Use and abuse; the status of a woman in a noble house

Like today, Middle Ages society was governed by men. And just like today, those brave, smart, and powerful men were also insecure. Their problem was adultery. They judged everybody in accordance with their own behavior. So, if they were infidels to their wives, they assumed the wives did the same.


This is a painting by Vasily Polenov that I found on Wikipedia.
 It represents a father bringing his daughter to his lord.
Look at the posture of the lord...
It looks like he is counting his sheep!

If the household of ordinary people was a little more relaxed, being a matter of economy involved (work and feed the family), the nobles’ households were very strict regarding the women physical freedom. Maybe those restrictions were coming via church, were the men were in power over “weaker souls” that could be easier seduced by other men (that could have been husbands too) and fall into sin. Women were closely watched for any sign of “deviant” behavior. If caught, or even suspected, they risk their lives. Here is what
we read in A History of Private Life:

“The first duty of the head of household was to watch over, punish, and if necessary kill his wife, sister and daughters as well as the widows and orphans of his brothers, cousins and vassals.Since females were dangerous, patriarchal power over them was reinforced. They were kept under lock and key in the most isolated part of the house: the chamber des dames (the room of the ladies, my translation from french) was not a place for seduction or amusement but a kind of prison, in which women were incarcerated because men fear them” (A History of Private Life; II, Revelation of the Medieval World; George Duby; 1988, Harvard College; p.77).

But why were women so feared? Well, for once, they were the link to an alliance. Most of the time, men did not marry a woman because they loved her or got along very well. It was because of who her daddy was. The marriages were negotiated. The more powerful the dad, the more desired the daughter.
 
Then, men had to keep that alliance alive. Even in the event of the death of the wife, if the death occurred because of infidelity, then the man risked being disgraced by his father-in-law, not speaking about the shame that came with it.
Also, some women were  feared because of what secrets they may have had, what
magical tricks they may have learned or for the seduction they could have pursued upon men.

And maybe some fears were legitimate because society devalued women, which, in return, were abused ...by men.

But unlike in medieval times, today, women have a better life (or do they?).

The life of men and women in the Neolithic village of Abu Hureyra

Abu Hureyra is a place now buried under Lake Assad in Syria. Before the waters invaded the place, there was a mound, and, as usual, where there is a mound, there is digging; a team of archeologists came to unearth the remains of a Neolithic village. 

After digging, washing, brushing, cleaning, classifying, and annalizing, they came to some conclusions about how people lived in the Neolithic, especially in the period when they settled to live in one place, cultivating plants and raising livestock versus migrating from place to place, following the animal herds and crop seasons. 

According to the book The Early Human World by Peter Robertshaw and Jill Rubalcaba, which follows the discoveries at Abu Hureyra, the life of Neolithic people was very hard: hours and hours of long physical work, repetitive (and boring, according to modern standards) daily jobs, and enduring, alienating illnesses. 

Archeologists' conclusions after digging and analyzing the site suggest a heartbreaking, hard-to-believe picture of a small society trying to survive by farming and raising sheep and goats. 

Archeologists have uncovered seeds of wheat and barley and the remains of sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle. 

The Neolithic villagers used to carry their crop from the field to their houses on their heads, so the neck bones grew larger. Also, their upper arms got stronger from heavy lifting, causing the bones to bulge. 

They used to grind the grains between two rocks for hours, with their toes curled under their feet until their big toe bones would wear off. They often used their teeth as tools. The archaeologists think they held canes so they could have free hands for other tasks and/or chewed plants to make strings. They used their teeth so much that they carved deep grooves, which must have hurt a lot since they were down to the roots. 

One particular bone deformity speaks about their health. The eye sockets were pitted, and this condition was attributed to the parasites eroding the bone. 

The book mentioned above is full of surprises about the life of Neolithic men and women. The picture is often very different than what we may think after learning from our textbooks. The style is vivid and entertaining. I find it fascinating.  

How did early Franks wear their hair

Clovis, second king of France (481-511).

The hair is one part of the human body that has received the most attention throughout history.
Even today, grooming our hair is a daily routine, taking anywhere from one minute to over an hour, depending on how much emphasis one puts on it.

From ancient Egyptians, who used wigs and fake beards, to 18th-century nobilities, who created skyscraping powdered wigs, the decoration of the head was beyond anyone’s imagination.

In this post, I will tell you about the hairstyle of early Franks.

Let’s start with a short description of the Frank men by  Sidoine Apollinaire (a gallo-roman writer who lived between 430 and 486 A.D.):

“They tied up their flexen or light-brown hair above their foreheads, into a kind of tuft, and then made it fall behind the head like a horse’s tail. The face was clean shaved, with the exception of two long mustaches” (Medieval Life, Paul Lacroix, Arcturus Publishing Ltd, 2011, p. 514). 

