Research Paper

Carly Orton-Newcomb

Encounters 6

Mr. Skipper

April 27, 2020

Miniachale Medieval Times

When most people think about the Middle Ages, it is commonly pictured as a time where people only wore the most elegant of gowns as they feasted from dawn to dusk, leaving breaks only to enjoy honorable jousting duels whilst royal courts administer all commemorations. However, for a peasant during this time, that life was far from reality. Instead, the obstacles that the majority of people faced included ghastly diseases, impoverished homes, and discriminatory societal norms, all often based on ill-informed religious limitations.

Feudalism

During the medieval times, the feudal system was the foundation of society. Kings were in full ownership of the land, and these lands were divided among lords. Lords would provide a safe living environment for peasants, in trade for their service (Nelson).

Although the top leader, or king, owned all of the land in the kingdom, he could not manage such a great area alone; he relied on assistance from barons. The kingdom was divided into large pieces, called fiefs, and given to barons and high-ranking nobles.

The barons then divided the land again among lords. These lords ruled over individual manors who were governing their own estates, holding court and handing out punishment, minting their own money, charging taxes and tolls, and demanding service in the king's army (Nelson).

The lord's manor consisted of a large house or castle for the lord which also served as protection during attack, a small village around the castle, and the farm lands that surrounded the village. The lord held total control over the land, the people, and the crops. The lord would make laws, create money, and deal out often unfitting punishments. The lord even decided who could leave the manor and who could not. The barons would "pay" for their land by providing armies that were always ready to protect the kingdom from invaders. If the baron could not provide soldiers, he would pay a "shield tax" to the king instead (Nelson).

The lords were also part of the Baron's armies. These lords are what people now envision when "knights" are mentioned. The "king's knights" could be called into battle at any time, which is one reason why the lord would need peasants to manage the daily business of the manor and surrounding lands. Lord's could also force peasants into the king's military should invaders pose a threat to the kingdom (Nelson).

About 90 percent of the people in the Middle ages were peasants; they managed the manor and all surrounding land in exchange for the permission to live on the land. The peasants were also given a small percentage of the crops that they grew. Although some peasants were free to own businesses, such as blacksmiths and bakers, most worked 6 days each week. However, even working long, hard hours day after day, peasants barely made enough to survive. Most died before they turned thirty (Nelson).

The lowest order, or class, of citizens were "serfs". These peasants were similar to slaves. They worked even longer hours and did not get married nor leave the manor without the permission of the lord. Most serfs were essentially "slaves" to the lord of the manor. However, these serfs could not be sent into battle and were promised protection from invaders (Nelson).

Health in the Middle Ages

The middle ages were a strange and scary time in the world of a person’s health. The times were very different from today, and the idea of scientifically based medical care was not yet discovered. In order to stay healthy and alive in The Middle Ages, one had to be trusting and willing to try some extremely weird remedies (Health).

People in this time thought that poor choices in behavior would result in illnesses. They also believed that these illnesses could be cured by nonmedical methods, like meditation and prayer. Since antibiotics were not yet invented, it would be extremely difficult to control viruses, and diseases without them. Due to this, many people were put in near death situations, including "early surgery, often done by barbers without anesthesia" (Health).

Early medical practitioners believed that the body was divided into four "humors" that "were directly related to the four elements: fire=yellow bile or choler; water=phlegm; earth=black bile; air=blood". These four divisions had to be balanced in order for the person to remain healthy. When one or more of the divisions were out of alignment, the person would become ill according to the element (Heath).

When a person became ill, many remedies that were offered had been passed down generation to generation. Treatments were often mixtures of items that were, "herbal in nature, but also included ground earthworms, urine, and animal excrement". These were often provided by people who were not medically trained (Heath).

Other illnesses often brought about less practical and more painful treatments, such as bloodletting or amputation. Bloodletting was the process of letting the "bad" blood out, in the belief that this would allow "good" blood to be circulated through the body to kill the illness. The treatment was accomplished either by attaching leeches to the body or simply cutting the skin to create a bleed. This often ended in death due to excess blood loss (Heath).

Even in The Middle Ages, doctors encouraged people to attempt to lead a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps this is the root of Benjamin Franklin's saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Even today, doctors remind patients to take steps towards a healthier lifestyle. But sustaining this type of lifestyle was difficult during the time of the Middle Ages, especially for the poverty-stricken people, not only because the best of doctors were only in service to the wealthy, but also because the less fortunate did not have access to the food or sanitary conditions that could keep them free from these illnesses (Heath).

