Black Death: Medieval Life

What was life like in Medieval Society?

KEY POINTS:

• Most people in medieval society lived in villages, and there were few large towns.
• The majority of people were peasants, who worked on the land.
• There was a range of jobs and trades in towns and villages, some quite similar to those people might have today.

BBC. (2021) Everyday life in the Middle Ages. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zm4mn39/revision/1

Life in the Middle Ages

KEY POINTS:

• All classes was dominated by the feudal system - feudalism.
• Middle Ages was dictated by wealth, power and status.
• Included information about the daily life of a noble, a knight, a noblewoman, a monk, a nun and a peasant.

Alchin, L. (2017) Life in the Middle Ages. https://www.lordsandladies.org/life-in-middle-ages.htm

Medieval Social Hierarchy

KEY POINTS:

• Classes were based on their importance in society and kingdom.
• Status, hereditary and income were factors determining class.
• Clergy was a crucial part of social organisation.

Medieval misconceptions: 12 myths about life in the Middle Ages - busted

KEY POINTS:

1. Women were so oppressed in the Middle Ages that they never did anything of interest
2. Everyone was short and died young
3. Peasants were revolting and irrational
4. Medieval towns were unhygienic and squalid
5. Medieval people were brutally and mindlessly violent
6. Medieval people thought the world was flat and had little conception of the wider world
7. Medieval people had no sense of humour
8. Religious dogma meant that no one thought for themselves
9. Torture was often used, and cruel corporate punishment was ubiquitous
10. There was little concept of childhood in the Middle Ages
11. There was little trade or commerce, partly because credit was underdeveloped
12. The Renaissance was a breakthrough moment in terms of critical thinking, rediscovery of the classics and a sense of the individual

Daily Medieval Life

KEY POINTS:

• During the High Middle Ages, the population of Europe grew from 35 to 80 million between 1000 and 1347, probably due to improved agricultural techniques and a more mild climate.
• 90% of the European population remained rural peasants gathered into small communities of manors or villages.
• Towns grew up around castles and were often fortified by walls in response to disorder and raids.
• Women were subordinate to men, in both the peasant and noble classes, and were expected to ensure the smooth running of the household.
• Children had a 50% survival rate beyond age one, and began to contribute to family life around age twelve.

Boundless. (n.d.). Ch.8 The Middle Ages in Europe, Daily Life. In Boundless World History. Lumen Learning. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory/chapter/daily-medieval-life/

Plague, famine and sudden death: 10 dangers of the medieval period

1. Plague
2. Travel
3. Famine
4. Childbirth
5. Infancy and childhood
6. Bad weather
7. Violence
8. Heresy
9. Hunting
10. Early or sudden death

Olson, Dr Katherine. (2020). Plague, famine and sudden death: 10 dangers of the medieval period. https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/why-did-people-die-danger-medieval-period-life-expectancy/

Middle ages - Lessons -Tes Teach. (n.d). Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.tes.com/lessons/jNiToywt25_2bg/middle-ages

Lampman, . (2018, December 18). Late Medieval Land & Maritime Trade Routes. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/9759/late-medieval-land--maritime-trade-routes/

Medieval economy - Europe

After the fall of Rome, people in Europe used money less than they had before.  Instead, they mostly lived on what they could produce themselves. Rich people lived on what they make other people give them because they were landlords or landladies.

Trade in the Middle Ages

With the collapse of Roman authority, trade became more important and how this growth contributed to the pandemic. (Video and transcript)

Trade in Medieval Europe

Trade and commerce in the medieval world developed to such an extent that even small communities had access to weekly markets and, perhaps a day's travel away, larger but less frequent fairs, where a larger range of consumer goods would be available. 

International trade in the early Middle Ages

After the fall of the Roman Empire, trade in Europe declined, roads fell into disrepair and commerce was centred on small towns and local markets, but by the 11th century, new routes were opening up.