Less Known Facts about Medieval Life

Most people are going to be surprised by some of the facts about medieval life as they do not know what life in that period was like. Most people develop the idea of knights in shining armor when they think about the medieval period. Tudor kings and pageants also form one of the most significant perceptions that people have about the medieval period. The timing of the medieval period is something that historians disagree about. Other people may know it as the Middle Ages, and it is said to have started at around 476 and ended at the start of the Renaissance period which is around 1485. This article looks to help you learn more about the medieval ages, and you can read on to find more.

You could either be a peasant or a knight. Until the years 1100, you could either be a serf or a knight. Cities and towns did not come up across Europe until the twelfth century. It is not quite difficult for us to acknowledge the job distribution they had. Most peasants however owned their own and which means that they could not be serfs. The opportunities open to free men were also available to those who were tied to their land.

There were elections. People in that particular period cast votes too even though it is considered to be a modern-day phenomenon. There were positions for mayors and bishops that were up for takes. Sometimes, the king’s position was open to democracy through voting too. The succession of the king’s throne by their son is one that predominantly happened in England between 1087 and 1189. In some cases, conflicts could come up concerning who is more fit to rule, and that is when elections could come in handy. Only nobles could vote even though the ordinary people could only vote on a local level.

Travel was a lifestyle in the middle ages. Although it is true, not always did people grow up and die in the same place they were born. Going on a pilgrimage was a common thing since many people actually traveled. For others, travel was part of their trade as Europe imported silk, spices and other luxury goods from Asia and the Middle East. There is a volume, Journey to the Eastern Parts of the World, which dates back to 1253.

Plague claimed many lives, but people did not help either. There were a lot of lives lost through plague or the Black Death as it is also known. It wiped out close to sixty percent of the European population. People, however, did not know what spread the disease.