Medieval — Plague Doctor

Therapeutic Phlebotomy Or Bloodletting Has A Medieval History

Many people are fascinated with medieval medical procedures and want to know how people survived them. So, let’s explore the history of bloodletting.

The Overall Humourism Meaning Of Bloodletting

Bloodletting, or by its otherwise name, therapeutic phlebotomy, consists of the withdrawal of blood from a human body or patient. Back then, people believed that it would cure and prevent diseases. The classical way to eject blood from the body was either accomplished by the physician of the time or leeches. 

But what do I mean by humourism? Well, in Ancient Greece and Rome, philosophers and physicians adopted what they would call “humourism” as a system of medicine to describe the workings of the human body. Is your head spinning around like Regan in The Exorcist yet?

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Vlad the Impaler Artwork

The History Of Impalement: A Method Of Torture From Ancient To Reformation Times

When we think about impalement, we don’t necessarily associate it with bodies, or do we? Because of Vlad the Impaler, we know that at least one person used it obsessively, but what if I told you it is much older than Vlad?

How Old Is The Practice Of Impalement?

The history of impalement is torturous. It is an excruciating and irreversible method of execution. The classical practice consists of the penetration of a human body through a bottom orifice by an inanimate object such as a stake, pole, spear, or hook. The completion of the torture follows with the perforation at the other end of the object through the torso.

Impalement was often the sentence for crimes against the ‘state’ throughout numerous civilizations. It was a capital punishment reserved for horrid crimes of the time or era. However, death through impalement, due to its horrifying scenery, was also employed to implement fear and suppress the desire for rebellion against a leader.

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The Witch Trial Of Salzburg In Austria

The witch trials in Europe spread throughout the continent, and some of the most tragic are the most famous. So, let us visit one of the most famous cases in the 300 years of witch trials!

The Overall View Of The Salzburg Witch Trials

The most known witch trials occurred from 1675 to 1690 in Salzburg. The trial had many names, including the Zauberjackl trials, the Salzburg witch trials, and the Witch Jackls process.

The process of the witch trials led to the death of a hundred and thirty-nine people. Austria wasn’t a kind place for witches, but rather nightmarish, and it is one of the reasons for this case to be so famous. Another reason is that most of the victims were males.

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Beltane - Pagan

Beltane, An Ancient Pagan And Wiccan Practice On The First Of May

The First of May is the Beltane Day for those who practise witchcraft or are Pagans. It is part of the Wheel of the Year. But what is Beltane, and how does one celebrate it?

A Little History

Beltane, also known as Cétshamhain and Lá Bealtaine, is the last of the spring fertility festivals. It is the mark of the end days of spring and the beginning of the summer days to come in June. 

People would douse and relight their household fires from the bonfires of Beltane. Beltane and Samhain divide the year into two primary seasons. Beltane is the summer—Light part, and Samhain is the winter—Dark part, marking the passage into the growing and resting seasons. 

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Medieval — Plague Doctor

The Black Death History Of The Middle Ages

When the words Black Plague come together, we automatically think of the Middle Ages. Most recently, the term Dark Ages turned inappropriate but remained used, as it has another meaning for us goths, the Bubonic Plague.

The Overall Meaning Of The Black Death

The term Black Death resonates with an outburst of bubonic plague turned into a pandemic. It occurred in Western Euroasia and spread down to North Africa. Its period of spread was between 1346 to 1353.

This era was the most brutal and fatal death-spreading pandemic in human history to this day. Nothing has ever come close to the number of deaths related to a disease. 

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Medieval Dungeon - Torture

The First Witch Trial In The British Isles

In the history of witch trials, we can go as far back as the beginning of Christianity and later on Catholicism. Being part of the church didn’t even ensure your safety among your people. History is cruel to those who dare be just a little different.

Women And Witchcraft

Throughout history, we have read about the various women who, back in the early days, suffered persecution and accusation of witchcraft. When anything wrong seemed to happen, they were the ones to blame. 

The women were at fault, and they viewed it as suspicious if it happened more than once. The suspicion turned towards the idea that the female must be at fault and a witch.

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The Moosham Castle The Cruelest Trial In Witch Hunt History

When we think about the European witch hunt, we think about the mediaeval period, but what if I told you one castle hosted children as its primary victims?

The Moosham Castle Purpose

The Austria spur castle can sit over a Roman fortress’ foundation. A spur castle is a term used to indicate a mediaeval fortress resting on the spur of a hill or mountain as a defence mechanism.

Another example is the Poenari Castle in Romania, which belonged to Vlad the Impaler. Usually, the only weakness of such a castle resides where the hill links to the spur from which it projects. It also means that the spur castle would have three sides by steep hillsides for the best protection.

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Skeleton - Bones

Anglo-Saxon Dangerous Dead Burial In Nottinghamshire

In the Middle Ages, the rise of many beliefs creeping out of ancient folklore surfaced. One of them is the vampire, alongside witches that were common and werewolves. In modern times, when digging in the ‘old country,’ one might find rather strange burials.

