by Anthony Stemke

Created on: August 02, 2008   Last Updated: September 14, 2008

Small local groups of families struggled every day to survive in the middle ages, the period between 1100-1500AD. It was a bleak time for most, order depended on a system called Feudalism, whereby the peasant provided service to his benefactor knight in exchange for protection. This exchange of service for protection was a mainstay throughout the middle ages.

Where they lived

Small towns grew where there were religious centers. Peasants had no impetus to ever move away, because the security feudalism provided trumped any thought of freedom. Life centered around the village; and agriculture was the peasant's occupation. The life was a weary one. The men worked from sunup till sundown, growing enough food to pay their knight as well as feed their families. The work was hard: using mostly crude hand tools; reaping, sowing, plowing, binding, and threshing, with no leisure time at all except at holiday time. All the villagers cooperated, sharing burden animals and farm implements. The unfenced farms were divided into allocated tracts of land and subdivided into strips. This form of farming made it easier to farm. They would leave as much as one-third of the land fallow, to ensure fertility for the future. The peasants lived in small stone and wood, thatched roof cottages, with dirt floors, each home having only small slits for windows with no glass. Their furniture was sparse. It consisted of straw beds, a table, stools and benches. The home was lit by tallow candles.

Responsbilities of the females

While the peasant male was busy farming, the females had a full schedule also. They had to prepare the meals, tend the small animals, do weaving and spinning, make preserves, collect berries and herbs, and also raise the children. They also made butter and cheeses from cow's milk.

The peasants diet

The peasants diet was for the most part a monotonous diet of living off the land. They ate mostly coarse bread, and local vegetable soups, and stews. If they had access to streams or rivers, fish was included in their diet. They could pick local fruit and gather nuts, and ate very limited amounts of pork, lamb or beef. Getting enough to eat was a constant struggle for most peasants. Each family had a small vegetable garden near their home. The water was not fit to drink. While the nobles might enjoy a variety of wines, the peasants drank ale, mead (made from honey) or cider.

Defense

Skill in the use of Middle Age weapons was necessary and a played a vital part in the life of every

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>