Receiving Helpdesk

how did kings live in the middle ages

by Mrs. Gabrielle Reilly Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Kings and queens, highranking nobles, and wealthy lords lived in even grander structures: castles. Castles were built for many purposes. One of a castle's main ​functions​ was to serve as a home. Castles were also one of the most important forms of military technology.

Full Answer

How long did Kings live in the Middle Ages?

Kings did better. The mean life expectancy of kings of Scotland and England, reigning from 1000 A.D. to 1600 A.D. were 51 and 48 years, respectively. Their monks did not fare as well.

What was the role of the king in the Middle Ages?

In the Middle Ages, the king ruled by divine right. In other words, people believed that God had chosen him to be king, and rebellion against him was a sin. However, that did not stop rebellions! Kings had limited power in the Middle Ages and rebellion was easy.

How did people live in the Middle Ages?

Often craftsmen of the same kind lived in the same street. Most craftsmen had a workshop at the bottom of their house which doubled up as a shop. Behind they had a storeroom. The craftsman and his family lived in the rooms above. Many people in towns kept animals as well.

What were medieval Kings Passionate about?

Other medieval Kings were passionate about the arts, culture and other noble aspects of society which they felt called upon to nurture and develop during their time in power.

How were kings treated in the Middle Ages?

CLASS. In theory a medieval king was God's representative on Earth, and in some nations kings were literally above the law. In practice, the power of the king was limited by feudal nobles and influential churchmen. A new king had to swear an oath to fulfill the responsibilities of a monarch.

How did the medieval kings live?

Medieval kings lived in castles. A medieval castle was a fortified home for a king or wealthy landowner. Castles were built for protection rather... See full answer below.

What was life like in the Middle Ages for a king?

The King would also hear petitions and discuss various laws to be passed. In the afternoon, the medieval king could spend time hunting along with his attendants. Since wars and battles were common during medieval times, a medieval king would often lead his military to the battleground.

Which king lived during the Middle Ages?

Charlemagne also known as 'Charles the Great, was one of the most powerful kings throughout the medieval period. He was a member of the Carolingian Dynasty and arose to power as the King of the Franks in 768.

Where does the king sleep?

On the higest floor of the keep is the safest and where the king or lord's family would have slept. They may have shared this space with servants.

What is a king's job?

Today the King's duties are mainly representative and ceremonial. When the Constitution states that: “the executive power is vested in the King”, this now means that it is vested in the Government. The King undertakes the formal opening of the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) every autumn.

What do kings do day to day?

A King's daily life: A medieval King would wake up early in the morning. He would start his day by going to the chapel and praying. He then ate a light meal. Throughout the day, he would attend meetings, discuss laws to be passed, hear petitions and so on.

How did kings and queens live in the Middle Ages?

Kings and queens, highranking nobles, and wealthy lords lived in even grander structures: castles. Castles were built for many purposes. One of a castle's main ​functions​ was to serve as a home. Castles were also one of the most important forms of military technology.

What did kings eat in the Middle Ages?

In a typical meal at a King's table, the first course may have consisted of a stuffed chicken, a quarter of stag, and a loin of veal which were covered in pomegranate seeds, sugar plums, and sauce. There could have been a huge pie surrounded by smaller pies forming a crown.

How does a king rule his kingdom?

A kingdom is a piece of land that is ruled by a king or a queen. A kingdom is often called a monarchy, which means that one person, usually inheriting their position by birth or marriage, is the leader, or head of state.

What makes a king a king?

A king is a man who rules a country, because of inheritance. A king usually comes to power when the previous monarch dies, who is usually a family member of his. Sometimes a person may become king due to the previous monarch's abdication, for example George VI.

How do you become a king?

0:234:01How to become a King - How Kingdoms Emerge - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou'll need to find people to farm your land. Volunteers. Won't be that hard to find if theMoreYou'll need to find people to farm your land. Volunteers. Won't be that hard to find if the alternative for them is starving to death give them a plot of land.

When did medieval kings have power?

The classic image of a medieval king that has such tremendous wealth and power comes from the period after the beginning of The Crusades when kingdoms grew large and the stability of kingdoms was somewhat stable. From 400-1000 A.D. society was in significant turmoil so kingdoms and kings rose and fell quickly and the primary goal ...

What was the goal of a medieval king?

society was in significant turmoil so kingdoms and kings rose and fell quickly and the primary goal of a medieval king of this time frame was to survive, to defend his small kingdom from neighboring enemies or to subdue and take over neighboring kingdoms so his kingdom would grow larger.

Why is it pointless to talk about the wealth that a medieval king had?

It is almost pointless to talk about the wealth that a medieval King had because for all intents and purposes, the entire kingdom was the possession of the King. Their power was absolute so whatever the King determined was the right thing for the people to do or for him to do became the law of the land instantly.

What was the Catholic Church in medieval times?

The Catholic Church was a powerful political force and the struggle for power between the King and the local church authorities was ongoing.

Why did the Catholic Church give the King great authority?

Tradition of the times gave the King great authority because it was said that God granted the King the seat of power.

