The Medieval period included events such as Magna Carta , the Black Death , the Wars of the Roses and The Peasants ’ Revolt , and as such is considered by many as one of the most fascinating in history . This period saw a massive social and economic change , as well as significant developments in agriculture and medicine . Yet childbirth , famine and bad weather threatened the survival of ordinary people , and reminders of death were ever-present in life and art . It was a tough time to be alive .
The Plague The plague was one of the biggest killers of the Middle Ages – it had a devastating effect on the population of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries . Also known as the Black Death , the plague was carried by fleas most often found on rats . It had arrived in Europe by 1348 , and thousands died in places ranging from Italy , France and Germany to Scandinavia , England , Wales , Spain and Russia .
The Black Death killed between a third and half of the population of Europe . Contemporaries did not know , of course , what caused the plague or how to avoid catching it . They sought explanations for the crisis in God ’ s anger , human sin , and outsider / marginal groups , especially Jews . If you were infected with the bubonic plague , you had a 70 – 80 per cent chance of dying within the next week . In England , out of every hundred people , perhaps 35 – 40 could expect to die from the plague .
Travel People in the Medieval period faced a host of potential dangers when travelling as a safe , clean place to sleep was difficult to find . Travellers often had to sleep out in the open and when travelling during the winter , they ran the risk of freezing to death . Although travelling in groups provided some safety , you still might be robbed or killed by strangers – or even your fellow travellers . An average traveller in the Medieval period could expect to cover 15 – 25 miles a day on foot or 20 – 30 on a horse , while sailing ships might make 75 – 125 miles a day .
Famine Famine was a very real danger for Medieval men and women . Faced with dwindling food supplies due to bad weather and poor harvests , people starved or barely survived on meagre rations like bark , berries and inferior corn and wheat damaged by mildew . Those eating so little suffered malnutrition , and were therefore very vulnerable to disease . If they didn ’ t starve to death , they often died as a result of the epidemics that followed famine . The Great Famine of the early 14th century was particularly bad : climate change led to much colder than average temperatures in Europe from c1300 – the ‘ Little Ice Age ’. In the seven years between 1315 and 1322 , Western Europe witnessed incredibly heavy rainfall , for up to 150 days at a time .
Farmers struggled to plant , grow and harvest crops . What meagre crops did grow were often mildewed , and / or terribly expensive . The main food staple , bread , was in peril as a result . This also came at the same time as brutally cold winter weather .
Up to 15 per cent of people in England died during this period .
Infancy and childhood Childbirth was a dangerous time for both mother and baby but surviving that was only the start of it as Infancy was particularly dangerous during the Middle Ages . Based on surviving written records alone , scholars have estimated that 20 – 30 per cent of children under seven died , but the actual figure is almost certainly higher .
Children under seven were particularly vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition , diseases , and various infections . Being born into a family of wealth or status did not guarantee a long life either . We know that in ducal families in England between 1330 and 1479 , for example , one third of children died before the age of five .
Bad weather The vast majority of the Medieval population was rural rather than urban , and the weather was of the utmost importance for those who worked or depended on the land . But as well as jeopardising these livelihoods , bad weather was also a killer .
Consistently poor weather could lead to problems sowing and growing crops , and ultimately the failure of the harvest . If summers were wet and cold , the grain crop could be destroyed . This was a major problem , as cereal grains were the main food source for most of the population .
This was especially the case from the 14th through to the 16th centuries , when the ice pack grew . By 1550 , there had been an expansion of glaciers worldwide . This meant people faced the devastating effects of weather that was both colder and wetter .
Medieval men and women were therefore eager to ensure that weather conditions stayed favourable . In Europe , there were rituals for ploughing , sowing seeds , and the harvesting of crops , as well as special prayers , charms , services , and processions to ensure good weather and the fertility of the fields . People also believed the weather was not merely a natural occurrence . Bad weather could be caused by the behaviour of wicked people , like murder , sin , incest , or family quarrels . It could also be linked to witches and sorcerers , who were thought to control the weather and destroy crops .
Violence Whether as witnesses , victims or perpetrators , people from the highest ranks of society to the lowest experienced violence as an ever-present danger in daily life .
Medieval violence took many forms . Street violence and brawls in taverns were not uncommon . Vassals might also revolt against their lords . Likewise , urban unrest also led to uprisings – for example , the Peasants ’ Revolt of 1381 in England .
Medieval records demonstrate the presence of other types of violence also : rape , assault and murder were not uncommon , nor was accidental homicide . One example is the case of Maud Fras , who was hit on the head and killed by a large stone accidentally dropped on her head at Montgomery Castle in Wales in 1288 .
Blood feuds between families that extended over generations were also common as was domestic violence . Local or regional disputes over land , money or other issues could also lead to bloodshed , as could the exercise of justice . Innocence or guilt in trials were sometimes decided by combat ( duels to the death ). In Medieval Wales , political or dynastic rivals might be blinded , killed or castrated by Welsh noblemen to consolidate their positions .
Wars were also common place , from smaller regional wars to larger-scale crusades fought by many countries at once . Death tolls in battle could be high : the deadliest clash of the Wars of the Roses was the battle of Towton ( 1461 ) which is thought to have claimed up to 30,000 lives .
Heresy It could also be dangerous to disagree . People who held theological or religious opinions that were believed to go against the teachings of the Christian church were seen as heretics in Medieval Christian Europe . These groups included Jews , Muslims and Medieval Christians whose beliefs were considered to be unorthodox .
Kings , missionaries , crusaders , merchants and others – especially from the late 11th
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