The video explores the beauty standards and appearance of women in different regions and periods of the Middle Ages. The video features rare images, scientific discoveries, art, reconstructions, and historical sources that shed light on how medieval women really looked like.
The Windsor Beauties, a set of portraits painted by Sir Peter Lely depicting some of King Charles II's mistresses and noble relatives and friends, show the beauty standards of the time, with fair skin, long hair, plucked eyebrows, and small teeth, among other features. Tora, a woman who lived 800 years ago in Trondheim, Norway, was not a noble or courtesan but an ordinary citizen.
Researchers used her skeletal remains to create a realistic-looking 3D model of what she may have looked like when she was alive. The model shows Tora smiling and holding a walking stick and is now on display at the NTNU University Museum as part of an exhibition called "Medieval Trondheim." The video highlights the importance of understanding how medieval women really looked like and how they influenced history with their beauty and power.
