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The Three-Field System

A key component of the Manor System, the three-field system was a method of crop rotation designed to maximize the amount of food the manor produced. The fields were used for different purposes and were rotated each year. The rotation allowed the fields to regain nutrients needed for crops to grow.

The first field would be planted with winter crops such as rye and wheat. The second field would be planted with spring crops such as peas and beans. And the third field would lie fallow, meaning nothing was planted in it that year, allowing the field to rest.

Mill

Located within the manor would often be a mill used to grind wheat and other grains to make flour. The mill was located along a stream or river because they ran on water power (picture an old-fashioned water wheel). As the wheel turned, the grain was ground by large stones.

Manor House

The Manor House was a large, elaborate house where the Lord and his family lived. Sometimes this was an actual castle! The bigger the manor house was and the more powerful the Lord, the more protection it offered against threats and other invasions.

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A key component of the Manor System, the three-field system was a method of crop rotation designed to maximize the amount of food the manor produced. The fields were used for different purposes and were rotated each year. The rotation allowed the fields to regain nutrients needed for crops to grow.

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Manorialism, also known as the Manorial System, may be defined as the system in Medieval Europe where rural society was arranged around a manor house or castle on an estate. The smallest units of these estates were also called manors. Within the estates, free and unfree labourers (serfs or villeins) worked the land of the landowner (or its tenant) in return for protection and the right to work a separate piece of land for their own basic needs. The hub of the community was the manor or castle - the estate owner's private residence and place of communal gatherings for purposes of administration, legal matters and entertainment. Regulations, customs and traditions varied from one estate to another and over time, but the system of manorialism persisted throughout most of the Middle Ages. Manorialism is not to be confused with feudalism which generally refers to the lord and vassal relationship between different levels of the aristocracy where land was exchanged for military service.

Origins

The idea of people of different social levels living together on a single estate for mutual benefit goes back to Roman times when countryside villas produced foodstuffs on their surrounding land. As the Roman Empire declined and foreign raids and invasions became more common, the security of living together in a protected place had distinct advantages. When this system was adopted on estates which the Frankish kings gave out to reward loyal nobles in the 8th century CE, medieval manorialism was born in Europe. The Frankish kings distributed parcels of land, known as benefices, in order to receive military service in return. Likewise, the lord of an estate gave the right to live and work on his land to the peasantry in return for their labour service. Peasants were either free or unfree, the latter category evolving from the slaves of the old Roman Empire. Manorialism, which already existed in some form under the Anglo- Saxons, became more developed and widespread in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066 CE.

A manor estate might cover as little as a few hundred acres, which was just about enough land to meet the needs of those who lived on it.

From the mid-11th century CE the system of feudalism spread across Western Europe where a lord-and-vassal relationship developed: lords gave the right to use and keep an income from a portion of their land to a vassal who promised military service in return. In the same manner, a vassal could then give a part of his land to another person in return for service which could be military or payment of goods in kind or even rent. Thus a hierarchy developed as land was parcelled out into ever smaller pieces with a tenant at each level. The smallest unit was the manor (also the name of its principle residential building). A manor estate might cover as little as a few hundred acres, which was just about enough land to meet the needs of those who lived on it, but the majority of manors were really more like small villages. Manors could be owned by the monarch, aristocrats or the church, and the very rich could own several hundred manors, collectively known as an 'honour'.

The Manor

Manors or large country houses (called villae or curtes in medieval continental Europe), have been built since villages started to be formed in the Neolithic period. As centres of a communal life, such buildings eventually evolved into the private residences that landowners built on their estates for their own use and in order to provide such spaces as the Great Hall where feasts, audiences with the peasantry and local courts of justice could be held.

The estates of the richer nobles had their own castle (which could protect several manor estates owned by an individual) but, in time, the greater comfort of a smaller building purpose-built for domestic use became fashionable - the manor. Those landowners without the means or permission to build an expensive stone castle could always make their manor as near to one as possible in terms of defensive features. Thus, manors could be fortified with sections of stone walls, crenellations, wall walks and sometimes a moat, while semi-fortified manors had only some of these features (or had them without a proper license). In most cases then, the estate owner was able to make good on their promise of physical protection for those who lived and worked on the immediate lands around them.

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The manor estate, besides a manor and/or castle, might also include a small river or stream running through it, a church, mill, barns and an area of woodlands. The land of the estate was divided into two main parts. The first part was the demesne (domain) which was reserved for the exclusive exploitation of the landowner. Typically, the demesne was 35-40% of the total land on the estate. The second part was the land the dependent tenants lived and worked on for their own daily needs (mansus), typically around 12 acres (5 hectares) per family. The labourers on the estate farmed that land reserved for their use as well as the demesne.

The relations between an estate's members were determined by the unique customs & traditions of that community with the lord of the manor presiding at its head.

The estate was almost entirely economically self-sufficient, with only things like iron, millstones and salt being brought in from outside. Consequently, there was not very much official or commercial contact with the outside world and its community became similarly self-contained (but not isolated). The relations between its members, besides being governed by the distant law of the crown, were more specifically determined by the unique customs and traditions of that community with the lord of the manor presiding at its head. Naturally, there was some physical contact between the labourers of different estates but such customs as a fine for the daughter of a serf marrying a person from outside the estate are a testimony to the perceived necessity for a lord to protect the labour - both present and future - at his disposal.

Serfs

Serfs made up around 75% of the medieval population. They were not slaves but they had, or their ancestors had, given up the right of free movement and payment for their labour. They had done this in order to live, produce food and have the physical and legal protection of a local lord. The serfs worked the demesne land of their lord two or three days each week, more during busy periods like harvest time. It was sometimes possible for a serf to send a family member (providing they were physically able) to perform the labour on the demesne in their place. On the other days, serfs could farm that land given to them for their own family's needs.

Serfs could not usually leave the estate on which they worked but the flip side was that they also had a right to live on it which gave them both physical protection and sustenance - a lord, no matter how rapacious, would not benefit from starving the labourers who worked his own lands. A serf inherited the status of their parents, although, in the case of a mixed marriage (between free and unfree labourers), the child usually inherited the status of the father. A landowner could sell one of his serfs but the right for sale was that of labour, not direct ownership of the person as in slavery. Theoretically, the personal property of a serf and his simple thatched house of mud and straw all belonged to the landowner but this was unlikely to have been enforced or to have had any relevance in practical terms. Aside from payment of a regular percentage of the foodstuffs produced on their own land, a serf was obliged to pay fines and certain customary fees to their lord such as on the marriage of the lord's eldest daughter, or at the death of a serf in the form of an inheritance tax paid by the serf's heir.

Serfs did get to live it up a little once a year when, by tradition, they were invited to the manor on Christmas day for a meal. Unfortunately, they had to bring along their own plates and firewood, and of course, all the food had been produced by themselves anyway, but it was at least a chance to see how the other half lived and relieve the drearieness of a country winter.

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Free Labourers

A minority of labourers on an estate were not serfs but freemen. Their situation was not vastly different from the serfs' in economic terms although they could (but not always) own freehold land (i.e. they were permanent owners) and they were not subject to the fees and restrictions that a serf was. Free labourers often paid rent instead of giving labour to work their lord's demesne, which was typically paid in produce form their own land. The land they could call their own was usually small and so it was often necessary for these peasants to hire out their labour to supplement their income. Free labourers might also be permitted, with their lord's consent, to sell their tenancy to a third party. Only about one-fifth of the free peasantry had enough land (around 20 acres minimum) to produce a surplus beyond their own family's needs and they often did not have the best land for agriculture (the lord had that). Their lot was a precarious one and a single bad harvest or lengthy illness could mean a free labourer was obliged to become a serf.

Cottagers

Another type of peasant was the cottager or cotter who could be free or unfree and who owned little or no land of their own but rented a cottage. They usually performed odd-jobs as needed, helping on manor estates with such tasks as threshing, sheep-shearing, collecting hay or simply digging and weeding.

Manor Courts

The manor had its own court run by the lord or his steward. In England, such a court, held in the great hall of a castle or manor, was known as a hallmote or halimote. Disputes between members of the manor estate on such things as the right to use particular areas of land like woodlands or peat lands (but not disputes between the lord and an individual peasant) were dealt with here, as well as the fines imposed on the estate workers and any criminal matters. Serious crimes such as murder were judged in the courts of the Crown. The hallmote may have been biased toward the landowner but there were higher courts to appeal to and records show that the peasantry, acting collectively, could bring cases against a landowner.

Decline in Manorialism

The systems of both feudalism and manorialism were weakened by several developments in the late Middle Ages. One particular blow came from the sudden population declines caused by wars and plagues, particularly the Black Death (which peaked between 1347-1352 CE). Another frequent risk to everyone's livelihood was crop failures. Such crises caused a chronic shortage of labour and the abandonment of estates because there was no one to work them. The growth of large towns and cities also saw labour leave the countryside to find a better future and the new jobs available there working for the new and wealthy merchant class.

Those serfs who remained on estates gradually increased their political power by acting collectively in village communities which began to hold their own courts and which acted as a counterweight to those of the landed gentry. There were sometimes serious revolts by the peasantry against their masters. The years 1227 CE in the northern Low Countries, 1230 CE on the lower Weser in northern Germany and 1315 CE in the Swiss Alps, all witnessed violent peasant armies getting the better of those involving aristocratic knights, and a major but unsuccessful rebellion, the Peasants' Revolt, occurred in England in 1381 CE.

Finally, the increase in the use of coinage in the late Middle Ages meant that many serfs made a payment to their lord instead of labour, or paid a fee to be absolved from some of the labour expected of them, or even bought their freedom. Across Europe, all of these factors conspired to weaken the traditional set up of unfree labourers being tied to the land and working for the rich so that by the end of the 14th century CE, more agricultural labour was done by paid workers than unpaid serfs.

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Manorialism, also known as the Manorial System, may be defined as the system in Medieval Europe where rural society was arranged around a manor house or castle on an estate. The smallest units of these estates were also called manors.

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What did PEASANTS EAT in medieval times?

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El Medioevo: "La sociedad." / History Channel.

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⚔️ EDAD MEDIA en ESPAÑA [RESUMEN 3 MINUTOS] ⚔️ PARA NIÑOS

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Edad Media para Primaria - Web del maestro

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En este artículo sobre la Edad Media para Primaria os facilito el material que he elaborado, consistente en resúmenes y actividades de refuerzo para tratar esta unidad didáctica. Ademas, también os proporciono una Historia de la Edad Media ilustrada con imágenes (para Primaria).

