Page Written By: Crew Member Malia S.
Medieval Life & Society
After one of the most powerful; flourishing empires fell in 476 A.D., life in western Europe became shaky and unstable. The Roman Empire was Europe’s prized gem, and without it, they had lost their shimmering light. During that time right after the fall of Rome, governments, if present at all, were weak, hunger and sickness was taking over citizens, and war spread across Western Europe like an expansive dark cloak;captivating all Europeans inside its horrible width. With all of this distress in the air, it had seemed as though Europe would never; could never escape its misery. And as our modern day looks back on this time period,the Middle Ages, that is simply how we view it: dark, dangerous, scary, gray. But could our perception of the Dark Ages be a bit twisted and askew? It is true that in the early days after the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was dangling off a shaky cliff; it was dark and depressing. But what many modern-day citizens have failed to realize is that those early, shaky times should not define the Middle Ages as a whole. As time went on, there in fact were many progressions and inventions that came about in the Dark Ages. If one could simply look deeper into all the elements of medieval times, one would be able to identify all of the factors that made this time in history not completely shadowy after all...
The Feudal System:
The feudal system was a special organization in the Dark Ages that makes it fair to question how “dark” those times really were. Feudalism brought a great sense of order and organization to Europe; it was a helpful and, perhaps, brilliant system in the Middle Ages. Feudalism in itself was a system of higher classes giving land to their vassals, and in return receiving protection and loyalty...it looked like this:
Monarch Nobles/Lords/ladies
Gave a piece of land-----> <----Gave protection & loyalty
Nobles/Lords/Ladies Knights
Gave a piece of land------> < -------Gave protection & loyalty
Knights Serfs
Gave a piece of land ------> <-----Gave protection & loyalty
After one of the most powerful; flourishing empires fell in 476 A.D., life in western Europe became shaky and unstable. The Roman Empire was Europe’s prized gem, and without it, they had lost their shimmering light. During that time right after the fall of Rome, governments, if present at all, were weak, hunger and sickness was taking over citizens, and war spread across Western Europe like an expansive dark cloak;captivating all Europeans inside its horrible width. With all of this distress in the air, it had seemed as though Europe would never; could never escape its misery. And as our modern day looks back on this time period,the Middle Ages, that is simply how we view it: dark, dangerous, scary, gray. But could our perception of the Dark Ages be a bit twisted and askew? It is true that in the early days after the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was dangling off a shaky cliff; it was dark and depressing. But what many modern-day citizens have failed to realize is that those early, shaky times should not define the Middle Ages as a whole. As time went on, there in fact were many progressions and inventions that came about in the Dark Ages. If one could simply look deeper into all the elements of medieval times, one would be able to identify all of the factors that made this time in history not completely shadowy after all...
The Feudal System:
The feudal system was a special organization in the Dark Ages that makes it fair to question how “dark” those times really were. Feudalism brought a great sense of order and organization to Europe; it was a helpful and, perhaps, brilliant system in the Middle Ages. Feudalism in itself was a system of higher classes giving land to their vassals, and in return receiving protection and loyalty...it looked like this:
Monarch Nobles/Lords/ladies
Gave a piece of land-----> <----Gave protection & loyalty
Nobles/Lords/Ladies Knights
Gave a piece of land------> < -------Gave protection & loyalty
Knights Serfs
Gave a piece of land ------> <-----Gave protection & loyalty
The monarch, the top of the social pyramid, had the most authority in the feudal system, while serfs were at the cold bottom; obtaining nearly no power, nor control over their own lives. Each vassal in the feudal system (one who promised to provide support and loyalty in exchange for a fief ,a piece of land) voiced the Oath of Fealty to their lord. This special promise claimed to be faithful to their upper class, no matter the circumstance or condition.
