Dirt, hunger and submission? Not necessarily! The life of medieval peasants had its advantages, and not small ones. We will prove it to you in 7 points.
As always, all rankings are based on our published articles. This time, we have selected texts that present the advantages of living in a medieval village. You can read more about how people coped with the "dark" middle ages HERE.
If you were a medieval peasant, you would surely appreciate that:
7. You have clear life goals…
English lords did not often interfere in the lives of their subjects. Relative autonomy, however, did not mean freedom, but the possibility of self-organization of work. Painting by Pieter Bruegel the Younger "Peasants at work".
Perhaps the standard of living of the peasant in the Middle Ages was lower than ours. However, the medieval peasant had something that today can only be envied:clearly defined life goals, a precise, fairly permanent position in society and a relative living balance (read more on this topic) .
6. … But you are not at all attached to your place in society
The situation of the serfs in medieval England was only apparently as tragic as it seems to us today. Many of them could compete with free people with their wealth.
British historian Ian Mortimer in his book "How to Survive in Medieval England" draws attention to the fact that in the second half of the fourteenth century, after the black death epidemic passed through Western Europe, often the richest peasants rented all their property from you, including the court. Then they married the daughters of the esquires, that is, the lower nobility , and thus they climbed the social ladder, jumping one step higher (read more about it) .
5. You can effectively influence your main employer
The lords did not always want to risk conflicts with the peasants - they could end in a revolt, like in 1381. The rebel leader of the day, Wat Tyler, on the mini-board.
Disputes between "the lord, the mayor and the parish priest" have always existed, but the peasant had some possibilities of pressure here - if not through negotiation, then using "passive resistance" and evading obligations. It is true that he risked a lot, as the Lord had the full right to judge and apply punishments imposed by the court Bajlif however, this form of pressure sometimes brought positive results for the village. Nobody wanted to flare up the conflict, let alone local peasant protests and rebellions, which in history, although rarely, did happen (read more on this topic) .
4. You combine profit with entertainment on games organized in the village
English lords built their enormous fortunes primarily on land and peasants working on it. But their other sources of income also benefited their subjects.
Despite the fact that the peasants traded at fairs and fairs shared their profits with the lord, most of them were not dissatisfied with this fact. This proves how profitable business was organized in the village for both the lord and his subjects (read more on this topic) .
3. You probably eat much healthier than people in the twenty-first century
Medieval English peasants usually ate to their heart's content. Although little meat was eaten, the hunger was satisfied with flour products. Image by Peter Bruegel.
The average middle-class family in the English countryside usually ate to their heart's content. Meat was consumed little, supplementing the demand for animal protein with fish and eggs, and for fats - with cheese, less often with bacon or pork fat. The basis of the menu were various types of flour products (read more on this topic).
2. Professional tasters watch over the quality of your drinks…
The English ale was very important in medieval England. So much so that, apart from brewers, there were already brewers and testers of its quality.
In the village, the tipper office of but was very important. As the Gies write in their book " Life in a medieval village ", In medieval village books he is mentioned on a par with the offices of usher, judge and reeve , i.e. the overseers of the land estate (the English equivalent of the village administrator). People for these positions were selected by the peasant community from among themselves. Appointed to office, they had to take an official oath that they would exercise it to the best of their ability. Because "there were punishments for disgracing the office during its performance." Interestingly, it was the only office that women could hold (read more about it) .
1. … And you can drink beer with every meal (and on every occasion)
For medieval English peasants, drinking alcohol was part of the daily routine. Painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger "Peasants in the Tavern".
For the inhabitant of medieval England but it was as common as bread, so much so that its price was regulated by statute. Everyone drank beer. Joseph and Frances Gies in their book " Life in a Medieval Village "They write:" If it was possible, every meal (including breakfast) was washed down with a weak but ". Beer could not be too strong as it would interfere with daily chores. Stronger species were used for banquet tables (read more on this topic) .