The Middle Ages:

Myth and Reality

The Middle Ages: The Myth

We think of knights in
shining armor, lavish
banquets, wandering
minstrels, kings, queens,
bishops, monks, pilgrims,
and glorious pageantry.
In film and in literature,
medieval life seems
heroic, entertaining, and
romantic.

The Middle Ages: The Reality

In reality, life in the

Middle Ages, a period
that extended from
approximately the 5th
century to the 15th
century in Western
Europe, could also be
harsh, uncertain, and
dangerous.

The Lord of the Manor

For safety and

defense, people in the
Middle Ages formed
small communities
around a central lord
or master.

The Manor

Most people lived

on a manor, which
consisted of the
castle (or manor
house), the church,
the village, and the
surrounding farm
land.

Self-Sufficiency

Each manor was largely selfsufficient, growing or producing

all of the basic items needed for
food, clothing, and shelter.
To meet these needs, the manor
had buildings devoted to special
purposes, such as:

The mill for grinding grain

The bake house for making bread
The blacksmith shop for creating
metal goods.

Isolation

These manors were

isolated, with
occasional visits
from peddlers,
pilgrims on their way
to the Crusades, or
soldiers from other
fiefdoms.

The Feudal System

Under the feudal

system, the king
awarded land grants or
fiefs to his most
important nobles,
barons, and bishops, in
return for their
contribution of soldiers
for the king's armies.

Nobles and Vassals

Nobles divided their

land among the lesser
nobility, who became
their vassals. Many of
these vassals became
so powerful that the
kings had difficulty
controlling them.

The Magna Carta

In 1215, the English

barons formed an
alliance that forced King
John to sign the Magna
Carta. It limited the
king's powers of taxation
and required trials by
jury. It was the first time
that an English monarch
was subject to the law.

The Peasants

At the lowest level of

society were the
peasants, also called
serfs or villeins.
The lord offered his
peasants protection in
exchange for living and
working on his land.

Hard Work & High Taxes

Peasants worked hard to

cultivate the land and
produce the goods that
the lord and his manor
needed.
They were heavily taxed
and were required to
relinquish much of what
they harvested.

Bound by law and custom

It is the custom in England, as with other

countries, for the nobility to have great power over
the common people, who are serfs. This means
that they are bound by law and custom to plough
the field of their masters, harvest the corn, gather
it into barns, and thresh and winnow the grain;
they must also mow and carry home the hay, cut
and collect wood, and perform all manner of tasks
of this kind.
-- Jean Froissart, 1395

MEDIEVAL LIFE
Cooperation and
Mutual
Obligations
KING

MANORIALISM:
ECONOMIC SYSTEM

FEUDALISM:
POLITICAL SYSTEM
Fief and Peasants

Decentralized, local
government
Dependent upon the
relationship between
members of the nobility
Lord and his vassals
administered justice
and were the highest
authority in their land

Agriculture the basis for

wealth
Lands divided up into
self-sufficient manors
Peasants (serfs) worked
the land and paid rent In
exchange for protection
Barter the usual form of
exchange

Military Aid
Loyalty
LORDS (VASSALS TO KING)

Food

Protection

Shelter

Military Service
Homage
KNIGHTS (VASSALS TO LORDS)

Food

Protection
Farm the
Land

PEASANTS (SERFS)

Shelter
Pay
Rent

Women: Household Chores

Whether they were

nobles or peasants,
women held a difficult
position in society.
They were largely
confined to household
tasks such as cooking,
baking bread, sewing,
weaving, and spinning.

Hunting & Fighting

However, they also

hunted for food and
fought in battles,
learning to use
weapons to defend
their homes and
castles.

Other Occupations

Some medieval women

held other occupations.
There were women
blacksmiths,
merchants, and
apothecaries.

Midwives, Farmers, & Artists

Others were
midwives, worked in
the fields, or were
engaged in creative
endeavors such as
writing, playing
musical instruments,
dancing, and painting.

Witches & Nuns

Some women were

known as witches,
capable of sorcery
and healing. Others
became nuns and
devoted their lives
to God and spiritual
matters.

The Catholic Church

The Catholic Church was

the only church in Europe
during the Middle Ages, and
it had its own laws and large
income.
Church leaders such as
bishops and archbishops sat
on the king's council and
played leading roles in
government.