Feudalism was a very smart, orderly system in medieval times...clearly,though, it was not all bright and fair; there were some faults to the arrangement. For instance, feudalism often secured power and rule to those were not necessarily worthy of it, and discrimination and captivity to those who did not deserve it. Serfs, for instance, were treated like slaves; they were not allowed to simply step foot off their piece of land. So, yes, feudalism was a sign of order and progression in the Middle Ages, but it there were parts to it that were quite unfair and unreasonable. Fitting in with most everything in the Middle Ages; it had a little dose of dark and light blended together; it was gray and bright; it was truly a double edged sword...
Feudalism was a very smart, orderly system in medieval times...clearly,though, it was not all bright and fair; there were some faults to the arrangement. For instance, feudalism often secured power and rule to those were not necessarily worthy of it, and discrimination and captivity to those who did not deserve it. Serfs, for instance, were treated like slaves; they were not allowed to simply step foot off their piece of land. So, yes, feudalism was a sign of order and progression in the Middle Ages, but it there were parts to it that were quite unfair and unreasonable. Fitting in with most everything in the Middle Ages; it had a little dose of dark and light blended together; it was gray and bright; it was truly a double edged sword...
Life on the manors vs life in the towns:
In the Middle Ages, there were many things that were hardly golden and reasonable...one of them being life on the manors VS life in the towns.
Living in a manor house in the Middle Ages was living in pure royalty, wealth, and superiority. A lord/noble was almost always the owner of the manor, and his wife and other family members were under the safe roof of the manor house he had built especially for them. The most sorrowful, shameful part was that the lord had serfs slaving away for him while he warmed himself by the shining fire inside his luxurious estate. Yes, the lord did provide the serf with land in exchange for his work, but the fact that serfs were completely bound to their plot of land; sweating bullets all day long, still seems miles from equality. The lords and ladies living in the manor, of course, were living under exceptional conditions
In the Middle Ages, there were many things that were hardly golden and reasonable...one of them being life on the manors VS life in the towns.
Living in a manor house in the Middle Ages was living in pure royalty, wealth, and superiority. A lord/noble was almost always the owner of the manor, and his wife and other family members were under the safe roof of the manor house he had built especially for them. The most sorrowful, shameful part was that the lord had serfs slaving away for him while he warmed himself by the shining fire inside his luxurious estate. Yes, the lord did provide the serf with land in exchange for his work, but the fact that serfs were completely bound to their plot of land; sweating bullets all day long, still seems miles from equality. The lords and ladies living in the manor, of course, were living under exceptional conditions
A medieval town
The lord and his family slept in a room called the “Solar Room” (because light was constantly shining through the massive windows inside it, and countless other rooms of glory could be found in the manor house. Believe it or not, one fairly significant reason why the manors were so extravagant was vanity! Lords would often be looking to impress or even surpass other nobles with the beauty and expense of his manor. Vanity and arrogance are much a part of our society today, and that is news to no one. But it is quite unsettling to think that even in the Middle Ages, so many years ago, people were still being sucked into to the compelling, forceful wave of vanity and the need to exceed others; being pulled in so very deep, to the point where they were losing possession of themselves, and replacing it with towers of pride for others to gape at.
Life in the towns, however, was a complete different story...
Life in Medieval towns was far from luxurious. In fact, the towns often had very poor, unsatisfactory living conditions. Simply walking outside one’s town house was comparable to walking through a dump. Garbage had been thrown carelessly out into the streets by citizens, creating a repelling odor in the air. The people in the town surely had to have been disgusted by the stench, but not a soul bothered to change their ways of disposing of their trash. Instead, they came up with what they thought was a reasonable solution: bringing pigs to the town to eat the garbage! Small amounts of trash was eaten from the streets by the pigs, but the animals carried countless problems with them...one of them being that people, usually children, would be trampled or even eaten by the clean-up pigs! This of course, displays the ignorance of the people in the Middle Ages, and was a gray spot in that time. The people showed little knowledge, common sense, or development of useful methods to solve problems. Along with that, life in the towns had several more dark splotches to its name. Houses were typically tilted to one side, and roads were bumpy and unpaved. Diseases spread like wildfire, caused by a combination of little medical knowledge and the bacteria in the trash all around. The sickening way that the people in the town lived also proves how unequal and unfair medieval times could be. While lords were leaning back peacefully in their chair, gazing down at their fields as innocent men hauled and raked, townspeople were struggling to open the door of their crooked, run-down living space. When we, modern-day humans, imagine light, we picture fairness, brilliance, and progression. After looking deep into the ways of life in the manors vs the towns, it is clear that they were none of these things; the comparison of the two reveals a large patch of dark in this major period in time.
