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How many people at least once in their life thought of how great it would be to live in their very own castle? When we think of castles in Medieval history, we think of towers with flags that touch the sky, drawbridges and windows that let in the morning glow of light. But in ancient Europe, it wasn’t like that at all. The castles had no windows and consisted of only a few simple rooms. A few tears in the wall would lead to perhaps some light, but also accompanied by draft, snow, and rain. The servants had no beds and slept on the floor, while guests slept on TABLES of all things! The king and queen had a large bed, and their children had smaller beds. In the late Medieval ages, castles were built with comfortable rooms and more complex furnishings. These new upgrades developed when the trades increased and the nobles had better leisure.. Castles were viewed as more homey like – especially in France. Castles were a crowded place, packed with the king, his queen, their children and the servants. When the nation was under attack, serfs took refuge in the walls inside the castle.


Entertainment – Nobles spent most of their spare time in forests and wild lands, hunting creatures such as foxes, deer, boars, and hares. To keep themselves in fighting forms in between battles, knights engaged in dangerous contests called tournaments. Tournaments acted as a training ground for young knights. The knights that were defeated either had to pay a ransom or give up their horses and swords. But the English soon banned this tournament for fear that the knights might form a rebellion. Tournaments became mock battles called Jousting; which took place in special fields. Jousting soon turned into something called tilting, where knights charged at each other and tried to knock their opponent from their horse with a lance. Only the king and wealthy nobles could sponsor such a tournament.


Manor Life – In the fifth century, Germanic farmers moved into larger estates that were abandoned by the Romans. These and other estates eventually evolved into rural manors. These large fiefs included several other manors within them and were administrated by a knight. The manor was a small rural community, and peasants were expected to produce enough food for themselves and the rest of their neighbors. They grew crops – things like grain, vegetables, and fruits. They owned some hens for eggs and raised livestock for their meat. Sheep were raised for wool which they spun and wove into cloth. Three fields of the manor were divided into narrow strips; a third belonged to the lord; the rest given to peasants. The life of a peasant was anything but easy; men and woman rose at sunrise eating their breakfast, washing up, and going straight to work. Their work could be growing crops, chopping trees, or simply embroidery around the house. The main meal for peasants consisted of food such as vegetable soup, or pottage and cider. Meat was something only eaten once in a blue moon. Houses were made with walls of mud and a straw roof. The serf’s cottage only consisted of a few rooms and a few pieces of furniture. Animals and humans often slept in the same room.