(sword scraping)
(wolves barking)
- [Presenter] If Excalibur looks intense,
that's because it is.
In the Middle Ages, steel swords were so sharp and heavy
they could cut a man in half.
(wolves barking)
That was the first of 21 Facts And A Lie,
based on the first episode of "Cursed."
And if you love this Arthurian drama,
give us a thumbs up and share this video
with the person you'd go on a quest with.
Before modern clocks, historic records of solar eclipses
allowed astronomers to detect a 0.001 second per century
slowing down in the Earth's rotation.
In the 10th Century, when castles were built from timber,
the average cost to build one was £100.
- But you didn't turn them into mole rats, did you Merlin?
- [Presenter] Mole rats, like bees and ants,
live in colonies, and have one queen
who must earn her position.
- We want rain, Merlin!
- [Presenter] Scientists can use tree rings
to see when droughts occurred.
The longest drought discovered using this method
was 38 years long.
♪ Sing hi-lolly lo ♪
♪ Say my fair summer lady ♪
♪ Sing hi-lolly li ♪
♪ Summer hi lolly lo ♪
- [Presenter] Some Medieval minstrels, or troubadours,
would carry entire chess sets around from castle to castle,
to play with anyone who wanted to challenge them.
- Like to buy some of my pies?
Freshly baked this very morning.
- [Presenter] In Medieval times, during grain shortages,
bread was made with old rye that was sometimes tainted
with a fungus that caused hallucinations.
Medieval farm animals were malnourished
and much smaller than today's livestock.
A Medieval sheep was one-third the size of modern sheep.
In Medieval Europe, even animals were put on trial.
There are records animals like sheep, pigs, horses, and dogs
who were tried as criminals.
- Fancy an ale?
- We don't drink with strange men.
- [Presenter] The difference between Medieval ale
and today's beer is one ingredient:
Hops.
- Are you a sword for hire?
- A knight, milady.
- [Presenter] Knights had a lot of training.
It lasted 14 years and started at age seven.
- Arthur's found himself some nice country girls.
(dice clatter)
- [Presenter] Medieval dice were made of bone,
and often weighted with drops of mercury
to ensure the same result each time.
- Just roll seven in any combination.
Three and four, five and two, see?
The odds favor you.
I've just had a rush of dumb luck.
- [Presenter] The number seven matches our attention span.
According to psychologists, most people can only keep
up to seven items in their short-term memory,
which is why phone numbers are typically seven digitals.
Earth is the only known planet where fire can actually burn.
It's the only place with enough oxygen to feed the flames.
- Gawain took the Brass Shield.
It's the only ship that crosses the sea
to the desert kingdoms.
- [Presenter] Historically, in Western culture,
dreaming of a white horse was thought
to be a symbol of death.
(horse nickering)
It's a common myth that horses sleep standing up.
They can doze off while standing,
but they do lay down for actual REM sleep.
In Medieval times, payments were often made
with goods and services.
As a result, taxes were sometimes paid in horses.
- You're just using the blade.
That's a waste of a good sword.
(swords scraping)
- [Presenter] In the original legend of King Arthur,
the famous sword was embellished with human teeth.
Before the printing press, Medieval books
were written by hand.
It could take years to transcribe a book,
so scribes often included curses in the text
to protect their life's work.
(man grunts)
A law was passed in Medieval England
that made practicing archery mandatory
for men between the ages of 15 and 60.
- This is madness!
- [Presenter] Tempting lightning is bad news.
A single bolt of lighting is 50,000° Fahrenheit.
That's five times hotter than the surface of the sun.
(wolves howling)
Wolves howling at the moon is a myth.
They howl at night, no matter what the moon's doing.
And they do it to communicate with each other.
You made it to the end without getting cursed.
Could you spot the lie?
In the legend of King Arthur, his sword Excalibur
was said to have magical powers,
but nothing as creepy as human teeth.
Let us know in the comments
if you were smart enough to find the lie.
But don't reveal the lie, so others can keep playing.