Unusual Deaths in the Middle Ages

Death is inevitable… but it sometimes strikes in strangely spectacular ways. Here is a collection of remarkable cases from the Middle Ages, where fate took some truly unexpected turns.

AD 613 — Brunhilda, Merovingian Queen

At 70 years old and already a great‑grandmother, Brunhilda was executed on the orders of King Chlothar II. Her arm and leg were tied to the tail of a furious horse, which tore her apart as it bolted. Before her execution, she was reportedly paraded naked on a camel — an animal considered deeply humiliating at the time.

AD 882 — Louis III, Carolingian King

During a romantic escapade, he allegedly smashed his skull against a low doorframe while chasing, on horseback, the daughter of a man named Germund. A brutal — and oddly poetic — end.

AD 1190 — Frederick Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor

He drowned accidentally in a river during a crusade. According to some accounts, he forgot to remove his armor before diving in and sank instantly. The possibility of cold‑shock drowning has also been suggested.

AD 1327 — Edward II of England

He was allegedly murdered by the insertion of a copper rod into his anus (or, in later versions, a red‑hot poker). This method was meant to deliver what his enemies considered a “fitting” death for a homosexual, according to the prejudices of the era.

AD 1380 — Bertrand du Guesclin, Constable of France

He is said to have died after drinking too much ice‑cold water immediately following combat under the blazing sun. A fatal miscalculation in hydration.

AD 1478 — George, Duke of Clarence

Sentenced to death, he chose an execution method as eccentric as it was memorable: drowning in a barrel of Malmsey wine.

AD 1498 — Charles VIII of France

He died after violently striking his head on a low doorframe in the Château d’Amboise. A fatal blow in a place he knew well.

(Source: Wikipedia)