Bishops

Bishops, who were often

wealthy and came from
noble families, ruled
over groups of parishes
called dioceses.
Many times, they were
part of the feudal system
and in exchange for a fief
and peasants had to
provide homage and
military aid to a leige
lord.

Parish Priests

Parish priests, on the other

hand, came from humbler
backgrounds and often had
little education.
The village priest tended
to the sick and indigent
and, if he was able, taught
Latin and the Bible to the
youth of the village

Monasteries

Monasteries in the Middle

Ages were based on the
rules set down by St.
Benedict in the sixth
century. The monks became
known as Benedictines and
took vows of poverty,
chastity, and obedience to
their leaders.

Monks

Monks were required to

perform manual labor
and were forbidden to
own property, leave the
monastery, or become
entangled in the concerns
of society.
Daily tasks were often
carried out in silence.

Nuns

Monks and their female

counterparts, nuns, who
lived in convents,
provided for the lessfortunate members of
the community.
Monasteries and
nunneries were safe
havens for pilgrims and
other travelers.

Monastic Life

Monks and nuns went

to the monastery
church eight times a
day in a routine of
worship that involved
singing, chanting, and
reciting prayers from
the divine offices and
from the service for
Mass.

The Divine Office

The first office,

Matins, began at 2 AM
and the next seven
followed at regular
intervals, culminating in
Vespers in the evening
and Compline before
the monks and nuns
retired at night.

Education

Between prayers, the

monks read or copied
religious texts and
music. Monks were
often well educated
and devoted their
lives to writing and
learning.

Pilgrimages

Pilgrimages were an
important part of religious
life in the Middle Ages.
Many people took
journeys to visit holy
shrines such the
Canterbury Cathedral in
England and sites in
Jerusalem and Rome.

The Canterbury Tales

Chaucer's Canterbury
Tales is a series of
stories told by 30
pilgrims as they
traveled to Canterbury.

Homes

Most medieval homes

were cold, damp, and
dark. Sometimes it
was warmer and
lighter outside the
home than within its
walls.

Windows

For security purposes,

windows, when they were
present, were very small
openings with wooden
shutters that were closed at
night or in bad weather. The
small size of the windows
allowed those inside to see
out, but kept outsiders from
looking in.

Peasants Homes

Many peasant
families ate, slept,
and spent time
together in very small
quarters, rarely more
than one or two
rooms. The houses
had thatched roofs
and were easily
destroyed.

House Construction

Medieval Village

Homes of the Wealthy

The homes of the rich were

more elaborate than the
peasants' homes. Their
floors were paved, as
opposed to being strewn
with rushes and herbs, and
sometimes decorated with
tiles. Tapestries were hung
on the walls, providing not
only decoration but also an
extra layer of warmth.

Fenestral Windows

Fenestral windows, with

lattice frames that were
covered in a fabric soaked
in resin and tallow,
allowed in light, kept out
drafts, and could be
removed in good weather.
Only the wealthy could
afford panes of glass;
sometimes only churches
and royal residences had
glass windows.

The Kitchens of Peasant Homes

In simpler homes where

there were no chimneys,
the medieval kitchen
consisted of a stone
hearth in the center of
the room. This was not
only where the cooking
took place, but also the
source of central heating.

The Peasant Diet

In peasant families, the

wife did the cooking and
baking. The peasant diet
consisted of breads,
vegetables from their own
gardens, dairy products
from their own sheep,
goats, and cows, and pork
from their own livestock.

Herbs & Pottage

Often the true taste of their

meat, salted and used
throughout the year, was
masked by the addition of
herbs, leftover breads, and
vegetables. Some vegetables,
such as cabbages, leeks, and
onions became known as
"pot-herbs." This pottage was
a staple of the peasant diet

The Kitchens of Manor Houses

The kitchens of manor

houses and castles had
big fireplaces where
meat, even large oxen,
could be roasted on
spits. These kitchens
were usually in
separate buildings, to
minimize the threat of
fire.

Sources of Meat

Pantries were hung

with birds and beasts,
including swans,
blackbirds, ducks,
pigeons, rabbits,
mutton, venison, and
wild boar. Many of
these animals were
caught on hunts.

