[post_page_title]It was customary to burn the baby’s umbilical cord[/post_page_title]
Birth in the Middle Ages wasn’t a matter of medicine so much as superstition, even for the people who could afford the best educations and living conditions. Both the mother and newborn surviving birth was a happy enough occurrence, as it certainly wasn’t all that common. However, the rituals didn’t stop even after birth was over.
Post-birth, it was crucial to burn the baby’s umbilical cord in a fire, to purify it of the sins transmitted through conception. Then, herbs would be used to make it sneeze, to expel any last remaining bits of sin. Finally, vinegar would be rubbed on its tongue, to ensure speech would follow.
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