Medieval 500-1450

Religion, hard work, agriculture 

Medieval daily life was centered around agriculture and religion. Most people lived in small villages and worked as farmers, growing crops and raising livestock. The church played a significant role in daily life, providing spiritual guidance and social support.

Most people lived in small one or two room homes. These homes were very crowded and usually everyone slept in the same room. In the country, the family animals, such as a cow, may also live inside the home. The home was usually dark, smoky from the fire, and uncomfortable.

Most peasants wore plain clothing made from heavy wool to keep them warm during the winter. The wealthy, however, wore much nicer clothes made from fine wool, velvet, and even silk.

Peasants during the Middle Ages did not have a lot of variety in their food. They mostly ate bread and stew. The stew would have beans, dried peas, cabbage, and other vegetables sometimes flavored with a bit of meat or bones. Other foods like meat, cheese, and eggs were usually saved for special occasions. Since they didn’t have a way to keep their meat cold, they would eat it fresh. Leftover meat was smoked or salted to preserve it. The nobles ate a wider variety of food including meats and sweet puddings.

Very few people attended school in the Middle Ages. Most peasants learned their job and how to survive from their parents. Some children learned a craft through apprenticeship and the guild system. Wealthy children often learned through tutors. They would go to live in the castle of another lord where they would work for the lord, learning about how a large manor was run.

There were some schools run by the church. Here students would learn to read and write Latin. The first universities also began during the Middle Ages. University students would study a wide range of subjects including reading, writing, logic, math, music, astronomy, and public speaking.

• The bread eaten by people of the Middle Ages was gritty from the millstones used to grind the grain. This caused the people’s teeth to wear down quickly.
• Peasants were not allowed to hunt on the lord’s land. Punishment for killing a deer was sometimes death.
• Medicine was very primitive at the time. Sometimes doctors would “bleed” people by putting leeches on their skin.
• People mostly drank ale or wine. The water was bad and would make them sick.
• Marriages were often arranged, especially for nobles. Noble girls often married at 12 years old and boys at 14.

More: https://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/entertainment.php