Michele Sinclair
... award winning author of Historical Romance

Medieval Life

Other Medieval research can be found on Medieval Times & Castles and Medieval Knights & Warfare.

With very few exceptions, descriptions are not my opinions but excerpts pulled from the sites. Each link will open in a new page. Michele

Medieval Famous People

Castle Builders
The King who built castles. Edward I earned this title by building the remarkable castle structures in Wales in the years 1277-83. Their plans and construction were initiated by Edward I in a campaign to impose dominion over the Welsh.
Medieval Kings & Queens
Medieval England was lead by eight kings and one queen. Medieval England started in 1066 with William the Conqueror gaining the English throne after his victory at the Battle of Hastings. 1377 is usually seen as the end of Medieval England.
Medieval Kings
Medieval times were very turbulent in Britain. The English Kings were an unruly lot, and sometimes could become very cruel. Being crowned as king could have it advantages, but could also cause great displeasure amongst the people of the kingdom. A kings reign was sometimes very short indeed.
Kings of England
Kings and Queens of England (871 .. 1547)
Rulers of Scotland
Rulers of Scotland (843 .. 1513)
Timeline included.
Kings of France
Kings of France (768 .. 1515)
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor was king of England from 1042 to 1066. Edward's death was to transform Medieval England and led to the reign of the Norman William the Conqueror with all that his rule meant to Medieval England.
Harold of Wessex
Harold of Wessex, as king of England, led the English army into battle against William the Conqueror in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings.
King John
King John is one of the more controversial monarchs of Medieval England and is most associated with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.
William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror should strictly be known as William I. William is credited with kick-starting England into the phase known as Medieval England; William was the victor at the Battle of Hastings; he introduced modern castle building techniques into Medieval England and by his death in 1087.
James of St. George
As far as Edward I's crucial late 13th century castle-building program in Wales was concerned, the architectural power behind the throne was James of St. George.
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was killed in December 1170. Becket's death remains one of the most famous stories associated with Medieval England.
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Medieval People

Medieval Feudal System
Life in the Medieval Castle was governed by the pyramid-shaped Feudal System.
Kings
Kings were the ultimate rulers of a country.
Rulers
The lord of a fief was the supreme ruler over his territory. From the feudal agreement he gained these rights.
Vassals
Vassals were appointed by a lord to protect him in exchange of land.
Medieval Women
The attitude toward women in medieval times, particularly held by the Church, was that they were inferior to men. In reality, medieval women had a lot of responsibility and were not at all inferior to men in terms of daily effort.
How Women were Treated
It is a common belief that women during the Dark Ages were badly punished and forced to work. While this was true in many instances, it was not always the case.
Serfs
Serfs were a step higher than slaves. Even though they were very maltreated, they still possessed some rights and privileges.
Spies
Spies were very common during the Middle Ages. They were used for many purposes and sometimes they had to climb trees or use stealth in order to acknowledge sensitive information.
Fief
Fief is the land appointed by the king or a noble to his vassal in exchange of goods or protection.
Farmer's Life
Most of the peasants in the middle ages were serf farmers. They were not considered free and were bound to their plot of land.
Peasants
The lifestyle of peasants in Medieval England 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.
The Poor Peasant
Very few people cared about the poor in Medieval England and the lifestyle of peasants was harsh with no structured support services available to them if things went wrong.
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Medieval Life

