Life in the Feudal System During Medievel Times

All of the villages had one large farm where all villagers shared as grazing land for their animals. The village also included church land (glebe), the lords hunting forest, and meadows where hay was grown.

A farmer usually had two crops; a spring and an autumn crop. The spring usually consisting of barley, vetches, oats, peas and beans, while fall was usually just wheat and rye. Each seed was used in way. The rye and wheat, besides being sold for cash, was used for bread. The barley was used for beer and the oats and hay were fed to the livestock.

Different crops are planted on the same field in different years. One year they might plant wheat and then barley the following year. Barley and wheat use and have different nutrients. The nutrients that barley uses will build up in the soil for the wheat. The cycle will then continue growing the different crops.

Facts:

• Disease common of most peasants, most not living past the age of 40

• Meat was rarely available, and when it was, families often hung it in front of their homes to show off. This is where the term “bringing home the bacon” comes from—wife's bragging about their husbands going on a successful hunt and bringing home meat for their family.

To get the field in good growing condition, the farmers used oxen to plough the land. Though most farmers did not own an ox, so they turned to ploughing. Sometimes, farmers combined forces to conquer the harsh soil. Also the sowing of the fields was on a three year cycle.

Due to a Peasants place in the feudal system, they were obligated to fight for the local lord. Peasants usually went to war with little to no armor and fought with simply agricultural or hunting tools such as ax...

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...ir husband might be back then. Also that the average age to get married at was around 12 - 14 with parental permission.

Marriages would be arranged to bring wealth to the family. Marriage for the love of one-another was a rare occurrence. Medieval women were expected to bring a dowry to the marriage. A dowry was an amount of money, goods and land that the bride would bring to the marriage. The law in medieval times gave a husband full rights over his wife. - She basically became his property. A nine day celebration was then held after the marriage with feasting and jousting.

Women within the medieval community were very w¬ell restricted to domestic duties including cooking, baking bread, sewing, weaving and spinning. Though some women were allowed to hunt for food and fight in battles.