Learnings: Medieval Christian Medicine

A sick man being healed while praying at Cuthbert's tomb / 12th cent.

Early medieval people believed demons and elves were to blame for some diseases, and would seek supernatural cures for them. In some cases, ailing patients would be prescribed a "religious" remedy. They would be encouraged to fast, pray, or go on a pilgrimage: a religious journey. The pilgrim in this illustration has travelled to the tomb of a saint in the hope of being healed.

One could also seek help from the saints: holy figures marked by their closeness to God. It was believed that saints could grant miracles and heal the sick. Christians could seek out something a saint had worn or touched, add it to a mixture, drink it, and hope that the saint's miraculous powers would do the trick.