Middle Ages Essay

MIDDLE AGES

Introduction

Did you know how life was in the middle ages? Feudalism was the government of the middle ages in which there was not a king but a lords. The Black Death is a deadly disease that started in the fourteenth century jousting Is a sport where their is two people on horsebacks trying to knock eachother off using something called lances

Feudalism

Feudalism was the government of the middle ages in which there was not a king but a lords who administrated their own states. Lords could also dispense their own justice, have their own money, levied taxes and tolls they could also demand military service from vassals. According to Britain express “Feudalism in practice meant that the country was not governed by the king but by individual lords, or barons, who levied taxes and tolls, and demanded military service from vassals.”(Ross) 

The Feudalism system was organized by a lord who exchanged land for military services from the nobles, the nobles also gave land to vassals in exchange The lord owned the land and everything in it. He would keep the peasants safe in return for their service. the vassals also gave land to peasants in exchange for food and labor. According to ducksters “The lord owned the land and everything in it. He would keep the peasants safe in return for the lord would provide the king with soldiers or taxes.” (Ross)

Although it was a government system followed by all, most people didn't benefit like the peasants. Peasants were the largest and lowest group in medieval society, making up over 90% of the population. They worked and lived in land owned by a lord and were not allowed to leave without the lord's permission, and they were at the bottom of the system. According to ducksters “Some peasants were considered free and could own their own businesses like carpenters, bakers, and blacksmiths. Others were more like slaves.” (Ross) They owned nothing and barely had any food for the week.

A serf is like a peasant but not exactly, a serf had to bound to the lord for life. A surf could not own land and could not have relationships without a lords approval. If a serf where to run away to another town was able to stay their for a year and a day he was considered a free man. According to “britain express” “He could not be displaced if the manor changed hands. He could not be required to fight, and he was entitled to the protection of the lord. (Ross)

Black Death

The black death is a deadly disease that started in the fourteenth century, it would kill 1.5 million people out of 4 million between 1348 to 1350. The black death struck england 6 more times by the end of the century. No amount of medical knowledge could help England when the plague struck.“It was also to have a major impact on England’s social structure which lead to the Peasants Revolt of 1381.” (“all…”) 

Up until recently we learned that the plague came from fleece that were carried by black eats the were commonly found in towns and cities. In 2014 people in City of london realized that fleece cant be “responsible for an infection that spread so fast, it had to be airborne.Once the disease reached the lungs of the malnourished, it was then spread to the wider population through sneezes and coughs.” (“History…”)

One of the consequences of the black plage is inflation. This made it harder for poor people. In some places, food prices went up 4 times than their old price, This mean if a water cost 1 dollar now it would cost almost 5 dollars. According to History learning site “One consequence of the Black Death was inflation – the price of food went up creating more hardship for the poor. In some parts of England, food prices went up by four times.” (“History…”)

The black plague also caused a lot of farmer to get sick for they was no one to atend the animals which meant they would die which would cause starvation in a lot of towns. A lot of people had to deal with food shortages for the towns around could not provide enough food. According to History learning site “Fields went unploughed as the men who usually did this were victims of the disease. Harvests would not have been brought in as the manpower did not exist. Animals would have been lost as the people in a village would not have been around to tend them.Therefore whole villages would have faced starvation.” (“History…”)

Jousting

Jousting Is a sport where their is two people on horsebacks trying to knock eachother off using something called lances. Jousting competitions were also called torneys. The knights from the area were the competition was held normally would fight the knights of other areas. Jousting matches also allowed knights to practise their skills and become better warriors. According to “knights jousting” “winning or losing a jousting competition could make or break a knight’s reputation.” (“Drop…”)

The lance was the main weapon for jousting tournaments back in the middle ages. However they were not the same as the weapons they used in battle. They use these weapons to decrease chances of injuries and deaths during a jousting match. In order to lower chances of injuries, they had to make the lances hollow and out of a soft wood, while the ends where blunt. According to “dropbox” “The lance was the main weapon used in medieval jousting contests however they were not the same jousting sticks used in battle, especially in later medieval jousting contests.” (“drop…”)

The quintain is a piece of equipment used by squires and knights to practise their jousting skills. Knights and squires would attack the quintain aiming their lance at the shield target, if they hit the target perfectly the shield would spin, but if they missed it and hit it incorrectly, the sand bag on the other end of the pole could spin round and hit them knocking them off their horses. Drop Box states “The Quintain was an excellent piece of equipment used by squires & knights to practice their jousting skills.” (“Drop…”)

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the middle ages people had a government called the feudal system. They also had to deal with a deadly disease called “ The Black plague”. Their was also one very popular sport, jousting, which a lot of people liked. The middle ages is a cool time to study for it is very interesting. The middle ages is an important time to study.

Works Cited 

“History Learning Site” The Black Death Of 1348 Of 1350. www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medie 

val -england/black-death-1348-1350/. Accessed 24 January 2025. 

“History Of Black Death” All About History. allabouthistory.org/history-of-black-death.htm 24 

January 2025.

“Knights Jousting” Knights Jousting. www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6aup8b4h0wflnmpfmtsnf/Knight 

-Jousting.pdf?rlkey=e7egambac0ifhto2gra5wh6yk&e=1&dl=0. Access 27 January 2025. 

“Middle Ages Feudal System.” Ducksters. www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal _system.php  

Accessed 22 February 2023.

“Middle Ages Tournaments, Joust, and the Code of Chivalry” Ducksters. www.duckster.com 

/history/middle_ages/tournaments_jousts_chivalry.php. Accessed 28 January 2025.

Ross, David. “Feudalism and Medieval Life.” Britain Express. www.britainexpress.com 

/History/Feudalism_and_Medieval_life.htm Accessed 7 February 2023.