Surveys the 'mental worlds' of Europeans between the fall of the Roman Empire (c. 400 A.D.) and the beginning of the early modern period (c. 1500). What were the beliefs and worldviews of medieval people? What did they value? What did they fear? What were they willing to do to stay safe, to feel their lives mattered, to be happy? And how did this change over time? While the Christian faith was the lodestone of most Europeans' lives, some took paths that were feared or condemned by the Church and society. The focus is on the ways in which such heterodox ideas and practices laid the groundwork for the formation of a more modern mindset.