The Black Death

The Black Death was a terrifying disease outbreak, in which most people who were diagnosed with it, would perish. About seventy five million people were killed during this horrific time. Victims of the disease were covered with dark blotches due to damage to the underlying skin and tissue (History of Black Death).

The disease originated in Southern Russia in the fourteenth century, but through the process of trading goods, it spread throughout Western Europe. One of the main reasons that so many people died was because they were going through a famine. "Farming and trade patterns were disrupted by war, and adverse weather conditions added to the diminishing supply of grains -- wheat, barley, and oats”, this caused most people to have less defense against diseases (History of the Black Death).

There were three types of The Black Death: bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, and septicemic plague, each deadlier than the last. Even though each was spread from person to person differently, and many types of quarantining the sick were tried, the disease could not be fully contained and continued to spread (History of the Black Death).

Although this disease caused tragedies for many families of the middle ages, it also caused a sense of joy and hope for some peasants. For instance, due to the amount of sickened citizens, there were plenty of open jobs ,where healthy peasants could work for higher wages. There were fields of fertile land that were previously owned by the deceased, as well. This created opportunities for peasants to farm land of their own (History of the Black Death).

This horrific crisis caused a decrease in the number of church-goers for two reasons. Religious families were discouraged that their God would allow this disease to continue to happen. The church membership was also affected by the number of deaths, especially within the clergy due to many victims passing the illness to them (History of the Black Death).

The Black Death was definitely a breath-taking time, and caused few Western European Families no harm. It separated many people, and families from their hopes and dreams. This also opened new opportunities for peasants in need of work, because after the death of some land owners, there were employment opportunities for all people that were willing. The disease brought many positive and negative outcomes, but everyone was relieved when the disease came to a conclusion.

Homes in the Middle Ages

Shelter choices in the middle ages were not very plentiful. Typically, the person’s class in the village determined the type of house he or she lived in. The first type, townhouses, were mostly owned by shop owners. These were built with two levels, the top portion was a home for the store owner(s), and the lower level was the actual shop. These houses were aligned in a straight, narrow line. The narrow streets created unusually high fire risks (Donn).

The quality of the houses in the middle ages was dependent on how much money the family had. For instance, homes of peasants were often dark and moist and because the houses were made of branches and mud, they stayed filthy and cold most times. The residents of these homes were forced to eat, sleep, and do all of their daily duties in ¨small quarters, rarely more than two rooms¨ (Medieval homes). Their beds were "made of straw covered with a leather toss." The peasants cooked over an open fire using iron pots and pans (Donn).

Although the poor were barely surviving in terrifying conditions, those that were land owners or possessed a bit more wealth were living under extremely different circumstances. Many of these middle-level homes were made of wood and stone that provided more warmth and protection from the harsh weather. These houses were also built with ¨Fenestral windows¨, which were covered by a removable cloth, sodden-ed in ¨resin and tallow¨ (Donn).

Those residents that owned the most land and the majority of the wealth resided in castles. These large and often imposing buildings were made completely out of stone, and usually contained multiple staircases, hallways, and rooms, used for various purposes. Castles were very grand and formal in the middle ages. Residents of castles would often get lost within their own home (Donn).

Construction of homes may have changed since the middle ages, but the rules about home ownership have not: those that are wealthier can afford to have more extensive and grandiose homes than those that scrape and struggle on a daily basis.

In conclusion, the lack of medical advancements, well-nourished people and adequate homes, and restrictions on those who set unjust levels in society, serve to prove that life in Medieval times did not live up to the fantasies. The common misconceptions that have overrun our society for so long have been exposed as mere tales, as it has been made evident, that life was rather desolate due to the inadequate leaders of the time, who based life solely on religious traditions.

Works Cited

Donn, Don. ¨Middle Ages for Kids: Homes.¨ Medieval Europe, National Audience,

medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/homes.html.

¨Health.¨ The Middle Ages Interactive, Annenberg Learner

learner.org/series/interactive-the-middle-ages/.

¨History of Black Death.¨ All About History , All About History

allabouthistory.org/history-of-black-death.htm.

¨Homes.¨ The Middle Ages Interactive, Annenberg Learner

learner.org/series/interactive-the-middle-ages/.

Nelson, Ken. ¨MIddle Ages: Feudal System and Feudalism.¨ Ducksters, Technological Solutions Inc., ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal_system.php.