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The idea is to have all our research posts together in one place so that everyone can have access and contribute to our collective knowledge pool. You can make use of different resources, so we encourage you to experiment and see which one/s fit your purpose best. Have fun and let us know if you need anything!

Fare thee well!

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Country Dances were considered folk dances and were identified by a combination of circle and line dancing. They also involved a lot of clapping and spinning steps. The most popular country dances during the medival period were: The Egg Dance, Quadrille, Pavan, Farandole and Burgundian dance. Here's a peek:

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During the Middle Ages (also known as the Medieval period) public torture and execution was common throughout the United Kingdom and regarded as a socially accepted form of punishment. Different levels of pain and types of execution were inflicted on prisoners depending upon the nature and severity of their crime. Torture was typically used as a way to extract evidence and information and public execution was often used as a warning to prevent others from committing crimes. Serious crimes were heard by the King’s court. The accused had to face trial by ordeal to decide whether they were guilty or not guilty.There were no laws or rights given to prisoners, allowing torture and executions to be widespread and completely unregulated. Executions were often public and attended by large crowds. The following video shows the most common types of execution in the middle ages.

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Hygiene habits in the Medieval Ages may be different from which we understand today. People did bath but they did it less frequently. Only the wealthy had access to private baths. The rest of the population had to settle for public baths, which may not do much for one’s cleanliness, as the water was rarely changed.

People would normally use a privy (outhouse) which was often just a shack with a slab of wood over a hole in the ground. In castles, monasteries, and convents, these were narrow rooms for people to relieve themselves. These indoor privies were placed as far away as possible from the interior chambers, and usually had double doors. There were also chamber pots under the beds, so that people could use them at night. As sewers were non-existent, people simply made cesspits, which were huge, deep holes dug in the ground, into which human waste was dumped. This was not hygienic, as the waste products exposed to the air created an environment for bacteria that could spread diseases. In castles, human waste would either fall into the moat, or released down the side of the castle’s walls.

In terms of dental hygiene, people would simply clean their mouths by rinsing with water and would clean their teeth by wiping them with a piece of cloth. To keep their teeth white, people use mixtures of herbs and abrasives, including burnt rosemary.

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Children weren't valued the way they are now. Childhood was considered up to the age of 12. Then, they were supposed to start working. Workhouses were built  in order to provide a place for shelter and meal for people, some of them kids. Parents and teachers were allowed to beat children in order to correct their behaviour.  In the 17th century, the conception of childhood started to change and they were better taken care of by society.

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The conception of beauty was far more difficult to achieve for women than for men.
For men, they were considered well looking as long as they had a bit of an athletic figure, did not have any unusual body features and were well groomed. Long fair hair, pale skin and slenderness added to their beauty.

For women, long hair was considered one of the most beautiful features they could have. Cleavage, ankles or wrists were considered very beautiful and were often exposed. Fair skin was a sign of wealth and, therefore, a sign of beauty. Long foreheads were also considered pretty, as well as a relatively long, slender symmetrical figure. Sometimes, a bit of a protruding belly was also a sign of beauty. As Christianity had become very important, many women wanted to look like Virgin Mary and they wore makeup to achieve this, though in a very subtle way as the Church disapproved of it.

In this video you can see some of the techniques women used to appear more attractive for their husbands:

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The Royal Art of Poison: Dying to be Beautiful - Deadly Cosmetics

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Bread was the basic food in the Middle Ages, it could be made with barley, rye, and wheat. Wealthy people used thick slices of brown bread as bowls called trenchers to soak up juice and sauce from the food. Everyday food for the poor  consisted of cabbage, beans, eggs, oats and brown bread. Sometimes, as a specialty, they would have cheese, bacon or poultry.

All classes commonly drank ale or beer. Milk was also available, but usually reserved for younger people. Wine was imported from France and Italy for those with money. Inland lakes and streams provided freshwater fish and turtles, while coastal regions near oceans and seas had access to saltwater fish like herring, cod, whale and eel. Honey straight from bee hives called apiaries was the common sweetener ; while herbs, nuts, roots and flowers were eaten and used in medicinal tonics and teas.

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The early spread of Islam is directly linked to the Prophet Muhammad, who preached religious and moral ideas throughout Arabia. During the 7th century, Arab Muslims took advantage of the familiarity with Byzantine and Sasanian military tactics. With both Empires weakened, Muslims began to conquer more territories to the East and West. Contrary to what some people may believe, Muslims were not purely motivated by religion but political power. In cities such as Syria, Jerusalem, Persia, Alexandria and Spain, which were conquered by Muslim armies, enormous changes impacted citizens in terms of rules, restrictions, diets, trade and culture. Nowadays, Iran (previously known as Persia) and Jerusalem are still Islamic nations.
The picture below represents what Muhammad looked like.

