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Table of Contents
Life in the Medieval Era began about 500 to 1400β1500 CE, traditionally known as the Middle Ages.
See the fact file below for more information on Medieval Life or alternatively, you can download our 30-page Medieval Life worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
The Medieval Era
- To be precise, the Medieval Era began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire, transitioning into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.Β
- Also known as the Middle Ages, it is the middle period of the three divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period.Β
- The medieval period is subdivided into the:
- Early: late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century CE
- High:Β 1000 to 1250 CE
- Late Middle Ages: 1250 to 1500 CE
- What was it like to live in the middle ages? It depends on someoneβs status. Society was sustained by great differences between the wealthy with big privileges and the peasants, without.
Medieval Homes
- In medieval times βPeasantβ generally means that people live mainly off the produce of their own labour. Their houses were built with poor-quality materials scavenged from the immediate locality βfallen timber, mud, and furzeβ with animals and humans living in the same structure.
- But after the Black Death, many peasants died resulting in the nobilities offering the survivors larger wage during harvests. They were able to build better homes made of sturdier timbers with small floor area (881 sq ft on average).
- The Medieval houses of Noblemen were made of stone or bricks. Their houses were built with separate rooms for heating preparing meals, eating and similar.
- The animals the nobles owned were placed in barns outside the house and the crops were enclosed in a different area.
- The royal families lived in great castles, of fortified medieval structures that offered protection to nobility and other classes of people. Some were built for strategic positioning during wars.
The Feudal System
- In order to endure an increase in wealth and loyalty among its people, the Kings of the Medieval Ages enforced the Feudal System.Β
- Feudalism is a type of social and political system in which landholders provide land to tenants in exchange for their loyalty and service. Β –www.dictionary.com
- In order for the system to work, the King must appoint trusted nobles, whom they called βvassalsβ and give them lands. In turn, the vassals hire βknightsβ who will serve their lords in exchange of lands.
- The peasants owned no land and they were not part of the feudal system. However, they worked the land and had to pay rent to the Barons for its use on which they could grow food for their families. In exchange, they will be guaranteed protection by the vassals.
Life of the Medieval People
- Life of the peasants – as the lowest class of people, some are owned by their lords and some do not have the rights to acquire property or lands. While husbands till the lands, their wives stay at home and do household chores and attend to the provisions customary to women.
- Life in the castle – It was filled with busy work in the kitchens preparing for celebrations and feasts. The knights living in the castle train at a very young age to enhance their skills, horsemanship, and weapons.
- Life in a medieval manor – While the lord of the manors lives a comfortable life, the servants always struggle to do all the work required for the upkeep of the manor and help maintain his obligations to the king.
- Life in the Monastery – Monks living in the monastery dedicate their lives to education, prayer, and hard work. Full-fledged monks focused solely on prayers while other monks or apprentices did all the manual labor.
- Life of the Medieval knights – They spend their lives honing fighting skills, enhancing weapons, and keeping their fitness levels high in preparation for any battle for their Lords in times of war. They were bound to the code of chivalry.
- Life of the children – The survival rate of children are very low during this time as they were plagued by starvation and illnesses. Those who survived were forced to work at an early age.
- Life expectancy – Peasant children do not usually live past the age of five, those who do get married. Wives live nearly past childbearing years while their husbands about 30 years. Only a few reach old age. Meanwhile, the nobilitiesβ average life span was years.Β
Medieval Food
- Medieval food was determined by class. The wealthy and the royals ate freshly killed meat and river fish, as well as fresh vegetables which were mostly cooked with heavy flavors and valuable spices.
- Peasant food was mostly made of grains such as wheat, oats, rye, or barley. Some ate beans, lentils, and fish depending on their cropsβ produce and other sources. Poor harvests resulted in poor nutrition among peasants and people of the lower classes.
- Soldiers and knights require nutritious foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, and fish to maintain their build and effectiveness during battles.Β
Medieval Battles and Wars
- The struggle for power was prevalent during the medieval period. A few of the most notables include:
- Battle of Tours: 732, Charles Martel forced back invading Muslim armies to save the European continent.
- Battle of Hastings: 1066, William the Conqueror defeated King Harold which led to French Norman rule of England and the introduction of the medieval Feudal system.
- The Crusades: Between 1095 and 1291, the battle between Muslims and Roman Catholics.
- The battle of Bannockburn: 1314, between the Scots led by King Robert the Bruce and King Edward of England.
- βWars of the Rosesβ: Between 1455 to 1487,Β a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne.
- Hundred Years War: 1337 to 1453, disputes over English territorial possessions in France and the legitimate succession to the French throne.
The Role of the Church
- It is widely believed that the church played a big role in the lives of medieval people.
- In Europe, the church dominated through religion and the payment of taxes. This particularly affected the peasants due to the amount of taxes they had to pay as tithes every year.
- In order for the tax to keep coming, the church scared people into believing that if they did not obey the religion, their souls would be sent to Hell where they will suffer for all eternity.
Medieval Life Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Medieval Life across 30 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Medieval Life which began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire, transitioning into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Medieval Life Facts
- Medieval Fashion
- Divided by Class
- A Medieval Knight
- Medieval Life in Poetry
- Medieval Art
- Baking the Medieval Way
- Medieval Kings
- King Arthur
- Build a Castle
- The Black Death
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Link will appear as Medieval Life Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 20, 2021
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.