Medieval Life
Life in the middle ages was much, much harder than it is now. By 1200 AD life was more
settled than it had been in the past but although Europe was a more settled place it was
certainly not peaceful. There were wars, crusades and peasant revolts. There was plague
starvation and great contrasts in living standards between rich and poor.
For most of the population who worked in the countryside life was peaceful most of the time.
Trade flourished and towns grew and prospered. New industries were set up and luxury goods
reached Europe from the far corners of the world. Skilled craftsmen built magnificent castles
and cathedrals.
We know about life in the middle ages from many sources. Thousands of medieval buildings
are still standing, and many everyday objects used by both rich and poor people are preserved
in museums throughout Europe. Medieval people wrote books and letters about important
events as they happened and many of these have survived for us to read. We can also consult
the detailed accounts they kept of their business and farming activities. Even some of the
poems and songs which delighted medieval audiences have been preserved in manuscripts, so
we can listen to them and enjoy them today.
Society
Society was organized into a "feudal" system, which was based on the allocation of land in
return for services to the king. The king gave grants of land, to his most important noblemen
(barons and bishops) and in return each noble promised to supply the king with soldiers in time
of war. The great nobles often divided their lands among lower lords, or knights, who in turn
became their vassals. In this way feudalism stretched from the very top of the society to the very
bottom. At the lowest rung of the society ladder were the peasants who worked the land itself.
They had few rights, little property and no vassals.
Food
Eating was one of the castle dweller's most popular pastimes; it was like a means of
entertainment. In particular, the banquet was used to impress a lord's guests with his generosity
and his wealth. Robert Dudley's 19-day festival of fun and feasting in honor of Queen Elizabeth
is perhaps the most notorious of all, and the masses of food consumed are staggering by our
modern, weight-conscious standard.
Generally, meals were taken three times a day. A small breakfast, the main meal, dinner and
lighter supper would be served. During the spring and summer months, food stuffs were in
ready supply, and included large variety of fruits, vegetables and meat. The winter months were
a time of scarcity, and preparations were made during the rest of the year to ensure the
availability of meat.
The lower classes, on the other hand, had a tough time surviving, and not just in the winter.
Their main foodstuffs consisted of vegetables such as turnips or salad, porridges, an occasional
fish, cheese curds, beer, ale, or mead. It is a wonder they survived as well as they did, and were
able to fend off disease. Ironically, the rich, who should have had better methods of staying
healthy, suffered from a variety of ailments, such as scurvy, tooth decay, heart problems, skin
eruptions, and infections caused by rotting meat and lack of proper nutrition.
Religion
Most people in medieval Europe were very religious. They took their babies to church to be
christened. And the dead were buried in the churchyard. Unlike today, the Catholic Church was
the only church in Europe and all Christians belonged to it. With its own laws, lands and taxes
the Catholic Church was a very powerful institution. People knew of other religions and both
Judaism and Islam had followers in Europe but all non-Christians were regarded as "infidels"
and treated as suspicious. Most people believed that everyone should believe in one religion
and the strongest at that time was the Catholic Church.
There were numerous religious orders in the Middle Ages but the two most popular were the
Benedictines who wore black robes and the Cistercians who wore white. Benedictine
monasteries were sometimes found in towns but most were built in the countryside - in fact the
Cistercians would live deliberately in remote areas so that they would not be distracted from
their prayers.
As a result of the churches work it became both rich and influential. Anyone who was
suspected of disagreeing with the Church's teachings was called a heretic and burnt at the
stake. Many believed that even if they did make it to heaven in the afterlife they would have to
spend a thousand years in purgatory to be cleansed of their sins on earth ready for the paradise
of heaven. So many rich people would pay the church to say extra masses for them in the hope
that it would reduce the amount of time in purgatory.
Crime and Punishment
Under feudal law everyone owed allegiance to the king. A criminal was someone who by doing
something wrong, "had disturbed the king's peace".
Lords were responsible for punishing minor crimes in their local courts, but serious crimes
were dealt with by justices appointed by the king from among his officials and trained lawyers.
Conditions there were usually very dirty and crowded and prisoners often died of diseases
before they go to trial. While kept in custody the prisoners would rely on friends and family to
bring them food or money, otherwise they may well starve.
The punishments for wrong-doing were very harsh in the middle ages. People who were guilty
of lesser offences were fined or put in the stocks but those found guilty of serious crimes such
as highway robbery, stealing livestock or treason and murder were executed. Executions were
carried out in public and were often watched by large crowds.
Entertainment
Life in the middle ages was not all hard work! Even the loneliest or poorest peasant could take
part in church festivals, join a marriage or funeral procession, or watch and listen to travelling
poets, musicians, acrobats and dancers. Perhaps the village would be visited by a troupe
leading a performing bear or dancing monkey. We would consider this sort of "entertainment" as
cruel nowadays but in the middle ages it was quality entertainment.
Fun and games were often centered on particular times of year. At Christmas, groups of
villagers would dress up as "mummers" and visit the lord's home. There they would sing and
perform some sketches in return for special Christmas food and perhaps some money. On May
Day, young men and girls would get up early in the morning and play games in the bright spring
sunlight, before gathering green branches to decorate their homes.
The Church frowned upon the medieval tournament as they felt too much blood was spilled
during the action this type of contest though proved highly popular with the people of the middle
ages. The tournament probably started life as training for the knights in preparation for war but
they soon became a great source of entertainment. Defeated knights had to give up their horse
and their armor so a good fighter could make a fortune at the tournament. At first battle armor
and sharp weapons were used but in the 13th century blunt weapons were introduced.