-to punishments given to people guilty of even the most minor of transgressions.
But is this depiction of medieval law accurate?
Since the late twentieth century, historians have been critically studying the subject of law and order in medieval Europe and revealed a reality of crime and punishments in the middle ages that is more nuanced and less dark than commonly portrayed. What did the medieval legal landscape look like? What legal procedures did medieval courts use, and was execution really as common as generally believed?
These are the questions we're going to cover in this video. If you liked it, feel free to check out my other videos at youtube.com/channel/UCCkBMq5Kspo38-RopmroyPQ/videos
Note: I try to use copyright-free images and stock footage at all times. However, if I have used any of your artwork or video content then please don't hesitate to contact me and I’ll be more than happy to give the appropriate credit. Mail: inkhistorycontact@gmail.com
Music credits: The Pyre, Lost Time, Folk round, Crusade, Gregorian Chant, Heart from Nowhere, and Lost frontier by Kevin Macleod
Sources.
God’s Philosophers(James Hannan. 2009).
Crime and conflict in English communities, 1300-1348(Barbara Hanawalt. 1976).
Crime And Punishment In England - An Introductory History(John Briggs et al. 1996).
Violence and Social Order: East Anglia 1422-1442(Philippa Maddern. 1992).
The Thief, the Cross, and the Wheel(Mitchell B. Merback. 1999).
Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Age(Classen and Scarborough. 2012).
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:31 Origins of the medieval legal landscape
07:12 Medieval Legal Procedures
11:19 Medieval punishments
