Top 10 Bizarre Deaths of the Middle Ages

Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Given the brutality of the time period, the idea of death was viewed very differently than the modern perception, and average life expectancy was significantly lower than today. War and savage violence was extremely common and as such, untimely deaths were not considered unusual. England, thanks to the costly Third Crusade and his subsequent ransom payment after being captured by the German Emperor. To finance his war efforts in France, Richard found he needed vast amounts of money which could not be provided on tax alone. Fittingly he died whilst looking for money at Castle Chalus-Chabrol in France, which housed a pot of gold according to rumor. During the siege of the tiny castle, a young boy fighting with a frying pan grabbed a crossbow and shot into a group of knights on horseback. This knight was Richard the Lionheart. Richard died days later as the minor wound turned gangrenous, though on his deathbed he awarded his impoverished killer one-hundred shillings in an act of final chivalry. Contemporaries describe the death as being caused by a lethal combination of both severe indigestion, which Martin had been suffering in the days prior to the incident, and hysterical laughter, which caused him to collapse at the dinner table. The boy, still in his early teens, was John’s nephew and therefore had a legitimate claim to the English throne which John wanted to discredit in order to secure it for himself. After being captured by John’s forces at Mirebeau Castle, Arthur was imprisoned at Rouen Castle along with his fellow rebels. Many conflicting stories about what subsequently happened to Arthur have been circulated, but one particular explanation seems likely given contemporary witness accounts. George Plantagenet. Given his famous reputation for alcoholism, George was forcibly drowned in a large vat of Malmsey Wine, his favorite beverage, at his own request. IV reigned in the papal chair for five years until his untimely death in 1159. Interestingly, he is thus far the only Englishman to ever occupy the position, and was born Nicholas Breakspeare, until his coronation. During the final months of his life Adrian suffered from a bizarre form of tonsillitis known as quinsy, which causes excessive pus to build up the mouth and throat. It is believed this contributed to his death, when he took a sip of wine and began to choke on a fly, which had been floating inside his goblet. I of Hungary ruled as King for only a brief three-year period before his bizarre death in 1063. While sitting on his throne, the canopy above him collapsed on top of him causing instant death. Contemporaries believed that the incident was more than a mere accident, and that it was the result of a clever assassination attempt. By February of 1258, the Mongols, led by Hulagu Khan, sacked Baghdad and captured Al-Musta’sim alive. Mael Brigte the Tusk (nicknamed so because of his buckteeth), to a pitched battle in which each man would bring forty men only. Sigurd cheated and brought eighty men, and because of this numerical advantage his men won the battle very quickly. In an act of triumphant arrogance, Sigurd strapped the severed head of Mael Brigte to his horse. Immediately after his abdication, Edward’s political enemies decided they could not afford to keep him alive. While imprisoned at Berkeley Castle, a group of assassins confronted him at night and, according to rumor, murdered the former king by forcibly inserting a red hot iron poker directly into his rectum. Tower” were more mysterious than bizarre, but the interesting story of the two innocent children warrants them a place on the list as a bonus. The eldest of the young princes was rightful heir to the throne of England, and it is generally assumed, though never proven, that both children were murdered by agents of Richard III of England, in an attempt to secure the throne for himself. In 1483 both children were accommodated in the Tower of London, which was then a royal residence as well as a dungeon. Around summertime, the princes vanished from the castle grounds without trace. Rumors circulated London that the pair had been murdered by Richard’s men, but nothing was ever proven. Then almost two hundred years after their disappearance, two small skeletons were found under a staircase in the Tower of London, due to a renovation. The skeletons were buried near the castle grounds, and were later exhumed in 1933 to be examined using modern science. The age of the children upon their deaths was dated at around 8-9 years-old for the youngest, and 11-13 years-old for the other, almost the exact ages of the princes around their disappearance. Berkeley Castle, had been ‘commanded to God’. The former King Edward II’s death was duly announced to parliament in Lincoln, and his funeral was held at St Peter’s Abbey in Gloucester, now Gloucester Cathedral, three months later. September 1327, even if the wide variation in the causes of death they give indicates that few or any of them really knew what had happened, and the parliament of November 1330 presided over by Edward III himself stating that his father had been murdered. The flowers attract hummingbirds and are excellent for cutting. Light aids germination. Kept at 70-75° F., germination is in 21-28 days. Can direct sow into prepared seed beds, in groups of 3-4 seeds, spaced 1-1.5 ft. apart. Will tolerate wet soils in summer, in winter soil must be well-drained. Flowers open from bottom to top, changing colors as they age. Hummingbirds love them and they are excellent for cutting. Tie foliage together in fall where winter temperatures drop below 0° F. Flowers the first year when started early. Some have slender red blooms, others boast glowing amber flowers shaped like light-bulbs. Many come in zingy-yellow shades, while some have head-turning bicoloured spikes. Kniphofia 'John Benary', whose coral-red blooms are held on 30in stems, and similar-sized 'Nancy's Red', a plant with dusky blooms that perch above a tuft of grassy foliage.

• The gilpin poker room

At times it seemed the room was open to entertain the dealers. An employee downstairs told me the room just wasn't making enough money. Four to six starting tables are the usual with one spot paid for each table.

• Red hot poker band

She described them as good but nothing special, she did say that the dance floor was full all night though so I suppose it's down to individual taste.

• Torture with a red hot poker

I watched it on Demand around 11 p.m. and couldn't go to sleep for two hours which is very unusual. Many of the women on this list got their start on the sidelines in college.

• Border ballet red hot poker

Ballet' includes some bold colours, but also the versatile softer colours. Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10 to 15 days before planting out in the early summer.

• Red hot poker annul

It can now be planted with confidence in pretty much any garden in Britain - at Hyde Hall a clump has survived frost to -9C, the wettest autumn on record and one of the driest summers, not to mention the prevalent drying summer winds at the garden.