The Medieval Era Essay example - 1014 Words

The Medieval Era The Medieval era is so easily generalized into the three orders of those who fight, those who work, and those who pray, or even simply divided into the privileged and unprivileged. These distinctions are important, for the ability of the church and manor to influence a peasants actions and to take a peasants earnings was obviously a central component of a peasants life. However, when peasants constituted such a sizable majority of the population (over 90 percent), it is also important to recognize the distinctions among them. Some peasants were free and some were serfs. Some peasants were well off and some were barely subsisting. Some peasants held manorial offices and some†¦show more content†¦Through recording land sales and inheritances, the courts rolls explain the economic status of certain peasants, and through recording contracts and crimes committed, they can describe relationships between peasants. For example, Bennett writes, Cecilia illegally took hay off the l and of Richard Everard; she let her animals trespass onto the property of others; she argued with Alice Baker, (103). Again, the records are factual but anything that goes beyond the written word is an inference subject to interpretation and generalization. Bennett also uses poems and songs throughout the text. Clues about how privileged people regarded peasants can be found in their courtly songs, sarcastic proverbs, nasty jokes, and pious sermons, writes Bennett (3). However, these only tell about the generalized negative opinions of elites regarding peasants. Personal diaries and letters are missing from the book because almost all peasants were illiterate. Therefore, sources used are for the most part objective and lack emotion. This takes away from the readers ability to connect with Cecilia as a person. The reader knows that Cecilia was allowed many more rights since she never married, but they do not know if she enjoyed her individuality orShow MoreRelatedThe Medieval Era1778 Words   |  8 PagesTyler Sun December 14, 2014 Prof. Sparks HUMN 220 Chartres Cathedral The Medieval Era was one with explosive cultural and architectural growth across almost all of Europe. One of the places that experienced this the most was in France. With all of the radical changes happening in France, there was a huge emphasis on religion and as a result the Chartres Cathedral was created. The town of Chartres officially became a bishopric in the 4th century, and as with any bishopric the cathedral was the mostRead MoreMedieval Vs. Medieval Era1506 Words   |  7 PagesThe Medieval, or Middle, Ages in Europe have often been called the Dark Ages, since they seem to have been lacking in many ways. 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