Medieval Misconceptions: SWEARING, CURSING and PROFANITY

just to let you know i'm making a graphic novel of my book shadow of the conqueror with one of the best comic book artists in the industry mike s miller you'll be able to skew your copy when the launch campaign goes live in november but sign up now on indiegogo so you don't miss out on any of the limited edition special goodies that will be available as well as the graphic novel itself which is only going to be available for a short time during the launch campaign i swear by the name of god and the holy mother that you be damned and may your children be cursed with the faces of a donkey's rear end now what i just did then is a classic example of medieval swearing but how how does it all work okay and why were some things considered offensive back then and not now and why would the words we use currently now not be considered swearing back then well let me explain [Music] greetings i'm chad and as the title of this video and the cold open that i just did might imply this video is going to be sharing with you what medieval swearing cursing cussing uh profanity was we shall take your castle by force you don't frighten us english pig dogs because actually a really interesting subject and it's somewhat different to what we consider to be swearing in the modern day now swearing in the modern day is well that they're usually considered specific words that are you know uniquely offensive or out of place in respectable language and they are considered swear words as a result but the actual true meaning of what a what is or not but the true meaning of what swearing is actually is what i just mentioned previously it's not actually the specific words it is using a type of language that is considered unrefined offensive or out of place in respectable language that's the actual meaning of what a swear word or swearing is for instance like uh the word [ __ ] nice job [ __ ] you just lost us the game i'm sorry would you please still be my friend no get away from me okay there's a word that i generally considered too far and would never say knowingly i think it might have slipped out once or twice by accident maybe when i was quoting someone but anyway so that word there okay is it a fine one to consider as a swerve and the reason why i'm using this one as a point of reference and that and not the more you know stronger like the f-word or something like that is that s-h-i-t that's actually word that does appear in the medieval period for instance there's some streets in england or london um that is s-h-i-t street and i was actually named that as a descriptive phrase and wasn't considered too color like you know offensive to be used as the name for um a street and interestingly enough in terms of using crude language even lewd language stuff like that that was actually uh more freely adopted by people in the medieval period to get a rise or a reaction and wasn't considered nearly as offensive as other things and wasn't actually considered true swearing the medieval people had a different sense of decency and propriety the world wasn't as private back then and people from many walks of life were exposed to other people from changing clothes to washing to just going to the toilet and as a result the words that refer to private things such as the private parts of an individual sexual relations and feces were spoken of very frankly and openly by both highborn and low-born people words like s-h-i-t p-i-s even c-u-n-t and c-o-c-k all have their origin or a variant of such from medieval times and it looks like neither of them were considered any different to modern more respectable terms that refer to the same thing so what was considered actual swearing in the medieval period now i will say there are one or two individual words when understood in context were considered in terms of swear words but in actual fact people could use those same words in a more respectable context and that'd be fine and so it's actually very much dependent on use which goes into what i'm actually referring to now and so when we think about medieval swearing we actually get a big you know clue not not just a clue actually it kind of helps describe what medieval threatening is from the actual words we use to identify swearing for instance to swear okay there's the first one because the words there there are a couple of words that synonymously mean swear words for instance to swear to curse profanity okay three examples right there that in you in casual language just mean to swear make a swear word or something like that but actually have other meanings for instance to swear an oath okay how does this work because this is actually is kind of cool when we go back to the more um original and granted these we still use the words in these contexts occasionally but going back to the medieval period this was their primary context to swear wasn't to say a word that you found offensive to swear was to swear an oath yet you could swear an oath in such a way that would most people around you would consider grossly offensive and out of place in normal language and that's when people in the medieval period would consider you just swore inappropriately how dare you swear in front of me in that way and so there was a use of the term swear in such a way that was inappropriate and that actually has evolved more so to in now in the modern and common language and refer to swearing we consider it always a use of language that is offensive but also to curse okay now cursing is an interesting one because there is uh the idea to curse someone like where to wish ill upon them then there's the idea of a full-blown i'm making a curse you know through superstition but also religious belief itself i had to curse someone in the name of god right there okay that is an exceptional thing okay to curse someone especially in the name of god invoking the name of god suddenly you're reaching a use of language that is exceptional out of the ordinary and some might consider very offensive depending on use so to curse so there's cursing in the sense of saying a bad word but then there's cursing in the sense of wishing ill upon someone and we still kind of use cursing in that same way get f'd okay that is essentially cursing them with ill will to something bad to happen on