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The medieval age was a long period in which many well-known people lived. The list includes Kings, Queens, knights, religious figures, explores, writers, and artists.

William the Conqueror (1028-1087)

William I was the first Norman King of England. He ruled from 1066 until his death in 1087. He invaded England and defeated Harold, the other potential claimant to the throne, at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.  In 1086, he ordered the compilation of the Domesday Book, a survey listing all the land-holdings in England. His reign in England was marked by the construction of castles, settling a new Norman nobility on the land, and change in the composition of the English clergy.

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204)

Eleanor of Aquitaine was queen consort of France and England; and Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right. She was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. She led armies several times in her life and was a leader of the Second Crusade. She was the mother of Richard the Lionheart and King John.

Richard the Lionheart (1157-1195)

Richard I was King of England and Duke or Lord of various lands such as Normandy. He was the son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He is known as Richard the Lionheart because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior. Richard was a central Christian commander during the Third Crusade, achieving many victories.

Marco Polo (1254-1324)

Marco Polo was a famous Italian explorer. He is known for travelling along the Silk Road to China, where he explored much of Asia not yet explored by Europeans.

William Wallace (Died 1305)

He was a Scottish knight and landowner who was a leading figure in the Scottish Wars for Independence. He is remembered for his famous victory in the battle of Stirling Bridge at which his forces were vastly outnumbered. And he is also remembered for his loss a year later at the Battle of Falkirk. He was eventually captured and executed in a very brutal manner. He is considered a National hero in Scotland.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)

He was a poet, writer and philosopher of England. He is often considered to be “The father of English literature” and he brought a legitimacy to the English language when literature was considered to be either only in French or Latin. He is best known for The Canterbury Tales.

Johann Gutenberg (1398-1468)

He invented the printing press and the concept of movable type which revolutionized the book making process. Up until his time books were copied by hand. His invention is considered to be among the most important of the modern period. Books became much easier to make and much more affordable. And most importantly this changed the availability and flow of information throughout the world.

Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

She is considered a heroine of France for her role in the Hundred Years War and she was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. She asserted that she had visions from God directing her to free her homeland from the English. And she started out as a missionary but quickly became a military leader who led French troops in decisive military battles. She was captured by the English and executed by burning at the stake at the age of 19. Joan of Arc has remained a popular figure in literature, painting, sculpture, and other cultural works since the time of her death.

Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)

He was an Italian painter, inventor, architect, sculptor, astronomer, writer, the most diversely skilled human being who have ever lived. He is considered to be the archetype of a Renaissance man. His most universal legacy is in the field of painting. The most famous ones are the “Gioconda” and “The Mona Lisa”.

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EDUCATION IN MEDIEVAL TIMES by Mariana Sanguedolce

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EDUCATION IN MEDIEVAL TIMES by Mariana Sanguedolce

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In Medieval times, the educational system was under control of the Church and it was predominantly meant for Upper-class men. Serfs and peasants could not have access to education.

Medieval schools were of three main types: song schools, monastic schools and grammar schools. The most important subjects included Latin language and grammar, rhetoric, logic and the basics of math and science.

As regards women, only Upper-class women could study. They were not allowed to visit educational institutions but were taught at home. Women’s education was designed to help them in becoming good wives and mothers in future.

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Medival Time was a time of gret inventions and innovations. Some inventions were so important that paved the way to the modern world we live in. Some of the most impotant inventions include:

The Printing Press which was in control of the distribution of the information from the State and he Church.

The Coffee House was an establishment that changed not only how people eat and drank  but also created new ways of social interaction.

Eyeglasses made everything clear. This invention  improved the quality of life of millions of people.

Paper Money was intended to replace the need to carry around quantities of precious metals which could easily be lost or stolen; this proved to be a great benefit to merchants.

Gunpowder revolutionize warfare and make previous military technology obsolete.

Astrolabes can be considered the early computers.  They became invaluable for astrionomers and navigators since they could work out the inclined position to a given celestial body.

In the following video you can see some other important inventions.

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The Great Famine of 1315–1317 (occasionally dated 1315–1322) was the first of a series of large-scale crises early in the 14th century. The event caused millions of deaths over an extended number of years and marked a clear end to the period of growth and prosperity from the 11th to the 13th centuries.
The Great Famine started with bad weather in spring 1315. Crop failures lasted through 1316 until the summer harvest in 1317, and Europe did not fully recover until 1322. Crop failures were not the only problem; cattle murrains caused sheep and cattle numbers to fall as much as 80%. The period was marked by extreme levels of crime, disease, mass death, and even cannibalism and infanticide. The crisis had consequences for the church, state, European society, and for future calamities to follow in the 14th century.