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1 Hour of Early Middle Ages Music   YouTube 360p

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Medieval Instrumental Music - Medieval Life

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Shocking way People Washed their clothes

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Shocking way People Washed their clothes

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Doing Laundry In Medieval Times: The Shocking Truth! | Worst Jobs In History | Timeline

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What Was Daily Life Like In Pre-Norman Britain? | 1000 AD | Timeline

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The Worst Jobs In History: Middle Ages (Medieval Documentary) | Timeline

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Getting Dressed in the 14th Century - Ploughman

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Please enable Javascript when viewing video pages.

The Black Death Documentary

These are examples of commercial videos for a culminating project in my 8th grade propaganda and the media unit. The original commercials were all created, scripted, filmed and edited on iMovie by a group of students following a specific set of criteria.

This commercial incorporates some effective iMovie editing.

This is another student commercial created with iMovie for our end of the year propaganda unit. Its jingle is especially catchy.

Music video featuring Holmes' students, electives, clubs, activities, teachers, classified staff and administrators. Filmed, edited and produced by Ms. Farrens' Media Class 2018. Directed by Jeanne Farrens.
Music Credit: "Happy" by Pharrell Williams

See all

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Please enable Javascript when viewing video pages. These are examples of commercial videos for a culminating project in my 8th grade propaganda and the media unit. The original commercials were all created, scripted, filmed and edited on iMovie by a group of students following a specific set of criteria.

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Have you ever heard the nursery rhyme called ring around the rosie? "Ring around the Rosie. Pocket full of poesy. Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down." This nursery rhyme is actually about a disease from the 14th century that the people called the plague or Black Death. This disease was highly contagious. It spread across Europe. It was so widespread and so deadly that it is estimated to have killed one fourth of all the people in Europe.

If you break down the poem you can actually understand the effects a bit more.

"Ring around the Rosie": Infected people broke out in a rash on their arms and neck that had red ring shaped marks with dark center spot that looked like a rose. They would then get a a high fever, become unconscious, and finally die.

"Pocket full of posey": People carried flowers, often posies, to cover the smell of the dead and dying.

"Ashes, Ashes": People would burn the houses of people with the disease in order to try and stop it. Whole villages were burned down. The sky was dark with the ashes of the burnt buildings.

"We all fall down": The plague filled villages and cities alike with dead and dying victims. People would collapse in the streets and be left lying there. People were afraid to touch them or near them.

Medieval people thought that the plague was a punishment from God. They did not know that fleas transmitted the disease from infected rats to people.

Today we have a vaccine against the plague.

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Have you ever heard the nursery rhyme called ring around the rosie? "Ring around the Rosie. Pocket full of poesy. Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down." This nursery rhyme is actually about a disease from the 14th century that the people called the plague or Black Death. This disease was highly contagious.

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What Made The Black Death (The Plague) so Deadly?

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What Was Life Like? | Episode 5: Medieval - Meet a Medieval Monk

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What Was Life Like? | Episode 6: Castles - Meet A Medieval Noblewoman

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- [Instructor] Growing up we all have impressions of the Middle Ages, we read about knights in shining armor, castles with moats and towers, but when were the Middle Ages? The simple answer, the Middle Ages in Europe are the roughly 1000 years from the fall of the Roman Empire and to be particular the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire continues on for most of the Middle Ages, but it starts in roughly 476 and it continues on for 1000 years as we get into the 14th and 15th centuries. And it's really the time period that connects the world of Rome, Europe during antiquity and it connects it to the Europe that begins to emerge in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The Europe of the Age of Exploration, the Europe of the Renaissance. Now what we're going to do in this video is we're going to look at maps of the various time periods of the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages are broadly divided into three major sections, the early Middle Ages, from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to about the year 1000. The high Middle Ages, which was a high point for the Middle Ages in Europe which goes from about what the year 1000 to the year 1300, and then the late Middle Ages, which gets us to the 15th century and it's considered not that pleasant of a time to live in Europe. So let's just start with what Europe looked like right after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. So as you can see here, this map is referring to the time period between 476 when Odoacer takes over Rome and 493. And you can see the Eastern Roman Empire is still here but the Western Roman Empire is now fragmented amongst many Germanic kingdoms, you have the Visigoths, you have the Franks, you have the Kingdom of Odoacer. With the fall of Rome we are entering into the early Middle Ages. Now the Eastern Roman Empire which considers itself the Roman Empire its capital at Constantinople under Justinian has a little bit of a last horah and is able to recapture the Italian peninsula so it's able to recapture some of the territory that was formally part of the Western Roman Empire, some of the territory in North Africa that you don't see on this map. But for the most part Western Europe stays under the control of various Germanic kingdoms. So here we have fast forwarded to the year 814 which would be right around here on our timeline. And you can see a major event has occurred either on the map or on this timeline. You have Charlemagne king of the Franks crowned Holy Roman Emperor. On the map, you can see Charlemagne's empire right over here he has conquered Northern Italy, much of what we consider modern day France, much of what we consider modern day Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Charlemagne is really one of the defining figures of the Middle Ages and especially the early Middle Ages. As you can see, he's able to unify much of Western Europe. A lot of our ideas about kings and castles and knights begin to emerge around the time of Charlemagne. This notion of being a Holy Roman Emperor because he's able to provide protection to the Pope. The Pope says hey I'm going to say that you are continuing on the legacy of the Roman Empire. Now as we'll see and we cover in much more detail in other videos, the title of Holy Roman Emperor or Emperor of the Romans, does not continue on with Charlemagne's descendants, but when you get to 962, Otto who is a German king is crowned Holy Roman Emperor again and you continue to have Holy Roman Emperors all the way until 1806. Now another major feature of the early Middle Ages and you can see it on this map, is that Islam in the 7th and 8th centuries comes out of Arabia and is able to conquer much of the Middle East, Persia, North Africa, which you don't see on this map, and much of what we consider today to be modern day Spain and you can see it, do you see the Caliphate or Cordova right over here. You see the Abbassids here in the east who also controlled much of North Africa. Now let's fast forward to the high Middle Ages. So here we are in the year 1135 on our timeline that would be right about, let's see this is 1100, that would be 1150 1135 would put us right around here. And you could already see some interesting things on this map, the Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne is now fragmented, the Western third is now the Kingdom of France, the Eastern 2/3 are still considered the Roman Germanic Empire or the Holy Roman Empire. And even though it looks fairly unified in this map, over different periods of time it's really a bunch of fragmented Germanic kingdoms nominally under this Holy Roman Empire sometimes it's a little bit more unified under a stronger Holy Roman Emperor. Now the other things that you see and we saw it on the last map is that the Byzantine Empire is continuing to lose territory and you can see the Muslim empires in this case it's the Seljuk Turks are able to take even more territory. Now one of the things that has happened by the time we look at this map and it's not clear by looking on the map is that you have in 1054 the Great Schism between the Latin Church centered at Rome and the Eastern Greeks Church centered at Constantinople and we have a whole series of videos on that and all of the factors that led to it. But as we get to the time of this map one of the things that the high Middle Ages is most known for, the Great Schism or the East-West Schism is one of the them, the Schism between what eventually becomes the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, but what the high Middle Ages are also known for are the Crusades. As already mentioned you see how the Seljuk Turks are able to take much of Anatolia, much of the peninsula from the Byzantine Empire. And the West decides to send what will eventually be called Crusaders to help regain land from the Muslims. And so that's where you see the Crusades beginning in 1096 at the very end of the 11th century. You can see the multiple crusades that occur over roughly the next 200 years. And the Crusaders were trying to reclaim land from the Muslims and especially the Holy Land, much of which is below the map where you can't quite see it over here. But it turns out that when they are able to reclaim some of that land they don't give it back to the Byzantines they set up what are known as Crusader Kingdoms and you can see some of them right over here in this bluish color. So once again you had this East-West Schism and the Crusades are further expanding the division between east and west. And that really becomes significant in 1204 when the Crusaders themselves sack Constantinople, take Constantinople from the Byzantines, so that's in some ways the point of no return. The Byzantines are eventually able to take Constantinople back but this is really the beginning of the end for the Byzantine Empire. Now even though the high Middle Ages are known for this tension between east and west The Great Schism, even though it's known for the Crusades, most of which were fairly unsuccessful despite being very very very bloody for the Crusaders, the high Middle Ages were considered a high point for the Middle Ages. Farming technology coupled with better weather actually significantly increased agricultural productivity at this time. But then roughly in the year 1300, historians consider ourselves moving into the late Middle Ages. So you can see here in this map by the late Middle Ages, Europe is starting to resemble the Europe that we know in later periods once we get into the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration. By this point, much of the Iberian Peninsula has been reclaimed from Muslim rule although you still have Muslim rule in Granada. Most of the Byzantine Empire has now been taken over by the Ottomans, save Constantinople, Constantinople eventually falls in 1453. This map right over here is roughly what Europe looked like in the 14th century. So this period right over here, Constantinople falls in 1453 ending the Byzantine Empire formally. And what the late Middle Ages is most known for is being not that pleasant of a time to live in Europe. In 1347, you have the Black Death, which by some estimates kills 50 million people in Europe, which is roughly 60% of the population at the time. It's also a time of famine, the weather cycles get worse and even before the Black Death you have a significant famine occurring in the 14th century. You can see right over here between 1337 and 1453 you have the Hundred Years' War between France and England which lasts over 100 years, once again not a pleasant time to live in especially Western Europe. But as we get into the end of the 15th and especially into the 16th century, historians consider that to be the end of the Middle Ages and we start getting into the Age of Exploration and the Renaissance which we will discuss in future videos.

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Overview of the Middle Ages (video) | Khan Academy

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The European Middle Ages (or Medieval Time) is roughly 1000 year span of time from the end of the Roman Empire (in the West) to the beginning of the Renaissance. This video gives as overview with maps and touches on the key events like the Great Schism, Crusades and Black Death.

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The book offers a great glimpse into life in the Middle Ages from the perspective of people who weren't kings, popes, bishops, lords or knights.

