Harsh Realities About Being A Peasant In Medieval Times

Reaching middle age during the Middle Ages was an accomplishment. From the 5th to 15th centuries, the lowest rung of medieval European society — peasants and serfs — had no rights and little else. With filthy conditions, brutal hobbies, and chaotic sleep schedules, it's a miracle some peasants made it to adulthood. These were just some of the harshest aspects of a peasant's existence.

Housing

What were peasant homes like? They were small structures with thatched roofs, designed to be easy to repair. Serfs called these little dwellings cruck houses. No matter the weather, they weren't very comfortable places to be. Winters were harsh, and summers were unbearably hot. And instead of a dog curled up at the end of their beds, peasants did things a bit differently.

Animals indoors

Whatever animals peasants owned were rounded up at night and brought inside with the rest of the family. Cows, pigs, chickens, all would crowd into the cruck house for a few different reasons. First was the risk of animal theft. Leaving your critters outside was gambling whether they'd be there in the morning. Though, that wasn't the only potential problem.

There were tons of bugs

Sometimes the animals ran off all on their own. Losing your animals was a huge blow to a peasant family. Living with your livestock and farm animals wasn't easy. In fact, it was just as filthy as you'd expect. Flies, fleas, lice, you name it, — peasants in medieval Europe scratched and swatted them as they slept.

Incredibly high taxes

When they weren't working the land at all hours, peasants were paying hefty amounts of taxes. Yep, even the serfs! No one was exempt when the taxman called. Officials accepted forms of non-cash currency, like seeds, which weren't exactly cheap. Sacrificing seeds meant you'd have less to plant. Needless to say, this wasn't a sustainable cycle.