How Peasants Actually Lived In Medieval Europe

October 30, 2024 | Alex Summers

How Peasants Actually Lived In Medieval Europe


How Medieval Peasants Survived: A Glimpse into Their World

Ever feel like your workday is tough? Now, imagine that toil ten or a hundred-fold as the medieval peasants did. Hard labor was the norm, and the occasional disease outbreak was a "bonus." Read on for the hard facts.

Medieval Europe

Working On The Land

Peasants worked in the fields most of the time. They grew food for the lord and got a tiny bit of land to grow their own. Every day started early, with plowing, planting, or gathering food, depending on the season. Work was tough, but it had to be done.

Medieval EuropeGilles de Rome, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia commons

Sharing the Fields 

Villages in this era used an open-field system, where everyone worked on the same big fields. Since they didn’t own the land, they couldn’t always make the most of it, and many struggled to grow enough to feed their own families.

2-1.jpgTntk, Shutterstock

How Feudalism Grew

During the Middle Ages, no one called it feudalism, but it basically described how people traded land for military service and protection. This is how it went: a landowner could give land to vassals, who would in return give loyalty or anything the owner would need—military service or advice.

FeudalismInternet Archive Book Images, Wikimedia commons

Lords And Nobles

In medieval times, society was arranged in grouped tiers. At the top were the lords and nobles, who owned land and had a lot of power. They controlled everything, including the people who worked for them. Nobles lived in big castles and ruled over large lands, while others followed their rules.

Lords And NoblesPeter Tillemans, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Peasants And Serfs 

At the bottom were the peasants and serfs. Most of them worked on land owned by lords. Their lives were hard, with long hours growing food and taking care of animals. They lived in small houses and had few rights tied to the land they worked for.

Peasants And Serfs Unknown Author, Wikimedia commons

Daily Life In The Fields

Life in the fields meant long days and hard work. Waking up in the sun, workers toiled from morning until night, planting and picking crops. This hard job offered little rest. On unfortunate days when storms came, all their hard work could be lost in minutes.

Daily Life In The FieldsBritish Library, CC0, Wikimedia commons

Rules and Community Support 

Many workers paid rent or worked for free to use the land and lived in small homes, often sharing this space with animals. Still, community was very important as neighbors helped each other during busy times, sharing food and stories. Laughter made long days feel a bit easier.

Medieval TimesJohann Ludwig Ernst Morgenstern, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Early Work in the Fields

Kids started helping in the fields when they were very young. By the time they were seven, many were planting seeds and picking crops. Some still played, but most worked with their families. This early work taught them important skills, turning play into a way to help feed their families.

Work in the FieldsTntk, Shutterstock

Growing Up Fast 

By their twelfth birthday, children had more work to do—boys did tougher jobs, while girls learned to help at home. Each day was a new experience; weather, rules, and all. Peasant life went beyond just toiling, it meant teenages had to skip the plays and jump right into adulthood.

Boys did jobAksana Tsishyna, Shutterstock

Death Rates

Due to the harsh living conditions, most peasants only lived into their early 30s. Many kids perished young because of sickness, malnutrition, or accidents. Doctors didn’t have good medicine for them, so most got worse. Babies? Most never lived to celebrate their first birthdays.  

GraveyardErik Werenskiold, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Birth Rates 

Even with many people dying young, families had a lot of kids, making the birth rate high. But can you really blame them? The peasant hustle needed many hands to help on farms. Also, in a dark way, parents knew that not all their children would grow up, so they continued to procreate.

 peasant womenSergei Prokudin-Gorskii, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Church Taxes

As if the farms were not hard enough, peasants also had to give some of what they grew to the church as tithe. This was usually 10% of their crops or goods. Many families paid with food, seeds, or tools. This tax made the church rich while farmers worked hard to get by.

 TaxesHegodis, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia commons

No Tax Evading

If you were a peasant, then you couldn’t dare evade taxes. Why? The king kept track of everyone’s taxes in a big book—the Domesday Book. Skipping payment was very risky, possibly leading to execution. The church used this money to build big barns to store all the things it collected. 

WomanGiuseppe Palizzi, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Peasant Homes

A typical peasant home in medieval England was small and plain. Most had one or two rooms for people and animals. A fire burned in the middle for cooking and keeping the family warm. Some bigger homes had separate places for baking or storing food. 