Here's a snapshot of what family life was like for many birthing mothers and their offspring.
1. Giving Birth Was Hard (Surprise!)
No hospitals. No drugs. Probably no doctor or surgeon (unless a birth proved especially difficult). These were the conditions under which women gave birth. Women usually gave birth in their home and were assisted by family members (not the husband, unless absolutely necessary). If there was a medical professional present for the birth, it was most likely a midwife.
2. Maternal Deaths Were High
While statistics in the Middle Ages are hard to come by, a snap shot of Florence in the 15th century reveals 14.4 maternal deaths per 1,000 births. This shows that death during pregnancy was rare, but still extremely high by modern standards--about double what you find today in the world's poorest countries. (And bear in mind: Florence was a city noted for its wealth and culture.)
3. Baptism Was Important and Old School
All children born without complications were expected to undergo baptism. The practice was performed by a priest at the local parish. Up until the High Middle Ages, priests employed the practice of immersion (the infant is completely dunked); a pinch of salt was usually placed in the baby's mouth and its back and chest were rubbed with oil.
4. "Christian" Names Were Given at the Baptism
The naming of the child was the highlight of the religious ceremony. Children were often named after Christian saints. This is why we often still refer to first names as "Christian names."
5. A Party Followed the Baptism
The baptism was social in nature as well as religious. Families often did not have enough to celebrate with a full-blown feast, but a gift-giving ceremony was customary.
6. Children Received Surnames Later
Babies did not receive surnames until later in life. Surnames could be given for a variety of reasons--occupation (Smith or Archer), physical attribute (Little or Redmane), origin (Fleming or Norman), or parentage (John-Son)--and were known to change during one's lifetime.
7. Wealthier Families Often Used Wet Nurses (who made a killing!)
Women cared for children almost exclusively for the first five or six years of a child's life. Families that could afford to often employed wet nurses to assist with feeding and child-rearing. A lactating, live-in wet nurse in France could make a relatively good living (about five pounds of silver), more than three times that of a chamber maid.
8. Babies Were Bathed Frequently
Contrary to popular belief, babies--who were swaddled in linen for the first several months of their lives--were usually bathed regularly. Middle Age doctors, in fact, encouraged mothers to bathe their children up to three times per day.
9. Children Under Age 7 Basically Just Played All the Time
Medieval people recognized the need for play (and children's natural inclination for it). The first seven or so years of a child's life involved mostly leisure and play, though some memorization of Latin prayers was usually mixed in (often the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ave Maria).
10. Toys and Games Were Creative and Much Like Ours
Many of the toys children played with in the Middle Ages would be familiar to children today: dolls, carts, tops, and whistles. But most of the play involved children adapting the nature surrounding them: wood, sand, water and limbs. Gerald of Wales, a 12th century religious man, wrote of a favorite practice of he and his brothers: building sand castles. Think of it as arts and crafts for children of the Middle Ages.

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10 facts on motherhood and children in the middle ages

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10 Facts on Motherhood and Children in the Middle Ages

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The book offers a great glimpse into life in the Middle Ages from the perspective of people who weren't kings, popes, bishops, lords or knights. Here's a snapshot of what family life was like for many birthing mothers and their offspring. 1. Giving Birth Was Hard (Surprise!) No hospitals. No drugs.

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Today, we often look at society in terms of wealth (rich and poor) or class (upper, middle, working). Medieval writers divided society into 'those who fight', 'those who pray' and 'those who work', which would you put in each category?

You could group them like this:

Those who work

Merchant, lawyer, carpenter, weaver, dyer, tapestry weaver, cook, sailor, doctor, ploughman, miller, reeve.

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A summary of everyday life in the Middle Ages - Everyday life in the Middle Ages - KS3 History Revision - BBC Bitesize

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Today, we often look at society in terms of wealth (rich and poor) or class (upper, middle, working). Medieval writers divided society into 'those who fight', 'those who pray' and 'those who work', which would you put in each category?

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Childhood in the Middle Ages - Medievalists.net

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What was childhood like in the Middle Ages?

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History for kids - Free history network for kids

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Early Middle Ages

So, you'd like to know about the Middle Ages? First, we'll need to back up a bit. (Yes, even before the start of what we refer to as the Early Middle Ages.) It begins with Rome, or rather, the collapse of what was once the mighty Roman Empire-an empire which stretched out across three continents: Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Do you know the old saying, "With great power comes great responsibility"? The Roman Empire had a lot of responsibility, and it saw huge changes during its time: getting rid of old laws and making new ones, adopting Christianity as its official religion, and trying (but failing) to rule its own empire, which was full of people who all had their own cultures and beliefs.

The Romans believed these people, who called themselves names we might still consider strange-including the Celts, Franks, Saxons, Angles, Visigoths, and Jutes, to list a few-to be barbarians. This word, which we now take to mean warlike or unruly people, originally came from the term the Roman Empire gave to anyone who didn't speak Latin or Greek. In other words, anyone who wasn't Roman!

By the year 550, the Roman Empire had collapsed, leaving only small bits and pieces of its culture throughout Europe, such as the many roads they had built. This important year (550) is what we consider to be the beginning of "the Early Middle Ages" and lasted until 1000.

When you think about it, the Middle Ages were a very, very long period of time, and so it's easier to break up these periods of time into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages. But for now, let's focus on what was happening during the Early Middle Ages.

Instead of ruling large areas, the people of the Early Middle Ages had a more local form of government. They had many kings for many lands instead of one emperor. The Catholic Church influenced how people behaved, and so did the peoples' own customs.

Tying to self-rule (or declare that you are in charge of a particular area) was difficult, especially when the Church also had a lot of power. People handled all of this change by sticking together in their groups, trying to keep order-sometimes with violence-and arranging marriages, which meant a daughter and all of her property were given to her husband.

Monasteries, or places where people gave life-long vows to their religions, began to pop up across Europe and spread into the British Isles. There, nuns or monks could receive an education, though any learning would have been in Latin or Greek.

You may have heard of The Book of Kells, which was an illuminated manuscript of the Bible created during this period of time. It was filled not only with religious texts, but beautiful illustrations. So, the Early Middle Ages, though different in its approach to education, was still a creative time and full of great minds.

It was also a time of many leaders attempting to create their own empires, most of which fell, partially due to family conflicts and partially as a result of the invasions of the ninth and tenth centuries. These invasions hit Europe from every direction. Three groups-The Vikings, the Muslims, and the Magyars-not only explored new lands, but caused quite a lot of havoc and destruction while doing so. It took Europe time to start trading, learning, and building again after these invasions.

During this period of recovery, several important ideas on how to keep things in control came up: feudalism, knighthood, and manorialism. Let's break these down and try to understand what each involved. Feudalism was a system of governing people based on loyalty. This loyalty went upward, almost like a pyramid. The lower classes were loyal to the noble classes, the noble classes to the king, and the king was loyal to the teachings of Christianity.

The noble classes, often called lords, owned pieces of land, which they received from the king in return for their service to him. However, they needed people to work this land and protect it, so lesser nobles (sometimes called "vassals") were given sections of a lord's land. In the end, everything was owned by the king, but it was easier to have a chain of command.

The lands given to workers were known as "fiefs" and could be very small or large enough to hold an entire village. Nobles would argue or even go to battle with other nobles over land, and they certainly didn't want to do any of the real fighting. Knights entered the picture, and becoming a knight raised your status in society and provided you with proper training for battle.

Boys started out as pages, became squires, and eventually gained knighthood. However, knights couldn't just go riding around the countryside, picking fights. What was known as the Chivalric Code was created in order to give knights a set of rules or guidelines to follow, including honoring women and attending church. If a knight didn't follow this code, he faced quite a bit of trouble.

Finally, manorialism developed. Remember the chain of command in feudalism, which granted land mostly to nobles and after them, lesser nobles? In reality, most of the people weren't nobles at all, but simply peasants. Any peasant who worked the land and was willing to give it to a noble in return for safety and a small portion of their own crops was encouraged to do so, and over time, these land-working peasants had fewer and fewer rights and more duties.

They became known as "serfs" and spent most of their lives tending to a lord's manor, including making clothes, planting crops, and raising animals. And so it was for some time, even into the High Middle Ages.

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So, you'd like to know about the Middle Ages? First, we'll need to back up a bit. (Yes, even before the start of what we refer to as the Early Middle Ages.)

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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The Black Death

The Black Death : Bubonic Plague

In late 1347, the Black Death killed approximately 30 to 45 percent of the European population (although some people put this rate even higher at around 60 percent). No one knew what caused the plague so people in the Middle Ages tried a number of methods to combat the disease but they didn't help. The only thing people could do was to simply run away from any place that was infected.

What Is It?

The Black Death is a bacterial disease. This simply means it is caused by bacteria. The official name of the bacteria is Yersina pestis. It was named after the French scientist, Alexandre Yersin, who discovered this germ. This bacteria actually causes three different types of plague: bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, and septicemic plague.

Bubonic Plague: This was the most common form of the plague and got its name from the swollen areas (called buboes) that develop when a person is infected. These buboes appear in the groin, armpit, and neck. They can be the size of a golf ball or as big as an apple. The bubonic plague would typically kill its victim within a week but some people were able to recover from the disease (although not very many).

A flea that was infected with the disease would bite a person .Around six days after being bitten, a black blister would appear around the bite. Shortly after this, the buboes would appear followed by purple blotches on the skin. These blotches were caused by bleeding under the skin of the infected person. Bubonic plague killed around 50 to 60 percent of people who have been infected.

Pneumonic plague: This plague was much more deadly than bubonic plague but didn't happen as often. It entered a victim's lungs and caused pneumonia. The infected person would come down with a fever and begin coughing up blood. This coughing would help pass the disease on to other people. About 95 to 100 percent of people infected with pulmonary plague would die within three days.

Septicemic Plague: Septicemic plague occurs when the bacteria enters the victim's bloodstream. The victim will develop a rash and die within the day. Septicemic plague was always fatal but was very rare. The victim died so quickly that there wasn't time for the disease to be passed on to another person.

How Was It Spread?

The bacteria that causes the plague lives in the stomachs of fleas. These fleas are responsible for the spread of the disease. The fleas live on rats which were numerous throughout the Middle Ages. For some reason (people don't really know why) the bacteria builds up in the flea's stomach. As a result, there is so much bacteria, that the flea "throws up" while feeding. Unfortunately, what the flea is feeding on is a person. The flea bites a person and begins drinking the person's blood. At the same time, the flea throws up and the bacteria enters the blood of the person the flea is biting resulting in the person being infected with the plague.

When Did It Start and Where Did It Come From?

The plague first arrived in Europe in 1347 and came from the steppes area of Central Asia. The disease had been in the area for a while but did not cause a big problem because the people who lived in the area were the Mongols. The Mongols lived closely with their horses and fleas don't like the smell of horses so they did not cause a big problem.

Later trade and trading ports in Central Asia were created to help develop trade. The trading posts were areas where rats could gather. The rats brought the infected fleas with them. Any area that had a lot of rats was in danger of having the plague as well.

The plague probably made it into Europe as the result of an attack on the trading port of Kaffa by the Mongols. As the Mongols laid siege to the city, the army was destroyed by the plague. The Mongol leader, Yannibeg, wanted the people who lived in Kaffa to get the plague as well so he used a catapult to throw infected bodies over the city walls and into the city.

The people who lived in the city tried to stop the plague by quickly throwing the dead bodies into the sea, but the plague quickly spread through the city. In fact, these dead bodies were not responsible for the spread of the plague. A dead body isn't going to breath on anyone and the infected fleas that carry the plague would have almost immediately left the dead body for a living person.