So, they used to make what we now call a ponytail on top of their heads and pair it with mustaches. However, they did not cut their hair; the longer the hair, the wealthier the person. Accordingly, the length of the hair was an indicator of one’s social status.

The kings and other nobles of the Franks wore their hair parted in the middle and falling over the shoulders, sometimes sprinkled with gold dust. The hair was plaited with bands sewn with precious metals and stones.

Franks loved and treasured their hair so much that they swear on it or offer it as a symbol of trust, politeness, and appreciation.

On the other side, touching someone’s hair with a razor was an insult and cutting it was a punishment.

For a glimpse into fashion in history READ THIS:

The Complete History of Costume and Fashion from Ancient Egypt to Present Days

By Bronwyn Cosgrave

Table of Content:

Introduction

The Ancient Egypt: The first fashion style

Crete: Minoan splendor

Ancient Greece: Classical Elegance

Ancient Rome: Roman Extravagance

The Byzantine Period: Lavish Imperialism

The Middle Ages: Medieval Europe

The Renaissance: Early Renaissance Style

Baroque Period: The Age of French Dominance

Eighteenth Century: The Rococo

Nineteenth Century: The Birth of the Dandy

Twentieth Century: The Age of Diversity

Index

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

256 p

First published in Great Britain in 2000, by Hamlyn, a division of Octopus Publishing Group Limited

My Notes:

• There are beautiful pictures of historical sources, sometimes 2 per page, and sometimes one picture covers the whole page.
• There are not too many details about costumes or ornaments, just basic information and description, enough for a nonprofessional reader.
• As a plus, the book offers a short overview of the historical period covered in every chapter, as well as an overview of the status of women. 
• It is very fun to stroll through fashion from ancient Egyptians, with their simple wrap-up loin clothes, through the Middle Ages with its awkward poulains (the long pointy shoes), through the baroque with the sophisticated wigs, and finally, arriving at our days with the emancipation of the woman body, almost a 360-degree turn, to the simplicity of the first fashion styles.

How did a girl got married in the Middle Ages

Marriage was probably the worst thing that could happen to women in the past till at least two centuries ago. During the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, or even in the modern centuries, marriage was often a reason for crying and grief. Until early in the 20th century in some countries, there was a great sobbing coming from the bride on the day of her wedding.

Why was marriage so bad?
Because:

• ninety percent of the time, there was no love involved (the percent represents my personal estimate);
• because the husband basically owned the wife, and he had the right to apply coercions if he felt it was right; in other words, he could beat up his wife at will;
• because the wife couldn't get a divorce;
• because a woman had no right whatsoever unless she was rich and there was money involved.

Girl inspecting a Hope Chest. 1929, author Poul Friis Nybo.
U.S. public domain
from Wiki Commons

So, how did the couples get married?
First, marriages were based on interests and wealth. If a woman owned some land, cattle, or goods to put her above the peasant class, she could expect a husband with a similar status or wealth. But if she were Cinderella with a golden heart and a super-model overall appearance but was too poor, her parents may give her to an old, rich, and mean bachelor for a few bucks. That’s bad, to begin with!

Second, somebody else was choosing her husband, usually her parents, not because they didn’t love their daughter but because they followed the local traditions, like everybody. They would choose whatever was best for her and for them from among the suitors. Sometimes, midwives paired a bride with a groom and negotiated a contract. Those middle persons (or shall I call them marriage agents?) would come to the bride’s house to propose a groom, and then they would say what was expected of the bride to bring into the marriage. She’ll bring what is called a dowry, often composed of household items and personal pieces of clothing. Wealthy families would even give land, money, cattle, and other goods, including real estate, especially if they had little or no pretenders.


Third, once married, the woman stayed married. No way around it. If she couldn’t take it anymore, the only option was to run away, hoping that the mean husband wouldn’t find her and bring you back, in which case she not only endured increased beating from her significant other but public opprobrium as well. When a girl married, she had to move to her husband’s house. Usually, he was still living with his parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and other relatives. There was a whole new world, waiting for the new wife to start cooking, cleaning, working the farm, taking care of the kids, and performing other tasks that were assigned by her mother-in-law.

Maybe the worst thing was that the boy she liked was still in the village and married to someone else he didn’t care about.

So, was there a wedding?
When their kids got married, most wealthy families put up a public announcement and a small party not to celebrate the event but to show off their social status. Also, much thought was put into the gifts given to the newlyweds by their godparents or local lord protector. However, marriage into a poor family often went quiet, the event being reported only to the church, which kept a record, and to close relatives. In some cases, not even the church knew. It wasn’t until the Reformation that the church started to ask for a formal ceremony in front of a minister.

Then, after the wedding, what?
Simple! The woman took her dowry chest and moved away from home. From now on, she was on her own. If she made it through the marriage, as most couples did, then she did the same for her children as her parents had done for her. And the cycle started over again—and it didn’t stop until the 20th century!

