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6 myths about the Middle Ages that everyone believes - Stephanie Honchell Smith

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6,201 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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Medieval Europe. Where unbathed, sword-wielding knights ate rotten meat, thought the Earth was flat, defended chastity-belt wearing maidens, and tortured their foes with grisly gadgets. Except… this is more fiction than fact. So, where do all the myths about the Middle Ages come from? And what were they actually like? Stephanie Honchell Smith debunks common misconceptions about the time period.

What part of the world does the term “Middle Ages” technically refer to?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Stephanie Honchell Smith
  • Director Avi Ofer
  • Narrator Christina Greer
  • Music Stephen LaRosa
  • Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Senior Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Sazia Afrin
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Script Producer Cella Wright
  • Fact-Checker Charles Wallace

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