A more likely answer for the spread of the plague into Kaffa is, once again, rats. Rats probably made their way into the city and carried the infected fleas with them. The plague took hold in the city and when the people fled the city in their ships, they took the plague with them. When these ships docked at the town of Messina, most of the crew were infected or already dead. The city government quickly had the ships towed out of the harbour but it was too late. The plague had arrived and began its spread throughout Europe.

Was There A Cure?

During the Middle Ages, there was no cure for the Black Death although a number of things were tried. In fact, doctors had no idea how the disease was spread. To combat the disease, doctors (when they were willing to actually see patients infected with the plague) would use bloodletting and boil lancing. Bloodletting simply means a doctor would cut a person and let some blood drain out. Boil lancing occurred when a doctors would cut open the swollen areas of a person (the buboes) and let them drain.

In addition, people would use burning herbs and bath in vinegar to fight the disease. Another method people would use was to simply run away. People would leave the area as soon as any plague cases were reported (and sometimes even before cases were reported).

Many people believed that the plague was visited upon them by God to punish society for being sinful. To atone for these sins, some people would beat themselves with leather straps or pieces of metal in an effort to lift God's curse.

When Did It End?

This outbreak of the plague ended in the early 1350s (around 1353) although there were a number of outbreaks of the plague over the centuries. In fact, even today, there are plague outbreaks. In 2003, more than 2,100 cases of the plague were reported as well as 180 deaths. In 2006, an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo resulted in the death of at least fifty people. In recent years, cases of the plague have been reported in China, India, Vietnam, and Mongolia as well as in the United States.

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The Black Death : Bubonic Plague In late 1347, the Black Death killed approximately 30 to 45 percent of the European population (although some people put this rate even higher at around 60 percent).

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The Great Plague | TheSchoolRun

During the hot summer of 1665, London was hit by a terrible disease known as The Great Plague. The disease had spread rapidly across parts of Europe and caused many deaths.

Although there had been a plague epidemic (known as the Black Death) 300 years earlier, killing lots of people, there was still no cure.

Medicine was not like it is today and towns and cities were often filthy places to live. By the end of 1665, about 100,000 people had died from the plague in London.

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The Great Plague | TheSchoolRun During the hot summer of 1665, London was hit by a terrible disease known as The Great Plague. The disease had spread rapidly across parts of Europe and caused many deaths. Although there had been a plague epidemic (known as the Black Death) 300 years earlier, killing lots of people, there was still no cure.

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The Crusaders brought back beautiful materials, made of silk and cotton from the Middle East. Velvet was used in Italy, and was brought back to the rest of Europe as well. The nobles dyed their clothes in rich colors. But except for the very wealthy, most people continued to make clothing from wool and linen. Winter clothes were lined with fur from squirrels and other animals, for extra warmth.

Women wore long dresses. Men wore tunics and hose (long stockings that reached the waist). During winter months, people wore cloaks, wool hats and mittens. Shoes were usually leather. The nobles wore soft slippers indoors. Noble women wore a elaborate hats. They also wore a wimple, which is a cloth worn by women on their heads. A wimple covered the head, neck, ears, went under the chin, and sometimes covered the cheeks as well.

Peasants and serfs made jewelry from clay or from whatever material they could afford. Wealthy people and nobility wore jewelry such as rings, bracelets, pins, and brooches. Later during the Middle Ages, knights were not allowed to wear rings.
Knight Garb Textiles (Nottingham Survival Guide) Wool and Stuff (Medieval Textiles) History of Costume Some Clothing of the Middle Ages Medieval Hats The Crusades Clothing in the Middle Ages (click on pictures) Interactive Quiz about the Middle Ages (with answers)
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Medieval Clothing - Middle Ages for Kids

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The Crusaders brought back beautiful materials, made of silk and cotton from the Middle East. Velvet was used in Italy, and was brought back to the rest of Europe as well. The nobles dyed their clothes in rich colors. But except for the very wealthy, most people continued to make clothing from wool and linen.

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Most people in the Middle Ages wore woollen clothing, with undergarments (if any) made of linen.

Among the peasantry, wool was generally shorn from the sheep and spun into the thread for the cloth by the women of the family. Dyes were common, so even the lower class peasants frequently wore colourful clothing. Using plants, roots, lichen, tree bark, nuts, crushed insects, molluscs and iron oxide, virtually every colour could be achieved. Dyes came from different sources, some of them more expensive than others. Even the humble peasant could have colourful clothing. Dyed fabric would fade if it was not mixed with a mordant. Bolder shades required either longer dyeing times or more expensive dyes. Fabrics of the brightest and richest colours cost more and were therefore most often found on nobility and the very rich. Brighter colours, better materials, and a longer jacket length were usually signs of greater wealth.

Men wore stockings (hose) and tunics. Noblemen wore tunics or jackets with hose, leggings and breeches. The wealthy also wore furs and jewellery.

Women wore long gowns with sleeveless tunics and wimples to cover their hair. Sheepskin cloaks and woollen hats and mittens were worn in winter for protection from the cold and rain. Women wore flowing gowns and elaborate headwear, ranging from headdresses shaped like hearts or butterflies to tall steeple caps and Italian turbans.

Throughout much of the Middle Ages and in most societies, undergarments worn by both men and women didn't substantially change. They consisted of a shirt or undertunic, stockings or hose, and, for men at least, underpants.

Illuminations, woodcuts, and other period artwork illustrate medieval people in bed in different attire; some are unclothed, but just as many are wearing simple gowns or shirts, some with sleeves. We have virtually no documentation regarding what people wore to bed, but from these images it is clear that that those who wore night dress would have been clad in an under-tunic, possibly the same one they had worn during the day.

Leather boots were covered with wooden patens to keep the feet dry. Outer clothes were almost never laundered, but the linen underwear was regularly washed. The smell of wood smoke that permeated the clothing seemed to act as a deodorant.

Clothing of the aristocracy and wealthy merchants tended to be elaborate and changed according to the dictates of fashion.

Fur was often used to line the garments of the wealthy. Jewellery was lavish, much of it imported. Gem cutting had not been invented until the fifteenth century, so most stones were not lustrous. Ring brooches were the most popular item from the twelfth century on. Diamonds became popular in Europe in the fourteenth century. By the mid-fourteenth century there were laws to control who wore what jewellery. Knights were not permitted to wear rings.

Sometimes clothes were garnished with silver, but only the wealthy could wear such items.

Virtually everyone wore something on their heads in the Middle Ages, to keep off the sun in hot weather, to keep their heads warm in cold weather, and to keep dirt out of their hair. as with every other type of garment, hats could indicate a person's job or station in life and could make a fashion statement. Hats were especially important, and to knock someone's hat off his or her head was a grave insult that, depending on the circumstances, could even be considered assault.

Types of men's hats included wide-brimmed straw hats, close-fitting coifs of linen or hemp that tied under the chin like a bonnet, and a wide variety of felt caps. Women wore veils and wimples; among the fashion-conscious nobility of the High Middle Ages, some fairly complex hats and head rolls were in vogue.

Both men and women wore hoods, sometimes attached to capes or jackets but sometimes standing alone. Some of the more complicated men's hats were hoods with a long strip of fabric in the back that could be wound around the head. A common accoutrement for men of the working classes was a hood attached to a short cape that covered just the shoulders.

Most of the holy orders wore long woollen habits in emulation of Roman clothing. . St. Benedict stated that a monk's clothes should be plain but comfortable and they were allowed to wear linen coifs to keep their heads warm. Benedictines wore black; the Cistercians, undyed wool or white. Franciscans wore grey, and later brown.

Silk was the most luxurious fabric available to medieval Europeans, and it was so costly that only the upper classes, and churchmen, could afford it. While its beauty made it a highly-prized status symbol, silk has practical aspects that made it much sought-after. It is lightweight yet strong, resists soil, has excellent dyeing properties and is cool and comfortable in warmer weather.

Western Europeans imported silks from Byzantium, but also import them from India and the Far East,. Wherever it came from, the fabric was so costly that its use was reserved for church ceremony and cathedral decorations.

Muslims, who had conquered Persia and acquired the secret of silk, brought the knowledge to Sicily and Spain.From there, it spread to Italy. By the 13th century European silk was competing successfully with Byzantine products. For most of the Middle Ages, silk production spread no further in Europe, until factories were set up in France in the 15th century.

Laws dating back to the Romans restricted ordinary people in their expenditure. These were called Sumptuary Laws. The word Sumptuary is derived from the Latin word for expenditure.

English Sumptuary Laws were imposed to curb the expenditure of the people. Sumptuary laws might apply to food, beverages, furniture, jewellery and clothing. These Laws were used to control behaviour and ensure that a specific class structure was maintained. Penalties for violating Sumptuary Laws could be harsh - fines, the loss of property, title and even life.

The first record of sumptuary legislation is an ordinance of the City of London in 1281 which regulated the apparel, or clothing, of workman. These related to workers who had working clothes supplied by their employer as a part of their wages.

The second record of sumptuary legislation occurred during the reign of King Edward II (1284-1327) related to food expenditure. King Edward II issued a proclamation against 'outrageous consumption of meats and fine dishes' by nobles.

The next records of sumptuary legislation occurred during the reign of King Edward III (1312-1377). King Edward III passed these Sumptuary Laws to regulate the dress of various classes of the English people, promote English garments and to preserve class distinctions by means of costume, clothes and dress.

The sumptuary legislation of 1336 attempted to curb expenditure and preserve class distinction. One of acts stated the following:

no knight under the estate of a lord, esquire or gentleman , nor any other person, shall wear any shoes or boots having spikes or points which exceed the length of two inches, under the forfeiture of forty pence.

The sumptuary legislation of 1337 was designed to promote English garments and restrict the wearing of furs. English Sumptuary legislation passed in 1363 included the following:

Women were, in general, to be dressed according to the position of their fathers or husbands

Wives and daughters of servants were not to wear veils above twelve pence in value

Handicraftsmen's and yeomen's wives were not to wear silk veils

The use of fur was confined to the ladies of knights with a rental above 200 marks a year

The wife or daughter of a knight was not to wear cloth of gold or sable fur

The wife or daughter of a knight-bachelor not to wear velvet

The wife or daughter of an esquire or gentleman not to wear velvet, satin or ermine

The wife or daughter of a labourer were not to wear clothes beyond a certain price or a girdle garnished with silver

Cloth of gold and purple silk were confined to women of the royal family

The importation of silk and lace by Lombards and other foreigners were forbidden

These Sumptuary Laws distinguished social categories and made members of each class easily distinguished by their clothing

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Most people in the Middle Ages wore woollen clothing, with undergarments (if any) made of linen. Among the peasantry, wool was generally shorn from the sheep and spun into the thread for the cloth by the women of the family. Dyes were common, so even the lower class peasants frequently wore colourful clothing.

