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  • Essay / The Manor: A day in the life of a medieval serf

    In medieval times, everything had an order to follow, a price to pay and a contract to respect. Each person had a rank that decided your lifestyle and your future, for you and your future descendants. A serf was at the bottom of the pyramid, so he had to work from sunrise to sunset. The lords and ladies lived harmoniously in their glorious castle, flooded with servants. Much has obviously changed, which is all the more reason to learn more about our history. Cold air breathed through the holes, light escaped from the house throughout the day, and the house stood quietly in the fields, that's what the serf called home. The houses are mainly made of acacia and cob. Acacia and cob are mainly willow or oak, which are then woven together and covered with mud and clay. The floors are generally dirt, although some cover them with layers of reeds for padding. Additionally, since the serfs had no heating, they added straw to insulate the wall. The roofs are thatched and manure was used to bind everything together. Serf houses consist of only two rooms, one with the hearth and the other with a stove. And since the chimney hasn't been invented yet, they make a hole in the roof. Although serfs, the daily life of serfs begins with waking up at 3 a.m. Then they will have breakfast, which was usually lentils. Working in the fields was only their main job. This includes harvesting, which involves cutting crops for harvesting, sowing, plowing, haying, threshing, covering and much more. They farmed because they had to work his lord's land and paid the lord certain dues in exchange for the use of the land. Payment can be money or food etc. Serfs had to pay 3 days a week, and if they didn't work, they were punished or resigned to a new owner. There were other jobs for serfs such as artisans, bakers, farmers and tax collectors. Women had to maintain their homes and assist their husbands. Usually, female serfs can only be servants, maids or nuns..