Culture

Overview
The medieval era was not all squalor and filth, there was a great sense of enjoyment and pleasure to be found in every day life. One could say that this was an age in which people enjoyed the finer things in life, whether it was laughing at jolly jesters, being besotted with travelling minstrels or enjoying such sports as jousting and hunting - this was a time where culture really came alive.

Music was very important, it was a way in which it brought people together regardless of their stature or role in society. The world was such a quiet place that such pleasures as music were utterly overpowering. A common place to find music would be at the Lords feast, for if the Lord did not have music at his feast, his event would be highly considered inferior. Everybody would dance at this time, people simply loved to indulge in such merriment although it was not uncommon for priests to disprove, that said if you were to go to mass you would of course expect to see the clergy to singing. Common instruments at the time were recorders, bagpipes, harps, trumpets, tambourines and the organ.

Jousting was highly popular at this time despite the fact that it was also highly dangerous. Putting on a jousting tournament was a great way for the aristocracy to bring pleasure and unity to the common folk. People sought great entertainment in seeing riders charge their horses towards each other with the aim of knocking the other off his horse. Often the person being knocked off his horse would sustain horrible injuries, frequently resulting in death. It is worth noting that people were not squeamish at this time in history, people were used to seeing gore - in fact, that was entertainment. People would often consider it a popular event to watch a hanging or a beheading.

Unlike jousting, hunting was a closely guarded privilege by the rich. The nobility would often go out together and enjoy days hunting deer, foxes, hares, boar and pheasants to name a few. They would also bring with them ferocious dogs in order to assist in the hunting, this was a hugely popular sport for the aristocracy.

Other pastimes included going on religious pilgrimages to see important relics although in modern standards, the legitimacy of such relics remains unknown. Simple pleasures such as storytelling, plays, poetry, cards, archery, cock-fighting were also extremely popular. In essence, to truly appreciate the medieval era, you must immerse yourself in it’s culture.