Medieval Humors and Medicine
The idea of medieval humors were discovered by a Greek physiologist named Galen. He said that there were four humors of the body choler, phlegm, melancholy, and blood. All four of these humors correspond to the four elements of all matter, which are earth, water, air, and fire. These humors were considered the main source of illness in the body and this happened by imbalances of these humors. These illnesses could then only be cured by herbs and medicines. In an article on the website, Daily Life Through History they said that illness was because of imbalances in the humors and could only be cured by medicine. This shows how people in medieval times believed that imbalances of the humors were the cause of sickness and problems in the body.
Also, in medieval times, the disarrangement of humors was said to be caused by all sources of nature, from the planets to the elements on earth. They also believed that all nature, the humors, and the parts of the body were all connects and had influences on all aspects of people. Furthermore, astrological influences part of the relation between the elements, zodiacal signs, planets, humors, and parts of the body. This shows how medieval people thought that everything around them played a role and influenced their bodies and them as people.
In the Nun’s Priest Tale the humors of the body are talked about by Pertelote when she sees that Chanticleer had a nightmare. She says she will make an herb medicine to help him get the bad fluids or humors in his body that cause him nightmare. She only talks about two of the humors in the body, the first being red bile or blood. Red bile supposedly made people dream of war, blood, death and red monster that will kill them. Pertelote suggests to Chanticleer that red bile “Puts a dreamer in the dread/ Of crimson arrows, fires flaming red, / Of great red monsters making as to fight him, / And big red whelps and little ones to bite him;” (Chaucer 217) Pertelote describes the red bile as something that makes a person dream of flames, arrows, and blood.
The second humor Pertelote mentions is black bile or choler humor is told to make people see dark fiends and monster from Hell. Pertelote also emphasizes what black bile can do to the body by saying “Just so the black and melancholy vapours / Will set a sleeper shrieking, cutting capers / And swearing that black bears, black bulls as well, /Or blackest fiends are hailing him to Hell.” (Chaucer 217) She describes this as something that shows you creatures and monster that are from Hell and are the blackest and meanest of creatures.
Also, in medieval times, the disarrangement of humors was said to be caused by all sources of nature, from the planets to the elements on earth. They also believed that all nature, the humors, and the parts of the body were all connects and had influences on all aspects of people. Furthermore, astrological influences part of the relation between the elements, zodiacal signs, planets, humors, and parts of the body. This shows how medieval people thought that everything around them played a role and influenced their bodies and them as people.
In the Nun’s Priest Tale the humors of the body are talked about by Pertelote when she sees that Chanticleer had a nightmare. She says she will make an herb medicine to help him get the bad fluids or humors in his body that cause him nightmare. She only talks about two of the humors in the body, the first being red bile or blood. Red bile supposedly made people dream of war, blood, death and red monster that will kill them. Pertelote suggests to Chanticleer that red bile “Puts a dreamer in the dread/ Of crimson arrows, fires flaming red, / Of great red monsters making as to fight him, / And big red whelps and little ones to bite him;” (Chaucer 217) Pertelote describes the red bile as something that makes a person dream of flames, arrows, and blood.
The second humor Pertelote mentions is black bile or choler humor is told to make people see dark fiends and monster from Hell. Pertelote also emphasizes what black bile can do to the body by saying “Just so the black and melancholy vapours / Will set a sleeper shrieking, cutting capers / And swearing that black bears, black bulls as well, /Or blackest fiends are hailing him to Hell.” (Chaucer 217) She describes this as something that shows you creatures and monster that are from Hell and are the blackest and meanest of creatures.