to them now in the medieval context if you were to say uh someone that something bad happened like to uh you know get bent but that's actually not a medieval one um but all right there's hard you know to find an equivalence but for instance see if there was an equivalence we could use for a medieval period okay to sell someone to get effed or to say to get stuffed that's one that i usually use because it's not an actual word that is offensive but to get f'd or to get stuffed if you're in a medieval context using an equivalent they wouldn't actually be considered swearing per se because it would be not very nice but nowhere near as offensive if you actually invoke the name of god may god curse you or indeed damn you there's the equivalent thing for instance the word damn is actually one that has kind of held on to its offensive use throughout the ages okay uh to damn someone and now remember to damn this is to be damned okay to be damned being meaning thrust down to hell you know and be damned okay is a very powerful significant and serious you know pronunciation upon someone to damn someone and so saying someone damn you in a medieval context has far greater significance impact and offensive connotation and so that is the offensive way and way to swear in the medieval period if you were wanting to curse someone but to say someone to go jump off a bridge okay that's just you know not a very nice thing to say that's actually probably you probably could say zaggo jump off a bridge or something like that in the medieval setting and they'll understand you're wishing ill upon them but they would only consider that being wished ill upon but not act that you've actually cursed sworn or used a language inappropriately but to say damn you ah there now we actually see um a can a use of language that is in the same equivalence of cursing in that sense an offensive curse okay and so we've looked at swearing i'll explain more about swear action to swear on oath and what that means but cursing that's actually an interesting one covered well but what about the concept of saying something profane because profane has some interesting meanings as well there is being profane in the sense of spouting profanity but there is also being profane in the sense of saying or speaking in a way that is not related to religion for instance we spoke of things religious and profane and so in that use of the word profane that is simply referring to things again that's not religious but we can actually see connection of how that word plays because when you say something that is profane not being religious but in such a way that is making a mockery of what is sacred or taking light of what is sacred or even saying something that is sacrilegious or blasphemy well that is also profane and that is the use of language of being profane in a way that is offensive in language and you have spouted a profanity okay and so if you were to state something that is meant usually meant to be sacred and use it in a light way that's a profanity and one of the classic examples and this is one of the words that are saying that kind of actually has hold true in certain contexts in the modern day compared to the past for instance the name of god okay using the name of god in a way that is light or iris or are not respectable is very offensive in the medieval context but also actually offensive to especially people of religion in the modern day and i can speak that you know first person because i'm a christian and using the name of jesus christ in a light or irrespective way i actually can't find very offensive to my ears and also to my tongue eye i could never say that because you know i actually get an emotional feeling it's funny when i was going into this video i was thinking look this is going to be a more academic study of the concept of swearing and so there's actually nothing immoral about me using the words i consider to be swear words in this video and so when i was just going through the lines of my in you know preparing for this video i said the f word and as soon as i just in a more academic sense like well look this is a word that is bad and but when i said it i actually got an emotional feeling because i've conditioned myself so much not say it it really made me feel bad as like no i'm not going to say and the name of christ is even more so because it has such close religious significance to me on a personal level and i can understand very much because that is something that was far more common in the medieval period where society was far more religious than it is today and so therefore using the name of christ or the name of god in a dismissive derogatory way hugely offensive and so when something you know remarkable happens or you want to explain you know surprise people use the name of jesus christ and they say like that and yeah that's actually offensive to me and other religious christians not everyone i won't over generalize there but the medical period absolutely and so if you're actually intending to present swearing in a more medieval historical context especially if you're uh if it's a medieval film or something like that but even in say adaptations for fantasy role playing games and that's in a video game format or tabletop pen and paper this is the kind of understanding and so using the name of your deities or gods in a light way to express surprise or to wish ill will upon someone swearing that would be considered offensive and it is specifically considered profanity because you're being profane in the sense that speaking you're speaking irreligiously okay uh or speaking as things that are sacred or referring to things that are sacred words of sacred things in a non-religious disrespectful way full-blown original profanity in the actual pure sense right there and so cursing profanity swearing this is an interesting one to make an oath was actually considered a far more serious thing in the medieval period than it is to kind of you know say today in actual fact fallen out of cultural practice to make an oath to do something in response to something but in the medieval times making an oath was very serious business it was related to honor but also culture also uh in terms of your religious standing with god because making an oath all right in a religious sense is called making