The Middle Ages Fortune-Tellers

Back in Medieval Times, people didn’t have meteorologists to explain Mother Nature’s behaviour. They didn’t have the luxury of biologists telling them not to drink stagnant water. Instead, people had other ways to explain diseases and poor crops.

People of the Middle Ages often tried to find someone to blame, and it would come from dark places. With the Church spreading its wings across Europe, witchery was the popular belief. 

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Daisy Mortem — DM-ACCIDENT2

Daisy Mortem The Music Band

Gothic Bite Magazine is always proud to share the work from the Indie Community! From all fields, including musical, which we can all agree, is a crucial role in our gothic lives! Today, here is the work of Daisy Mortem!

We proudly present L’accident est inévitable, the latest music video from the rave/goth duo, Daisy Mortem.

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Painting by Rose Black

The Dark Artistic Side of Rose Black

Throughout history, the word Gothic grew to mean many things. At first it was a reference to the late Dark Ages architecture. Then, it became a fashion statement before we decided to refer to it as art and a lifestyle.

Definition of Gothic

Gothic architecture is a style that flourished in Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture.

Originating in 12th-century France, it was widely used, especially for cathedrals and churches, until the 16th century. But now it is more than just architecture, it is a lifestyle. — Wikipedia

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Eye Horror

The Horrifying Definition of Monster

Monster is an imaginary creature that is very large, ugly, and frightening a monster with three heads prehistoric monsters. — Oxford Collocations Dictionary.

Monsters of History

The definition of the word monster is one we attribute to many subjects. Moreover, we can call a person a monster for their actions, responses, or appearance. Ultimately, a monster could be in the eyes of the beholder.

What each of us finds individually attractive doesn’t mean it pleases the masses. What was beautiful in the Renaissance might not be so today. However, have the word monster lose its meaning over time?

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Model Ellada Elven and photographer Jo Vallianatou

Jo Vallianatou The Photographer

Jo Vallianatou stopped by Gothic Bite Magazine to share her photography with our wonderful readers and followers. As we love to share the art of any form, come by and look at the artistry she brought with her!

A Greek Dream

Jo Vallianatou is a Greek Fine Art photographer currently living and working in Athens.

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Eye Horror

The Sandman An Underrated Creature Or Monster?

Mr. Sandman bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I’ve ever seen. Give him to lips like roses and clover. Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over.

Mystical Origins

The origin of the character of the Sandman brings us to northern-western Europe; however, it is uncertain to exactly where it began. European folklore describes the Sandman as a man who sprinkles sand or dust on or in the eyes of children to have them fall asleep. In most versions, the Sandman only brings out good dreams.

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Monster - Vampire

The Burial of Vampires

We might believe vampires don’t exist but back in medieval Europe it was common to protect oneself from a bloodsucking creature.

Medieval Europe

In the past decade, archeologists found many proofs of vampire burial. Skeletons exposed in specialized exhibition manifesting the belief of our ancestors, the belief of vampires.

In the sixteenth century, people were not understanding the human body yet as well as we do today. Many diseases were mysteries to villagers of numerous countries, and often, it was up to the Church to come up with an explanation.

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Blood Donation Bags Sticky post

The Odd Origin of Vampires In History

Vampires are part of our folklore for hundreds of years. The belief that a being subsisting on blood timelessly fascinated us. But where did it come from? Let’s find the odd origin of vampires in history.

The Odd Origin

The odd origin of vampires in history, let’s dig in. In the early seventeenth hundreds, the process of decomposition remained something people did not know about.

The black plague or bubonic plague was now part of their past, but most corpses went through incineration, thus spreading diseases through the air, but that’s another topic. Those considered to be regular people had a coffin for their burial.

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Mockup Kill Shelter by Unknown Pleasures Records

Kill Shelter an Underground Phenomenon

Kill Shelter’s Debut Album “Damage” Brings Together Underground Artists from Around the World.

Kill Shelter has brought together a host of underground talent from around the globe to feature on his debut album Damage on Unknown Pleasures Records.

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Interview with Macabre Artist from Finland Tero Porthan

Gothic Bite Magazine likes to discover all kinds of new artists and this one I discovered while on DeviantArt. 

He has a fascinating mind and eyes for the tasteful macabre. So, I asked if an interview with us would be something he considered. Here are his answers.

A Little About Yourself

I was born in Tampere, Finland, in 1971, but have been living in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, for most of my adult life.

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Alnwick - Northumberland - England

The Vampire Castle

The Alnwick Castle is located in the village of Northumberland in the old country of England, United Kingdom.

The castle dates back to the ninth century and is believed to be the home of a vampire. Here is the story of the vampire castle of England.

Medieval Alnwick

The name itself is divided in two things put together as part of Old English. Aln being the name of the river nearby and “wick” which meant “old dairy settlement” and there you have Alnwick.

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