Why can we thank the good kings?

We can thank these good Kings because the coming of the Renaissance at the end of the middle ages no doubt can be attributed to the good work these Kings did to raise the standard of education and the standard of living for their people and leave a lasting legacy for the future as well.

Who had the right to go into any house in his kingdom?

In fact, the King had the right to go into any house in his Kingdom, take anything that was in that house, enjoy the favors of any female in that house and stay at the owner’s expense as long as he wished.

When did the Anglo-Saxons live?

Archaeological evidence indicates that Anglo-Saxons back in the Early Middle Ages (400 to 1000 A.D.) lived short lives and were buried in cemeteries, much like Englishmen today. Field workers unearthed 65 burials (400 to 1000 A.D.) from Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in England and found none who lived past 45. This site and this site has similar ...

When did Anglo-Saxons live short lives?

Archaeological evidence indicates that Anglo-Saxons back in the Early Middle Ages (400 to 1000 A.D.) lived short lives and were buried in cemeteries, much like Englishmen today.

What was the Middle Ages?

The Middle Ages was the time in European history that took place after the fall of Rome in 476 AD before the advent of the Renaissance in circa 1400. This time period is also called the Medieval Era.

What were medieval castles?

Medieval castles were fortified residences used to secure the local area. Over time, castles grew increasingly complex, providing protection to the lord and those who fought with him. Learn more about them this lesson.

image

Society in The Middle Ages

Image
Under the feudal system, introduced by the Normans society was like a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid was the king. Below him were the barons or tenants-in-chief. The king granted them land and in return, they had to provide so many soldiers to fight for so many days a year. They also had to swear an oath of loyalty to the kin
See more on localhistories.org

Homes in The Middle Ages

  • Medieval peasants’ homes were simple wooden huts. They had wooden frames filled in with wattle and daub (strips of wood woven together and covered in a ‘plaster’ of animal hair and clay). However, in some parts of the country huts were made of stone. Peasant huts were either whitewashed or painted in bright colors. The poorest people lived in one-room huts. Slightly bett…
See more on localhistories.org

Clothes in The Middle Ages

  • In the Middle Ages, men wore tunics. Some men wore shorts and all wore ‘hose’ (tights or stockings). Women wore a long tunic (to their ankles) and over it another garment, a gown. Women held their dresses with a belt tied around their waists. Medieval women normally did not wear knickers. Both sexes wore wool but it varied in quality. It could be fine and expensive or co…
See more on localhistories.org

Food in The Middle Ages

  • In the Middle Ages, the rich ate well. They ate beef, mutton, pork, and venison. They also ate a great variety of birds, swans, herons, ducks, blackbirds, and pigeons. However, the church decreed that Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday were fast days when people were not allowed to eat meat. Rich people usually had fish ponds so they could eat pike and carp. They also ate fish caught in …
See more on localhistories.org

A Peasant’s Life in The Middle Ages

  • Most people in the Middle Ages lived in small villages of 20 or 30 families. The land was divided into 3 huge fields. Each year 2 were sown with crops while one was left fallow (unused) to allow it to recover. Each peasant had some strips of land in each field. Most peasants owned only one ox so they had to join with other families to obtain the team of oxen needed to pull a plow. After plo…
See more on localhistories.org

Warfare in The Middle Ages

  • The ‘backbone of Medieval armies was the armored knight mounted on a horse. Norman knights wore chain mail, armor made of iron rings joined together. In the 14th-century chain mail was replaced by plate armor. Metal plates were attached to each part of the body. Norman knights carried kite-shaped shields. Later in the middle Ages shields became smaller. The Normans buil…
See more on localhistories.org

Transport in The Middle Ages

  • In the Middle Ages roads were no more than dirt tracks that turned to mud in winter. Men traveled on horseback (if they could afford a horse!). Ladies traveled in wagons covered in painted cloth. They looked pretty but they must have been very uncomfortable on bumpy roads as they had no springs. Worse, travel in the Middle Ages was very slow. A horseman could only travel 50 or 60 k…
See more on localhistories.org

Towns in The Middle Ages

  • In the Middle Ages, most people lived in the countryside and made a living from farming. However, at the time of the Domesday Book (1086) about 10% of the population of England lived in town. Moreover trade boomed in the following two centuries and many new towns were founded. Examples of towns founded in the 12th and 13th centuries include Portsmouth, Plymouth, Hull, L…
See more on localhistories.org

The Church in The Middle Ages

  • In the Middle Ages religion was an important part of everyday life for most people. All children were baptized (unless they were Jewish) and most people attended mass on Sunday. Mass was in Latin, a language that ordinary people did not understand. Bishops ruled over groups of parishes called dioceses. They usually came from rich families. Bishops lived in palaces and oft…
See more on localhistories.org

Education in The Middle Ages

  • In the Middle Ages, most people were illiterate but not all. Upper-class children were educated when they were pages. Among the poor, the better-educated priests might teach some children to read and write – a little. In many towns, there were grammar schools where middle-class boys were educated. (They got their name because they taught Latin grammar). Boys worked long ho…
See more on localhistories.org

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9