Life in a Castle
The lord, his family and guests had the added comfort of heavy blankets, feather mattresses, fur covers, and tapestries hanging on the walls to block the damp and breezes, while residents of lesser status usually slept in the towers and made due with lighter bedclothes and the human body for warmth.
Feudalism & Medieval Life
Feudalism, feudal ties, vassal obligations, lord's obligations, manors, food and drink, table manners, house layout, peasant's life, serf's life.
Brief Insight into Medieval Life
What was life like in a medieval castle? How did people manage to live? Was it, like some say, some sort of paradise? Were castles a good place to live in? Were there many diseases?
Life in the 11th Century
Aristocracy, Castles and Churches, Manors and Villages, Landholding and Feudalism, Rents, Tax and Manorial Values, Population, Agriculture, Pasture, Livestock and Fishing.
Daily Life in Towns
A new class emerged during the Middle Ages; the merchant. The growth of trade and the merchant middle class went hand in hand with the growth in towns.
Day Being a Peasant
A normal day of a regular peasant would generally start — and end like this ...
Medieval Crimes: Thieves, Burglars, Kidnapping
During the Middle Ages, crimes were very common.
This was caused because of impunity among other reasons which caused burglars and thieves exert more frequently their activities. ... different kingdoms had different ways to punish criminals.
Law and Order
Law and order was very harsh in Medieval England. Those in charge of law and order believed that people would only learn how to behave properly if they feared what would happen to them if they broke the law.
Medieval Schools & Universities
There were many different kinds of schools in medieval England, though few children received their sometimes dubious benefit.
Christmas in Medieval England
Christmas is Medieval England was very different to Christmas now. The Church ensured that Christmas was a true religious holiday.
Medieval & Tudor Christmas Courts
If there was one time of year that an English sovereign could count on being surrounded with all the trimmings and trappings of "fondness" and "friendship" — however forced they might be — it was during the Twelve Days of Christmas, which stretched from December 25 through Epiphany (or Twelfth Night) on January 6.
The Medieval Church
The Medieval Church played a far greater role in Medieval England than the Church does today. In Medieval England, the Church dominated everybody's life.
Medieval Towns
There were few towns in Medieval England and those that existed were very small by our standards. Most people in Medieval England were village peasants but religious centers did attract people and many developed into towns or cities.
Medieval Tools
The basic medieval tool design remained virtually unaltered from Roman times. Only the materials they were made from changed.
Housing
Houses were usually one or two stories — these houses received the name of hovels. A medieval house could very often accommodate up to fifty people.
Water in the Castles
Water in a medieval castle was a difficult job. Dozens of servants were appointed each day to carry water from the well to upper floors of the castle from which it was stored within a reservoir to later travel to the inferior floors with tubes.
Bathing & Washing
One of the modern myths about medieval times is that no one took baths. This is not true. Baths were normally taken in wooden tubs.
Medieval Wicca & Sorcery - Witchcraft, Satanism, Practices - Dark Ages
Sorcery was very common during the Dark Ages. It was so common that many measurements had to be taken as a failed attempt to completely eradicate satanic practices or sorcery (which were considered to be almost the same).
This, itself, led medieval people to discomfort as they felt to have had their freedom taken away by a superior force.
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Medieval Occupations

Medieval Occupations
The Medieval Occupations of the Middle Ages have left their mark on our lives today. Many of the old occupations live on in many of our current surnames.
Fairly comprehensive list of Medieval occupations.
Medieval Jobs
Medieval jobs were not all fulfilling or stepping stones to success and status, as we envision the knight's position in the lord's court. However, each occupation filled a crucial place in the social system of the Middle Ages, ensuring virtually every imaginable need could be handled by an individual with the proper training or know-how.
Medieval Guilds
The guilds were an important part of Medieval life. A higher social status could be achieved through guild membership and Guild members were supported by the Guild if they became sick. There were two main kinds of guilds - merchant guilds and craft guilds.
Alchemy
An alchemist would mostly look for elixirs and components to prevent diseases and sometimes to extend life.
Doctors
Health was a major issue during the Medieval Times. Doctors were very scarce and the few who actually exerted their job were very commonly unskilled to perform that important task.
Farmers & Farming
Farming a thousand years ago was very different from what it is today. Medieval farmers earned just enough to survive.
Farming
Many peasants in Medieval England worked the land and, as a result, farming was critically important to a peasant family in Medieval England.
Farming Calendar
The farming year in Medieval England was clearly shaped around the weather.
Fishing
Besides farming and hunting, fishing was also a major source of food for the medieval people. Consuming fish was mainly reserved for the rich, though the poor did frequently eat what was left from a good day's catch.
Medieval Hunting
In the early Medieval Times, for the hunter who killed to survive, education had to be given first. Educating a hunter began when he was only seven years of age.
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Medieval Clothing

