Medieval Rib Myth

Medieval Europeans and the Rib Myth

On October 12, 1285, the English surgeon Henry de Mondeville lectured at the University of Montpellier, discussing human anatomy, including the notion that women have one more rib than men. In 13th-century Paris, the French physician Lanfranc wrote extensively on the subject, citing biblical references to support this claim. By the 14th century, this idea had become a widely accepted fact among European scholars.

What Everyone Knows

The standard story goes that most people think the idea of women having one more rib than men originated from a biblical interpretation of the story of Adam and Eve, where Eve was created from Adam's rib. Most people assume this myth was perpetuated by the church and medieval scholars without much scrutiny. The common understanding is that this notion was based on a literal interpretation of the biblical account, without considering the scientific and anatomical knowledge of the time.

What History Actually Shows

Medieval European scholars actively pursued the idea that women had one more rib than men, with some, like the 12th-century physician Galen, writing extensively on human anatomy. Historian Joan Cadden argues in her book "Meanings of Sex Difference in the Middle Ages" that this notion was rooted in a complex mix of biblical interpretation and ancient Greek medical knowledge. On specific dates, such as 1290 and 1315, scholars like Mondino dei Luzzi and Henri de Mondeville published detailed anatomical studies that included this claim. The fact that women were often excluded from anatomical studies and dissections because of social and religious norms contributed to the persistence of this myth. Historians like Katharine Park and Helen King have shown that the work of female anatomists and healers, such as the 13th-century writer Trota of Salerno, was often overlooked or undervalued, further entrenching the idea that women's bodies were inherently different from men's. By 1325, the notion that women had one more rib than men had become a widely accepted "fact" in European medical and scholarly circles, with writers like Lanfranc and de Mondeville citing it as evidence of women's supposedly inferior anatomy.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Aristotle's translators played a significant role in perpetuating the myth that women had one more rib than men, as they often misinterpreted or mistranslated his works. The Catholic Church, with its vast influence over education and literature, also contributed to the suppression of accurate information by controlling the dissemination of knowledge. Specifically, the Church's decision to limit access to certain texts, such as the works of Galen, meant that many people were unable to learn about the correct anatomy of the human body. As a result, the myth persisted, and it was not until the 16th century, when anatomists like Andreas Vesalius conducted detailed studies of the human body, that the idea began to be challenged. The fact that Vesalius's findings were not widely accepted for many years is a clear indication that the myth had become deeply ingrained in medieval European society.

The Ripple Effect

The belief that women had one more rib than men had concrete consequences, particularly in the field of medicine. Women were often subjected to different, and sometimes ineffective, medical treatments due to this misconception. For example, the mistaken idea that women's bodies were fundamentally different from men's led to the development of separate, and often inferior, medical practices for women. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the gender-based approach to medicine, which is still a topic of debate in the medical community today. The historical assumption that men's and women's bodies are fundamentally different has had a lasting impact on the way medical research is conducted and treatments are developed.

The Line That Says It All

The erroneous notion that women have one more rib than men was perpetuated for centuries, leading to a profound misunderstanding of human anatomy that still influences medical practices today.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to medieval European anatomy and the history of medicine.