T H E M I D D L E A G E S W A S A P E R I O D O F G L O R Y F O R S O M E , A N D M I S E R Y F O R O T H E R S .

FEUDAL SOCIETY

NOBLES

The nobles main activity is war. They fought on a horse trained for battle. They used a wide range of weapons such as swords, lances, maces, arches….. They protected their body with helmets, armours and shields. They are a privileged state.

Nobles had to be ready to go to war at any time, so they trained in tournaments

NOBLES´ OTHER ACTIVITIES

Playing chess Training squires

Organising banquets

Falconry Hunting Projecting defenses

NOBLEWOMEN

Their most important function was to have children to continue the lineage…….

…..and to serve her husband.

Other activities were sewing and weaving

Usually, marriages were arranged and chess.

CLERGY

The Pope was the head of Church

Secular clergy Regular clergy

Bishops control diocese. In each diocese there are

priests working in parishes

They are religious orders. Friars, monks and nuns live in monasteries and

convents

They are a privileged state.

LIFE IN MONASTERIES

Nuns and monks lived in convents and monasteries

The daily life of Medieval monks in the Middle Ages were based on the three main vows: - The Vow of Poverty - The Vow of Chastity - The Vow of Obedience

The first Medieval monks adhered to the Benedictine Rule which was established by St. Benedict in 529AD. Different orders of Medieval monks were also established during the Middle Ages. The major orders of Medieval monks were:

The Benedictine Monks - the Black Monk The Cistercian Monks - the White monk

The Carthusian Monks - the silent monks The Dominican Monks The Franciscan Monks

Augustine Monks, including the Gilbertines

DAILY LIFE IN MONASTERIES

Praying and meditating Copying manuscripts Working the land

Producing liquors Providing education for boys and novices

THE DAILY ROUTINE

The daily life of a Medieval monk during the Middle Ages centered around the hours. The Book of Hours was the main prayer book and was divided into eight sections:

- Matins : the night office; the service recited at 12 am in the divine office - Lauds : the early morning service of divine office (approx 3am) - Prime : The 6am service - Terce : the third of the Little Hours of divine office, recited at the third hour

(9 am) - Sext : the sixth of the Little Hours of divine office, recited at 12:00 pm - Nones : the ninth of the Little Hours of the divine office, recited at the

ninth hour (3 pm) - Vespers : the evening service of divine office, recited before dark (6pm) - Compline : the last of the day services of divine office, recited before

retiring (9pm)

PEASANTS

The average peasant in the feudal structure could be grouped into two main professions: farmer or craftsmen. The farmers worked the fields daily, planting, harvesting, and fertilizing the plants. They paid for their rights to use the land directly in the form of their harvest, and keep the excess to be sold or for their own family use. Most farmers were not free and were bound to their land. Some were free and were known as villeins.

The craftsmen were usually trained in the home by a parent who was in the profession, or by going into an apprenticeship with another skilled craftsmen in the town. The craftsmen built their goods to sell, and paid a tax to the lord for their right to use the land.

EVERYDAY LIFE

The lifestyle of peasants in Medieval times was extremely hard and harsh. Many worked as farmers in fields owned by the lords and their lives were controlled by the farming year. Certain jobs had to be done at certain times of the year. Their lives were harsh but there were few rebellions due to a harsh system of law and order.

Peasants lived in cruck houses. These had a wooden frame onto which was plastered wattle and daub. This was a mixture of mud, straw and manure. At night, any animal you owned would be brought inside for safety

PEASANTS´ ACTIVITIES

Farming Harvesting Producing wine

Hunting Producing honey Selling products

DAY OF BEING A PEASANT

A normal day of a regular peasant would generally start--and end like this: 6:00 AM - Roosters would wake most villagers up. At this time, most peasants started they daily activities normally by dressing and eating breakfast. A peasant's breakfast consisted of mostly vegetables, water, fruits and bread. 7:00 AM - The castle's bells would ring (if any) and serfs were required to start work at this time. In winter, peasants were most likely to wake up until 8 AM. 8:00 AM - Work continued, There were not many interludes for serfs; in the other hand, free peasants; could have many breaks. 9:00 AM - Work for serfs continued; they were not allowed to drink or eat anything in the farms, but nevertheless; most of them managed to contraband goods such as water. Peasants would farm a lot as well, but serfs were the true workers. 10:00 AM - The first interlude for serfs. When a noble was generous, he'd let the serfs rest for up to half an hour at this time. Draconian nobles would impose rules against resting. 11:00 AM - Labor was at its peak. Peasants were required to work and work at this time. In the interim, nobles were usually riding their horses or taking care of business. Most nobles would live out of the work of their serfs. 12:00 AM - Serfs continued working. 1:00 PM - Serfs would be normally given a time-off at this time since the sun would burn them otherwise. Farms were very hot places in which the sun was strong enough to make very painful burns. Serfs usually died at an early age--we can deduce that cancer had a lot to do with that (but we can't be sure).

DAY OF BEING A PEASANT

2:00 PM - Work at farms continued. Children were usually playing in the gardens or farming as well. Their mothers spent a great amount of time at home--preparing food, teaching their kids new knowledge and doing house-work. Nevertheless, a women could also be a serf; thus some of them worked many hours at the farms. 3:00 PM - Work continued. 4:00 PM - This was the official resting time. Nobles would normally have glorious feasts with more food than a serf would see in a month. Serfs usually ate bread, vegetables and water. Under good circumstances, they had meat (usually in holidays). 5:00 PM - Serfs were required to return to work. 6:00 PM - Work continued. 7:00 PM - Work for serfs continued. 8:00 PM - Labor usually finished for the day. Serfs were paid a very small amount of money; from which, they were required to pay a lot of taxes. 9:00 PM - Serf's dinner. 10:00 PM - Serfs would often go to sleep at this time. In the meantime, at the castle, nobles would be having another feast. Dinner was their favorite meal and castles were full of servants to provide nobles with whatever they wanted.

ACTIVITIES

Prepare for battle.

Cultivate the land.

Pay personal provissions to the landlord.

Pray for the salvation of the souls.

Work specific days in the landlord´s land for free.

Go hunting as a way to practise war.

Copy old books in a library.

Agree alliances by oath.

Control their land possessions by keeping contracts in an archive.