Life in the towns, however, was a complete different story...
Life in Medieval towns was far from luxurious. In fact, the towns often had very poor, unsatisfactory living conditions. Simply walking outside one’s town house was comparable to walking through a dump. Garbage had been thrown carelessly out into the streets by citizens, creating a repelling odor in the air. The people in the town surely had to have been disgusted by the stench, but not a soul bothered to change their ways of disposing of their trash. Instead, they came up with what they thought was a reasonable solution: bringing pigs to the town to eat the garbage! Small amounts of trash was eaten from the streets by the pigs, but the animals carried countless problems with them...one of them being that people, usually children, would be trampled or even eaten by the clean-up pigs! This of course, displays the ignorance of the people in the Middle Ages, and was a gray spot in that time. The people showed little knowledge, common sense, or development of useful methods to solve problems. Along with that, life in the towns had several more dark splotches to its name. Houses were typically tilted to one side, and roads were bumpy and unpaved. Diseases spread like wildfire, caused by a combination of little medical knowledge and the bacteria in the trash all around. The sickening way that the people in the town lived also proves how unequal and unfair medieval times could be. While lords were leaning back peacefully in their chair, gazing down at their fields as innocent men hauled and raked, townspeople were struggling to open the door of their crooked, run-down living space. When we, modern-day humans, imagine light, we picture fairness, brilliance, and progression. After looking deep into the ways of life in the manors vs the towns, it is clear that they were none of these things; the comparison of the two reveals a large patch of dark in this major period in time.
The Role of Women:
When we look back on Medieval times today, we can see how we have grown; developed better values as a society than were present back then. For instance, the roles of women and how they were treated seems unacceptable to us now, but for folks in medieval times, it was simply their way of life.
Women were considered:
-Inferior to men
-Not as intelligent as men, if at all
-Only useful for around-the-house and working duties
-Less important than men
Of course, in our day and age, these views have been proven wrong and fought against, making it so they are only faintly, if at all, present inside the minds of most males. But in the Middle Ages, this was the sad, real truth according to men. Women in this time were almost always very poor, having considerably less money than men.
Their main roles were limited to:
-Cooking
-Weaving
-Taking care of the children
-Nuns
-Even servants!
When we look back on Medieval times today, we can see how we have grown; developed better values as a society than were present back then. For instance, the roles of women and how they were treated seems unacceptable to us now, but for folks in medieval times, it was simply their way of life.
Women were considered:
-Inferior to men
-Not as intelligent as men, if at all
-Only useful for around-the-house and working duties
-Less important than men
Of course, in our day and age, these views have been proven wrong and fought against, making it so they are only faintly, if at all, present inside the minds of most males. But in the Middle Ages, this was the sad, real truth according to men. Women in this time were almost always very poor, having considerably less money than men.
Their main roles were limited to:
-Cooking
-Weaving
-Taking care of the children
-Nuns
-Even servants!
