How cannabis was used in the Medieval Times, Game of Thrones-style

Before you pull out your calligraphy pen and start writing an angry scroll, we know, we know, Game of Thrones actually takes place in an entirely different world where dragons exist and they send mail by crow, not pigeon.

But if you had to place George RR Martin/HBO’s fantasy epic during and an earthly epoch, it’d definitely be Medieval Times—not the dinner theatre, the era—which spanned the fifth through 15th centuries.

 

 

During this fantastical-friendly period, heads were chopped off with no regard to their owner’s central importance to the plot, wars were fought by ruthless men and women brandishing steel and riding noble steeds and cannabis was used—much as today—as medicine for a handful of ailments and also recreationally.

At the time, some scholars recognized the altered state cannabis could create and warned against it. For example, Az-Zarkashī, an Islamic scholar from the 14th century, was vocal about his views, claiming that using cannabis would cause all sorts of problems because it “destroys the mind, cuts short the reproductive capacity, produces elephantiasis” and more. Still, people from Europe to Egypt and beyond used cannabis in some way or another.

The eighth and final season of GoT, a mere six episodes long, kicks off April 14. To pay homage to the addicting and gruesome series, we look at ways that cannabis was used during the Medieval Times and imagine some of our favourite Stark/Targaryen/Lannister/etc. characters using it, too.

Uterus pain, infections, epilepsy and more

Even the Mother of Dragons isn’t spared from her uterine lining shedding once a month… we think. Anyway, if so, Khaleesi could use weed to ease the cramps. Cannabis, indeed, was used to reduce pain in the uterus, notes the Canon of Medicine, a five-part medical encyclopedia penned by Persian philosopher and physician Avicenna in the year 1025. Beyond period pain, though, the author also noted at the time that cannabis could treat general swelling (edema), infections and gout, as well as to combat tumours and jaundice.

In the 11th century, al-Mayusi and al-Badri, two Arabic scholars, noted in their research that cannabis could be used to effectively combat episodes of epilepsy.

Meanwhile in China, cannabis was treated as an anesthetic by the Maesters (that’s doctors for the sadly unitiated). Hua T’o, a Chinese doctor, first used it during the third century, as a painkiller where he created a concoction of cannabis and wine to anesthetize his patients before performing surgery.

How cannabis was consumed

In Europe, cannabis was used as medicine meant to heal, while in Arab countries, it was a form of escapism with people consuming it to get high (sounds like something the semi-clad Dornish types would do).

In countries that were using cannabis for its psychoactive effects, there were a few ways to do it. Franz Rosenthal’s 1971 book, The Herb: Hashish versus Medieval Muslim Society, details cannabis use in ancient Egypt. It was common to make a hashish paste and turn it into a capsule to swallow, though Rosenthal points out that leaves were also sometimes dried and roasted and ingredients like sugar and sesame were added to make them into an edible snack.

Still, smoking cannabis seemed to be the consumption method of choice during this era in the Middle East. Like today, pipes were used to smoke the flower.

Other ways cannabis was used

Hemp was a popular textile among Scandinavians living during the Middle Ages and was often used to make items that needed to be reliable and sturdy, such as rope and cloth for boat sails (likely a handy tool for the Ironborn). Researchers don’t have any evidence that suggests people from these Nordic countries were growing cannabis to get high, but rather they used the plant to create materials.