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In the Early Middle Ages, following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, standard medical knowledge was based chiefly upon surviving Greek and Roman texts, preserved in monasteries and elsewhere. Medieval medicine has been often related to religion and superstition, but it also became a formal body of theoretical knowledge and was institutionalized in the universities. However, medical training did not prevent life expectancy to be of only 35 years.

Most doctors still believed the Greek theory from Galen, a doctor during the Roman Empire, that you became ill when the 'Four Humours' - phlegm, black bile, yellow bile, blood - became unbalanced. During the medieval era dissection of human bodies was banned so doctors didn’t properly understand what went on inside the body. What is more, most people in Medieval times never saw a doctor. They were treated by the local wise-woman who was skilled in the use of herbs, or by the priest, or the barber, who pulled out teeth, set broken bones and performed other operations.

During epidemics, people would blame witches, nobility or groups who were culturally different such as Jewish people, and attack them. When a disease like the Black Death hit England in 1348, the doctors were powerless to stop it killing half the population. There were both supernatural and natural explanations for it, for example, some people said that God had sent it as a punishment, others that the planets were in the wrong conjunction.

Treatments continued to be a mixture of herbal remedies, bleeding and purging, and supernatural ideas. Recently, historians have suggested that many medieval treatments were successful, especially the herbal remedies. Nevertheless, successful cures were mixed up with, what it seems to be, crazy cures. For example: bleeding, applying leeches, smelling strong posies, causing purging or vomiting, cutting open buboes, draining the pus and making the patient hot or cold, trepanning - cutting a hole in the skull, praying, or whipping themselves to try to earn God's forgiveness.

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The main form of organization of medieval society was known as "feudalism."
The basis of the feudal society was the holding of land and its main purpose was economic.

There were two basic principles to feudalism: "Every man had a lord and every lord had land."

A feudal society has three distinct social classes: a king, a noble class (which could include nobles, priests, and princes) and a peasant class.

·        The King was the highest authority in the land.  He had to make laws and take care of the citizens in his kingdom. The king owned all the available land, and he portioned out that land to his nobles for their use. The nobles, in turn, rented out their land to peasants.

·        Each member of the nobility was free as a person and he was only responsible for his military duties. The social function of members of nobility was to ensure security of the weak and poor. They were also required to follow the virtues of chivalry. These barons possessed significant portion of King’s land and they had a right to collect direct and indirect taxes along with rents which was offered by the serfs.

·        The peasants or serfs were those who used to do work or to produce wealth. These serfs used to live in manors controlled by barons or lords. There were independent serfs who used to maintain their own business while offering taxes for their lords. In addition, these independent farmers, blacksmiths, carpenters, weavers, or bakers were also allowed to own indentured servants.

They were given definite portion of land to till and grow food and other necessary things and they had a degree of control over this land as they could pass it on after their death through inheritance. Independent peasants also had some political rights. Peasants accepted the ruling of lords and kings because of their want of security against marauders, looters and barbarians from surrounding lands.

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Small disputes and battles had been going on between the French and the English for years. However, in 1337, King Edward III of England claimed that he was the rightful king of France. This began a long battle between the two countries.

The Hundred Years War was fought between England and France and lasted from 1337 to 1453, but in some ways, we can see this war as one major phase of a constant struggle between England and France, stretching from around the Norman Conquest in 1066 until the 1904 Entente Cordiale (a series of agreements signed between Great Britain and France that marked the end of hundreds of years of intermittent conflict.)

Major battles were fought during this time, including the control of the valuable wool trade, disputes over certain areas of land, and the support for Scotland by the French. Even though the war stopped for a long period during the Black Death, England seemed to be winning the war.

The Hundred Years War saw some major developments in military strategy and technology. But what gave France the edge and helped them win the war was not some gunpowder or better weapons; it was a young peasant girl called Joan of Arc, who claimed to hear heavenly voices. She lifted the morale of the French army but was later on captured and given to the Church by the English. She was burnt as a witch in 1431.

The French were inspired by Joan of Arc's leadership and sacrifice. They continued to fight back. They pushed the English army out of France taking Bordeaux in 1453 signaling the end of the Hundred Years War.

