Medieval
Lifestyles
Medieval Village Life
The Medieval village was the central place where people lived, worked, socialized, married, enjoyed local festivals, attended church, gave birth to children, and eventually died. Most people rarely ever ventured beyond its boundaries. Medieval society depended on the village for protection and a majority of people during these centuries called a village home.
Village life was busy. Much of this life was lived outside, wearing simple dress and living on a meager diet. Medieval villages consisted of population comprised mostly of famers, and most of the time was spent working the land and trying to grow enough food to survive another year.
Some villages were temporary, and society would move on if the land was infertile or weather made life too difficult. Other villages, however, continued to exist for centuries. Every village had a lord, even if he didn’t make it his permanent residence. After the 1100s, castles often dominated the village landscape.