Tribunus
How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
I mean, would it like a picturesque, Lord-of-the-Rings-type settings with sunny meadows and forests and jolly bustling farmers' markets and towns? Or would it be gritty, germy, filthy, and violent? I've heard different opinions on both, some people say it's not as bad as people make it out to be and others said it would be downright unpleasant.
Vae victis
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
Look at the third world countries today, except it would be a bit nicer because people aren't going crazy with imported ak-47s, international corporations, and superpowers getting involved with their country.
If you were a peasent you would have a hard life, but you wouldn't have to do much except know how to keep your section of the field growing and go to war if your lord called upon you. Or you could learn a trade, that would be good.
If you weren't a peasent but nobility, then life would be decent, but that means you are a soldier then.
Yeah but I would tend to lean to the short, filthy, unpleasent life side.
Last edited by Aetius; May 29, 2008 at 06:24 PM.
Blut und Boden
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
I've found your comparsion ridiculous, very ridiculous.Originally Posted by Aetius
I live in a so called "third world" country (Brazil) and life here isn't anywhere near a Medieval life, and no we don't see crazy people running around with AK47. Most of the crimes and thing you see on TV happens with the very low classes, just like in USA. Of course sometimes not, but in what country this won't happen? The difference is that in Brazil the media always overrate the facts
In fact, i think life in Brazil is mutch better then in some"first class" countrys...
I will kick some english ass in braveheart style ;D
C'est la Vie.
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
And what relevance is your gratuitous aside to the US? I read no mention of Brazil.
I see extreme poverty in Brazil outside the cities. We have very, very few people who live in that abject poverty. And it they do, we have social welfare for them. And we continue to reform the system to deliver benefits more effeciently.
And crime is high in Brazil. Especially in your slums. Your crime rate is much higher than ours in some categories. It has been likened to a warzone down there.
Media overblows things everywhere. But don't think because our media does that, that our poverty compares to Brazil's as an apples to apples comparison. It's not even close to Brazilian poverty.
I appreciate the advances Brazil has made, and hope they are to the betterment of all your people.
If I lived in medieval times I would probably be dead of some disease, or some knight would have run me through when I mouthed off to him.
Last edited by Senno; May 29, 2008 at 07:52 PM.
Son of Simetrical
Vicarius Provinciae
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
Hmm, toughy. I guess it all depend how much really enjoy today's creature comforts.
Would being infested with lice all the time bother you?
Do you want to live past the age of 40?
How about no air conditioning? Ever?
Do like having all of your limbs? There are no antibiotics, even a minor cut could result in the loss of limb or life.
As a teenager, I was taken to various houses and flats above takeaways in the north of England, to be beaten, tortured and raped over 100 times. I was called a “white slag” and “white ****” as they beat me.
-Ella Hill
Tasmanian Devil
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
Medieval books of remedies include herbal cures for lice. Medieval people were no more likely to be infested with lice than people in the Roman Era.
As with people in the ancient world and in the pre-Modern period generally, life expectancy figures are severely skewed by high infant mortality rates. So no, people in the Middle Ages (or the Roman Empire) weren't "old" if they struggled to 40. If they managed to survive the danger years of early childhood, they could readily expect to live into their sixties.Do you want to live past the age of 40?
Analysis of English Medieval records shows that someone who made it to 21 in the Thirteenth Century could expect to live another 43.14 years on average. IN the Fourteenth Century this average dropped dramatically to 24.44 years, thanks to the massive mortality of the Black death in the 1340s skewing the data. Then in the Fifteenth Century it rises to 48.11.
So if you want to live past the age of 65 the Middle Ages could be bad for you, but 40 was commonplace.
That's true of any period prior to the early 1900s.Do like having all of your limbs? There are no antibiotics, even a minor cut could result in the loss of limb or life.
Despite what that stupid Mel Gibson movie would have us believe, the idea of jus primae noctis in the Middle Ages is a myth.
Contrary to another myth, Medieval people bathed regularly.
The distinct lack of sugar in their diets meant that Medieval people actually had very good teeth. Remember the tooth-friendly diet your dentist recommended to you as a kid - lots of fruit and vegetables and as little sugar as possible? That was the average Medieval person's diet.
Depends on how you want to live. Current thinking is that the average peasant in Tenth Century France enjoyed a higher standard of living nutrition-wise than their Second Century Romano-Gallic equivalent.
So, how bad? Pretty primitive by our standards but not as bad as the cliches and myths would have us believe. Not not worse than the average person in most periods before or after.
So why does the Middle Ages have this bad rep for discomfort and squalor? You tell me.
