Middle Ages Research Project

Giovanni Guzman 

Encounters 6

Ms. Damante

April 19, 2024

The Middle Ages: A Time No One Forgets!

Introduction

Have you ever wanted to know about the Middle ages? Well this essay is the right place to be! The Middle Ages is such a fun place to find out about what has happened in the past. The middle ages is where you can learn about Feudalism, crime and punishment, and even the games and recreation. Feudalism was the government and society of Europe during the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages crime and punishment was a huge thing. There were a lot of different punishments for many different crimes. They also had lots of fun games during the Middle Ages. Most of the Middle Ages games were the early versions of the games we play today. In this essay your going to learn about the Middle Ages even more and enjoy learning about Feudalism, crimes 

and punishment, and the games and recreation!

Feudalism

Feudalism was the government and society in Europe during the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages also included a lot of different titles. Some of the titles included the lords, the vassals, the manor, and serfs to name a few. During the Middle Ages Feudalism was built off a relationship of obligation and mutual respect between vassals and lords. A lord was noble who held land. A vassal was a person granted possession of the land by the lord. There were small communities that formed around the local lord and manor. The manor was in charge of the set of rights between a lord and his serfs. 

Serfs were the poorest, and were the lowest in rank. Lords owned the serfs that would live on their land. So in exchange the serfs would work on their land to grow crops for themselves and their lord. The serfs were also expected to pay rent to the knights on top of working in the farms. The knights were second to lowest in rank. They were vassals to the lord,  and could be called into battle at any moment. “They also were the king's knights and could be called into battle at any moment by their Baron.”, says the article titled, “Middle Ages Feudal System.” The knights provided lords with protection and military service. So, in exchange they gave the knights protection, shelter, and food. 

Then comes the King which was the highest rank in the government. The lords were vassals to the king. The king owned anything and everything including the serfs that lived on his land. The king was unable to handle all of his land, so he decided to split it up with the barons. In return, the barons offered the military forces, protection, and loyalty to the king. After the king dies, his son, the firstborn, recognized as a medieval prince, would inherit the throne, with all the royal benefits and needs.

Crime and Punishment

During the Middle Ages, crime and punishment was huge. There were many different punishments for every type of crime. “A criminal was someone who, by doing something wrong, “had disturbed the king’s peace.”, says the article titled, “Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages.” By disturbing the king you could get a life sentence to jail or executed. The people who dealt with the serious crimes were called justices, appointed by the king from among officials and trained lawyers. 

The sheriff was the person who had the job of rounding up criminals and keeping them in jail before they were brought to trial. Most of the conditions there were usually very dirty and crowded. Prisoners often died of diseases before they were brought to trial. People could be beheaded and limbs could be cut off. People could also have their hand or foot cut off. The men and women had different ways of being killed. The men would be hanged and the women would be burnt at the stake. Vagabonds were often whipped and chained in stocks. Vagabonds were homeless and unemployed people who would roam around the country, and that's how they got the name. Vagabonds were a mix of ex-soldiers, unemployed farm workers, old and sick people, women, and children. 

Catholic churches used torture and imprisonment to obtain confessions from people regardless of wether they were guilty. People often had their right hand cut off for stealing, people were beaten, burned alive, stretched on a rack, and women committing adultery were drowned. Then, over the years Roman and Greek law stated that only slaves were allowed to be tortured. Eventually the law changed again, and free men were tortured and imprisoned for committing crimes. That is how crime and punishment have changed.

Games and Recreation

People loved the games and recreation during the Middle Ages. Most of the games during the Middle Ages were the same games that we still play today. Hide and seek and tag were two of the games that we exactly play today. The words to the “Ring Around The Rosy” have their origin in English history. “The historical period dates back to the Great Plague of London in 1665 (bubonic plague) or even before the first outbreak of the Plague hit England in the 1300's ,” says the article titled, “Games of Amusement.” During the medieval times, many of the games the children played were mimicked to what they saw at festivals, or what they observed in battle training. These games helped them practice accuracy, agility, balance, and strategy.

The favorite sporting event for the nobility was hunting. The nobility were the knights or nobles. Several nobles may gather together for a hunt on the local baron’s land. During this event they would be riding on their horses and having their trained dogs to hunt down the prey. There was also a wide variety of music they enjoyed listening to. They would hire bands to play in many towns during feasts. They used a number of different instruments that included pipes, drums, fiddles, harps, bagpipes, and an instrument called hurdy-gurdy which was introduced in the tenth century. One of the most popular forms of entertainment was the troubadour. Troubadours were men who traveled from town to town. They would play music that told romantic stories about knights and heroes.

People from the middle ages also enjoyed a wide variety of games. One of the most popular games among the nobility was chess. Chess originated in Persia and then came to Europe in the ninth century. Some other popular games were gambling with dice, blind man’s buff, checkers, horse races, and playing cards. There were also many athletic events, most at festivals and other occasions. Some of these included archery, jousting, hammer throwing, and wrestling. In some areas they played an earlier version of soccer, cricket, bowling, and even golf. The games and recreation of the Middle Ages are just so intriguing and fun!

Conclusion 

In conclusion Feudalism, the crimes and punishment, and even the games and recreation are very interesting and fun subjects to learn about. In Feudalism, you got to learn about the government and society of Europe during the Middle Ages. You also got to learn about the crimes and punishments of the Middle Ages which were very interesting, and last but not least you got to learn about the games and recreation of the Middle Ages which were very interesting. Lastly, the Middle Ages was a very important time in history because of everything that has changed from then to now. 

Works Cited 

“Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages.” Heritage > Medival. www.camelotintl.com/village/crime. 

html. Accessed 2 February 2024.

“Entertainment and Games. Middle Ages. www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/entertainment.php# 

:~:text=People%20of%20the%20Middle%20Ages,horse%20races%2C%20and%20playing%20c

ards. Accessed 22 February 2024.

“Middle Ages Feudal System.” Ducksters. www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal _system.php Accessed 22 February 2023. 

Nash, Tim. “Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages.” The Finer Times. 23 November 2008, www.the 

finertimes.com/crime-and-punishment-in-the-middle-ages. Accessed 2 February 2024.

Pattie, Tammy. “Games of Amusement.” Medieval Games and Recreation. 2011, castle.eiu.edu/reading/ 

MEDIEVALGAMES.pdf. Accessed 22 February 2024.

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

/History/Feudalism_and_Medieval_life.htm Accessed 7 February 2023.