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The clothing worn by men and women in the Middle Ages differed based on social standing, occupation, and climate. In general, medieval clothing was practical above all else, particularly for the peasants and lower classes. The nobility and clergy were able to experiment more with luxurious fabrics and decorations, but practicality was still a significant factor.

Most men and women in the Middle Ages had few items of clothing. It is estimated that many medieval men and women bathed just once a week or a fortnight, and it is likely their clothes were washed on a similar schedule. Clothing needed to be made to stand up to constant use and, in the case of the peasants, of dirty and tiring physical labor.

Throughout Europe, the difference in costuming related to allegiance to the former Roman Empire that had ruled most of Europe until 476 CE or adopting clothing associated with newer European populations, including the Franks, Anglo-Saxons, and the Visigoths. The length of the tunic represented the political persuasion of an individual in terms of the new identity of Europe.
Materials
The peasants and townspeople did not have the capital to purchase exotic and refined materials for their clothing so it often consisted of wool, sheepskin, and linen, generally that had been produced locally. These fabrics may not have been very fine, but it was practical for the hard-working lifestyle they led.

The nobility and clergy were able to experiment with local and exotic materials for their clothing. Within the nobility there were strict regulation on colors and furs that were permissible to be worn by each station within this elite hierarchy. For example, royalty could trim their dresses and robes with fine ermine, but the other nobility were only permitted to use fox and otter.

With the expansion of trade throughout Europe and into the Middle East new materials, dyes, and embellishments were introduced. Cotton, lace, velvet, silk and taffeta were new and exotic materials that could only be afforded by the nobility.
Dying Techniques
The above-mentioned trade expansion brought new dyes to Europe to create richer and more varied colors in the materials. Locally-based dyes were already in use for painting pigments and fabric dye, but the new pigments from abroad added another sense of luxury to the clothing. Examples of new pigments were a scarlet red created from a ground insect, blue made from the Dyerswoad plant, and green from a specific lichen. The new colors were adored by the upper classes to further exhibit their wealth, but many of the peasantry left the raw materials of their clothing undyed.
Clothing for the Peasantry
Peasant men worked long hours at often very physically demanding tasks and needed clothes that could withstand the wear and tear that results from heavy use. Wool or linen tunics were the wardrobe staple for agricultural workers and tradesmen. These tunics were about knee-length and belted around the waist with a fabric or leather belt. It was common for men to wear the tunics without another garment underneath. In the colder months some men may have wrapped their legs in strips of linen or trousers for an extra layer of warmth.

Women also wore tunics as their primary garment; however they were often longer in length. Stockings were worn for warmth in the winter as well as under tunics for added layers. For modesty, women's tunics frequently had longer sleeves. Whereas male tunics were simply slipped over the head, for women the bodice was laced so women with children could easily breast-feed their babies. It became common in the Middle Ages for women to cover their hair when in public, and different forms of head-coverings evolved to suit women of different stations.
Clothing for the Nobility
Much about peasant clothing is speculated, but the nobility have provided more documentation and evidence on their wardrobe habits. Through paintings and idea of the dress is available, but as many nobles were buried with their treasures, jewellery and accessories have been uncovered. The nobility were eager to show off their wealth acquired through land ownership, inheritance, and favours. Clothing was the best way to demonstrate the superior wealth held over the peasants. Using materials sourced from abroad or the best local material insured the finest base for the garments and exotic dyes added a rich color to the material. The peasants could not generally afford to line their clothing with fur, but the nobles sourced the finest pelts to incorporate visibly.

Perhaps the best method of conveying wealth through clothing is with jewellery and accessories made from precious metals and stones. Brooches and ornamental small weapons added interest and perceived wealth to the outfit, which in basic shape, was quite similar to that of the peasantry. Additionally, nobles were able to wear longer tunics, as their lifestyles were not quite as active. The upper classes further distinguished themselves by incorporating embroidery on many items of clothing giving an additional sense of wealth and preciousness.
Clothing for the Clergy
The clergy began to develop throughout the Middle Ages a complex order of clothing to be worn by specific members of the church or monastery. In general, the clothing was derived from that worn by Roman clergymen, including the tonsure hair cut that featured a shaved top of the head.

Monks were to wear plain woolen habits for daily use. The color of the habits was used to distinguish among the different orders: for example, the Benedictines wore all black and the Cistercians wore white. The vestments worn by contemporary priests have evolved from the clothing worn by the clergymen at services. Some clergymen adorned their clothing with fine embroidery to call attention to their wealth and prominence.
Conclusion
Additionally, in most of Europe the winter months can be very cold, particularly in damp and drafty stone castles and poorly headed houses. Because of the changing climate, most individuals in medieval Europe dressed in layers, which also allowed continued use of the summer clothing. The clothing worn by the different social classes differed greatly in appearance, but were unified by the themes of practicality.

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Clothing in the Middle Ages - The Finer Times

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The clothing worn by men and women in the Middle Ages differed based on social standing, occupation, and climate. In general, medieval clothing was practical above all else, particularly for the peasants and lower classes. The nobility and clergy were able to experiment more with luxurious fabrics and decorations, but practicality was still a significant factor.

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During the medieval period people carried out all sorts of crimes from petty crimes like stealing to more serious crimes like murder. There were no police in medieval times and in order to make sure that people kept themselves away from crime and disorder, they were subjected to strict punishments. These punishments included fines, shaming, cutting off body parts and death, depending upon the type of medieval crime committed. There were different types of trials and torture was also considered as a legitimate way to extract confessions from suspects. Accused persons had to go through different ordeals in order to prove their innocence from medieval crimes.

History of Medieval Crime & Punishment

The History of Medieval Crime and punishment is filled with harsh punishments. The punishments were harsh because the overall system was influenced by the Church and such punishments were given in order to create fear in the hearts of the people and to keep them from committing crimes. Punishments were mostly given through trials by ordeal in which the innocent and guilty both had to go through tough ordeals. In the 13th century AD trial by ordeal was replaced by trial by jury.

Types of Medieval Crime

There were different types of medieval crimes. Theft was very common as people were mostly poor, although stealing of valuable and less valuable items had different kinds of punishments. Vagrancy was also considered a crime during the Middle Ages as it was against the law to be a homeless or a jobless person. The gossip of women was also a type of crime. People not working hard, cheating on ones spouse and being drunk and disorderly were also considered to be punishable medieval crimes. Murder was also a very common crime in medieval times, high treason, heresy and witchcraft were also the types of crime that had strict punishments.

Types of Medieval Punishment

Different types of punishments were awarded for different types of crimes. For theft the punishment was extra work and fines or the hands of the guilty were cut off. Murderers were given the death penalty by hanging or beheading. Flogging was the punishment for people not working hard enough whereas the people accused of cheating and drunkenness were put in the stocks or pillory. The Stocks held peoples ankles whereas the pillory held their heads and wrists. The punishment for women's gossip was the scold's bridle. The punishment of high treason was very severe as the culprit was hung and cut down while he was still alive. Then he was beheaded and body hacked into four quarters, which were then sent to different cities throughout the realm and were put on public display. The punishment for heresy was banishment if the culprit repented and was burnt at the stake if did not repent. The punishment for witchcraft was strangulation whereas in case of serious offenses witches were also burned at stake.

Manorial Courts & Trial by Jury

The Manorial Court was the lowest court of law during the medieval period. All crimes apart from serious crimes were dealt by the manorial court. A manorial court was held multiple times during a year and it was mandatory for all the villagers to attend or else they had to pay a fine. All men were divided into the groups of ten known as the tithing. Each tithing was given the responsibility to make sure that no member of their group committed a crime and if one did then other members had to make sure to bring him to the court. The person in charge of the court was Lord's Steward. There was a jury that consisted of twelve men chosen by the villagers. It was the jury's responsibility to collect evidence in order to decide whether the accused was guilty or not. And if accused was found guilty the jury had to decide and they then decided the punishment as well.

The King's Court - Trial by Ordeal

The King's court dealt with the serious crimes such as assault, murder and treason as these crimes were considered as crimes against the King. The King's court met several times in a year and had a prominent role in the medieval crimes and punishment system. The accused had to face the trial by ordeal in which their innocence or guilt was judged by subjecting them to unpleasant ordeals. These ordeals were ordeals by fire, The ordeal by water and The ordeal by Combat.

Medieval Punishment - Ordeal by Fire

During the ordeal by fire the accused had to walk a distance of around 9 feet either by holding a red hot iron or over a red hot plough share. After that, their wounds were bandaged and they were asked to appear before the court after three days. After three days their bandages were opened. In cases where healing of wounds had started the accused were declared innocent, whereas in cases where there were no signs of improvement the accused were pronounced guilty and were punished according to their crime. It was thought that God intervened in order to save the innocent and with God's powers the healing of wounds started to take place.

Medieval Punishment - Ordeal by Water

In the ordeal by water, there were two kinds of ordeals. One was an ordeal by cold water, whereas the other was an ordeal by hot water. In the ordeal by cold water, hands and feet of the accused were tied together and they were thrown into the water. If they started floating, it meant that they were innocent but if they sank they were declared guilty. During ordeal by hot water the accused had to dip their hands in a kettle with boiling water and had to pick a stone from depth. After three days their wounds were judged. In case of healing signs they were considered innocent anything else mean't they were guilty.

Medieval Punishment - Ordeal by Combat

In case of ordeal by combat the two parties in dispute had to fight. It was mostly done when one party was accused by the other, but there were no witnesses or confessions. The winner of the fight was declared innocent. It was one of the most common methods employed by the judiciary during the middle ages

Summary of Medieval Crime & Punishment

Crimes such as theft and murder were very common during the medieval ages and in order to create the fear in the hearts of people strict punishments were given to guilty people. These punishments included fines, mutation, banishment and death through hanging and by being burned at the stake.

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history of medieval crime and punishment

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During the medieval period people carried out all sorts of crimes from petty crimes like stealing to more serious crimes like murder. There were no police in medieval times and in order to make sure that people kept themselves away from crime and disorder, they were subjected to strict punishments.

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Diet restrictions depending on social class

Before delving into the types of foods that people ate in the Middle Ages, it is necessary to be aware of the social distinctions present at the time. Medieval society was stratified and strictly divided into classes. In an age where famines were quite frequent and social hierarchies were often enforced with violence, food was an important sign of social distinction and possessed great value.