Peasant HomesUnknown Author, Wikimedia commons

Life Inside The Home 

Inside, kitchens were simple. People cooked over the fire using pots and basic tools. Thankfully, the peasants were resourceful, as even the tiny homes had pots, pans, and clothes for everyday use. Families often made their own ale to drink. Life was hard, but their homes were warm. 

Life Inside The Home Johann Andreas Herrleins, Wikimedia commons

What They Ate

Meals often had soups made with meat like beef and lamb, along with vegetables like cabbage and leeks. They also ate soft cheeses and some fruits and vegetables. Families cooked with what they grew, making wholesome, yummy meals with what they had.

People EatingGilles de Rome, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia commons

Food And Drink Differences

Food and drink were important to peasants. While rich people drank fancy wine, peasants made beer at home! They liked to eat berries and fruits in summer. Sharing drinks with friends was a fun way to celebrate. Even with hard lives, peasants knew how to enjoy life.

Food And DrinkPieter Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Cooking Methods 

Cooking happened over a fire in pots. They used different ways to cook their food—open-fire cooking, hearth baking, boiling, roasting, frying, smoking, and salting. Nothing went to waste; even leftovers were used. Simple meals gave families the energy to work hard each day.

Woman cooking foodMatson Collection, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Clothing Of The Working Class

Back then, everyday outfits were simple. Tunics made from wool were the main clothes for men, women, and kids and most of these outfits were long and sometimes had side cuts to help move better. Pouches or small bags tied around the waist were also a must have.

Medieval TimesEvgeniyqw, Shutterstock

Protective Garments 

When working, peasants tried as much as possible to keep their clothes clean, so they wore aprons. Women would always wear long aprons, and men wore them for messy jobs like butchering animals. Another common item was hats and hoods. 

working, peasantsAnneka, Shutterstock

Beliefs And Church Control

Peasants in medieval times believed a lot in religion where they mixed old ideas, like fairies and spirits, with Christian beliefs to get by. Priests taught strict rules, but many peasants kept using their old customs, like making charms for good luck. 

Beliefs And Church ControlUnknown Author, Wikimedia commons

Fighting For Better Lives

Many poor people in Europe grew more sad as the times passed. And for good reason. Life was hard, with not much money, food, medication, and high taxes. When the pressure got too high, it birthed the English Peasants’ Revolt in 1381. People just wanted better lives and rights. 

Fighting in old timesJean Froissar, Public domains, Wikimedia commons

More Than Just Farmers 

These revolts were not just about farmers. The Jacquerie in France, from 1356 to 1358, showed that workers from towns and knights also took part. People wanted fairness and wanted to end the hardship that had gripped them. This revolt was not only about farming; it was about fair treatment. 

The Jacquerie in France, from 1356 to 1358E. Crété d'après H. Grobet, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

They Had Local Healers

Most peasants didn’t see a doctor. They often turned to the wise woman in their village, who knew how to use herbs for healing. Some monks in nearby monasteries also helped. They had their own special knowledge about plants. For many, these local healers were the best chance for getting better.

Treatment in old timesPierart dou Tielt, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

What Was The Black Death? 

The Black Death was a terrible sickness that hit Europe from 1347 to 1351. It spread quickly and made about one out of every three people very sick or killed them. Many towns and villages lost many people. The sickness came from fleas on rats and spread through trade. 

Black DeathPierart dou Tielt, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Women and Religion 

Women in peasant communities were important in both work and faith. The women  helped with farming and joined church events. While the church often saw women as weak, peasants respected and appreciated their strength. Some even admired the Virgin Mary, who was a strong figure.

 Religious womanUnknown Author, Wikimedia commons

Peasant Women’s Work 

Women also worked very hard at home and on farms. They took care of the children, cooked food, and washed clothes while also helping with farm tasks. Many also became merchants selling cheese and ale. Even though they had many rules, their hard work and sacrifice kept families alive. 

Peasant Women Working Boiko Olha, Shutterstock

Additional Women’s Roles in Medieval Times

Despite religion, women also took up important jobs in health care. Many were healers and helped other women during childbirth. Their main medical practice was herbal, and a woman named Hildegard once wrote about using herbs for health, and it helped treat many.

