Medieval Wellness
From Beauty to Bloodletting
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Getty Trust Publications
Publishing:2nd Feb '27
£21.99
This title is due to be published on 2nd February, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Dispelling myths of a dirty, superstitious Middle Ages, this entertaining volume explores medieval approaches to health and wellness.
Often maligned as an era of darkness and superstition, the Middle Ages in Europe have been stereotyped as lacking standards for basic hygiene, or, at the very least, for having a laughably simplistic approach to self-care and medicine. In truth, medieval practices surrounding wellness were complex, encoding a wide variety of social and cultural expectations and anxieties. Yet the relationship medieval people had to their own bodies and minds-along with the pursuits undertaken to perfect them-was a sophisticated one, not unlike our own today.
With wit and expert analysis, medievalist Larisa Grollemond explores some of the most frequently asked questions about the Middle Ages, such as: Did people bathe? How did they take care of their teeth? Did the same person who cut hair really also perform amputations? Richly illustrated with over 130 images of artifacts and manuscript illuminations alongside excerpts from medieval sources such as medical treatises, herbals, and recipe books, Medieval Wellness riffs on modern wellness culture while revealing what life was really like in the Middle Ages.
This book is a delight. With sparkling humor, Larisa Grollemond shows not only how medievals thought and cared deeply about themselves and each other, but also how the very modern search for "traditional" or "natural" healthcare makes everything old seem new again.
- Matthew Gabriele, professor of medieval studies at Virginia Tech and coauthor of The Bright Ages and Oathbreakers"A clear, engaging, and richly illustrated exploration of health and self-care in the Middle Ages. Medieval Wellness makes fascinating research accessible while inspiring and informing readers in equal measure."
- Dr. Jack Hartnell, Head of Research at the National Gallery, London, and author of Medieval Bodies
Grollemond connects the modern and the medieval while not blurring the differences where they exist and are instructive. It's a book at once stunningly beautiful and deeply researched.
David M. Perry, co-author of The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe
Hugely informative and incredibly fun, Medieval Wellness brings to life the complex history of health and is a reminder that we have more in common with our medieval ancestors than we might think.
- Eleanor Janega, author of The Once and Future Sex and co-host of History Hit's Gone Medieval
This fresh, gorgeous, and relatable new take on medieval wellness highlights our ongoing obsession with beauty and health, from the eminently practical to the truly bizarre.
- Daniele Cybulskie, author of The Five-Minute Medievalist and host of The Medieval Podcast
Medieval Wellness is a visually stunning and factually rich visit to the medieval doctor's office...which is far more holistic and familiar than you might expect! Dr. Grollemond's explanations of health and beauty practices of the Middle Ages are both astute and entertaining and caused me to chuckle out loud on more than one occasion. Even if medical history isn't your cup of tea, you'll find something fascinating in this book!
— Allie Alvis, @book_historia, curator of special collections at the Winterthur Library
ISBN: 9798887120614
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
176 pages