Transcript Life in Medieval Europe

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The
centre of family life
for all classes of
European society was
the home.
Variations
were of course
great, over an entire
continent and a time span
of about 1000 years.
As
a result of the
military nature of the
medieval noble
household, its
composition was
predominately male.
The
presence of
servants of noble
birth imposed a
social hierarchy on
the household.
One
of the most important
functions of the medieval
household was the obtaining,
storing and
preparing food.
Aristocratic household offices:
 Administration
 Household (Steward)
 Marshalsea
 Chamber
 Wardrobe
Food and Drink (main)
 Kitchen
 Pantry
 Buttery
Food and Drink (secondary)
 Confectionary
 Cellar
 Poultry
 Spicery
 Larder
 Scalding-house
 Saucery
Other
 Scullery
 Chandlery
 Ewery
 Laundry
 Napery
Royal households
The
households of
medieval kings were in
many ways simply
aristocratic households
on a larger scale.
Eventually the central positions
of the royal household became
little else than honorary titles
bestowed upon the greatest
families, and not
necessarily even
dependent on
attendance at court.
Finally, the royal
household differed
from most noble
households in the
size of their military
element.
The medieval aristocratic
household was not fixed to
one location, but could be
more or less permanently on
the move.
Particularly for kings,
travel was a vital part of
governance, and in
many cases kings would
rely on their subjects for
accommodation while
on the road.
The aristocratic
society centered
on the castle.
Rural
The households of medieval
peasant families were
naturally smaller than those of
the aristocracy, and as such
resembled modern
households more.
RuralEven though peasant
households were significantly
smaller than aristocratic ones,
the wealthiest of these would
also employ servants.
Rural - The houses of medieval
peasants were of poor quality
compared to modern houses.
Urban- The medieval world
was a much less urban society
than either the Roman Empire
or the modern world.
Urban- The practice of
sending children
away to act as
servants was even
more common in
towns than in the
countryside
Urban- The inhabitants
of towns largely made
their living as
merchants or artisans,
and this activity was
strictly controlled by
guilds.
Towards the end of the Middle
Ages, the functions and
composition of households
started to change.
First of all, the introduction of
gunpowder to the field of
warfare rendered the castle a
less effective defence, and
did away with the military
function of the household.
The
result was a
household more focused
on comfort and luxury,
and with a significantly
larger proportion of
women.
The second factor that brought
about change was the early
change in attitudes towards
the individual, and focus on
privacy.
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