Clothing Glossary
Medieval costume definitions.
Glossary of Some Medieval Clothing Terms
Compiled by Marc Carlson.
These are generally separate definitions drawn from a number of sources.
Male Clothing & Knightly Armour of the 1250's
All about braies, hose, chausses, cuisses, shirt, gambeson, hauberk, final body armor, final layer.
Note the copyright at bottom of page.
Medieval Dress for the Beginner
All about tunics, cloaks, leg coverings, footwear, and accessories.
This is a glossary of terms compiled by I. Marc Carlson of the University of Tulsa. This is an excellent glossary of terms ...
Medieval Clothing & Fashion
The fabrics and clothing of the different levels of the feudal system.
Medieval clothing and fashion like everything else was dictated by the Pyramid of Power which was the Feudal System. Medieval clothes provided information about the status of the person wearing them.
Medieval Clothing
From the 11th through the 13th centuries, medieval clothing varied according to the social standing of the people. The clothing worn by nobility and upper classes was clearly different than that of the lower class.
Renaissance Dress & Clothing
Pictures and descriptions of the Juliette Ropa, Juliette underdress, and Julietta cap.
The Checked Bliaut
Usually bliauts are depicted as very full dresses, or with finely pleated, probably very full skirts. But ... they are also very narrow. The reasons for this can be many.
The Bliaut
Site with pictures and descriptions of the bliaut, houppelande, sideless surcoat, courtepy, kirtle, short doublet, the torque, the padded roll, the cotehardie, the hennin, tabard, and the flat cap.
History of the Bliaut
The garment now known as the lady's bliaut is a product of the mid to late twelfth century, although it is clearly descended from similar gowns worn in the eleventh and early twelfth centuries.
Medieval & Celtic Jewelry
Looking for Renaissance and Celtic Jewelry? Well you have come to the right place just browse through our truly unique Museum Quality Jewelry. Here you will find Medieval Jewelry, Celtic Jewelry, Bridal Jewelry, Religious Jewelry and Jewelry for any occasion.
Medieval Woman's Headdress & Costume
Images of medieval women's headdress and costume from a set of anonymous freeware clip art distributed during the 1980's.

 

 

Historical Garments
We are a historical dressmaking business and in this chapter we specialize in civilian's clothing from Elizabethan times.
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Food & Health

Health and Medicine
Health and medicine in Medieval England were very important aspects of life. For many peasants in Medieval England, disease and poor health were part of their daily life and medicines were both basic and often useless.
Importance of Alcohol in Medicine - Early discoveries and uses
Alcohol has long been, literally for centuries, useful in medical treatment. Brief and interesting information on the discoveries and uses of alcohol from early times on. Medieval period is covered.
Medieval Food
Eating was one of the castle dweller's most popular pastimes, for not only did food provide needed sustenance, it was a means of entertainment ... three meals a day ... consisting of meats, pastries, bread, wine, ale, fruits, cheeses, nuts.
Food During Medieval Times
Having enough food, specially during siege, was a major concern in the Dark Ages. Castles relied heavily on food brought from outside activities (such as farming, fishing and hunting).
Food, Drink and Daily Meals
The Lord, Lady and Nobles of the castle would eat their food from silverware. Other inhabitants would eat their food from wooden or horn dishes. Every person had their own knife. Spoons were rarely used as any liquid food was drunk from a cup. Forks were not introduced until the late 14th century.
Food and Drink
Most people in Medieval England had to make their own food. Food shops were found in towns but most people were peasants who lived in villages where these did not exist.
Medieval Recipes
72 recipes.
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Medieval Entertainment

Types of Medieval Entertainment
Lists types of Medieval entertainment: the celebrations and feast days, types of Entertainers as well as different types of entertainment.
Entertainment in the Castle
Entertainment was not just for the lord or garrison of the castle, and nearly all entertainment would take place in the hall, castle grounds, or near the castle.
Musical Instruments
Medieval Music was a major form of entertainment. Music and medieval instruments could be performed by Medieval musicians, the Minstrels or Troubadours, or simple songs and ballads could be sung in the villages and fields to ease the monotonous tasks undertaken by serfs.
Medieval Chess
Medieval chess is several thousand years old. Where it was invented is unknown, but it is popularly (and now scientifically) believed that its origins date back to India where it was invented by poor peasants who had no other form of entertainment.
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Copyright 2006-2009 Michele Sinclair.