Madison Washington
Encounters 6
Mr. Skipper
April 27, 2020
Medieval Times
Medieval Hairstyles
In Medieval times their hair had to be presentable at all times. Most people wore buns or braids and I know this seems crazy, but they would also wear metallic wires and ribbons. Sometimes, bands of flowers and leaves were used along with silk ribbons (Roberts). Women’s hair had a strict priority while men really didn’t need one. The early, early medieval times started in Europe after the Roman Empire. This is what was left after the Germanic invasions which brought the Roman Empire down and that is how the Medieval ages started. German people gave importance to Medieval Hairstyles and considered it a symbol of power and authority (Roberts). Most men usually put their hair in a high knot on top of their heads and call it a day. As for women most of the time they would wear locks, use braids and bands to keep out of their face and ear. In 2020 if you would wear a braid if it is not messy then people would say it is pretty, but if you were in the Medieval times they would most likely treat you like a star walking through a hallway. Also, men were known for growing long beards definitely not the beards we will see daily walking through Walmart. Great importance was attached to hair during the middle ages and shaving a person’s head was considered one of the highest forms of humility (Roberts). For the exact same reason, monks shaved their heads from the middle while leaving a narrow strip around it (Roberts). This was common for monks but uncommon for other men. They would usually let their hair grow and part it in the middle. However, the men did not have many hairstyles, unlike women. Children’s hairstyles were not really different from grownups' hair. If boys were in the lower classes they would shave their heads, and if they were not in lower classes they would wear hair parted in the middle. For girls, all of them would usually wear two braids and when they part their hair it will be really clean down the middle.
Holidays and Celebrations
How holidays started back in the day was from the seasons changing. Each season was celebrated with a big feast, a nice festival, and family spending time together. During the celebration, they would build new cathedrals and churches. Not only did medieval people care about presents, but they care about the importance of the holiday. Not only do they celebrate that holiday, but that technically that is one day without working. The Medieval Holiday in January is called Twelfth Night Religious. They celebrate this holiday by recognizing the visit of the Three Wise Men, or Magi trying to find Baby Jesus. The Medieval Holiday in February is called St.Valentine's Day. They celebrate this holiday with love for dancing, singing, and paring games. The Medieval Holiday in March is called Easter and Good Friday. They celebrate this holiday by Easter with resurrection and Good Friday with crucifixion. The Medieval Holiday in April is called April Fool's Day. They celebrate this holiday by taking charge of the day and causing mayhem by doing a bunch of jokes and jesters. The Medieval Holiday in May is called May Day. They celebrate this holiday by picking the Queen of May and dancing around a Maypole. The Medieval Holiday of June is called The Midsummer eve, Festival of Fire, and The Summer Solstice. The Summer Solstice is celebrated on the 23rd of June. In the Festival of Fire, it is celebrated by talking about legends and burning bones. In the Midsummer eve, the Mummers are entertained at the Festival of Fire. The Medieval Holiday of July is called St. Swithin Day. It is celebrated by talking about one legend called St. Swithin and if you move the bones of St. Swithin then it will rain for 40 days. The Medieval Holiday of August is called Lammas Day. Lammas Day is called "the loaf mass"day and that's their start of the year. The houses are decorated with a bunch of garlands and candles. The Medieval Holiday of September 29 is called Michaelmas. They celebrate this holiday by recognizing St. Michael and eating goose or chicken. The Medieval Holiday of October is called St. Crispin's Day. It's where Revels, Bonfires, and people act as King Crispin. The Medieval Holiday in November is called The Day of The Dead. They celebrated by hosting bonfires and holding revels. The Medieval Holiday of December is Christmas. They celebrate this holiday by remembering Jesus´s birthday.
Feudalism
The basic government and society in Europe during the middle ages were based around the feudal system. Small communities were formed around the local lord and manor. The lord owned the land and everything in it. He would keep the peasants safe in return for their service. The lord, in return, would provide the kings with soldiers or taxes (Nelson). People that work in the feudal system usually got land. It started at the top with the king selling his land to someone lower and worked its way down to the peasants trying to buy land so they could grow crops. The center of life in the Middle Ages was the manor (Nelson). The Lord tells the manor what to do. Manors live in large houses for protection for people or hosting a party/celebration. Farms would then spread out from there which would be worked out by the peasants.The tip-top leader is the king. The king cannot handle all of the lands by himself, so he decides to split it along the Barons. What the king gets back from the Barons are loyalty and soldiers. When a certain king dies, the firstborn child would either be king or queen. When one family stays in power for a long time, it is called a dynasty. The Bishop is the top church leader in the kingdom and managed an area called a diocese (Nelson). The Catholic Church was the most popular in Medieval Europe because of this it made the Bishop popular. Not only that, but the church received a tithe of 10 percent from all the people (Nelson). The result for the bishops is that they get money rich. The Barons and high ranking nobles ruled large areas of land called fiefs (Nelson).
Works Cited
Alchin, Linda. ¨Medieval Holidays.¨ Medieval Life and Times, Siteseen, Mar. 2018,
www.mediveal-life-and-times.info/mediveal-england/medieval-holidays.htm.
Nelson, Ken. ¨Middle Ages: Feudal System and Feudalism.¨ Duckters, Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), March 2020, www.duckters.com/history/middle_ages_feudlism.
Roberts, Mike. ¨Medieval Hairstyles.¨ Medieval Chronicles, www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-clothing/medieval-hairstyle/.