The Middle Ages are often called the Dark Ages, and for a good reason. It was a very difficult period of time for most people due to poor living conditions. But for others, life was very easy. Everyone in the manor was given a spot in the feudal system. This system wasn’t exactly fair though. Many people had to spend countless hours working in a field in the heat all day, while others got to stay inside the manor house, protected from the Sun. These jobs that people had to do could differ depending on their culture. This was unfortunately how life was in the Middle Ages. The culture of the Middle Ages had a big impact on people's daily life. Everybody living in a manor had things to do on a daily basis, but these tasks differed for different …show more content…
social groups. The culture of the Middle Ages helped determine one’s daily life. The culture of the Middle Ages differs greatly from our culture today. Today, we use the term “popular culture”, which is “the modern name for the rituals, customs, and entertainments of ordinary people” (Grendler). People living in the Middle Ages job’s were harder to do without any of the technology that we have today. For example, cooking. In order to roast meat for a meal, someone had “the hot and sweaty job of turning a long pole on which meat was skewered for roasting” (Steele). This job was only given to people when the lord was visiting the manor. Whenever the lord visited the manor, “the courtyard would ring with commands and curses and the clatter of rolling barrels” (Steele). The jobs weren’t the only things that depended on the culture, but also how people spent their free time. Many peasants spent their time praying. People cared immensely about religion. If someone had sinned, they would want to immediately get forgiveness. In the Medieval Roman Catholic Church, “forgiveness of sins was a two-step process. First, the sinner had to confess his or her sin to an ordained priest, who then granted absolution. The second step required a penance to make amends for the sin, either in this life or after death in purgatory” (The Middle Ages 1). As can be seen, people living in the Middle Ages cared greatly about their afterlife. They would do anything to be let into heaven when they die. In summary, a certain person’s culture would help determine what they would do everyday. Everyone had a job to do in the manor, but how they did that job depended on the culture.
A large majority of people living in villages had to work in fields in order to grow food. These people who needed to work the fields were known as serfs or peasants. There was no mechanization of agriculture in the Middle Ages, “so a very high proportion of the population-probably around 90 percent-was needed to raise food” (Singman 65). Although many people lived and spent their lives in the villages, others spent their days in the manor house. “Daily life in the Middle ages was dictated by wealth, power and status and the feudal system” (Lords and Ladies). The manor was a very organized area, with roads connecting everything, so if someone needed to get from the manor house to the fields, they could easily without getting lost (Singman 67). Even though the villages mainly housed serfs and peasants, it was very organized. A typical village was located “in the center of an open-field was the living space of the inhabitants, consisting of a cluster of homes, often gathered around a village green or a dirt street, and in many cases with a church and manor house in the same area” (67). In conclusion, daily life was always filled with hard work, no matter what social group someone was
in. Although the culture of the Middle Ages played a big part in someone’s daily life, their position in the feudal system played a bigger part in determining one’s daily life. The three main social groups were the nobles, knights, and peasants. These three lifestyles were very different when compared to each other. The daily life of a peasant began “in the summer as early as 3am”. Before going out to work, they would have a little something to eat for breakfast. They would then go out and work the manor’s fields until dusk (Lords and Ladies). Peasants had to work every single day, with little to no breaks. Peasants would not be able to do any other jobs other than farming, due to “Only a limited number of people—mostly urban males—could read and write” (Grendler). Moving up the feudal system, a knight’s day would usually start “at dawn when Mass would be heard and prayers would be made”. A knight would then head out to start weapon practice for the day. After they were done training with weapons on foot, they would then train on horseback. When there was time in between practices, knights would discuss war strategies (Lords and Ladies). Lastly, the nobles. A noble’s daily life “started at dawn” and “Mass would be heard and prayers would be made”. A noble would then “attend to business matters in relation to his land. Reports would be heard regarding estate crops, harvests and supplies. Finances - rents, taxes, customs and dues”. After their business was attended to, nobles would then have some weapon’s practice. After their day was over and done, nobles would have dinner with some entertainment. (Lords and Ladies). As can be seen, the feudal system made a peasant’s life difficult, but a noble’s life easy. Overall, living in the Middle Ages was more difficult for people of lower classes. Everyday, peasants struggled with difficult jobs that could differ based on their culture. Although the majority of people had the difficult job of working on the fields, others had to attend to business in the village. No two people had the same thing to do everyday, everyone’s jobs differed. Clearly, the lives of the vast majority of people showed how difficult one’s life was.
