Life In Medieval Times

Darkness, despair, fatigue, and deaths: to people living in the current era, these may seem unbearable or even impossible. As for those living from the fifth to the fifteenth century, the Medieval period, those adjectives described their lives. Some had better lives than others, for the feudal system, a hierarchy that determined a peasant's job for the rest of their lives, divided each individual on the manor into a class. Peasants, those classified as the lowest of the lowest, struggled to survive and stay positive because of numerous factors. During the Medieval times, the arduous struggle of peasants directly connected to the incessant toil, the numerous taxes serfs were forced to pay, and the undesirable living conditions.

Of all the

social echelons, the peasants performed the most grueling tasks. Regardless of age, their lives “mainly revolved around the work of raising crops and livestock, or making agricultural tools” (Hinds 36). Therefore, the most significant events of the work year were plowing, planting, and harvesting, which were all community efforts. Their busy daily duties kept them occupied throughout the whole year. During the winter, peasants looked after sheep and protected them from wild wolves. In addition, peasants had to spend much of their time by the fire to warm their feet and clothes, for their “clothes were too thin to protect them from the cold and damp weather” (McDonald 18). As the season started to become warmer, peasants pruned the grape vines on the manor, pulled up weeds growing among the crops, and gathered herbs for medicine. When summer arrived, the grass of the meadow would be cut and laid out to dry, with the dried grass being used as hay for the horses. The fall was the harvesting season. Afterwards, peasants “plowed fields to bury the stubble left after the harvest” (19). A common misconception is that peasant women did barely any of the work. On the contrary, women hauled manure to fertilize the fields, sowed seeds, hoed, and separated wheat from the chaff. Furthermore, all women did household work such as “tending the hearth fire, spinning and dying wool, and making clothes” (Hinds 38). Other responsibilities included making butter and cheese, as well as preserving food for winter. Although many peasants resented to perform their duties, “they had sworn an oath of obedience on the Bible” to serve their lord (Truman). Clearly, work was the cornerstone of a peasant’s life.
Despite their long work days, peasants received little or no appreciation in return for their diligent work and, instead, were required to pay multiple taxes. In general, there was an annual payment, which "symbolized the peasant's bondage to the lord and the manor" (Hinds 31). Sometimes, peasants went to work for a different lord. However, peasants still had to pay a "depart tax" to their old lord every year. Afterwards, if a serf died on the lord's property, the lord took the family's best livestock. According to Thomas Streissguth, the lord took a valuable piece of jewelry or furniture (Streissguth). When a peasant inherited or bought a piece of land, a peasant paid a tax, but this time, using goods. During Christmas or Easter, a certain number of chickens, eggs, or beeswaxes were handed over to the lord. Additionally, peasants paid money to use “facilities in the manor, such as the mill” (Newman). Worst of all, a peasant had to pay the church a tax called a tithe, which was ten percent of the value of what he farmed. Under special circumstances, peasants could pay using cash or equipment. Either way, tithes were unpopular taxes that sparked several rebellions. Overall, the unreasonable taxes paid by peasants reduced the quality of life for each individual household.
Because of the impoverishment, the peasants lived under atrocious and filthy conditions.

Compared to the castles and pretty thatched cottages that nobles lived in, the homes of peasants were usually "damp, smoky, and dark cruck houses" (Truman). In fact, many peasants only expected their homes to last for less than 30 years. Mice could be heard in the rafters overhead, and wind rustled through doors. In order to try to keep out the wind, walls were made of woven twigs and mud mixed with straw and horsehair. The roof consisted of an amalgamation of reeds, hay, or grass. Strong ties cut from twigs along with wooden pins secured the thatch. The floor was beaten Earth, so each house was damp, since “water usually seeped through” (McDonald 14). Without gas, electricity, or oil, peasants relied on wind and water-power for heat. Most of the time, they would set a fire, which not only provided warmth, but as helped to drive away flies from the stable. As for furniture, the designs were quite simple and uncomfortable. Common furniture consisted of “hard wooden stools, straw mattresses, rough woolen blankets” (14). Overall, the living conditions were not desirable for peasants to live in.
Without a doubt, a peasant's life during the Medieval period was challenging and devastating. Every moment of their lives consisted of non-stop work. Although assiduous, peasant's were never fully appreciated for their hard work and still had trouble supporting their families due to the high taxes. Consequently, they situated in flimsy and dirty homes. All in all, the lives of these peasants were not only harsh, but also

unfair.