|
Medieval Society
 |
|
 |
| |
For most of the medieval
period in most of Europe, the structure of society was
determined by how hard it was to provide a steady food
supply. Farming was not steady the way modern technology
has made it, and the proportion of grain reaped to seed
sown was usually very low. Because of this, particularly
between the 8th and 11th centuries, the proportion of
the population freed of all agricultural tasks was extremely
low, and the materials of luxury or warfare were rare
and highly prized.
The led to an initial aristocracy that was distinctly
Roman, and usually existed because of slave labor, or
indentured servitude. This kind of treatment led to a
great deal of resentment, which is why often times men
experienced in battle were hired by aristocracy and treated
slightly better. Their protection was necessary, as was
the extra muscle needed to enforce an unjust system.
At the top of the system were kings and emperors, but
with the spread of Christianity, even they had to walk
a fine line and be sure to exude a certain amount of priestly
character. The Papacy would grow strong after successfully
dealing with Atila the Hun, and the Pope would rise to
great stations of influence before the Medieval age was
over.
 The Germans, on the other hand, lived a little differently.
They had a more feudal society, similar to the one used
by the highlanders in Scotland, where even without a king,
they were warriors led individually by chiefs. Chiefs
kept their power by proving over and over their ability
to win battles, and therefore win the kind of loot needed
to continuously buy and re-buy the loyalty of his followers.
Some of the pagan kings (such as the Ynglings of Sweden)
acted as priests, and a king's subjects usually followed
him to the fount for baptism in the same way they followed
him to war. Very special measures, including the earliest
recorded Frankish consecration by a bishop, were required
to legitimize the succession of a king from outside the
ruling dynasty. In Catholic nations, this gave the Church
enormous power and influence.
Free men were important to a society, and enjoyed a limited
number of rights and comforts. Their lives were nowhere
near the aristocracy, but they were certainly much better
off than the common peasant who lived a life of back breaking
toil, constant uncertainty, forced conscript into war,
and usually early death. As bad as things were for the
common man, they were even worse for a common woman. A
married woman had no legal rights, and only a widow with
land could hope to wield any type of authority. While
that didn’t stop certain women from making their
impact, even Joan of Arc was still a peasant, and her
life ended burned at the stake. Society was rough for
those not on top, and with all times in history, that
was the majority of the people.
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