The bird-like beak contained spices and vinegar-soaked cloth to mask the stench of death and decay.” And in the dark ages there was a lot of civil wars and invasions and to prove that (Doc 7) states “The barbarians have broken through the ramparts [defensive wall]. The Saracen [Moors] invasions have spread in successive waves over the South. The Hungarians [Magyars] swarm over the Eastern provinces….they sacked town and village, and laid waste in the fields. They burned the churches and then departed with a crowd of captives….There is no longer any trade, only unceasing terror….The peasant has abandoned his ravaged fields to avoid the violence of anarchy. The people have gone to cower [crouch down in fear] in the depths of the forests or in inaccessible regions, or have taken refuge in the high mountains….Society has no longer any government.” In the Dark ages life was hard as (Doc 2) states “The Manor was the economic side of feudalism. The manor was a mostly self-sufficient system in which the lord’s land (granted by the king) was farmed by his serfs (bound to the land). The manor included not just farmers, but also artisans who provided for the needs of the manor, a chapel, forest for hunting, and pastureland for farm
The evolution of human society consists mainly of ineffective ruling regimes and oppressed peasants. Medieval Europe falls into this same pervasive cycle. Social and political hierarchies intertwine which creates a grossly inefficient system. Hereditary lineage determines nobility. Commoners possess no hope of social mobility. Every aspect of life is virtually preordained. These circumstances revolve around the figure Lanval by Mari de France. Mari de France introduces Lanval as a courteous and distinguished knight of King Arthur’s court. Lanval possesses the most moral nature of all of King Arthur’s knights, yet even so, the other knights of King Arthur’s round table despise him. The many knights neglect acknowledgment of his nature as does
Many different classes of people existed in the Middle Ages. Each class had a certain and very different way of life than the other. Peasants in the Middle Ages had extremely difficult lives. Domestic life for the peasants during the Middle Ages was endured with many hardships and sacrifices, but in the end they were just everyday citizens doing what they had to in order to survive.
Could you work all day with little or no rewards ? The middle ages lasted around 476 CE to the 14th century (OI). In the Middle ages serfs had to work for the lord and they were bound to the land (Doc. 2). The church was very large in Medieval Europe and had a huge political role ( Doc. 3). The Middle ages were a dangerous place, with Muslims and Mongols are invading everywhere ( Doc. 5). During the Middle ages Feudalism was a political, economic, and social system that defined the lives of the Europeans.
Feudalism is a system of land ownership and duties that were used in the Middle Ages. Under feudalism, all the land in a kingdom was the king's. However, the king would give some of his land to the lords or nobles who fought for him. Rulers in all society wanted to create law and order and ensure that people make good use of the society’s resources. That is why feudalism was created. Monarchs had to accept limits on their own personal power. They also needed to respond to expectations that other groups in society have a say in decision-making. People began to use medieval courts for problems that had previously been solved by trial by combat.
Europe’s social structure in the Middle Ages consisted of feudalism. A hierarchical society of Kings granting land to nobles, who would then give a fief to a knight in return for service. The knight would then have peasants or serfs working on their fief. However, as the plague spread, many peasants died and their labour could not be replaced. This loss of workforce had a significant impact upon the economy as grain was not being harvested and livestock roamed free. The agrarian economy had been severely damaged, the land became uncultivated and returned back to its natural state. This rural collapse eventually led to food shortages in towns and cities.
Being a peasant in the Middle Ages was hard. During the summers, peasants would start as early as 3 am. They would start their day off with breakfast. Then, peasants would work in the fields. They would reap, sow, plough, thresh, and hedge. They would finish at dusk. Working hours during the summer months were longer.
