The Middle Ages were a time of strange customs, brutal punishments, and laws that make modern regulations look tame in comparison. But surprisingly, many of these medieval rules – some over 500 years old – are still being broken today, often without people even realizing it.
From bizarre restrictions on sports to laws about what you could wear or eat, medieval authorities had a rule for everything. And while society has evolved, human behavior hasn’t changed all that much. Here are 10 crazy medieval laws that people still break today – sometimes without even knowing it.
1. Playing Football in Public Was Banned
Football, or soccer as it’s known in the U.S., is one of the most popular sports in the world. But in 1349, King Edward III banned the game outright.
Why? It wasn’t because of the injuries (which were frequent and brutal) or even the occasional death during a match. Instead, Edward was worried that men were playing football instead of practicing archery, which was essential for England’s wars at the time.
Anyone caught playing could be thrown in jail for six days. While the law is no longer enforced, there are still modern restrictions on playing football in public areas – especially when it comes to street games in some cities.
2. Tennis Was a Sport for the Rich (and Still Is in Some Ways)
Tennis may seem like an innocent pastime, but in 1485, the game was banned for anyone who wasn’t a noble. The reasoning? Authorities believed it distracted people from work and encouraged gambling.
The ban reinforced social class divisions – tennis became a “rich man’s sport” because it required expensive equipment and knowledge of formal etiquette.
Even today, while the law is long gone, tennis remains an elite sport in many places, often played in exclusive clubs with hefty membership fees. Some things never change.
3. Sneezing in Public Could Get You Fined
In medieval Newmarket, England, horse racing was a big deal. The town even had a law that made it illegal to blow your nose in public – yes, seriously.
The concern was that sneezing and spreading germs could make racehorses sick, and since racing was a massive business, they weren’t taking any chances.
Even though no one is getting fined for a sneeze today, the COVID-19 pandemic showed how quickly laws and regulations can crack down on public hygiene, with mask mandates and quarantine rules enforcing similar ideas.
4. Needing Permission to Get Married
Getting married in medieval England wasn’t just about love – it was about asking permission from your lord. If you were a peasant or serf, you couldn’t just decide to get hitched. You needed approval from the landowner who controlled your village.
If a woman’s husband died, she could even be forced to remarry or face punishment.
While marriage laws have changed, in some parts of the world, arranged marriages are still common, and social or religious approval remains a big factor in who people can marry.
5. Strict Laws About When You Could Have Sex
The Middle Ages were full of strange religious restrictions, and one of the weirdest was a set of laws that dictated when married couples could have sex.
The church banned sex on:
- Thursdays and Fridays (because they were considered holy days).
- Sundays (because that was the Lord’s day).
- During Lent, Christmas season, and other religious periods—sometimes adding up to over 100 banned days a year.
While these rules aren’t law anymore, some religious traditions still encourage strict limits on intimacy, especially during holy days or fasting periods.
6. Banning Certain Fashion Trends
Believe it or not, the government once regulated shoes. In the 15th century, England passed a law restricting how long a man’s shoe tips could be.
The trend of the time was absurdly long, pointed shoes called crakows, with tips so exaggerated they sometimes had to be tied to the wearer’s legs to prevent tripping.
The nobility didn’t like that commoners were adopting their fancy footwear, so they banned shoe tips longer than two inches for anyone below the rank of a knight.
While modern governments don’t regulate shoe length, dress codes and fashion bans still exist in many places – whether it’s restrictions on certain hairstyles in schools or rules against baggy pants and crop tops in public settings.
7. Eating Too Much Was Against the Law
Medieval England had laws regulating how much food you could eat – but not for health reasons. Instead, these rules kept the lower class from eating like the nobility.
In 1336, a law stated that no meal could have more than two courses (except for special holidays like Christmas, when three were allowed). Soup was considered a full course and not just a side dish, so even basic meals could violate the law.
Today, while no one’s getting arrested for eating too much, there are still modern restrictions on food consumption, like portion size limits in some countries, sugar taxes, and bans on certain super-sized meals.
8. Harsh Punishments for Minor Crimes
Medieval England had brutal punishments for even the smallest offenses.
- Stealing? You could lose a hand.
- Speaking out against the government? You might be flogged.
- Even just being unemployed or a vagrant could result in imprisonment or exile.
While modern justice systems have improved, there are still countries with severe punishments for petty crimes, including harsh prison sentences, public flogging, and even amputations in extreme cases.
9. Saying the Wrong Thing Could Cost You Your Tongue
Blasphemy – speaking against religion or sacred ideas – was a serious crime in the Middle Ages. The punishment? Having your tongue removed with hot pliers or, if you were lucky, a quick execution.
Religious authorities used these laws to control speech and maintain power.
Even today, some countries have strict blasphemy laws, where speaking against religious figures or sacred beliefs can lead to fines, imprisonment, or even death penalties.
10. Witchcraft Was a Crime—And People Were Killed for It
Medieval Europe believed that bad luck, sickness, and crop failures were caused by witches – usually poor, elderly women who owned a cat.
In 1542, England passed the Witchcraft Act, making witchcraft punishable by death. Over the next few centuries, hundreds of people – mostly women – were executed for “sorcery”.
While witch trials aren’t happening anymore, superstition-based violence still exists in some parts of the world, where accusations of witchcraft, sorcery, or supernatural abilities can lead to harassment, exile, or worse.
Bizarre Laws Still Exist
As bizarre as these medieval laws sound, they weren’t all that different from some of the strange rules and regulations we still see today. Whether it’s bans on public sports, dress codes, harsh punishments for minor offenses, or restrictions on what people can say and do, the echoes of the Middle Ages are still with us.
So, next time you think you’re living in the modern age, remember – some medieval laws never really went away.
Ed spent his childhood in the backwoods of Maine, where harsh winters taught him the value of survival skills. With a background in bushcraft and off-grid living, Ed has honed his expertise in fire-making, hunting, and wild foraging. He writes from personal experience, sharing practical tips and hands-on techniques to thrive in any outdoor environment. Whether it’s primitive camping or full-scale survival, Ed’s advice is grounded in real-life challenges.