Life in the Medieval Era Essay - 753 Words

Life in the Medieval Era Living in the medieval time period was not as glamorous as it is often portrayed; peasants and serfs led hard lives, however, kings, lords, and knights lived lavishly and at the expense of those under them. In this paper you will read about all of these lifestyles, as well as the castles in which these lords and kings lived in. Mainly castle designs, fortifications, and siege tactics will be revealed to you; yet there are several sections, dealing with the lifestyles of the above mentioned, leading up to that. The Feudal System The social structure of the Middle Ages was based on the practice of feudalism. Feudalism meant that the country was not governed directly by the king, but by individual lords†¦show more content†¦The rest of the time the villagers were free to work their own fields. During the Middle Ages a peasant’s life was, indeed, very rough, there were anywhere from ten to sixty families living in a single village; they lived in rough huts on dirt floors, with no chimneys, or windows. Usually one end of the hut was given over to storing livestock. Furnishings were quite sparse; three legged stools, a trestle table, beds softened with straw or leaves and placed on the floor; the peasant diet was mainly porridge, cheese, black bread, and a few homegrown vegetables. Peasants had a hard life, yet they did not work on Sundays, and they could travel to nearby fairs and markets. The basic diet of a lord consisted of meat, fish, pastries, cabbage, turnips, onions, carrots, beans, and peas, as well as fresh bread, cheese, and fruit. This is by no means equivalent to the meals the peasants ate, a lord might even feast on boar, swan, or peacock as well. However both lords and peasants rarely drank water, due to the degree of contaminates in it, instead they often drank wine or beer. Serfs had neither freedom nor personal possessions and had to ask permission to be married, for they were bound to a lord for life. A serf could not leave the land under any circumstances, unless he ran away; if he chose to run to a town and managed to stay there for a year and a day, he wasShow MoreRelatedEras of Time1339 Words   |  6 PagesThere have existed several eras of music throughout time, some have lasted more than others, but only a few are most remembered. Whether you’re sitting through an elementary or high school lecture about the past you are mostly likely to encounter the Medieval and Renaissance Era periods. Both of these Eras have become the standards of the past. Although, the Medieval and Renaissance Era represent two distinct cultures and worldviews of life, neither period lacks significant features or events thatRead More Medieval Vs. Renaissance Philosophy1514 Words   |  7 PagesCollin Kwasigroch Dr. Molvarec History 1002 9/29/17 Medieval Vs Renaissance Philosophy The Medieval Era was a time dominated by belief. People lived with such great superstition and fear of God. Many people were focused not on their lives her on earth, but rather their life after death. During the Renaissance people became more humanistic and focused more on their lives in the moment rather than their afterlife. We can see these changes of Ideas by studying the works of Saint Anselm of CanterburyRead MoreArt in the Middle Ages and The Renaissance and Its Effect in Society1017 Words   |  5 PagesThe Medieval period also referred to as the Middle Ages was the period of time between the demise of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance era; this was the period from the 5th century to the 17th century in Europe. During this time, society conformed to the feudal system which was based on the hierarchy approach which upper class had control over the lower class. Included in this class structure were kings, lords, neighboring kings, peasants and church leaders. In the Middle Ages, art evolvesRead MorePolitics And City Of God : Issues And Medieval Political Thought Essay1717 Words   |  7 PagesPolitics in Augustinian City of God: Issues in Medieval Political Thought By Okechukwu S. Amadi Department of Political Administrative Studies University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria E-mail: okechukwu.amadi@uniport.edu.ng Abstract In this paper we have attempted to show the significance of St. Augustine’s thought on the problems of politics as contained in his famous work The City of God. We established that his theoretical enterprise on politics and State based as it were on theRead MoreThe Evolution of the Motet Essay1297 Words   |  6 PagesMotet The Evolution of the Motet Throughout the history of music, there have been few styles that not only have opened doors to masterwork compositions in their own genres, but have also led the way to other musical techniques over the musical eras and one of these magical music styles is the motet. The motet can easily be confused with other musical structures but what separates the motet from other types of group-performance based styles of music is a piece of music in several parts with wordsRead MoreThe Late Middle Ages And Medieval Times996 Words   |  4 PagesThe Middle Ages, or Medieval Times, lasted from the fifth to fifteenth centuries in European history. Specifically, 1300-1500 brought about the period known as the Late Middle Ages. In this period, a decline of the quality of life became apparent. The Late Middle Ages is viewed largely as the early beginnings of what would become the Renaissance only a couple of centuries later. Even being the late part of the Middle Ages, much of this time was still pr evalently medieval much like the earlier centuriesRead MoreThe Transition Of Medieval And Modern Times1235 Words   |  5 PagesThe transition of Medieval to Modern happened over a long period of time. The middle ages marked a dark time in Europe’s history, and the people were anxious to get out. The Renaissance began, and art emerged to create a brighter society. During the Reformation, the country shifted away from the Roman Catholic Church, and many Protestant religions emerged. The Scientific Revolution also marked a change in medical to modern by creating new ways to look at the world and mathematics. The Age ofRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, and Renaissance Perio1410 Words   |  6 Pagesthe European world dramatically reformed. The literature of each era indicates the profound cultural innovations. The Anglo-Saxons arguably most important literary piece, Beowulf, is a story of a brave warrior who fights Grendel. Grendel is described as, A powerful monster, living down/ In the darknessÂ…(lines 1-2). This affray demonstrates the timeless battle of good versus evil. The universal struggle is maintained in the Medieval plight for an ideal of perfect chivalry. Knights were guarded withRead More Art of the Ages Essay736 Words   |  3 Pagesand study of the natural world, even conceiving experiments to test his theories. It is art, however, that is the most visible indication of the changing outlook of Europeans. The focus on the natural world caused many artists to move away from the medieval focus on God to an increasing concern with the natural world and more precise depictions of that world. The horrors of the plague had caused many to question their faith in the 14th century, another factor in undermining a God-centered world. AsRead MoreLearning About Medieval Life and Society from Chaucers General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales1224 Words   |  5 PagesLearning About Medieval Life and Society from Chaucers General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales I have been studying Geoffrey Chaucers General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, of which I looked specifically at six portraits, these being: the Knight, his son, a young squire, the prioress, the wife of Bath, the Miller and the Pardoner. From these portraits I was able to observe the ways of life and society in medieval times. I found out about social status, fashion, wealth