a covenant and from the christian mindset it is through covenants that you gain redemption okay baptism there is a covenant associated with baptism in and of itself and a covenant is a promise between you and god and you're essentially making an oath in that covenant to act a certain way and to follow certain you know principles and beliefs and so to swear an oath in any context even outside of the specific religious covenants was usually believed to be something or something you are saying to god that you're gonna be doing this you're saying god i'm swearing that i will do this to swear an oath is to make a pronunciation pronunciation almost with god that this is going to be this way and suddenly you can see ah that's a far more serious thing in a medieval context than it is now to swear something and so i swear by god's beard okay that's when you start to get into the realms of particularly oh hang on what did you just say because to swear upon something holy even more so okay this becomes a far more serious and exceptional thing and so if you were to swear upon something holy in the name of god in response to something that is not that serious or to say to someone something ill something to uh wish ill will upon them and stuff like that and then to make such a serious pronunciation with the name of god not only were they considered like what are you doing i like exceptional but also offensive because a lot of other people would see this as you are misusing such an important thing it is you're being very disrespectful to what the concept of swearing an oath is because it's so menial and small but you're using it as such a significant thing but to think that no one ever did in the medieval period is completely incorrect because the very notion of what to swear has become to be offensive to say something is offensive implies very clearly that people did it but also was considered offense but people certainly did it and seems like they might have done it a lot to swear by an air so you know if you hurt yourself okay and you're you know get into an emotional state because you're injured and you want to either vent or express frustration and you were to say by god's blood that hurt you are swearing by god's blood and i'll expound a little bit more on swearing by a body part of god not just god's name a bit later but you were swearing on something holy that something was the way it was you're swearing that this really really hurt another usage of this would be by god's bones you're an idiot you are swearing making an oath upon something holy that someone is an idiot now of course you can swear vainly in this way without the usage of god by saying i swear you're a half-lit or i swear that really hurt you are still swearing lightly or inappropriately now using god's name was serious enough but speaking of part of god's body was even more so it's something more intimately related to the concept of god and it also can be perceived as a type of rending apart the body of god there's a great youtube channel called popular urbanum or barnum i don't know how to pronounce it and he has a great video on medieval swearing where he actually expounds a little bit more on the idea of accusatory language being very offensive as well as many of the points i'm touching on in my own video here it's a brilliant video highly recommended and i'll put a link in the description and so when you say holy mother of god or something like that in injuring yourself you are you know almost starting an oath but not completing it but still invoking that name and using it in all such a light way is considered swearing exceptional and offensive which is the very reason why people often swear to be offensive okay and so if they actually wanted to offend someone because they disliked it and they're getting an argument stuff like that well then these this is the type of language that they would resort to in the medieval period to offend that person and sometimes also to get a reaction perhaps used in comedy and stuff like that and so what we're finding here in regards to medieval swearing and i'm using that in the term of language that is offensive so cursing profanity and stuff is that it's not the actual individual words because for instance hell and damn okay are words that could be used in a proper respectable context if you are quoting scripture or something like that especially the name of god and the name of jesus christ these are words names that can be used in language in a respectable way but as soon as you use them in a context that is disrespectful well suddenly you've fallen into swearing in a fairly significant way another interesting one for instance saying oh my god okay right there also a swear word in a medieval context because you are invoking the name of god and this is actually tied to you know a christian commandment thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain okay using the word god the name of god and the name of jesus christ in a flippant you know way to just pronounce surprise is a disrespectful use of religious terminology swearing and that's actually one that has you know held true through you know uh history because that was a word or use of the name of god that i was brought up to not use because it was disrespectful kind of swearing and i actually avoid using that as well and interesting i can say it in academic way because it's again it's a word that isn't uniquely considered offensive whereas in the modern day we actually have specific words that are out of bounds yeah like no matter what context if you say that word it is just bad and offensive but in the medieval period doesn't seem like those types of words were very common if at all they were colorful words but they were actually far more accepted to be used in common language so much so that they are even on street signs and things like that uh medieval people actually had a fairly crude and almost non-puritan kind of uh sense of humor and that and we see that in this sense that even crude words that we consider you know disrespectful and even offensive language is used quite casually the heightened sense of puritan modesty in appearance and language is something that actually happens after the medieval period and has held on okay even to the modern day in the sense that now we