They needed to work for 12 hours in a day in order to survive in the crazy world surrounding them, and were treated this way no matter how much brilliance, importance, and worthiness lay beneath the surface of others’ twisted perception. When looking back at this time in history, it is easy to say that all males were sexist and discriminatory towards women. Part of this is true; many males did treat women as inferior to them; as unimportant people who deserved little or no rights. Of course, these are perverse, inaccurate titles to attach to women; and it is a tremendous step that our civilization has taken in the right direction by pushing past these views. But the men in the Middle Ages were not completely full with unequal and injustice ideas about women. Many men actually treated women with respect, and they had very comfortable, rich lives if they were part of the royalty. Men even became to treat women with more consideration and appreciation when chivalry was brought to Medieval times. Some women are even remembered today for their importance and contributions to medieval society and life:
-Joan of Arc
-Hildegard
-Julian of Norwich
-Isabella of France
-Mary de Bohun
-And many more!
So, when people look back on the Middle Ages and see a community of discrimination of women and chauvinists, they must realize that they are only seeing the dark side to the picture; they may be blind to a glimmer of light shining through from the other side of the painting of medieval women.
-Joan of Arc
-Hildegard
-Julian of Norwich
-Isabella of France
-Mary de Bohun
-And many more!
So, when people look back on the Middle Ages and see a community of discrimination of women and chauvinists, they must realize that they are only seeing the dark side to the picture; they may be blind to a glimmer of light shining through from the other side of the painting of medieval women.
Medieval law and order:
Law and order,and the ways of crime and punishment, in the Middle Ages was a considerably large dark, gory area. The consequences held for even a minuscule crime were most always bloody, and full of screaming and pain. The following is a list of the harsh penalties forced on criminals in the Middle Ages:
-Vagrancy: criminals were whipped and were branded with the letter V
-Theft- criminals’ hands were chopped off, their ears were cut off, and they received branding from a hot iron
-Highway Robbery- criminals were hung
-Theft of a shilling- criminals were hung
High treason- criminals were either hung, drawn, or quartered
One significant part of law and order in medieval times was trials by ordeal. Trials by ordeal is a dark hole in this time period; something that can leave us with a heavy feeling in our stomach; it is quite disturbing to picture in our minds. A trial began when a woman was accused of witchcraft...then, she was put in one of three trials:
Ordeal By Fire: The woman would be burned with a red hot iron, walk three steps, and then be bandaged for three days. If she began to heal after three days, she was called innocent. But if the burn hadn't started to get better, she was guilty.
Ordeal By Water: The woman was tied up and thrust into a pool of water. If she sank, she was innocent, but if she floated, she was named guilty.
Ordeal By Combat(used for nobles): A noble would fight with the accused noble..if the accused won, he was called innocent.
It is horrifying to think that innocent women were subject to burning, drowning, and sometimes even choking. In the middle ages, there were so many superstitions and fears present...in some ways, a lot of good came out of those beliefs and ideas (gothic cathedrals with exact biblical measurements, an occasional effective cure to an illness, based on a superstition). But in this case, the tangled, bent beliefs of the people in the middle ages about women and witchcraft caused so much destruction to their own time. Hundreds, more likely millions, of lives were destroyed by the gripping hands of irrational beliefs, illogical superstitions, and false accusations. This in itself reveals a heavy brick of unintelligence, a lack of progress, and unnecessary death in the middle ages.
But though this was a grim spot in the dark ages, there are also so many lights shining in this period of time...even some that we have yet to discover. And in this humungous gold mine of medieval times, we still have so many more things to uncover...the shadows, the sparkling gold, and most of all, the combination of the two...
Page Written By: Crew Member Malia S.
Resources:
1)Glossary of Medieval Terms (ISN pg. 64)
2)Feudal Life/Society (ISN pg. 68)
3)Mrs. Oliveira’s Handy Dandy Guide to Understanding Feudalism (ISN pg. 69)
4)The Rise of Towns(ISN pg. 76)
5)Quin,Joa.MedievalTimes&Castles.29November2008.1April2013. <http://www.medievality.com/medieval-women.html>.
6)Medieval Crime and Punishment (ISN pg. 77)
7)Textbook Topic Research (ISN pg. 66)