Following the ideology of the era, society was made up of individuals belonging to the nobility, the clergy and the common people (i.e. most of the working class). The relationship between the classes was strictly hierarchical: the nobility and the clergy claimed their material and spiritual superiority over ordinary people. Between the nobility and the clergy, there also existed a multitude of levels that ranged from the king to the Pope, from the dukes to the bishops down to their subordinates such as knights and priests. In general, everyone was expected to remain within the social class to which they were born and to respect the authority of the ruling classes. Political power was shown not only through government action but also by displaying one's own wealth. The nobles exhibited their refined manners at the table and were able to afford eating fresh meat flavoured with exotic spices. By contrast, men of toil had to be content with crude barley bread and salted pork. They were not expected to know the correct etiquette. The diet of nobles and high-level prelates was considered both a sign of their refined physical constitution and their economic prosperity. The digestive system of a gentleman was believed to be more delicate than that of one of his peasants and subordinates and, therefore, required more refined foods.

Food

Before the 14th century, bread was not a very common food among the lower classes, especially in the north where wheat grew with difficulty. Bread-based diets gradually became more common during the 15th century.

Throughout the Middle Ages, rice remained an expensive imported product and began to be cultivated in northern Italy only towards the end of the era. Wheat was common throughout Europe and considered the most nutritious of all cereals and, as a consequence, it was regarded as the most prestigious and most expensive cereal.

Although cereals represented the basis of every meal, vegetables such as cabbage, beets, onions, garlic, and carrots were also very common foods. Many of these vegetables were consumed on a daily basis by farmers and manual workers and, therefore, were considered less prestigious foods than meat.

Legumes such as chickpeas, beans, and peas were also commonly consumed and were an essential source of protein, especially for the lower classes.

Except for peas, legumes were often viewed with suspicion by the dieticians of the time, who recommended the upper classes avoid them because they caused flatulence and because they were associated with peasants.

Meals

Typically, there were two meals a day: lunch at midday and a light dinner in the evening. The two-meal system remained widespread until the late Middle Ages. Small snacks between meals were quite common, but it was also a matter of social class, as those who did not have to do arduous manual work did without them.

For practical reasons, morning breakfast was consumed by the working classes and was tolerated for children, women, the elderly and the sick. However, since the church preached against the sins of gluttony and other weaknesses of the flesh, people tended to be ashamed of having breakfast in the morning, since it was considered a sign of weakness.

Evening banquets and dinners consumed late at night with considerable consumption of alcoholic beverages were considered immoral. Alcohol, in particular, was associated with gambling, vulgar language, drunkenness, and lewd behaviour. Although the Church disapproved, small meals and snacks were common and those who worked generally had permission from their employers to buy food to nibble on during their breaks.

Preparation of food

Cooking included the use of fire: since stoves were not invented until the 18th century, people cooked directly over the fire. Ovens were also used, however, building them was very expensive and they were only found in larger houses and baker's shops. Often, medieval communities had an oven whose ownership was shared. Therefore, essential food was prepared in public rather than private. There also existed portable ovens that moved thanks to wheels: they were used to sell cakes and pies along the streets of medieval cities.

Most people cooked in simple pots, and soups and stews were, therefore, the most common dishes.

In some dishes, fruits were mixed with meat, eggs, and fish. For example, the tart de brymlent is a recipe that dates back to the 14th century. This dish was a salmon or cod pie that included a mixture of figs, prunes, raisins, apples, and pears.

Following the four humours medical and dietary prescriptions of the time, food had to be combined with sauces, spices, and other specific ingredients depending on the nature of food. For instance, fish was considered cold and humid in nature, therefore, it was believed that the best way to cook it was by frying it, by placing it in the oven, or by seasoning it with hot and dry spices. Beef was considered dry and warm and, as a consequence, it was boiled. Pork was regarded as warm and moist, therefore, it had to be roasted.

Food preservation

The methods of food preservation were essentially the same as those that had been used since ancient times and things did not change much until the beginning of the 19th century with the introduction of food preservation in airtight metal cans.

One of the simplest and most common methods to preserve food consisted of heating the food, or exposing it to the wind in order to eliminate its humidity and prolong the life of almost all types of food.

In fact, drying food drastically reduces the activity of various hydrophilic microorganisms that cause decomposition. While in hot climates this result was reached mostly by exposing the food to the sun, in the colder countries wind or ovens were exploited. Moreover, subjecting foods to certain chemical processes, such as smoking, salting, fermentation or preservation in the form of jam, served to make the food last longer. These methods were advantageous because they contributed to the creation of new flavours. Smoking or salting meat in the fall was a fairly widespread strategy to avoid having to feed more animals than necessary during the harsh winter months. It was common to add a lot of butter (around 5-10%) because it did not deteriorate. Vegetables, eggs, and fish were often pickled. Another method of food preservation consisted of creating a thick crust around the food, cooking it in sugar, honey or fat, and then storing it. The changes caused by the bacteria were also exploited in various ways: cereals, fruit and grapes were transformed into alcoholic beverages, whilst milk was fermented and transformed into a wide variety of cheeses and dairy products.

Beverages

In modern times, water is a popular choice for a drink to accompany a meal. In the Middle Ages, however, concerns about its purity, medical recommendations and its low prestige made it a secondary choice and alcoholic beverages were always preferred. In fact, they were considered more nutritious and better for promoting digestion than water. Wine was consumed daily in most of France and in all the countries of the Mediterranean basin where vines were cultivated. In the northern countries, it was the drink preferred by the bourgeoisie and only the upper classes that could afford it. However, it was much less common among the peasants and the working class. In the Nordic countries, ordinary people's most popular drink was beer. However, since it was difficult to preserve beer for a long time, it was mostly consumed fresh and it was consequently less clear than modern beers and had a lower percentage of alcohol.

Milk was not drunk by adults. It was reserved for the poor, the sick, children, and the elderly. Milk was much less widespread than other dairy products due to the lack of technologies to prevent it from going sour quickly.

Juices were prepared with different fruits and berries: pomegranate and blackberry wine, as well as pear and apple cider, were especially popular in the Nordic countries where these fruits grew abundantly.

Among the surviving medieval drinks that we still drink in the present day is prunellé, which is made with wild plums and is currently called slivovitz. Another example is mead, a type of wine made from honey.

Bibliography

[1.] Adamson, M. W. (editor), Food in the Middle Ages: A Book of Essays. Garland, New York. 1995.

[2.] Dyer, C., Everyday life in medieval England, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000

[3.] Freedman, P., Out of the East: Spices and the Medieval Imagination. Yale University Press, New Haven. 2008.

[4.] Harvey, B.F., Living and dying in England, 1100-1540: the monastic experience, Oxford University Press, 1993

Image sources:

[1.] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Peasants_breaking_bread.jpg

[2.] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Medieval_peasant_meal.jpg

[3.] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Cuisine_m%C3%A9di%C3%A9vale.jpg

[4.] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Monk_sneaking_a_drink.jpg

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Medieval Food & Drink Facts, Worksheets, Diet, Preparation, Preservation

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Before delving into the types of foods that people ate in the Middle Ages, it is necessary to be aware of the social distinctions present at the time. Medieval society was stratified and strictly divided into classes.

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Medieval people drank almond milk before it was trendy.

In a time before licensed dietitians and Instagram-famous fitness-gurus, there was the Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum, a poetic scripture that doctors designed for English royals.

It served as one of the most popular European feeding guides for nearly six centuries and included odd antidotes for various maladies, such as using leeks to increase fertility or to stop nosebleeds, depending on exactly what you were dealing with at the moment.

Despite this ill-advised doctrine of remedies, it's been said that Medieval food was healthier than our own, thanks to the same absence of refined sugar that left the teeth of cavemen in pristine condition. Even a Medieval peasant's carbohydrate-rich daily meals rate high when compared to modern nutritional standards, due to clean protein sources such as peas, lentils, and fish.

That's not to say that Medieval food was all nutritional smooth sailing, though. Uncontrollable circumstances such as the weather would often result in poor harvests and low food availability, but the people made do with what resources they had. So what did Medieval food look like for the average person?

Most people would probably consider a diet consisting heavily of grains, beans, and meat to be common fare among those alive in the Medieval era, and they wouldn't be wrong to assume as much. Bread served as an effective and affordable source of calories, an important thing to consider for a Medieval peasant who might have a long 12-hour day on their feet to look forward to.

Bread was so important, in fact, that commercial bakers formed self-regulating co-ops called guilds, which required a payment of dues in exchange for various forms of protection, including insurance, and guaranteed low prices on raw materials.

Relying mainly on rye, barley, and oats as their primary crops, a well-to-do peasant might even eat up to three pounds of grain in a single day, often in the form of porridge, loaf, or even cooked down into an ale - an easy, and enjoyable, way to add an extra 1,500 calories to any meal.

Following the widespread cultivation of legumes in the tenth century, the addition of beans to the average diet afforded even the poorest of workers a chance to add vital bits of protein to their daily nutritional routines.

As these mighty sprouts were cheap and easily accessible, they resulted in a stronger workforce which produced not only more manual output but offspring as well. In only a few hundred year's time, the population of Europe doubled in size, a feat credited heavily to the various beans of Medieval times.

Despite the beans' prevalence in Medieval society, meat still made for the protein source of choice, though it was not always readily available to many, especially the very poor. Even for the rich, however, meat was not always abundant, and so those around in the Medieval era would essentially settle for whatever meat they could get: usually birds such as swans, cranes, and peacocks; and fish and sea mammals, like whales, seals, and even porpoise.

Suckling pig was considered the ultimate delicacy among all Medieval food, and holidays typically involved a feast of umble pie, a meat pie composed of the entrails of a deer or wild game. Whatever the type of meat that used, every dish was improved by a generous dash of spices, mainly clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In addition to these staple sources, Medieval food did resemble ours in ways that many probably wouldn't assume. The use of plant-based milk sources is a fairly new occurrence in Western culture, although the trendy variety of the moment, almond, was actually quite commonly used in the Medieval era.

Initially created as an alternative to animal's milk during church-declared days of fasting, the milk - along with almond and walnut butter - made for an inexpensive and practical option thanks to its long, no-refrigeration-necessary, shelf-life.

And perhaps the most surprising aspect of Medieval life? The streets of Europe weren't without their neighborhood fast food joint. While certainly not featuring a menu consisting of burgers, fries, or comically over-sized fountain soda options, the Medieval era did have its own form of fast food-type establishments which usually served ready-to-eat breakfast fares such as pancakes and wafers, and small meat pies one could easily eat on the go.

Unlike modern fast-food restaurants, which cater to convenience, the eateries of Medieval times were born out of necessity, often feeding artisans and the urban-dwelling poor whose homes (read: single rooms or shacks) were usually not equipped with cooking facilities.
After this look at Medieval food, read on to find out why the Medieval era was perhaps one of the worst times to live. Then, take a look at this roundup of the most unbelievably gross foods from around the world.