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Was MARRIAGE in medieval times really that hard? Andrea Pérez

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Was MARRIAGE in medieval times really that hard? Andrea Pérez

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The most widespread impression of medieval marriage is that of a cold, loveless, and practical union, made simply for the purpose of transferring real estate. This could certainly be a frequent occurrence, especially among the elite, but was not always the case. The tricky thing about marriage in the Middle Ages was that it didn’t necessarily have to be witnessed. That means that a hastily-declared statement of mutual consent between lovers – perhaps behind the proverbial haystack – followed by consummation was considered to be a valid contract.

In the Medieval times, for the elite marriage was quite different than today. Women didn't have a choice as to who they would marry and, most of the time, women didn't even know the man before they wed.

The arrangement of marriage was done by the bride and groom's parents. The arrangement of the marriage was based on monetary worth. The family of the girl who was to be married would give a dowry, or donation, to the boy she was to marry. The dowry would be presented to the groom at the time of the marriage.

#Funfact: What does the word wedding mean? Consent to a marriage or a pledge to marry was shown by giving and receiving an item referred to English as a ‘wed’. A ‘wed’ could be any gift understood by those involved to mean consent to marry but was often a ring.  A ‘wedding’ where a man gave a woman a ring and she accepted it created the marriage.

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If a medieval bride could do THIS, she could get married...

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The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. It arrived in Europe in 1347, when 12 ships from the Black Sea docked at the Sicilian port of Messina. People gathered on the docks were met a horrifying surprise: Most sailors aboard the ships were dead, and those still alive were gravely ill and covered in black boils that oozed blood and pus. Sicilian authorities hastily ordered the fleet of “death ships” out of the harbor, but it was too late: Over the next five years, the Black Death would kill more than 20 million people in Europe, almost one-third of the continent’s population

Understanding the Black Death

The plague is spread by a bacillus called Yersina pestis. It travels from person to person through the air, as well as through the bite of infected fleas and rats. Both of these pests could be found almost everywhere in medieval Europe, but they were particularly at home aboard ships of all kinds, which is how the deadly plague made its way through one European port city after another.

How Did The Black Death End?

The plague never really ended and it returned with a vengeance years later. But officials at the ports were able to slow its spread by keeping arriving sailors in isolation until it was clear they were not carrying the disease.

The sailors were initially held on their ships for 30 days (a trentino), a period that was later increased to 40 days, or a quarantine- a practice still used today.

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How did people entertain themselves in Medieval Times? Let`s find out

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How did people entertain themselves in Medieval Times? Let`s find out

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People in the Middle Ages didn't have vacation or days off, but they did have lots of festivals which they celebrated by taking the day off. They would have fairs, carnivals, and feasts to celebrate these days. Most of these days were special days on the Christian calendar such as Easter, Christmas, and various Saint's days.

People would also entertain themselves with song, dance, music and stories. Wandering entertainers, called minstrels or troubadours, would travel from village to village providing such entertainment - particularly music - for the local people.

People of the Middle Ages enjoyed a variety of games. One popular game among the nobility was chess. Chess came to Europe from Persia in the 9th century. Other games included gambling with dice, blind man's bluff, checkers, horse races, and playing cards.

The favorite sporting event for the nobility was hunting. Several nobles may gather together for a hunt on the local baron's land. They would ride horses while their trained dogs would hunt down the prey. Even noblewomen liked to hunt. They would use trained birds of prey, like hawks, when hunting.

There were many athletic events at festivals and other occasions. These included archery, jousting, hammer-throwing, and wrestling. In some areas they played early versions of football (soccer), cricket, bowling, or golf. You can see a short video about the type of sports that were played during Medieval Times

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What Type of Sports Were Played in the Middle Ages?

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MEANS OF COMMUNICATION IN MEDIEVAL TIMES

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MEANS OF COMMUNICATION IN MEDIEVAL TIMES

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Methods of communication during the medieval period were very limited. Correspondence took place in the form of letters delivered by private messengers, and in the form of oral communications with messages been carefully memorized by messengers. Important people such as rulers, bishops and nobles employed trusted messengers to act on their behalf. In the case of most people in medieval Europe, who were illiterate, when they needed a message to be written down and sent, they had to rely on a scribe to write it for them and then, the letter’s recipient would likely have needed another person who can read the message for him. If the sender was illiterate, there would have been no way to double-check that the written word actually said what it was meant to say; likewise, a reader at the other end was capable of deceiving the illiterate listener. An illiterate person was at the mercy of the literate when it came to written communication.

Once a message was written down, it was often sealed with wax, using a custom seal that was associated with the sender. Some seals were small and humble, while royal and papal seals were large and elaborate. Finally, the finished message was sent. If the message was not urgent, it could be sent along by a travelling merchant, or possibly pilgrim passing from one town to another. If the message was urgent, a rider could be dispatched. The fastest message required fresh horses at regular intervals and tireless messengers.

