Periods as a curse

Fears of periods and their impact were at an all time high in European society in the Middle Ages, with some rumours including:

If you menstruated irregularly you would give birth to much smaller children
If you didn’t bleed heavily enough you could give birth to a child covered in thick hair head to toe, which was a sign of impurity
Period blood was such a powerful toxin that if it touched the penis of a person it could turn them mad
If you cooked food whilst on your period it would cause illness to anyone who ate it
If cows were milked by maids on their period the cow would be slaughtered through fear of contamination
The smell of period blood was so strong that anyone near to you in public could smell you were on your period and fall ill