Last edited by ThiudareiksGunthigg; May 30, 2008 at 04:58 AM.
Tim O'Neill / Thiudareiks Gunthigg
"HISTORY VS THE DA VINCI CODE" - Facts vs Hype
"ARMARIUM MAGNUM" - Book Reviews on Ancient and Medieval History, Atheism and Philosophy
Under the patronage of Wilpuri. Proud patron of Ringeck.
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
depends also where u live
am i living in an opulent city like contantinople with roman baths?
or a mean hovel in some lice-ridden hellhole where the lord can have rights to my wife's maidenhead?
Cool and normal
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
being without tv, internet, rugby, cricket, my cellphone, computer games, toilet paper, soap free facewash, ball point pens, my nikon camera, electricity, gas cooking, potatos, crumbed fish, chocolate, capsicum, corn chips and nachos, etc would suck.
IN PATROCINIVM SVB MARENOSTRUM
｡◕‿◕｡
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
You can join the crusades, or jihad!
________
LIVE SEX WEBSHOWS
Last edited by AqD; September 20, 2011 at 06:58 AM.
Biarchus
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
The question is where - if you could learn a trade in a big city like constantinople you could lead a life at least with a little pleasure, maybe get some (quite dangerous) travelling in.
If you were born into a Viking or Mongol society you would be ferocious raiders feeding off pathetic little farmers and town dwellers - that's the place to be for sure.
Civilisation is overrated and immasculating - work your a$$ off crowded in with a load of other idiots until you die.
Apperently I protect
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
Not really true.
If you were born into the nordic society during the viking era you would most likely be a farmer, craftsman or merchant.
Few people were "vikings".
Biarchus
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
You're absolutely right, it was impossible to be a viking.
My point is if you were lucky, you were taking what you wanted and killing anyone in your way.
If you were a poor sucker, you'd be working the land and living in squalor waiting to be raided by humans still living the way humans were (in my opinion) meant to live.
Clearer now?
*prays for giant asteroid impact*
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
they also didnt have potatos back then; since they wouldnt have discovered the new world jsut yet.
but ppl passed the time by having sex which is just fine by me
Vicarius Provinciae
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
Mind you, sex without femine hygeine.they also didnt have potatos back then; since they wouldnt have discovered the new world jsut yet.
but ppl passed the time by having sex which is just fine by me
As a teenager, I was taken to various houses and flats above takeaways in the north of England, to be beaten, tortured and raped over 100 times. I was called a “white slag” and “white ****” as they beat me.
-Ella Hill
Gorak
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
There's all the major things: ?Soap?, Anti-biotics and other medicines, surgery, the general state of order that comes with law and government (guarantee a Viking or Barbarian won't bust down your door and rape/slay your family) education, and that many forms of entertainment we have. No electricity in general, always a bummer.
Then you can even consider other things, like dentists and toothpaste. People would have terrible teeth, losing most of them at 20-30. Diseases would be almost unstoppable, the only things to stop them being bathing and praying to your god(s). average lifespan was high 30's to mid 40's. War was everywhere...yea it sucked.
Apperently I protect
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
As far as I know, soap did exist back then.
Also existed, maybe not as good as it is now but still there.
Depends on class.
But if you are noble or middle class I would take a guess that they were educated.
Again, they were pretty keen on dental hygiene
http://www.gallowglass.org/jadwiga/herbs/teeth.html
Domesticus
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
well it depends on the location you live within,you will be screwed if you live in 9th century france or England,on the other side if you live in 9th century Baghdad,cordoba (the city which hold 200 public baths,and a library contained half a milion book) it would be a great experience and Byzantine constantionple aswell
Tiro
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
I'm going to agree with the more short, brutal, gritty, and nasty existence theory. There was no really defined concept of social insurance, so if any sort of disaster befell you, you could hope that your neighbors or even your lord would aid you, but in all reality they would probably just try to mind their own business and make their own lives as painless as they can.
Nobility wouldn't be too bad, although I have a feeling the vast majority of them would have been arrogant with a superiority complex.
Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future, too.
-Marcus Aurelius
Apperently I protect
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
Actually I'm pretty damn sure that the lord would try to help.
If a farm burns down it not only affects you but him as well since it's his land.
Sure some might not given a damn but any lord with logic should know that losing a source of income isn't a good thing.
Re: How bad would it have been to lived in medieval times?
life as a noble would've been pretty sweet
all the hunting and game and peasants u could ahem have primae noctis with
but i do like the idea of poring over the library at baghdad b4 the mongols sacked the city.....
and witnessing executiosn woulda been cool
and enjoying torture
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