True or False: Many medieval charters were sealed with wax.

The story behind the answer

Wax seals served as the primary way to authenticate medieval charters and protect them from tampering. Pressed with a unique matrix—often a ruler’s or bishop’s coat of arms or emblem—the seal acted as a legal signature at a time when many people were illiterate. Breaking the seal indicated interference, so intact wax carried legal weight in courts and councils.

Seals varied by color, size, and style: beeswax mixed with resin produced durable red or green seals; some hung as pendent seals on cords, while others were applied directly to the parchment. Royal chanceries, monasteries, towns, and guilds all used them. The study of these artifacts—sigillography—helps historians date documents, trace authority, and even spot medieval forgeries.