Middle Ages Research Project

The Middle Ages

Introduction

The Middle Ages was a very “unusual” time period. Feudalism was a special government system and everyone was either a peasant/serf, knight, priest, or a king. The Black Death was a very strong disease that was very contagious and as we all know, it killed a lot of people. During the Middle Ages, they had a lot of the holidays and celebrations that we have now. They just celebrated them a bit differently. The point is, the Middle Ages was a very interesting time period.

Feudalism

Back in the Medieval times, the government had a specific system that all people depended on. It was a government system that kept everything in its place and balanced. The lowest rank of people were serfs or peasants. The second lowest were knights. The second highest were the priests, and the highest of them all were obviously the kings. Peasants or serfs worked for the kings, which were the lowest ranked people. According to “Ducksters”, “Some peasants were considered free.” The kings were the highest ranked. They would be protected at all times and they would live in big, tall, fancy castles. The kings basically had power over everyone, and they thought all the power they had was granted by God.

Next, the knights. The knights protected their master also known as their king. The knights were an army with hard metal shields and special clothes specifically used for war. Usually the knights would fight for land. A knight showed “prowess' ' during war. The word “prowess” means to show bravery, strength, and skill. According to “Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament”, “Most knights were required to be at least 21 years old.” When knights were not in battle, they would serve as officers for the lords. The priests were the second highest rank. These priests dedicated their lives to serve as spiritual educators, and they would care for those who attended the local church. During the Medieval times priests were also allowed on the battlefields as well as the kings, who took out their swords and took action in the battle.

The Black Death

Around 1335, it was believed that the Black Death started to reach out to people causing them to get ill and to eventually parish. It is unknown what caused this disease, but it is believed that fleas and rats, common in those areas caused the Black Death to occur. It is obvious that the Black Death killed many people, and according to the website “History Learning Site”, “By Spring 1349 the Black Death had killed six out of every ten Londoners.”

During the Medieval Times, the areas in which people were living in; were tightly packed together, and nobody knew what diseases were at that time. People were communicating with each other without even knowing that there was a deadly disease going around and killing people! According to “History Learning Site '', “the price of food went up creating more hardship for the poor. In some parts of England, food prices went up by four times.” This means that it made it harder for people that don’t have money to buy things because the price of food, medication, or anything went up 4 times than before.

According to “Wellcome Collection”, “Charles de Lorme rose to fame by inventing the all-enveloping “plague prevention costume”. A man by the name Charles de Lorme created a protection suit for The Black Death. The protection outfit included, beaked mask, gloves, and long coats in an attempt to protect themselves from the disease. The thin, point, beak-shaped mask was to filter air and make it cleaner so people could actually breathe. This also prevented the plague from spreading any further. The long coats that the doctors used were for the “bad air” to try to protect the air from getting into their bodies, as well as the gloves.

Holiday and Celebrations

In the Middle Ages, they had a lot of the holidays and celebrations we have today. They celebrated them just a bit differently. Like Christmas, Easter, etc. Back then, Christmas was celebrated in January. The name was also very different back then. Christmas was named “Twelfth Night”, and the people feasted for twelve days straight! People celebrated this because of the arrival of Jesus and the Three Wise Men. Another celebration they had was named “St. Catherine's day”. 

According to “Jestress’s Forgotten Books and Stories' ',  “St. Catherine of Alexandria was a learned noblewoman who was killed on a wheel (it was a bizarre and disgusting form of execution).  The holiday honoring her was associated with wheels' '. Very strange right? Well another holiday that they celebrated was associated with gloves, geese and ginger. This holiday was celebrating St. Michael; this holiday is Michaelmas. St.  Michael’s backstory was that he was a warrior during the medieval times. They celebrated Easter by fasting and they would end the fasting on a Sunday, known as “Easter Sunday”. There are many more celebrations that they celebrated back then, and that they are celebrated differently than how people celebrate them right now.

Most of the holidays that people celebrated in the Middle Ages had something to do with religion. The holidays were supposed to honor Cristian saints and other important religious concepts. Like Easter. Most people today celebrate Easter and think that it’s all about a bunny and eggs. Even though Easter is actually meant for  celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Christmas is another example because some people celebrate just for family, friends, and gifts, but the actual celebration is for Jesus’ birth, and the Three Wise Men.

Conclusion 

The Middle Ages was a very unique time period and it has many fascinating and interesting facts to learn about! Feudalism, which was their government system back then. As well as the Black Death because it was a very brutal disease and it killed over 50 million people! Some holidays we celebrate today were celebrated way differently back in the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages was an important time period because it had so much information that we have now; because of everything that occured back then.

Works Cited 

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

Accessed 22 February 2023. 

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

/History/Feudalism_and_Medieval_life.htm Accessed 7 February 2023.

“Medieval Holidays and Festivals.” Jestress’s Forgotten Books and Stories. 3 January 2018, 

forgottenstoriesweb.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/medieval-holidays-and-festivals/. Accessed 23 

February 2024.

“Medieval Holidays.” Medieval Life and Times. www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-engla 

nd/medieval-holidays.htm. Accessed 23 February 2024.

Trueman, C N. “Peasants Revolt.” History Learning Site. www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval-en 

gland/peasants-revolt/. Accessed 23 February 2024.

Trueman, C N. “The Black Death of 1348 to 1350.” History Learning Site. www.historylearningsite 

.co.uk/medieval-england/black-death-1348-1350/#google_vignette.  Accessed 22 February 2024.