Who doesn’t have dreams of becoming kings and queens who live in castles? A life of splendor, wealth and romance is what has always been depicted in stories and movies such as those of King Arthur and other medieval period films. However, according to history and real life records of life during medieval times, living in a medieval castle was not easy. This was due to the strict governance of the Medieval Feudal System over all medieval castle way of life. The Lord of the castle, his family and guests often had better life condition and comfort compared to those under their rank in the castle’s household. However, there are also those who experienced hardships staying in inadequate living quarters especially during winter or cold weather.
Everyday life in a medieval castle was also strictly observed by codes of conduct such as the Code of Chivalry. It dictates how a person should act through courtly manner and courtly love. Life in a medieval castle was often busy due to a number of people living in it depending on the status of the Lord who owns it. It was possible that a castle had hundreds of people living in it who had different responsibilities according to the needs of the Lord of the castle. Aside from the Lord and his family the occupants of the castle include the knights and the servants. The knights together with the pages and squires were responsible for serving and fighting for their Lord while the servants, from the acrobats to the watchmen, have different responsibilities and assigned quarters within the castle.
A typical day in the life of the Lord and his family living in a medieval castle includes the following activities:
- Wake up at dawn
- Hear mass in the chapel
- Have breakfast
- The Lord of the castle attends to different business matters related to his land and subordinates/tenants such as crops, supplies, taxes, complaints, disputes, political discussions and decisions among many others.
- The Lord and members of his family spend time for the arts such as poetry, music, and painting to name a few.
- Have weapon practice
- The Lady of the castle spends time overseeing household duties
- Have mid-morning prayer and meal
- The men will go hunting while the ladies do needlework
- Have evening prayer and supper
- Entertainment provided by jesters, musicians, acrobats, dancers, etc.
- Bedtime prayers
- Sleep – bedtime was often dictated by the time the Lord will go to sleep
If you would like to learn more about life in a Medieval Castle, drop by realmcollections.com.