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Hur kan vi förstå behandling av skador och sjukdom under medeltiden?

Bergqvist Rydén, Johanna LU (2025) In Lund Studies in Historical Archaeology 22. p.41-45
Abstract (Swedish)
It is a common and tenacious understanding that the best treatments of the ill during the Middle Ages in Sweden was offered in the monasteries. In this article, this view is problematised. By introducing the anthropological concept of medical cultures, the author suggests an understanding of Middle Age leach craft and medicine as a complex web of several co-existing medical cultures. Three major medical cultures are outlined, each based on their respective understandings of the human body, its ailments and what might or should be done in the intent of healing. The humoral pathologically grounded treatment of phlebotomy is used as a case to problematise the effectiveness of monastic and scholastically educated medieval medicine, as opposed... (More)
It is a common and tenacious understanding that the best treatments of the ill during the Middle Ages in Sweden was offered in the monasteries. In this article, this view is problematised. By introducing the anthropological concept of medical cultures, the author suggests an understanding of Middle Age leach craft and medicine as a complex web of several co-existing medical cultures. Three major medical cultures are outlined, each based on their respective understandings of the human body, its ailments and what might or should be done in the intent of healing. The humoral pathologically grounded treatment of phlebotomy is used as a case to problematise the effectiveness of monastic and scholastically educated medieval medicine, as opposed to a more experience based indigenous tradition. As a conclusion, it is suggested that it is misleading to value medieval medical understandings as better or poorer, as this is easily coloured by modern values and standards. Rather, trying to understand how issuers relating to illness and health was dealt with during the Middle Ages, we can gain a better understanding of society and culture of that time. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Ut ur labyrinten : En vänbok till Jes Wienberg - En vänbok till Jes Wienberg
series title
Lund Studies in Historical Archaeology
editor
Roslund, Mats ; Gustin, Ingrid ; Hansen, Kenth ; Hansson, Martin and Karlsson, Mattias
volume
22
pages
5 pages
publisher
Institutionen för arkeologi och antikens historia, Lunds universitet
ISSN
1653-1183
ISBN
978-91-89874-73-2
978-91-89874-74-9
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
de0c077b-1a91-44e2-9199-f0952c72c88f
date added to LUP
2025-06-17 14:29:37
date last changed
2025-07-11 07:44:11
@inbook{de0c077b-1a91-44e2-9199-f0952c72c88f,
  abstract     = {{It is a common and tenacious understanding that the best treatments of the ill during the Middle Ages in Sweden was offered in the monasteries. In this article, this view is problematised. By introducing the anthropological concept of medical cultures, the author suggests an understanding of Middle Age leach craft and medicine as a complex web of several co-existing medical cultures. Three major medical cultures are outlined, each based on their respective understandings of the human body, its ailments and what might or should be done in the intent of healing. The humoral pathologically grounded treatment of phlebotomy is used as a case to problematise the effectiveness of monastic and scholastically educated medieval medicine, as opposed to a more experience based indigenous tradition. As a conclusion, it is suggested that it is misleading to value medieval medical understandings as better or poorer, as this is easily coloured by modern values and standards. Rather, trying to understand how issuers relating to illness and health was dealt with during the Middle Ages, we can gain a better understanding of society and culture of that time.}},
  author       = {{Bergqvist Rydén, Johanna}},
  booktitle    = {{Ut ur labyrinten : En vänbok till Jes Wienberg}},
  editor       = {{Roslund, Mats and Gustin, Ingrid and Hansen, Kenth and Hansson, Martin and Karlsson, Mattias}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-89874-73-2}},
  issn         = {{1653-1183}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  pages        = {{41--45}},
  publisher    = {{Institutionen för arkeologi och antikens historia, Lunds universitet}},
  series       = {{Lund Studies in Historical Archaeology}},
  title        = {{Hur kan vi förstå behandling av skador och sjukdom under medeltiden?}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/221565605/Bergqvist_Ryden_s_rtryck_Ut_ir_labyrinten_s41-45.pdf}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}