The soldier of the late Middle Ages and what he wore in the battle

The medieval soldier, as we know him from movies and illustrated books, doesn’t always match reality. The armored knight was, indeed, a fact of the Crusades and other wars of the early Middle Ages. But by the late 14th century, the knight, usually a noble, found something else to do than go to war. He then hired somebody else to do the job. So, most former peasants forced to fight for their masters were now paid to do so. As they didn’t have much money to pay for a heavy iron outfit, which, anyway, was very inconvenient in combat, he made himself a lightweight suit with matching accessories.

the glaive

The soldier of the late Middle Ages wore a quilted jacket made from multilayered canvas.
The head was covered with a sallet helmet. This helmet had a peak in the back to protect the neck and a front visor lowered only in battle to protect the face and eyes.

He wore a sheepskin mitten, and over it, he wore a mitten gauntlet made out of iron to protect the hands and wrists, though these things limited the movement. The jacket also had metal reinforcements on the elbows and along the arms. The rich knights were still wearing light-protecting armor over the jack. The common soldier wore leather boots that usually only lasted about three months because of the long marches on foot that a medieval warrior had to endure. (He would walk at least 10 km or 6 miles daily.)

As part of his load, a medieval soldier had weapons and gears.
The most used weapon was a pole known as a glaive, made of two parts: a long wood stick and a long metal knife connected at the end of the stick. A soldier fought most of his battles with this pole that he used for stabbing, poking, or knocking the enemies aside at arm's length. Sometimes, he used a sword for one-to-one fights. The soldier would work the sword with his right hand while on his left he would keep a buckler used to deflect bows and hit an opponent in the face!

He also had many knives, from military daggers to eating knives. The medieval soldier also carried wooden bowls for eating and some wooden silverware. He had a small purse or belt bag where he kept some personal belongings and probably some money.

Because a soldier from the late Middle Ages was always on the go, his luggage was as light as it could be. There was no room for stacking food or other items. He usually ate on the road, mostly by stealing from the households he sacked. If he stole some other goods, those were given to the commander. He drank a lot of wine and beer as it was cleaner than water. This soldier was a brave man who fought many battles year-round.

The European Middle Ages Social Hierarchy

The Middle Ages

The boss of the my boss is my boss

Like today, some people lived better than others in the Middle Ages. In fact, very few had a better life than the rest of them. It was all based on wealth (like today). But unlike today, when basically everybody could get rich with proper attitude, tools, and luck, in the Middle Ages, one should have been born into a wealthy family. Access to power and money was limited to a few people. The social hierarchy of the Middle Ages was very different from our contemporary hierarchy and was based on the amount of land someone owned.
Here is the simplified social tree:

The King
He was the head of the state, the boss of everybody else, had the most power, and was the richest of them all. His mom and dad were usually kings and queens, too, and the same was true about Grandpa and Grandma.
Some kings were better than others, and a few of them declared themselves Emperors, which is a bigger, fatter king who ruled over more than one nation.
The king was the boss of the barons, the lords, and the peasants. Sometimes, in some places, they were the boss of the bishops, too.

The Bishops
These people were chosen from within the church. They were once priests but advanced to administrative positions. It looks like they are mainly remembered as tax collectors, which, like today, nobody likes. They ruled over dioceses and were the bosses of all the priests and monasteries within a diocese. They were very rich, and often, they grew powerful and influential.

The Barons
Barons were people who received a tenure, or fief, from their boss, the King. At first, they were knights, and the King gave them a piece of land as a reward for their bravery in a battle. Then, they ruled over that piece of land, acquiring all the agricultural products, selling them, and making money. If one was raised to the noble rank of baron, then their children would be barons, too.
Over the centuries, some barons grew so powerful that they didn’t want to work for the kings anymore and made their own state so they could, too, be bosses.

The Lords
The Lords were people who rented land from the barons (who were given land by the king). So, barons were the lords’ bosses. A baron could be the boss of many lords.
The lords had the peasants work the land for them. They were not as rich as the barons, and many of them lived a simple life, but they had a better social status than the peasants. And they could advance to be barons if they did well in battles and killed a lot of enemies.

The peasants
The peasants were the lower people in the European Middle Ages hierarchy. They made up the majority of people. They lived a simple life, and they worked hard for their bosses, who were the lords. In exchange for their hard work, they usually got bread and beer. They had a very small piece of land that the lord had given them so they could have some other food besides bread and beer. The son of a peasant was a peasant, too, and there was no chance that such a son would, someday, advance to a lord position.

So, between or within these social classes, there were other positions held by people chosen within that respective class. These positions were mainly administrative jobs with little or no influence over the system.

Historians have a name for this European Middle Age Hierarchy: it is the cold Feudal System Or Feudalism, where a feud is a piece of land given to somebody in exchange for some sort of service. The Feudalism system of the Middle Ages is, though, more complex, and I may describe it in other articles.