Woolen & Linen Clothing

Most people in the

Middles Ages wore
woolen clothing, with
undergarments made
of linen. Brighter
colors, better
materials, and a
longer jacket length
were usually signs of
greater wealth.

Clothing of the Wealthy

The clothing of the

aristocracy and wealthy
merchants tended to be
elaborate and changed
according to the dictates of
fashion. Towards the end of
the Middle Ages, men of
the wealthy classes sported
hose and a jacket, often
with pleating or skirting, or
a tunic with a surcoat.

Womens Clothing

Women wore flowing

gowns and elaborate
headwear, ranging from
headdresses shaped like
hearts or butterflies to
tall steeple caps and
Italian turbans.

Monks Clothing

Most of the holy orders wore long

woolen habits in emulation of
Roman clothing. One could tell the
order by the color of the habit: the
Benedictines wore black; the
Cistercians and Dominicans,
undyed wool or white, and the
Franciscans, brown. 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.

Nuns Clothing

The Poor Clare Sisters, an

order of Franciscan nuns, had
to petition the Pope in order
to be permitted to wear
woolen socks.

Peasant Clothing

Peasant men wore

stockings and tunics, while
women wore long gowns
with sleeveless tunics and
wimples to cover their hair.
Sheepskin cloaks and
woolen hats and mittens
were worn in winter for
protection from the cold
and rain. Leather boots
were covered with wooden
patens to keep the feet dry.

Outer and Under Garments

The 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. Peasant
women spun wool into
the threads that were
woven into the cloth for
these garments.

Fur and Jewelry

Fur was often used to line the

garments of the wealthy.
Jewelry was lavish, much of
it imported and often used as
security against loans. Gem
cutting was not invented until
the fifteenth century, so most
stones were not very lustrous.
Ring brooches were the most
popular item from the twelfth
century on.

Love Conquers All

Chaucer's prioress in
the Canterbury Tales
wore a brooch with
the inscription Amor
vincit omnia (Love
conquers all), not a
particularly
appropriate slogan for
a nun.

Laws Governing Jewelry

Diamonds became
popular in Europe in the
fourteenth century. By the
mid-fourteenth century
there were laws to control
who wore what jewelry ,
and knights were not
permitted to wear rings.
Sometimes clothes were
garnished with silver, but
only the wealthy could
wear such items.

Health & Hygiene

As the populations of
medieval towns and
cities increased,
hygienic conditions
worsened, leading to a
vast array of health
problems.

Medicine

Medical knowledge was

limited and, despite the efforts
of medical practitioners and
public and religious
institutions to institute
regulations, medieval Europe
did not have an adequate
health care system. Antibiotics
weren't invented until the
1800s and it was almost
impossible to cure diseases
without them.

Myths and Superstitions

There were many myths and

superstitions about health and
hygiene as there still are today.
People believed, for example,
that disease was spread by bad
odors. It was also assumed that
diseases of the body resulted
from sins of the soul. Many
people sought relief from their
ills through meditation, prayer,
pilgrimages, and other
nonmedical methods.

Four Humors

The body was viewed as a part of

the universe, a concept derived from
the Greeks and Romans. Four
humors, or body fliuds, were
directly related to the four elements.

Fire: yellow bile or choler

Water: phlegm
Earth: black bile
Air: blood.

These four humors had to be

balanced. Too much of one was
thought to cause a change in
personality--for example, too much
black bile could create melancholy.

Bloodletting

Medicine was often a risky

business. Bloodletting was
a popular method of
restoring a patient's health
and "humors." Early
surgery, often done by
barbers without anesthesia,
must have been
excruciating.

Medical Treatment

Medical treatment was

available mainly to the
wealthy, and those
living in villages rarely
had the help of doctors,
who practiced mostly in
the cities and courts.
Remedies were often
herbal in nature, but
also included ground
earthworms, urine, and
animal excrement.

Remedies

Many medieval medical

manuscripts contained
recipes for remedies
that called for hundreds
of therapeutic
substances--the notion
that every substance in
nature held some sort of
power accounts for the
enormous variety of
substances.

Lay Medical Judgments

Many treatments were

administered by people
outside the medical tradition.
Coroners' rolls from the time
reveal how lay persons often
made sophisticated medical
judgments without the aid of
medical experts. From these
reports we also learn about
some of the major causes of
death.

