The Middle Ages, also known as the medieval period, lasted from 500 AD to 1500 AD and is usually subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages. Life in the medieval period was often brutal, with gruesome punishments, wars, and plagues. Here are 18 terrifying facts about life in the medieval period.
Women’s Plight
Women in the medieval period occupied various social roles, including nuns, peasants, artisans, or queen regents. Life for women during this period could be extremely difficult. Childbirth was extremely risky, with high maternal mortality rates, and most women had very few rights.
Child Labor and Exploitation
Most children in the medieval period began serious work when they reached puberty, but some as young as five were put to work in fields, mines, and workshops, often in dangerous conditions. Orphans and children of the poor were especially vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
Hygiene
Medieval streets were often filled with waste and garbage that attracted rats and spread diseases, and most cities lacked a functioning sewage system. World History notes that while medieval peasants would wash their hands and face in the mornings, their “rarely-changed straw bedding was a particular paradise for vermin.”
The Scourge of the Black Death
The Black Death, a bubonic plague pandemic in Europe from 1346 to 1353, may have killed 50 million people. Up to 50% of Europe’s population was wiped out, with entire villages abandoned or killed and corpses left unburied. The pandemic led to widespread panic, social unrest, and a normal life breakdown that affected European history.
Serfdom: Life in Bondage
Serfs in the early medieval period were bound to the land of their lord with little hope of freedom or social mobility. They were required to work in their lord’s fields, mines, forests, and roads. Harsh punishments were meted out for those attempting to escape or failing to meet their labor obligations.
Brutal Justice System
BBC News notes that medieval justice in England was brutal, with “trials by ordeal.” These trials involved those accused of crimes such as carrying a hot iron bar or being plunged into the water on a rope, with the outcome of the ordeal determining their guilt or innocence.
The Great Famine
The Great Famine of 1315–1317 caused widespread starvation for millions across Europe. Erratic weather led to crop failures, which saw price inflation and mass malnutrition. The famine weakened Europe’s population, making it more susceptible to later diseases like the Black Death.
The Witch Hunts
The witch hunts of medieval Europe were the precursor of the Salem witch trials and saw thousands of people accused of witchcraft. Between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, nearly half of those accused of witchcraft were murdered, and most of them were women.
Religious Persecution
Religious persecution was commonplace in the medieval period. The Inquisition targeted heretics, leading to widespread torture, forced confessions, and executions. The Crusades, which initially aimed to reclaim the Holy Land, led to widespread violence and persecution of Muslims, Jews, and even other Christians. Britannica also notes that “Jews were denied citizenship and its rights” during the period.
Medical Practice
Medical practice in the Middle Ages was based on humoral theory, which led to harmful treatments like bloodletting. Mental illness was also poorly understood and often attributed to demonic possession or witchcraft.
The Feudal System: A Rigid Class Divide
The feudal system entrenched social inequalities during the medieval period, with nobles holding vast power over peasants. Social mobility was virtually nonexistent during the period. A person’s birth determined their status and occupation.
The Horrors of Warfare
Warfare was gruesome in the medieval period, with brutal weapons like the flail and morning star causing injuries and painful deaths. Siege warfare was also common, leading to starvation and disease. Britannica explains that “progress in siege warfare was almost always slow and painful” but that “castles and fortified cities could eventually succumb to starvation.”
The Crusades
The Crusades, a series of brutal religious wars initiated by the Latin Church, resulted in almost two million deaths. Soldiers looted and destroyed cities in the Holy Land, deepening the rift between the Christian and Muslim worlds.
Life Expectancy
In the medieval period, high infant mortality rates resulted in many children dying before their fifth birthday, and diseases including leprosy, smallpox, and tuberculosis were rampant, with no effective treatments available. According to the University of South Carolina, “In medieval England, life expectancy at birth for boys born to families that owned land was a mere 31.3 years.”
Viking Raids
Viking raids brought terror to coastal and riverine Europe, with monasteries and towns plundered. The unpredictability and brutality of the attacks left communities in constant fear, and captives were often enslaved.
The Role of the Church
The Church wielded immense power in medieval Europe, controlling many aspects of daily life and governance through the doctrine of the divine right of kings and interdicts. It played a key role in education and literacy but also suppressed scientific and philosophical advancement, which it deemed heretical.
Peasant Revolts
Peasant revolts erupted periodically in response to excessive taxes, forced labor, and the general injustices of the feudal system. The uprisings were brutally suppressed, with leaders executed and participants facing severe repercussions, but they sometimes led to minor concessions.
Living Conditions: Castles vs. Cottages
Nobles in the medieval period lived in fortified castles, which served as symbols of their wealth and power, but they were often cold, damp, and uncomfortable. Peasants lived in simple, one-room cottages with dirt floors, poor ventilation, and little sanitation facilities, often exacerbating the spread of disease.
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