Is today the best time to be alive? Inspired by games, some people dream of a return to medieval life. But the reality was often harsh.
Seven brutal truths of medieval life
Grim reality: Today, there are effective treatments for leprosy. Medieval sufferers, like this man from a 13th Century Swiss illustration, would not have been so lucky. Glossary
Middle Ages - The Middle Ages was the period in European history that came between ancient and modern times. It lasted from about 500 to about 1500.
Catholics - Followers of the Catholic church, a Christian denomination with over a billion followers worldwide, led by the Pope.
Conclave - The assembly of cardinals in the Catholic Church to elect the new Pope.
Pope - The bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church.
Average - Typical or usual.
Famines - Times of great hunger, when there is very little food.
Torture - Causing someone severe pain as a punishment or to force them to do something.
Stocks - A historical instrument of punishment. A wooden structure with holes for a person's hands and feet. They were locked in and faced ridicule.
Branded - Marked with a heated branding iron.