Surgery

Performed as a last resort,

surgery was known to be
successful in cases of
breast cancer, fistula,
hemorrhoids, gangrene,
and cataracts, as well as
tuberculosis of the lymph
glands in the neck
(scrofula). The most
common form of surgery
was bloodletting; it was
meant to restore the
balance of fluids in the
body.

Arts & Entertainment

Art and music were critical

aspects of medieval
religious life and, towards
the end of the Middle Ages,
secular life as well. Singing
without instrumental
accompaniment was an
essential part of church
services. Monks and priests
chanted the divine offices
and the mass daily.

Musical Instruments

Some churches had

instruments such as organs
and bells. The organistrum
or symphony (later known
as a hurdy gurdy) was also
found in churches. Two
people were required to play
this stringed instrument-one to turn the crank and the
other to play the keys.

Drama

Medieval drama grew out

of the liturgy, beginning
in about the eleventh
century. Some of the
topics were from the Old
Testament (Noah and the
flood, Jonah and the
whale, Daniel in the lion's
den) and others were
stories about the birth and
death of Christ.

Costumes

These dramas were

performed with costumes
and musical instruments
and at first took place
directly outside the
church. Later they were
staged in marketplaces,
where they were
produced by local guilds.

Town Life

After 1000, peace and

order grew. As a result,
peasants began to
expand their farms and
villages further into the
countryside. The earliest
merchants were peddlers
who went from village
to village selling their
goods.

Peddlers

As the demand for goods

increased--particularly for the
gems, silks, and other
luxuries from Genoa and
Venice, the ports of Italy that
traded with the East--the
peddlers became more
familiar with complex issues
of trade, commerce,
accounting, and contracts.

Businessmen

They became savvy businessmen

and learned to deal with Italian
moneylenders and bankers. The
English, Belgians, Germans, and
Dutch took their coal, timber,
wood, iron, copper, and lead to the
south and came back with luxury
items such as wine and olive oil.

Tradesmen

With the advent of

trade and
commerce, feudal
life declined. As
the tradesmen
became wealthier,
they resented
having to give their
profits to their
lords.

Boroughs

Arrangements were made

for the townspeople to pay
a fixed annual sum to the
lord or king and gain
independence for their
town as a "borough" with
the power to govern itself.
The marketplace became
the focus of many towns.

Town Governments

As the townspeople
became "free" citizens,
powerful families,
particularly in Italy,
struggled to gain control
of the communes or
boroughs. Town councils
were formed.

Guilds

Guilds were established to

gain higher wages for
their members and protect
them from competitors.
As the guilds grew rich
and powerful, they built
guildhalls and began
taking an active role in
civic affairs, setting up
courts to settle disputes
and punish wrongdoers.

The Merchant Class

The new merchant class

included artisans,
masons, armorers,
bakers, shoemakers,
ropemakers, dyers, and
other skilled workers.

Masons

Of all the craftsmen,

the masons were the
highest paid and most
respected. They were,
after all, responsible
for building the
cathedrals, hospitals,
universities, castles,
and guildhalls.

Apprentices

Masons learned their

craft as apprentices
to a master mason,
living at lodges for
up to seven years.
The master mason
was essentially an
architect, a general
contractor, and a
teacher.

The First Companies

The population of cities

swelled for the first time
since before the Dark
Ages. With the new
merchant activity,
companies were formed.
Merchants hired
bookkeepers, scribes,
and clerks, creating new
jobs.

The Printing Press

Printing began in 1450

with the publication of
the Bible by Johannes
Gutenberg. This
revolutionized the spread
of learning. Other
inventions of the time
included mechanical
clocks, tower mills, and
guns.

The Birth of the Renaissance

The inventions of
Leonardo da Vinci and
the voyages of
discovery in the
fifteenth century
contributed to the birth
of the Renaissance.

Urban Life

Few serfs were left in Europe by

the end of the Middle Ages, and
the growing burgher class became
very powerful. Hard work and
enterprise led to economic
prosperity and a new social order.
Urban life brought with it a new
freedom for individuals.

References

Adapted from the Annenberg Media/Learner.org website The Middle Ages

http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/