Lifestyle of the Peasant in the Middle Ages

During the Early Middle Ages, peasants were either free or semi-free people that worked in a relatively independent fashion. Peasants lived a hard and moderately simple life, paying their dues to their local lords and later on even become permitted to learn how to write and read. As according to A Short History of the Middle Ages, the lifestyle of the peasant would soon be forever changed. Comparing the role of the peasant during the Early Middle Ages to the High Middle Ages shows a huge difference in not only how the rest of society treats the peasants but also to how the peasants see themselves. The Early Middle Ages range from c. 400 -1050 when we begin to call it the High Middle Ages lasting from c. 1050 – 1350 (Taylor 1). Although many changes occur to make the transformation from Early-High that affects the people, it is the gradual change throughout the High Middle Ages that makes a very distinct difference between the peasants of these two time frames. The transformation into the High Middle Ages for the peasant class infers changes that are primarily negative with only a few temporary positive aspects in their social standing, political standing, and economic standing within medieval society.

Within the hierarchy throughout all periods of the Middle Ages the peasants remained primarily on the lower end of the societal food chain. Peasants in the Early Middle Ages were for the most part somewhat independent depending on their regions lord, “…regional lords—often kings—commanded a share of the peasants’ produce and, occasionally, labor services… [while] some of the peasants…would be tenants or slaves of a lord; others would be independent farmers who owned all or part of the land that they cultivated,” (Rosenwein 81). The...

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... class in the High Middle Ages heavily outweigh the protective structure provided by the government and churches. The social standing lessened as the importance of being ‘free’ or ‘unfree’ was no longer recognized by the upper class and the term peasant or serf became a harsh position to have. The political standing completely changed from going from mutual agreement to a dictating authority of government. The economic standing temporarily showed an incline in quality of life for peasants but ended with the same negative outcome as with the other aspects of their lives. The High Middle Age transformed the lives of peasants to a society controlled by absolute authority of the government and church; while the social, political, and economic standings of peasants in medieval society overall declined the quality of life for peasants in the most negatives ways possible.