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Porpoise And Almond Milk: A Look At The Average Diet During Medieval Times

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In a time before licensed dietitians and Instagram-famous fitness-gurus, there was the Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum, a poetic scripture that doctors designed for English royals. It served as one of the most popular European feeding guides for nearly six centuries and included odd antidotes for various maladies, such as using leeks to increase fertility or to stop nosebleeds, depending on exactly what you were dealing with at the moment.

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Manorialism or Seigneurialism is the name for the organization of the economy in the Middle Ages. The economy relied mainly on agriculture. Manorialism describes how land was distributed and who profited from the land.

A lord received a piece of land, usually from a higher nobleman, or from the king. When he received the land, he also received all that was on it. That means that most of the people that lived on the land also belonged to the nobleman. The people, called peasants, had to pay to the lord, or they had to work for him. This way, the nobleman could live and support his family from what he received from the peasants. He had also certain legal powers, like that of a police force. The peasants were subjects which had to pay tribute to the lord. In return they received protection.

The tribute the subjects had to pay varied. it could either be that they had to do work for their lord, or that had to pay a certain part of what they earned (like one tenth). That meant that if they grew a crop such as some form of corn, the lord got a tenth of their earnings in corn. This is also called payment in nature or sharecropping. Very rarely, it was money they had to pay.

Common features

Manors each had up to three different classes of land:

1. Demesne, the part directly controlled by the lord and used for the benefit of his household and dependents;

2. Dependent ( or ) holdings carrying the obligation that the peasant household supply the lord with specified labour services or a part of its output (or money instead), subject to the custom attached to the holding; and

3. Free peasant land, without such obligation but otherwise subject to manorial jurisdiction and custom, and owing money rent fixed at the time of the lease.

Sometimes the lord had a mill, a bakery or a wine-press. This could be used by the peasants against a fee. Similarly, the right to hunt or to let pigs feed in his woodland was subject to a fee. The peasants could use the lord's legal system to settle their disputes - for a fee. Single payments were due on each change of tenant. On the other side of the account, manorial administration involved significant expenses. This might be one of the reasons why smaller manors tended to rely less on villein tenure.

Dependent holdings were held by agreement of lord and tenant, but tenure became in practice usually hereditary, with a payment made to the lord on each succession of another member of the family. Villein land could not be abandoned, at least as long as every fleeing peasant was likely to starve to death; nor could they be passed to a third party without the lord's permission, and the customary payment.

Though not free, villeins were definitely not slaves: they enjoyed legal rights, subject to local custom, and had recourse to the law, subject to court charges which were an additional source of manorial income. Sub-letting of villein holdings was common, and labour on the demesne might be commuted into an additional money payment, as happened increasingly from the 13th century.

This description of a manor house at Chingford, Essex in England was recorded in a document for the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral when it was granted to Robert Le Moyne in 1265:

"

He received also a sufficient and handsome hall well ceiled with oak. On the western side is a worthy bed, on the ground, a stone chimney, a wardrobe and a certain other small chamber; at the eastern end is a pantry and a buttery. Between the hall and the chapel is a sideroom. There is a decent chapel covered with tiles, a portable altar, and a small cross. In the hall are four tables on trestles. There are likewise a good kitchen covered with tiles, with a furnace and ovens, one large, the other small, for cakes, two tables, and alongside the kitchen a small house for baking. Also a new granary covered with oak shingles, and a building in which the dairy is contained, though it is divided. Likewise a chamber suited for clergymen and a necessary chamber. Also a hen-house. These are within the inner gate. Likewise outside of that gate are an old house for the servants, a good table, long and divided, and to the east of the principal building, beyond the smaller stable, a solar for the use of the servants. Also a building in which is contained a bed, also two barns, one for wheat and one for oats. These buildings are enclosed with a moat, a wall, and a hedge. Also beyond the middle gate is a good barn, and a stable of cows, and another for oxen, these old and ruinous. Also beyond the outer gate is a pigstye.

"

Variation among manors

Feudal society is based on two principles, that of feudalism and manorialism. The structures of manorialism varied though. In the later Middle Ages, areas of incomplete or non-existent manorialisation persisted while the manorial economy underwent substantial development as economic conditions changed.

Not all manors had all three kinds of land: as an average, demesne accounted for roughly a third of the arable area and villein holdings rather more; but some manors consisted solely of demesne, others solely of peasant holdings. Similarly, the proportion of unfree and free tenures could vary greatly. This meant that the amount of wage labour to perform agricultural work on the demesne varied as well. The proportion of the cultivated area in demesne tended to be greater in smaller manors. The share of villein land was greater in large manors, providing the lord with a larger potential supply of obligatory labour for demesne work. The proportion of free tenements was generally less variable, but tended to be somewhat greater on the smaller manors.

Manors varied also in their geographical arrangement: most did not coincide with a single village. Often, parts of two or more villages belonged to the manor, or were shared between several manors. In those places, peasants living far from the lord's estate sometimes paid cash instead of working for the lord.

The demesne was usually not a single plot of land. It consisted of some land around the central house and estate buildings. The rest of the demesne land was in the form of strips dispersed through the manor. In addition, the lord might lease free tenements belonging to neighbouring manors, as well as holding other manors some distance away to provide a greater range of produce.

Not all manors were held by laymen lords who rendered military service or paid cash to their superior. A survey done in 1086 estimates that 17% belonged directly to the king, and that a greater proportion (rather more than a quarter) were held by bishops and monasteries. These church manors were usually larger, with a significantly greater villein area than the lay manors next to them.

The effect of circumstances on manorial economy is complex and at times contradictory: upland conditions have been seen as tending to preserve peasant freedoms (livestock husbandry in particular being less labour-intensive and therefore less demanding of villein services); on the other hand, some such areas of Europe have been said to show some of the most oppressive manorial conditions, while lowland eastern England is credited with an exceptionally large free peasantry, in part a legacy of Scandinavian settlement.

Similarly, the spread of money economy is often seen as having stimulated the replacement of labour services by money payments, but the growth of the money supply and resulting inflation after 1170 initially led nobles to take back leased estates and to re-impose labour dues as the value of fixed cash payments declined in real terms.

Historical development and geographical distribution

Today, the term is used most to refer to medieval Western Europe. A similar system was used in the rural parts of the late Roman Empire. The birthrate and population were declining. Labor was therefore the most important factor for production. Successive administrations tried to stabilise the imperial economy by freezing the social structure into place: sons were to succeed their fathers in their trade.

Councillors were forbidden to resign, and coloni, the cultivators of land, were not to move from the demesne they were attached to. They were on their way to becoming serfs. Several factors conspired to merge the status of former slaves and former free farmers into a dependent class of such coloni. Laws of Constantine I around 325 reinforced both the negative semi-servile status of the coloni and limited their rights to sue in the courts. Their numbers were augmented by barbarian foederati who were permitted to settle within the imperial boundaries.

As the Germanic kingdoms succeeded Roman authority in the West in the fifth century, Roman landlords were often simply replaced by Gothic or Germanic ones, with little change to the underlying situation. The process of rural self-sufficiency was given an abrupt boost in the eighth century, when normal trade in the Mediterranean Sea was disrupted. The thesis put forward by Henri Pirenne, disputed by many, supposes that the Arab conquests forced the medieval economy into even greater ruralisation and gave rise to the classic feudal pattern of varying degrees of servile peasantry underpinning a hierarchy of localised power centres.

Other pages

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Manorialism or Seigneurialism is the name for the organization of the economy in the Middle Ages. The economy relied mainly on agriculture. Manorialism describes how land was distributed and who profited from the land. A lord received a piece of land, usually from a higher nobleman, or from the king.

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The manor system was a way that feudal lords organized their lands in order to produce agricultural goods. The manor had four main areas: the manor house and accompanying village, farmland, meadowland, and wasteland. The lord of the manor lived in the manor house and the serfs lived in mud brick cottages that were all in the same area. The serfs' cottages were very small and only consisted of one room. Serfs used fire to heat their homes when they weren't working in the fields. Serfs farmed and completed other jobs around the manor. Serfs also worshiped in the village church in attempt to go to heaven in their after life.

The manor system also used a special system to farm their fields. This system was called the three-field rotation. This system allowed each serf a strip of land. In the autumn one third was planted to wheat, barley, or rye, and in the spring another third of the land was planted to oats, barley, and legumes to be harvested in late summer. One strip was always left barren so that when the fields were rotated a strip of soil could be rested. Each of the strips were one acre of land and the best soil was given to the lord of the land while the serfs took to the rest of the farmland regardless of its quality. This system provided for the manor quite well, sometimes there was even a surplus. In times of surplus the serfs could sell their crops which allowed for towns and villages to grow.

Click play below to take a tour of a preserved manor house that dates back to the Middle Ages!

Next stop: Daily Life

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The Manor System - Life in the Middle Ages

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The manor system was a way that feudal lords organized their lands in order to produce agricultural goods. The manor had four main areas: the manor house and accompanying village, farmland, meadowland, and wasteland. The lord of the manor lived in the manor house and the serfs lived in mud brick cottages that were all in the same area.

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Learn about the feudal system during the Middle Ages and Medieval times. Feudalism with lords and manors, serfs and peasants.

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The Amazing Middle Ages The middle ages were a very interesting time it came about after the collapse of the Roman Empire. Different leaders tried their best to create their own empires, which did not last. As you read more about this period, you will discover many different things like the noble cl…

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The Catholic church was the supreme power during most of the medieval period. Some of the ways the church exercised its power includes the flow of wealth, the use of sacraments to control people and their lives, the use of Church councils, the propaganda value of the religious beggars (friars), and finally, the horrible cruelty of the Inquisition and the fear it generated.

The Pope was alone at the top. Under the Pope were a few cardinals who were in charge of all the churches in large cities or territories. Bishops were under the cardinals. There were a lot of bishops. Each ran a large church or monastery (a place to train new priests) At the bottom rung were the local priests and monks who did all the work.

The church had enormous power. Religious leaders told the king and nobles, as well as the common people, what god wanted. Since people in the Middle Ages feared god, most of the time everyone from the king on down did what the church, through its religious leaders, told them to do.

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Religion in the Middle Ages - Middle Ages for Kids

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The Catholic church was the supreme power during most of the medieval period. Some of the ways the church exercised its power includes the flow of wealth, the use of sacraments to control people and their lives, the use of Church councils, the propaganda value of the religious beggars (friars), and finally, the horrible cruelty of the Inquisition and the fear it generated.

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Medieval Religion and Philosophy. Get Medieval facts, information and history about Medieval Religion. Fast and accurate facts about Medieval Religion, Monks and Nuns.