Medieval TimesAnneka, Shutterstock

Limited Freedom For All 

Both enslaved peasants and even the free had problems moving around. They often had to pay money just to move their things or go places. This made it hard for anyone, even those not tied to land, to find better chances. Such rules kept many stuck, making life harder.

 peasants workinganonymous (Queen Mary Master), Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Cruel Punishments And Classicism

Living in these times was so bad that even if you stole food to feed your family, you could get hurt badly; by hurt, I mean losing a hand. Rich people, as always, got better treatment. They just paid their way through everything, while poor people faced big punishments.

Medieval TimesBritish Library, CC0, Wikimedia commons

Who Decides The Punishment? 

Judges were church leaders, so one might think they were fair, right? On a typical day, nope. They mostly ruled in favor of the fortune, but sometimes, very rarely, peasants got lucky. Even though the church wanted to help, it often hurt poor peasants more than rich ones.

Court roomJoseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Learning Chances For Poor Families

Education was nothing but a dream to make peasant families because not many poor families had schools during medieval times. However, the rich kids went to school, while the peasants had to work. Some lucky peasant boys could learn if their lord allowed it, but many were fined if caught.

32.jpgBibliothèque Municipale in Cambrai, Wikimedia commons

How Peasant Children Learned 

In medieval England, most peasant children did not attend formal schools. Instead, they learned practical skills like farming, animal husbandry, and household chores from their families. A few attended monastery or cathedral schools, mainly those destined for religious or administrative roles.

ChildPercy Anderson,Public Domain, Wikimedia commons

Faith And Pilgrimages 

When peasants needed help, they might ask a priest for prayer or visit a holy place. Going to shrines, like the one for St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury, was believed to heal diseases like leprosy. In Wales, people went to holy wells, thinking the water could cure them. 

FaithNational Library of Wales, CC0, Wikimedia commons

Marriage As A Deal

Back in medieval times, peasants did not marry for love. Marriages were more like business deals between families. A bride brought a dowry, which was money or land promised to the groom’s family. This dowry helped both families. Love was nice, but it wasn’t the main reason to get married.

MarriagePieter Brueghel the Younger, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Getting Married 

Poor people usually got married in their twenties. They needed time to save money for a dowry and to be ready to take care of a family. Before getting married, they had to pay a fine to their lord because the bride moved to her husband’s village. 

Medieval PeasantsDavid Teniers the Younger, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Wrestling And Fun

Life for peasants wasn’t just work. They had fun, too! Peasants loved to wrestle with friends. They played games like Skittles and enjoyed funny plays with silly jokes. After watching a play, they would go hunting, fishing, or swimming. Spring was the best time, full of tasty fruits and happy moments.

People EnjoyingGerrit Lundens, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Funeral Traditions 

Funerals would sometimes last days, with serfs lighting candles and saying prayers. Those who helped were paid a little. The church didn’t like things like dancing in graveyards, but people still added their own ways to the funeral. It made it a shared time for everyone.

Funeral Traditions Harper's Weekly June 1870, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Peasant Markets

Remember women who sold ale, here is where they all went to do so; the market. And each market was different. In some, people traded, and in other areas, they focused on making their own stuff. The populations in such markets always fluctuate based on the location. 

Peasant MarketsJoseph Van Aken, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Market Changes 

The number of markets went up and down over the years. Trade depended on what people needed and what they had to offer. Towns often used markets more than rural areas, which focused on taking care of their own needs. Markets grew in importance depending on the region.

people going to marketRosa Bonheur, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

Peasant Living Coming To An End

Everything has a beginning and an end right? Well, for these peasants living in the tough England Medieval, the end came because of agricultural innovation, economic changes, land enclosures, population growth, and social pressure to end it. 

Person workingKeching, Shutterstock

New Opportunities

With fewer peasants left, it was a very good opportunity for those who stayed to ask to be paid more money for their service. Since there were more jobs available, some peasants started to earn more and live better—food, clothing, education, and shelter.

Woman doing workAnneka, Shutterstock

Changes In Power

Eventually, the common people also wanted a say in what was happening. They didn’t like how much power the lords had. Many wanted a king to rule instead of many nobles. This change in thinking helped weaken feudalism, as people wanted more control over their lives.

 feudalismBibliothèque nationale de France, Public domain, Wikimedia commons

End Of Feudal Duties 

Around 1793, many serfs stopped paying fees to their landowners, mostly because they were tired of these payments that lasted too long. With the end of these fees, peasants got their own land and no longer had to pay the church. This change was a big step in ending feudalism.

People in fieldVincent van Gogh, Public domain, Wikimedia commons


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