People in the Dark Ages were engulfed in the shadow of greatness of their predecessors, which 18th-century English historian Edward Gibbon called “barbarism and religion,” (History). Life in Europe during the Dark Ages were quite simple, as there was no efforts in unifying Europe, and the Catholic church was the only real body of power in Europe at this time. European societies were governed by feudalism, in which the king gives land to the nobles, while peasants worked on the land to live there in return. Little is actually known about this era, in that nothing significant was recorded, announcing it a “dark’ era. There was little to nothing significant about this time period in Europe, other than strong Catholic authority. A shift begins during this time period
In the Medieval Period, life was either very great or very bad, according to your class. Only 2 classes existed during this time: the nobles, such as kings and knights who lived inside the castle, or the peasants, such as working-class people who lived in often unspeakable conditions. The peasants treated the nobles with the utmost respect, for if they didn’t, then the nobles could have them beheaded. (Sanders, p 34). The nobles were almost always the ones who owned land, and the peasants worked on this land in exchange for a small portion of it, in a sense, rented out in exchange for the labor. Peasants often worked 16-hour days as long as they could see into the nighttime and got very bad nourishment. The noble was not interested in the health of the peasants working on his land, as there was a significant supply of others who were very willing to take his or her place.
Feudalism is very important in medieval times in Europe. Feudalism is the levels or an organization that makes up each other. Feudalism goes by levels. In medieval middle ages, feudalism is mainly made up the societies. The one with the most power is the king. The second to the next is the wealthy nobles, and next is the protecting knights. At last the peasants make up the whole feudalism society. The feudalism in europe can also be compared to korean dramas. There is also levels of duty in a production of a korean drama. The production of korean dramas is divided into the director in the first place. In addition, the next level would be the manager of the korean drama. The second to the last would be the actors, they play an important role in filming. Finally, the viewers would be the most important out of all.
Man was lonely during the Middle Ages. Life was very harsh and everyone worked except the king. The usual life expectancy was 35. People lived in small farming communities. Everyone lived in constant fear of being raided by foreign invaders such as the Vikings. When they were not worrying about being invaded they were scared of plague and other living conditions. Man's position in the world was unknown. Knowledge, wealth, and governing body had to be recreated. Cities were far and few between and much less populated and developed like today's cities. The Middle Ages was a religious age. Man clung to God as creator. People painstakingly built churches. Religion was what was the most important to people for a long time, and to be excommunicated was horrible.
The only other activities peasants would engage in other than working was serving God and attending church. There wasn’t much other culture than God and religious studies for the medieval person. The church meant everything to the medieval man. It was something that stayed with them their whole life. The church was a centerpiece of the manor, and of the peasants’ life (Bennett 29).
The early towns in the medieval days were only small settlements outside the walls of a castle or Church. As the towns grew larger, walls were built around the towns. Soldiers on the walls kept lookout for attackers. For serfs and ordinary farmers, most of their day was spent working hard. There were occasions when the serfs and their lords used to rest and enjoy the social activities.
During the Middle Ages, all life was surrounded around the manor. The castle that was in the manor was made of stone and had a moat surrounding it. Although people would think that manor life would be great and pleasant, it was not always like that. Food scraps and other garbage was often just left on the floor. Arrows could be shot through the windows because they had no glass for windows. The peasants lived outside of the castle in little villages. "Peasant families lived in small hut made of mud or wood with straw roofs" (Holt, 195). These hut only had one room, therefore it made life very miserable for many people. A peasant's day of life consisted of farming. Not only did they have to farm their land, but also had to farm the lord's land also. Life in the medieval Times may seem to be very difficult, which it was, but it has changed our lives for the better.
Although scholars dispute its roots, Feudalism was mostly seen in Frankish lands around the 9th and 10th century. ("Feudalism: History of Feudalism in Europe." Infoplease.) The system was first introduced as a means of protection for the king. However, as time grew the opportunity to use it as means of exchange for services between the king and vassal was found. Instead of just forcing people into the king’s army the idea of giving fiefs to those who would pledge their life to service the king was decided on. Likewise, vassal, or the knights saw the advantages they had that could be used to their advantage.