What Was Life Like in the Middle Ages: Myths and Truths 🏰
The Middle Ages lasted 1,000 years (500-1500 AD) and was a period of great transformations. But Hollywood created many myths. What was it really like to live in this era?
Social Structure 👥
Feudalism:
- King at the top
- Nobles (feudal lords)
- Knights
- Peasants (90% of population)
- Serfs (bound to the land)
Life of Peasants 🌾
Work:
- Subsistence farming
- 16h/day during harvest
- Paid taxes to the lord
Housing:
- Houses of wood and straw
- One room for entire family
- Animals inside (for warmth)
Food:
- Bread, porridge, vegetables
- Meat rare (only festivals)
- Beer (water was dangerous)
Life of Nobles 👑
Castles:
- Cold, damp, dark
- No glass in windows
- Central fireplace
Activities:
- Hunting
- Tournaments
- War
- Feasts
Hygiene 🛁
MYTH: Nobody bathed
REALITY: Baths were common
- Public baths in cities
- Rich had bathtubs
- Perfumes and soaps existed
Medicine 💊
Treatments:
- Bloodletting
- Medicinal herbs
- Surgery (without anesthesia)
- Prayers
Diseases:
- Black Death (killed half of Europe)
- Smallpox
- Leprosy
Entertainment 🎭
Peasants:
- Religious festivals
- Dances
- Simple games
Nobles:
- Tournaments
- Hunting
- Troubadours
- Banquets
Conclusion 📚
The Middle Ages wasn't the "Dark Ages" - it was a complex period with advances and challenges. Life was hard, but not so different from other pre-industrial eras.
Read also:
- How Did Roman Gladiators Live?
- The Black Death: How It Changed Europe
- The French Revolution Explained