Beyond the problems associated with actually getting a message down and having it understood, sending written communications were very expensive. Taking into account that letters were written on parchment (pieces of dried animal skin) with the use of ink and quill pen, and also that travelling was difficult, dangerous, costly and time consuming.

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Medieval jobs were not all fulfilling or stepping stones to success and status. However, each occupation filled a crucial place in the social system of the Middle Ages, ensuring virtually every imaginable need could be handled by an individual with the proper training or know-how. Basically, society was divided between two classes, positions of status and positions that were not. Nevertheless, while the lord and members of his entourage had status, they could not survive without the support, albeit drawn through oppression, of the peasants. Medieval society was like a jigsaw puzzle. Each segment was an integral piece of the complete system. Without any one part, the system could not work.

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During the Middle Ages the only recognised religion in Europe was Christianity, in the form of the Catholic religion. Many churches and huge cathedrals were constructed all across Europe during that era. Most people were fully convinced of the validity of the church's teachings and believed that only the faithful would avoid hell and gain eternal salvation in heaven.

The Catholic Church was a very powerful institution of the medieval period. It had political power because it was then able to influence the European kings’ and rulers’ decisions and because many bishops often served on the council of kings. It had economic power because it owned large lands and accumulated wealth. All people, whether they were kings, nobles or even poor serfs, were expected to pay taxes and indulgences to the Church. Indulgences were ‘certificates’ which pardoned people’s sins and gave them access to heaven. The Church had social power as well because monasteries served as centres of education. Medieval people were illiterate and the only people who knew how to read and write were the monks. Thus, the clergy taught not only to ordinary people but also to the royal families these abilities. It was also the clergy who copied books by hand before the invention of the printing press.

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The Crusades were a series of wars initiated and supported by the Latin Church. These campaings occurred between 1096 and 1271. The objective was to recover Holy Land (Jerusalem) from Islamic rule.

Emperor Alexius I of the Byzantine Empire, seeing the advancement of the Seljuk Turks, asked for help to the Pope. Pope Urban II saw this as the perfect oportunity to end the schism between Catholics and Orthodoxes and unite them. He called for a "pilgramage" to reclaim Holy Land. His speech at the Council of Clermont was SO successful that he did not only get the assist of lords and nobles, but actually that of the people, since he declared this to be a penitential exercise that would bring forgiveness to all sins.

The People's Crusade as it became known was a complete disaster since these "knights" pillaged everything on their way and made people join or support them in coin BY FORCE. Suffice to say that, when confronted to the Turks, they were completely obliterated. Once the true crusaders arrived, military forces commanded by nobles and actually prepared for war, the battles began.

There's much to say about the Crusades. To put it shortly, they were orchestrated by the Church to consolidate its power and to demonstrate its influence throughout Europe. While there were more Crusades beyond Medieval times, none were for the purpose of retaking Holy Land.

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The Medieval Period of music goes from the years c.500 to 1400. It is the longest “period” of music and runs right through from the time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the beginning of the Renaissance. Here, I will mention several features of Medieval music:

-The vast majority of Medieval music was MONOPHONIC MUSIC. It means there was only a single melody line, for example the Gregorian chant. It consists of a single line of vocal melody in free rhythm. It was one of the most common forms of medieval music given the importance of the Catholic church during the period. The Mass (a commemoration and celebration of The Last Supper of Jesus Christ) included Gregorian chants in the liturgy, which were spoken and sung.

- The SHEET MUSIC IN THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD was a standardised music notation as people sung in churches across the Western world. For example, the NUEMES were signs written above chants giving an indication of the direction of movement of pitch.

-INSTRUMENTS OF THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD include the flutes made of wood. Medieval flutes had holes for fingers rather than keys. There were also dulcimers were originally plucked, but then hit with hammers as technology developed. Then, the lyra is considered to be one of the first known bowed instruments

-The period was also characterised by troubadours and trouvères. They were travelling singers and performers

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-The SECULAR STYLES OF MEDIEVAL MUSIC include the  Ars Nova or "new art”. It was a style of music originated in France and Italy in the 14th century. The style was characterised by increased variety of rhythm, duple time and increased freedom and independence in part writing. The main secular genre of Art Nova was the chanson.

Source:https://www.musictheoryacademy.com/periods-of-music/medieval-music/

Here, there is a video representing the Medieval music. You can see a character from the series “The Witcher”. His name is Jaskier, a poet and troubadour. He accompanies Geralt, the Witcher, in many of his adventures.

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All JASKIER (Dandelion) Songs Compilation | Joey Batey | The Witcher