Life of a Peasant in Medieval Europe
Student Name
John Hartog
Western Civilization: Ancient to Early Modern
12/1/13
Life of a Peasant in Medieval Europe During the time of Medieval Europe, a group, called the peasants, lived together under the ruling of a lord. Peasants got little respect but were expected to work long and hard hours just to provide for their families. There was little time for anything besides working. The peasant’s in Medieval Europe had an extremely hard and harsh lifestyle (www.historylearningsite.co.uk). When children were born to peasants, it was almost guaranteed that that child would remain a peasant for his or hers entire life (www.westernreservepublicmedia.org). Most peasants worked for lords in fields as farmers. During the farming year, there were also many different jobs besides planting and harvesting that had to be done on time and only during a certain time to make sure the harvest would be plentiful and beneficial for the lords (www.historylearningsite.co.uk). Other jobs included tradesman, tavern owners, and millers, but most became farmers (www.westernreservepublicmedia.org). They lived harsh lives but few rebelled due to the strong law and order system (www.historylearningsite.co.uk).
At the bottom of the Feudal system were the peasants. Each peasant took an oath swearing on the Bible their obedience to their lords (www.historylearningsite.co.uk). According to Jean Froissart (1395), “It is the custom in England, as with other countries, for the nobility to have great power over the common people, who are serfs. This means that they are bound by law and custom to plough the field of their masters, harvest the corn, gather it into barns, and thresh and winnow the grain; they must also mow and carry home the hay, cut and collect wood, and perform all manner of tasks of this kind.” Religion was taking very seriously by the peasants. The church was considered a part of the king’s rulings. The church also had strict rules each member must follow.
John Hartog
Western Civilization: Ancient to Early Modern
12/1/13
Life of a Peasant in Medieval Europe During the time of Medieval Europe, a group, called the peasants, lived together under the ruling of a lord. Peasants got little respect but were expected to work long and hard hours just to provide for their families. There was little time for anything besides working. The peasant’s in Medieval Europe had an extremely hard and harsh lifestyle (www.historylearningsite.co.uk). When children were born to peasants, it was almost guaranteed that that child would remain a peasant for his or hers entire life (www.westernreservepublicmedia.org). Most peasants worked for lords in fields as farmers. During the farming year, there were also many different jobs besides planting and harvesting that had to be done on time and only during a certain time to make sure the harvest would be plentiful and beneficial for the lords (www.historylearningsite.co.uk). Other jobs included tradesman, tavern owners, and millers, but most became farmers (www.westernreservepublicmedia.org). They lived harsh lives but few rebelled due to the strong law and order system (www.historylearningsite.co.uk).
At the bottom of the Feudal system were the peasants. Each peasant took an oath swearing on the Bible their obedience to their lords (www.historylearningsite.co.uk). According to Jean Froissart (1395), “It is the custom in England, as with other countries, for the nobility to have great power over the common people, who are serfs. This means that they are bound by law and custom to plough the field of their masters, harvest the corn, gather it into barns, and thresh and winnow the grain; they must also mow and carry home the hay, cut and collect wood, and perform all manner of tasks of this kind.” Religion was taking very seriously by the peasants. The church was considered a part of the king’s rulings. The church also had strict rules each member must follow.
Cited: "Daily Life of a Peasant in the Middle Ages." Daily Life of a Peasant in the Middle Ages. N.p., 16 July 2012. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. "The Lifestyle of Medieval Peasants." The Lifestyle of Medieval Peasants. The Learning Site, 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. "The Middle Ages | Feudalism." The Middle Ages | Feudalism. Western Reserve Public Media, 2008. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. "THE MIDDLE AGES: LIFE OF A MEDIEVAL PEASANT." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.