still have specific words that are considered no actual swear words specific words but actual specific words that were considered swear words like i said it doesn't seem like they're around the medieval period but the concept the idea of using language in a hugely offensive way to either express or vent frustration to offend someone else something like that absolutely existed so there you go this is what medieval swearing cursing profanity was very interesting but how could you um you know adapt this into a medieval setting and i'm finding this is an interesting how you thought i was gonna sign off the video but there's a little bit more uh i'm finding this interesting because uh of writing medieval fantasy i i want to be realistic and stuff and so i'm actually adopting the concept of medieval swearing offensive language in that sense by cursing referring to god's body certain you know holy names of his name as the saints names of god and stuff like that okay these are words that are more sacred and using casually offensive but you're also writing to a modern audience and there are some words that in the modern audience are considered offensive and not and so for me it's actually kind of striking a balance because you can say something in the context of the story that would be offensive to the people in the story but the audience the reader isn't going to pick up that that's actually offensive at all and if you don't have a way to show that it is offensive by the reaction of other characters and you want the reader the audience or whatever to get the reaction that you've just said something offensive well the only way to do it is actually use modern swear words to get the audience reaction and it's an interesting balance of adaptation and also a bit of translation because if you're trying to get someone to have the same feeling or response as characters in the book but they're operating in a completely different cultural mindset it's kind of hard to convey that and an interesting example is uh one of my favorite movies actually a night tale with heath ledger and there's that opening scene in which there is modern music playing we will rock you and i was watching the special features and the uh the director actually explained something that i actually found really interesting and that was the reasons why he chose that song and what he explained is is that he wanted the audience to have the same emotional kind of drive adrenaline that the people of the medieval period would have in watching this sport but having medieval music wouldn't get the same emotional response from a modern audience that you would have gotten out of a medieval audience because a completely different cultural mindset when you're raised in a different culture to respond to different things in a in different ways because of how everything else is structured like for instance religious words and stuff like that because something says so more religious in a medieval setting their response is going to be different to religious things like speaking of religious things outside of religious concept being profanity is a clear example and so we live in a different culture and have different responses and he wanted a similar close emotional reaction to this sport from people watching movie as the people you know in the medieval period would have had and he felt the best way was to use a song that could drive up a emotional kind of adrenaline you know like getting into it feeling to get the same emotional response out of a modern audience that a medieval audience would have gotten and that's an interesting kind of thing and so that's the concept i'm talking about in terms of usage of swearing because remember that opening you know thing where i gave an example of medieval swearing at the very beginning of this video how many of you thought like oh that's a bit calm down there shad and what would you have reacted if i came out and said the f word at the beginning of that it's like whoa chad just swore do you see the difference the reaction you would have had to hearing me say the f-bomb right would actually be the same reaction a medieval person would have had to what i said at the beginning of this video but a modern audience won't get that reaction to medieval swearing because it's a completely separate cultural thing and so when you're trying to get that reaction out of a modern audience you probably will have to resort to modern swearing to if you're trying to convey that you know this is get the reaction out of the audience oh that's a colorful word offensive and so it's a bit of a balance and it's interesting to see swearing used so much in say game of thrones to try and convey this is gritty and realistic and people are just speaking as you know uh in a rough way in the right content and stuff like that and they're able to convey that far more easily to modern audience by using modern swearing differently to medieval swearing and so like i said for my own kind of adaptation i see that it's like okay i'm actually kind of trying to do a balance between the two where i might use damn or hell or something like that but also interweave it with more medieval stuff of course having said all this it's an interesting discussion when you're actually talking about adapting the actual medieval period okay and also it would be a matter of what you want the audience to respond to if you want them to see how a meeting period really was well you would just be accurate to the medical period so many were saying but if you want them to get this the reaction a medium person would have that's different or and so yeah complex and interesting uh and i hope you've enjoyed and if you've ever found it interesting as well this exploration on what medieval cussing cursing profanity swearing was i hope you've enjoyed and of course i hope to see you again so until that time [Music] you

Channel: Shadiversity

Views: 347,968

Keywords: medieval, middle ages, history, historical, knight, castle, castles, language, sword, swords, rpg, fantasy, medieval fantasy, roleplaying, role playing, game, video, dnd, dungeons and dragons, d&d, lord of the rings, game of thrones, worldbuilding, world, building, game master

Id: sAsyyBqSQ3k

Length: 26min 15sec (1575 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 16 2020