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Most people in the Middle Ages lived their lives fully believing in the reality of a spiritual realm all around them and in heaven or hell when they died. At this time, the people of the British Isles were Roman Catholic and the majority of people strongly believed in this religion and its values.

In the Middle Ages, the Church provided for the religious aspects of people's lives - baptism of babies, marriages, confession, the last rites for the dying and burying the dead.

But the Church did much more than this:

Monks could often read and write when many other people could not, so they copied books and documents and taught children.

Monasteries often had libraries.

Church festivals and saints' days were 'holy days', when people didn't have to work.

The Church put on processions and 'miracle plays'.

The Church played a big part in government:

Bishops sat in the House of Lords.

They could raise an army for the king in times of war.

It was a mistake for a king to fall out with the Church - King John was excommunicated , and King Henry II was whipped after the death of . Thomas Becket

Religion played an important part in people's lives:

Many people went on a pilgrimage to try to reduce the time they thought they would spend in purgatory . A person who had been on pilgrimage would wear a badge to show which shrine he had visited.

Each shrine would have a different symbol that could be understood even by people who couldn't read or write. The symbols were:

a small bottle of oil (St Thomas Becket at Canterbury)

a shell (St James of Compostela in Spain)

a palm leaf (Jerusalem)

cross keys (Rome)

Anybody who was not a Roman Catholic Christian was persecuted:

Jewish people were often attacked and in 1290 were expelled from England.

Many poor people still believed in pagan superstitions. If they were caught, they were burned as a witch or sorcerer.

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Religion in the Middle Ages - Religion through time in the UK - KS3 History Revision - BBC Bitesize

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Most people in the Middle Ages lived their lives fully believing in the reality of a spiritual realm all around them and in heaven or hell when they died. At this time, the people of the British Isles were Roman Catholic and the majority of people strongly believed in this religion and its values.

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eval Europe created their own government. The people saw a need for protection and justice. This government that the people created was called Feudalism. Feudalism provided protection for the townspeople. A characteristic that Feudalism held was the use of a social structure.
Today every civilized country has a form of central government that takes part in the ruling of the people of their land. During the Middle Ages there was an absence of a central government, therefore the people of Medi

There were several levels found in the social structure. The first level was the monarch, king or queen, or clergy. The monarch was the highest level in the system and ruled over all of the land, except for the church. The monarch lived in a castle and governed over all of the manors in the land. Below is a photo of my beloved king's castle, Richard the Lionheart!

The next highest level in the medieval social structure was the lords, or nobles. The lords were given responsibility of estates by the monarch. In exchange for this land the lords gave the king their loyalty and military support. On their land the lords grew crops and were able to keep some of them for themselves. Also, the lords were able to keep the profit that was made from selling the crops. The lords of the manors were responsible for maintaining order of their land, enforcing the laws, and keeping the serfs safe.

Under the lords was the social class of the knights, or vassals. Knights were granted this title by the monarch of the land. Knights belonged to certain lords and fought for the lords during battles and wars. Knights wore a suit of armor made out of a pattern called chain mail (see picture). Chain mail was a covering made out of many, small interlinked metal chains. Knights were also known for using shields, lances, flails, maces ,and swords in battle. Their shields were decorated to represent who the knight was. Lances were long, strong, spear-like weapons designed for use on horseback. The mace was a spiked metal ball that was attached to the end of a wooden stick. Flails were like maces except the metal ball was attached to the wooden stick by a metal chain. Knights upheld a special code of conduct called chivalry. Chivalry stated that a true knight held these qualities: religious belief, bravery, loyalty, generosity, and strength. To be a knight in Medieval Europe was a major honor bestowed on only the best soldiers.

The lowliest level of the medieval social classes was the serfs or the peasants. Almost 90% of the population of Medieval Europe was serfs. Serfs were regular village people that worked the land of the manor. In return for protection and a place to live serfs were required to farm the land and perform other jobs that were requested by the lord. Serfs could be likened to slaves; they were forced to work the land of the manor and could not leave with permission from the lord of the land. However, unlike slaves serfs could not be bought, sold, or traded. Serfs held various jobs throughout the manor. These jobs included craftsmen, bakers, farmers, and tax collectors.

The Serf

The poem to the right explains the life of a serf. Read the poem and think about the tone of the poem, what is this author trying to get you to feel about serfdom?

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http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-serf/
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eval Europe created their own government. The people saw a need for protection and justice. This government that the people created was called Feudalism. Feudalism provided protection for the townspeople. A characteristic that Feudalism held was the use of a social structure.

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THE RISE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

Before delving into the origins of the middle class in Europe during the middle ages it is important to get ones terminology in order. The bourgeoisie had many names and is referred to by many historians as burgess, middle, free venture capitalist classes. Before the middle class began to emerge in medieval times there was primarily only two significant classes in the feudal system, the nobles (kings, queens, dukes, knights, clergymen and such) and there was the lower class (all those that did the labor for their lords and masters, serfs, servants, men at arms etc.).

The merchant class however, left room for financial independence and free enterprise. Some merchants came from lower class family lines but many came from wealthy families. This is because of the large amount of start up money it took to become a successful merchant or trader. There may have always been a rift in the relationship between middle class traders and upper class traders, but that was because anyone that was smart and had access to money in the middle ages was involved in trade. Even the church, which argued at several points throughout history that the buying of something at one price and selling it for a higher price to someone else was immoral, was involved in trade. In the thirteenth century the Cistercian monks had become the greatest wool-merchants in the kingdoms.

Although the lower classes were at first looked down upon because of their pursuit of commerce Merchant guilds brought the merchant class together. These guilds, as discussed in the guilds section of this site were rich and powerful. The guilds offered many benefits to lords and aldermen alike. In a way, if you had money to pay your dues, merchant guilds cared very little of your birth. For the bourgeoisie and middle class, it was all about your money.

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The Rise of the Middle Class - Life and Money in Medieval Europe

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THE RISE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS Before delving into the origins of the middle class in Europe during the middle ages it is important to get ones terminology in order. The bourgeoisie had many names and is referred to by many historians as burgess, middle, free venture capitalist classes.

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There was a very distinctive social class system during the Middle Ages. Most Medieval people were peasants, over 90%, but the divide between peasants and nobility was very clear-cut. Clergy were also an important part of the social order during the Middle Ages, though they were not necessarily considered a separate class.

Royalty

The Royalty were the highest of the Social Classes in the Middle Ages. The Royalty included Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses. Royals had complete power over the land and political and economic decisions during the Middle Ages.
Kings
The King was the highest authority in the land. The King had to make laws, attempt to remove poverty from the Kingdom and take care of the citizens in his kingdom.
Queens
Though they did not often rule alone, Queens played an important part in the Medieval class system. Queens were usually second in command to Kings, and often served as regents when their King was unfit to rule, either because he was ill or considered too young to make intelligent decisions. Queens also served as hostesses and event planners.
Princes
Depending on their birth order, a prince may have been next in line for the throne when his father died. Princes most likely sat in on courtly meetings.
Princesses
Princesses were not usually next in line for the throne unless there was no male heir who could take the place on the throne that was being left. Princesses were oftentimes married off to princes in other countries in order to secure long lasting friendly economic and political ties with those countries. Sometimes this was successful, but more often than not it backfired.

Nobility

After the Royals, Nobility had the most power of the social classes in the Middle Ages. Nobility included hereditary nobility, which were those whose power was bestowed on them through blood relations, and non-hereditary nobility, which included those who rose to power through non-familial means.

Hereditary Nobility
Dukes
The main responsibility of a Duke was to be the ruler of a province. A Duke was also the direct superior of a Count. The Duke was the highest ranking in the nobility. The female equivalent of a Duke was a Duchess.
Barons
A baron was responsible first to his king and second to the people who lived on his manor. The king might require the baron to serve in the military or engage in various other activities. By complying with the King's requirements the Baron was possibly able to earn a higher title, more land, or prosperous marriages for his children and other family members.

If he did not comply, the baron could lose his manor, his luxurious lifestyle, or maybe even his life. As a percentage of each manor's crops was sent to the King, a baron also had to make sure that all of the serfs on his estate was protected in order to ensure that a plentiful crop was produced. A baron also sometimes served as judges in a court of crime or passed out sentences in court.

Non-Hereditary Nobility
Knights
Knights often served as vassals during the Middle Ages. Their primary duty as a vassal was to aid and protect the lord in his army. They also would assist their lord in court and watch over their lord's manor, keeping an eye on the day-to-day activities of the manor.
Peasants
The lowest social rank in the Middle Ages were the peasants. The peasant class included Freemen, who had some rights and land, serfs, who had no rights, and slaves, who were bought and sold.
Freemen
Freeman were poor farmers who had control of small portions of land. Freeman usually made just enough money to live on. They sold their crops and may have worked with a trade. Wives of freeman sometimes did "stay-at-home" trades, such as brewing ale.
Serfs
Serfs had no political power and were not allowed having control of property. They lived on the property of a noble vassal, and, in order to repay the vassal for letting the serf live on his property, the serf worked the land and was at the disposal of the vassal. Serfs were slaves in all but name.
Slaves
Slavery, the practice of buying and selling human workers, was outlawed for much of the Middle Ages, but it was still conducted throughout Europe for most of the time period. Slavery was a favored practice among the Vikings, who took slaves when they invaded and raided new territories.
Clergy
The clergy was not considered one of the social classes of the Middle Ages, but it did play an important and influential role at the time and did have a hierarchy of its own. The Pope was, naturally, at the top of the order, while nuns and monks were at the lowest end.
Popes
For much of the Middle Ages, Popes were the last word in anything to do with the church. Popes had a heavy influence over political and economic decisions as well for a time. However, towards the end of the Middle Ages Popes lost their political power when the Catholic Church came under a lot of scrutiny from the public.
Bishops
After the Pope, the Bishop was the highest ranking official in the church. Bishops were considered to be nobility and were usually very wealthy. They had many responsibilities such as settling annulments of marriages.
Priests
Priests gave Mass in Church and in the Castle. They were also responsible for collecting church taxes and spreading alms to the poor. Because they were usually the only people in the village who could read and write, priests often were the ones who kept records for the church.
Monks
Monks were the lowest ranking in the church. Monks lived in monasteries and usually wore brown robes. Monks devoted their lives to learning and they could usually read and write in Latin. Some of the first Bibles were scribed by monks as the printing press had not yet been invented.

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Social Classes in the Middle Ages - The Finer Times

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There was a very distinctive social class system during the Middle Ages. Most Medieval people were peasants, over 90%, but the divide between peasants and nobility was very clear-cut. Clergy were also an important part of the social order during the Middle Ages, though they were not necessarily considered a separate class.

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What medieval Europe did with its teenagers

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A few hundred years ago, in many European countries, children were to send them away to live and work for someone else. Why?