Daily Life During The Middle Ages

Daily Life During The Middle Ages

Have you ever thought about how much your day to day life is shaped, merely based on the era of time you live in? Think about it; a person's work, the law, and family life is constructed so heavily on the time that they live in. Today people have so many job options, a whole different justice system, and there is a vast variety of family structure. However, fifty years ago was completely different in those aspects. The social norm is changed from decade to decade. In the Middle Ages, times were even more shifted than they are today or even fifty years ago. The Renaissance time period was no exception. Daily life during the Middle Ages, was most affected by the family structures, jobs, and rights. Money, marriage

From a young age a person's fate was decided for them. The father of the family was the “paterfamilias who had complete control over his children as long as he lived”(“The Family”2009). The father would choice who his daughter would marry. He would arrange the marriage based on what would “affect the family, the economy, and inheritance” (“Families in Medieval Europe”). Another reason it was the father's decision was because if the father didn't have any sons but he still wished to pass along his possessions, he would pass them along to his daughters, husband. With that said, a man was also chosen on his family's wealth, to insure financial safety, as well as his ability to pay his dowery. A dowery is a payment made from a man to a woman's family in the process of the marriage. This can be in the form of livestock, land, goods, and other like items. After the dowery and the marriage is finalized, a women were considered the man's property. Women were not equal to men and they were to keep to themselves and do as the man of the house said. A women of this time was incharge of the house. Her responsibilities were

During this time period your job, much like your spouse and your rights were chosen at a young age. The family you were born into was the defining factor to what a person would do to earn money at an older age. For example if you were born into the royal family, you were considered royal and became the heir to the throne. Your whole life will be shaped around preparing for the throne. However if you were born into a knight's house-hold you were “responsible for feudalism, consisting of the safety of the king and fighting for the king, therefore also making them responsible for the safety of the village”(“Work in the Middle Ages”). This was considered an honor during this time period and knights were looked up to because of the bravery that went into the job. Another example would be the priest and others in a high religious place. People who were greatly involved in the church were held to a higher standard because of the large role that the church played during that time. The Clergy “were responsible for the spiritual welfare of the king. They were also his religious advisors. Religious crusades were on the forefront in the middle ages and being a crusader ensured you the rank of a nobleman. Peter the Hermit was such a religious crusader” (“Work in the Middle Ages”). However, if you were born a Cottar, and would partake in jobs