The stew would have beans, dried peas, cabbage, and other vegetables sometimes flavored with a bit of meat or bones. Peasants during the Middle Ages did not have a lot of variety in their food. These laws stated who could wear what types of clothes and what materials they could use. In order to separate the nobles from the peasants, laws were passed called 'sumptuary' laws. Women wore a long skirt called a kirtle, an apron, woolen stockings, and a cloak. Men generally wore a tunic, woolen stockings, breeches, and a cloak.

The wealthy, however, wore much nicer clothes made from fine wool, velvet, and even silk. Most peasants wore plain clothing made from heavy wool to keep them warm during the winter. The home was usually dark, smoky from the fire, and uncomfortable. In the country, the family animals, such as a cow, may also live inside the home. These homes were very crowded and usually everyone slept in the same room. Other jobs in the city included servants, merchants, bakers, doctors, and lawyers.Īlthough we often think of pictures of large castles when we think of the Middle Ages, most people lived in small one or two room homes. Young boys would serve as apprentices for seven years learning a craft. A lot of people worked as craftsmen and were members of a guild. They also sometimes had a few animals such as chickens for eggs and cows for milk.Ĭity life was very different from country life, but it wasn't much easier. They also had gardens where they grew vegetables and fruits. They grew crops such as barley, wheat, and oats. The peasants were called the lord's 'villeins', which was like a servant. Local peasants would work the land for the lord.

Usually there was a local lord who lived in a large house called a manor or a castle.

The majority of people living during the Middle Ages lived in the country and worked as farmers. Costumes of the Middle Ages by Albert Kretschmer

Download live a live the middle ages