The Middle ages Daily Life

Life in the country Most people live in the country and work as farmers. Usually there is a local lord who lives in a large house called a manor or a castle. Local peasants work the land for the lord. The peasants are called the lord's "villeins", which is like a servant.  The peasants work hard all year. They grow barley, wheat, and oats. They have gardens where they grow vegetables (peas, beans, onions) and fruits (quinces, apples). They also have animals: chickens for eggs and cows for milk. 

Life in the city City life is very different from country life, but it is difficult too. The cities are crowded and dirty. A lot of people work as craftsmen and are members of a guild. Young boys are apprentices for seven years and learn a craft. Other jobs in the city are servants, merchants, bakers, doctors, and lawyers. 

What are their homes like? Most people live in small homes. These homes are very crowded and usually everyone sleeps in the same room. In the country, the family animals, such as a cow, also live inside the home. The home is usually dark, smoky from the fire, and uncomfortable. 

What do they wear?  Most peasants wear plain clothing made from heavy wool to keep them warm during the winter. The wealthy wear nicer clothes made from fine wool, velvet, and even silk. Men generally wear a tunic, woollen stockings, breeches, and a cloak. Women wear a long skirt called a kirtle, an apron, woollen stockings, and a cloak. 

What do they eat?  Peasants eat bread and stew. In the stew there are beans, dried peas, cabbage, and other vegetables. Other foods like meat, cheese, and eggs are for special occasions. Leftover meat is smoked or salted to preserve it. The nobles eat a wider variety of food including meat such as capons, geese, beeves, bacon, lambs, and sweet puddings. Vegetables are considered too common for the upper class. People drink ale or wine. The water is bad and makes them sick.

Do they go to school?  Very few people go to school. Most peasants learn a job. Some children learn a craft through apprenticeship and the guild system. Rich children often learn with tutors. They go to live in the castle of another lord where they work for the lord, and learn to run a large manor.  There are some schools run by the Church. Here students learn to read and write Latin. The first universities begin during the Middle Ages. University students study a wide range of subjects including Reading, Writing, Logic, Maths, Music, Astronomy, and Public Speaking. 

Do they play? Like many aspects of medieval life, Middle ages games and entertainment depend on social class.  Peasants play games that require minimal equipment, but the wealthy have enough money for special pieces and components for more complex types of entertainment.

Children’s Toys Children need the opportunity to play and there are a number of types of toys to choose from.  It is obvious that the toys are quite simple, produced at home or in the village.  There are not many materials for making toys, so children have to be content with the spare and unused pieces used to create their toys.

Interesting Facts about Daily Life in the Middle Ages The bread eaten by people of the Middle Ages is gritty from the millstones used to grind the grain. This causes the people's teeth wear down quickly. Peasants are not allowed to hunt on the lord's land. Punishment for killing a deer is sometimes death. Medicine is very primitive. Sometimes doctors "bleed" people by putting leeches on their skin. People mostly drink ale or wine. The water is bad and makes them sick. Marriages are often arranged, especially for nobles. Noble girls often marry at 12 years old and boys at 14.

WHAT IS IT? A toy with rounded sides, a flat top, a vertical handle, and a point at the bottom, that turns round and round on the point when the handle is pushed and pulled up and down or twisted. Surviving examples of tops are primarily made in wood. Some are smooth and round while others are multi-sided.

Guess what??

Spinning Tops

WHAT IS IT? A stick with a horse's head at one end that a child pretends to ride

HOBBY HORSE

A baby's toy that makes a series of short sounds when it is shaken WHAT IS IT? A baby's toy that makes a series of short sounds when it is shaken

RATTLES

WHAT IS IT? A BIG CIRCULAR RING OF METAL OR WOOD USED TO PLAY. CHILDREN ROLL THE HOOPS WITH A STICK.

HOOPS

WHAT IS IT? A pair of long poles with platforms for your feet that you can stand on to walk high above the ground.

STILTS

WHAT IS IT? A small cube that is made of plastic, wood, etc., that has one to six dots on each side, and that is used usually in pairs in various games.

DICE

WHAT IS IT? A game in which players try to throw a ring so that it will fall over an upright stick.

RING TOSS

WHAT IS IT? A predecessor of modern bowling, players roll a ball attempting to knock over bottles or pins to score points.

SKITTLES

WHAT IS IT? Placing apples within a barrel of water, participants have to attempt to pick up the apples using their teeth.

BOBBING FOR APPLES

WHAT IS IT? This game is played with five knucklebones of a sheep. Players can only use one hand to play the game. The game has five parts or "stages".

KNUCKLEBONES