Being left-handed in the Middle Ages

I thought I would post this because I found it amusing and would like to share.



Funny how things change over the years.

reply to post by grey580


True of course. Thing is though, in the 1920's my mothers school bound her left hand so that she would be forced to learn to write with her right. In the 1950's it was only because of my mothers threats to take me out of school that I was not held back a grade due to not learning to write with my right hand like everyone else.

I will not inject another debate into this, but I think I know where you are going with it.

The times do change indeed. Perhaps in another several hundred years people will look back and laugh at how scared we were of some things. One thing, for sure, is that fear and ignorance is losing the long-term battle.

With every generation, there is less hate towards things that were once considered damning. I can feel it within the people around me. Once these younger generations truly take the reigns you will see institutions of oppression dismantled entirely. I won't go into specifics, to avoid steering off the main topic, but you can probably think of several things that are illegal now that probably won't be in the future.

The only ones left who seem to be peddling fear and hate are those who grew up surrounded by it and simply don't know any better.

reply to post by TerryMcGuire


My grandma had the same thing happen to her in the 30's.
I always just thought she was a genius or something because she wrote with her right but did many other things with her left, like using scissors, or flipping people the bird!

I guess all that strict crap in school left grandma kinda cranky.

I’m surprised that the christians did not just chop off the left hands or just stone them all to death…… just more proof that these ‘christian ideals’ should not have endured past the dark ages.

Mickierocksman

reply to post by grey580


Wow did people in the Middle Ages actually believe that omg lawl

reply to post by Mickierocksman


Well thinkg of it this way, it 'Religion' died out long ago we'd probably be 1000+ years ahead in technology, its because of intolerant stupid people with power thats kept us as a race down.

reply to post by sh4d0wz


It's not really "Christian values" lol... People were just stupid back then, and still are! How do you think people will look at us in 100-1,000 years?? Those people back then, and most today, were and are, NOT practicing Christianity. If Christianity hadn't been around, they would've just used something else to control the masses...

Like superstitions "being lefthanded is BAD LUCK for us all! Kill him!!!!" or pseudo science... "Our super accurate studies show that left handed people are dragging society down as a whole, we have to adapt everything for them even though they make up such a small percentage of our population, so our society will collapse unless we KILL THEM!!!!!

Or if sports was the most important thing back then and was the basis of society... "These left handed people are confusing us right handers! They throw, swing a bat, and everything.BACKWARDS!!! And they are causing us to lose games! KILL THEM!!!!!

Greedy, evil, powerful people would use whatever they could to control the ignorant masses... They could take something that is good, or neutral, and twist it around into something oppressive and destructive.

Just because they claim to be christian, doesn't mean squat. Its called the narrow path for a reason. Not many people are capable of the level of kindness, tolerance, and humility needed, let alone the love for all of mankind required. Its really quite annoying, but all I can do Is hope more people find the true way...of whatever belief system they follow. People are notorious for proudly labeling themselves as something and then not adhering to the true meaning of it.

It's even worse when they smear the reputation of the belief system they join, or in some cases, infiltrate, or take over. It's kinda like if I go to your neighborhood and sell drugs to all the kids and expose myself and throw empty beer cans in peoples yards, and tell everybody I'm a part of your family and point at your house and tell them that's where I live and where I learned my behavior. Or if I go on a killing spree and then tell everyone I'm a Free Mason and they taught me to do this. Or take a dump on the hood of your car and then from you that your neighbor paid me to do it, or put a gun to my head and made me do it, whichever example works best: THAT'S what people do to religion and also many other organizations.

Besides... Listen to what you're saying... So, if we were 1,000 years advanced in technology, we would have more than an atomic bomb, we would have the super ultimate planet killing bomb... We as a people need to advance spiritually before we get any further technologically...

Look how poorly we've misused technology so far... If we didn't have all this technology then sure, people would not live as long. They would die from simple diseases. 1 out of every 2 or 3 births would be dead or die within a week, maybe more...

But...... The possibility of one single country bringing a nuclear winter to the entire earth would NOT exist. ONE, LONE MADMAN would not be able to release a dirty bomb, virus, or chemical weapon in a crowded area and kill and injure tens, hundreds, or thousands of people.

Honestly, if I had the choice, I personally wouýo the way things were... But that's not because its "better" now. It's because I'm a curious bastard who enjoys the level of knowledge we have today. We still don't know ish but we know more than we did.

I'm just saying... 1,000 years ahead in the realm of technology SOUNDS cool... But it all depends on WHO CONTROLS this technology and what they do with it. You wonder why they don't release free unlimited energy? Do you know what ONE demented person could do with unlimited energy??? Like one of those people who plague this Earth who THINK they are Christian, but they really aren't anything close to it?

I love that cartoon, gives a different perspective huh?
Lefthandedness was/is associated with the devil - linked to sinister/sinistral.
But the real reason is because the left hand was the dirty hand - used to wipe up after bodily functions, so in days when people couldn't get to the washbasin as often as now, it was considered a bit dodgy.
Left handed people use their right brain more and their thinking can be considered more intuitive and sensitive than right-handers, or just plain odd.

reply to post by TerryMcGuire


my mother went to school in the fifties and she was left handed.
the school 'cured' her of this disease by repeatedly wacking her on the knuckles every time she used her left hand!
i am happy to say she is fully cured of this terrible disorder,and is a fully functional right handed,normal member of our society!!!
true story by the way,with out the sarcasm!!!

reply to post by 3n19m470


Well I never really suggested any type of religion even though more or less they're all the same lmao.

I guess back then I would've been put to death, as I'm one of the more different ones, I can only right with my lefty and do everything else with my righty.

And isn't what religion is all about? Crontrolling the masses, I've said this before on a different forums.
"If you don't do this or don't do that you're going to hell" , "If you don't donate x ammount of gold you're a blasphemer and you're going to hell" text book scare tactics.
Back then it worked really really well but now people are starting to wise up to it all.

I agree with everything else, all it takes is one stupid person with power to completly screw thing up.
Well if we did have the free energy technology, it would put all the power plants out of buisness and millions of jobs would dissappear because of it, and tbh I wouldn't be surprised if the gov already are using it to stay in control.

My dad was forced to learn right handed by my grandparents or he would get punished, and this was in the 60's. Now his handwriting is terrible with both hands.

He passed it on, seeing as how i'm left handed too, good thing my parents weren't crazy.