I must admit to something… I’ve never seen the Princess Bride. I know, I know – c’est fou. How can a future medievalist never have seen this movie? But, as I’m focusing more on Medieval medicine these days, I wanted to find interpretations of medieval healers. The first thing I was recommended to view was Billy Crystal’s performance in the Princess Bride. If you haven’t seen the movie, like me, please feel free to watch the link below

I found it so interesting that medieval healers were seen as old, delusional people. Miracle Max’s home/work place is murky and dirty filled with strange instruments and bottled herbs. His way of healing the hero (the unconscious man I assume is the hero of the movie) is unorthodox. His babblings are fast-paced and almost delirious.

Is this how the present views medieval practices?

I must admit that I get a old giggle when people say, “how positively medieval?” I think that’s hilarious because most of the time the speaker actually wouldn’t know much about the Middle Ages except, perhaps, what he/she has seen on Game of Thrones.

I just wanted to write this post in order to go back on it later and paint a clearer, more accurate picture of medieval healers later on.