Medieval Women:

Lady of Manor and Peasant

A Peek into Medieval LifeWith Gina Wu & Melissa

Wang

What do you think of the medieval times?

Video Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO-L_ms0tL0

Feudalism

     

Complete control of system. Gave land to those who he

trusted.

Baron. Established their own system of justice, minted their own money

and set their own taxes.

Protect manor, baron and family.

Villeins, sometimes known as serfs. Poor,

no rights.

• The Manoro The Manor House varied in size, according

to the wealth of the lord but generally consisted of a Great Hall, solar, kitchen, storerooms and servants quarters. In some cases a chapel might also be attached to a manor house.

Housing

• Peasant’s houseo Peasants' houses from this period have not

survived because they were made out of sticks, straw and mud.

o They were one-roomed houses which the family shared with the animals.

o They made their houses themselves because they could not afford to pay someone to build them.

After Black Death, Wattle and Daub houses

Clothing and Fashion• Dominated and highly

influenced by the Kings and Queens of the era.

• Only the wealthy could dress in fashionable clothes.

• Sumptuary Laws  restricted people in their expenditure including money spent on clothes.

• The head-dress worn by people during the Middle Ages immediately conveyed the rank of the person.

14cPlumes

Two colorstockings

Sumptuary Laws of the Middle Ages

• The definition of the word Sumptuary is derived from the  from the Latin word which means expenditure. English Sumptuary Laws were imposed by rulers to curb the expenditure of the people. Sumptuary laws might apply to food, beverages, furniture, jewelry and clothing. These Laws were used to control behaviour and ensure that a specific class structure was maintained.

Sumptuary Laws? The English Sumptuary Law of 1363 Women were, in general, to be dressed according to

the position of their fathers or husbands Wives and daughters of servants were not to wear

veils above twelve pence in value Handicraftsmen's and yeomen's wives were not to

wear silk veils The use of fur was confined to the ladies of knights

with a rental above 200 marks a year The wife or daughter of a knight was not to wear

cloth of gold or sable fur The wife or daughter of an esquire or gentleman not

to wear velvet, satin or ermine Cloth of gold and purple silk were confined to

women of the royal family

Food • Availability depending on

seasono Summer the most plentifulo Medieval palate preferred

fowl: chicken, pigeons, sparrows, starlings, geese, swans, vultures, gulls, cranes, peacocks, herons and other bizarre fowl on the table, sometimes being served with the feathers intact

• Lower class ate more vegetable than meato Vegetable not raw as it was

deemed unhealthy

High in protein but lacks Vitamin A C D.

This meant the upper class often

suffered from scurvy, tooth decay and infections from spoiled meat.

Lower class eating mostly vegetables and receiving vitamins from the ale, coupled with a low fat, high fiber diet were in better health; however, were often

hungry.

Times of Famine

• Dogs and cats disappeared. The elderly often voluntarily stopped eating so younger members of the family could survive, and there were numerous reports of cannibalism.

•Medieval stories like Hansel and Gretel, like most of Grimm's Fairy Tales, has a basis in reality and illustrated the harsh possibilities of famine.

Birth• Took place at home with

a midwife

• Upper and middle class babies were baptized on the day of their birth. (as survival rate was low)

• In a peasant family, sometimes the midwife would have to perform the ceremony if the babe was so close to death.

Death• The average life

expectancy was around 30

• Women, in particular, was only expected to live till about 24o Due to the dangers of

pregnancy and delivery

• A widow gets a third of her late husband’s property unless stated otherwise in his will

• The Daily Life of a Medieval Lady followed a similar schedule to that of her lord. This might be her husband, father or brother. The daily life of a Medieval Lady centered around Medieval Castle or Medieval Manor. Much of her time was spent on overseeing the running of the household. The daily life of a Medieval Lady can be described as follows:

The Lady of the Manor

• The daily life of a Medieval Lady started at dawn when Mass would be heard and prayers would be made

• A Medieval Lady would be served by her ladies in waiting. She would be assisted with her dress for the day

• The daily life of the Lady would include discussions on tournaments, betrothals, marriages, poetry and courtly love

• A Medieval Lady would be expected to oversee the education of the upper class girls who had sent to their households

The Lady of the Manor

• Producing a male heir within a rich family was considered vital. So many women spent a great deal of their married life pregnant. However, childbirth was dangerous as medical care was so poor. It is thought that as many as 20% of all women died in childbirth and it was the most common cause of death among young women.

• Wives from a rich family usually did not look after their children. This was done by a wet nurse.

The Lady of the Manor

• A Medieval Lady had to be able to take their husbands places at all times. The daily life of a Medieval Lady would change if her husband was absent. She would be expected to look after the finances of the manor or

estates including the collection of rents. Supervise the farming and settle all disputes

Medieval Peasant Women

The daily life Medieval Peasant women was hard. Most of the peasants were Medieval Serfs or Medieval Villeins. Women were expected to help their peasant husbands with their daily chores as well as attending to provisions and the cooking of daily meals and other duties customarily undertaken by women. The daily life of Medieval peasant women can be described as follows:

The daily life of a peasant woman started at started in the summer as early as 3am

Preparations had to be started in order to provide the daily meals

Peasant women were expected to look after small animals - geese, chickens etc

Weaving, spinning and making and mending clothes were also part of a woman's work

Preparing rushes for lighting Making preserves Tending the vegetable plot

and collecting berries and herbs

Women were also responsible for the children and need an understanding of medicines and herbs for basic nursing requirements

Or maybe… life as a servant for the rich. Such work was demanding and poorly rewarded.

•Medieval peasant women had to provide meals and undertake menial tasks for their lord and his family. Many of the Medieval peasants who worked in the castles were women. Medieval Peasant Women worked in the kitchen and were expected to cook, clean and wait on the lord.

Serfdom Freemen. Paid rent,

owed no service to lord. 10%

Villeins. Most common type. Need to work on lord’s land and offer lord services. Had some land.

Bordars and cottagers. Work on lord’s land. Has only a tiny bit of land.

Slaves. Have nothing. Survived on donations from lord.

Higher

Rank

LowerRank

Documents from Medieval England relating to what the common person did are rare, but some do exist which examine what villages did. For reaping, a man could get 8 pence a day. For the same task, women would get 5 pence. For hay making, men would earn 6 pence a day while women got 4 pence.

Had to ask permission from knight before marrying. Could hold no property unless a widow.

Origins of Sayings • Related to death:

o Wakeo Saved by the bello Graveyard shift

• Related to habitual lifeo It’s raining cats and

dogso Sleep tighto Don’t let the bedbugs

bite

The EndAren’t you glad you weren’t born in the middle ages?

I wish I were born today, so I could live longer…