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Daily Life in Chaucer's England
Experience the medieval world firsthand in this indispensable hands-on resource, and examine life as it was actually lived. The first book on medieval England to arise out of the living history movement, this volume allows readers to understand-and, if possible, recreate-what life was like for ordinary people in the days of Geoffrey Chaucer. Readers will learn not only what types of games medieval Britons played, what clothes they wore, or what food they ate, but actual rules for games, clothing patterns, and recipes. Written with impeccable detail, this volume examines all aspects of life in medieval England, down to basic fundamentals like nutrition, waste management, and table manners. Parallel situations and quoted material from The Canterbury Tales draw direct connections to Chaucer's work. Student researchers will benefit from a multitude of resources, including primary source sidebars, a chapter on online resources and digital research, information on medieval reenactments, a timeline of events, a glossary of terms, numerous illustrations, and a comprehensive print and nonprint bibliography of accessible sources. Supporting the world history curriculum and offering an interactive supplement to literature curricula, this volume is a must-have for students and interested readers.
Detailed and meticulous, this volume examines all aspects of life in medieval England, down to basic fundamentals like nutrition, waste management, and table manners. Readers will explore, seasons, holidays and holy days, the prevalence and normalcy of death, the average workday, crafts and trade, decorating practices, and recreational activities like archery and falconry. Parallel situations and quoted material from The Canterbury Tales also draw direct connections to Chaucer's work.
Detailed and meticulous, this volume examines all aspects of life in medieval England, down to basic fundamentals like nutrition, waste management, and table manners. Readers will explore, seasons, holidays and holy days, the prevalence and normalcy of death, the average workday, crafts and trade, decorating practices, and recreational activities like archery and falconry. Parallel situations and quoted material from The Canterbury Tales also draw direct connections to Chaucer's work.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 6, 2013
For various professional reasons, I’ve been indulging in a medieval feast – the literary kind – where I’ve immersed myself in all things medieval in an attempt to get a feel for the period, the people, the material life. Reading a huge range of non-fiction and fiction books has been enlightening to say the least but, one of the most useful I found, and enjoyable, was Daily Life in Chaucer’s England (second edition) by Jeffrey L. Forgeng and Will McLean.
Acknowledging the importance of daily life and material culture to any understanding of the past, Forbeng and McLean present this marvellous and detailed overview of just what it would have been like to dwell in the late Middle Ages, using Chaucer’s time on earth as rough guide. This means we get a decent glimpse of the Fourteenth Century and the fears, foibles and beliefs of those who lived and died in this period.
Setting a context for their book by discussing, albeit briefly, the various wars and the kings who waged them, they then plunge into the nuts and bolts of society, explaining each stratum and their relationship to each other. Each chapter then focuses on an aspect of daily life from time, the importance of religion, to clothing and accessories, what was consumed, general amounts and costs, and there are even some recipes should you wish to try them yourself!
Arms and armour is a fascinating chapter where they deconstruct just what it took to place a knight on the battlefield and what weaponry and protection was required. That foot soldiers and less well-equipped individuals still fought for king and country without the benefit (!) of such armoury made me wince while reading.
A chapter is devoted to entertainment – songs, dances, cards and the importance that gambling played in life in those times. There are even music sheets and lyrics to the more popular songs.
What I particularly enjoyed as well were the break-out boxes that use more contemporary sources to highlight the chapter’s theme – so we have snippets of Chaucer’s works, legal documents, letters and general accounts.
Always aware that the period they’re covering was one in which society began to change quite dramatically (the plague mid-century and different attitudes to the clergy, brought about largely by the plague, the schism in the Church (two Popes) and the growth of the Lollard movement), Forgeng and McLean segue back and forth in each chapter, keen to make the reader aware of the various forces working to alter world and social perceptions.
If you are a lover of history, fascinated by the minutiae of daily life in the past, a writer or just a fact-finder, this is a terrific book.
Acknowledging the importance of daily life and material culture to any understanding of the past, Forbeng and McLean present this marvellous and detailed overview of just what it would have been like to dwell in the late Middle Ages, using Chaucer’s time on earth as rough guide. This means we get a decent glimpse of the Fourteenth Century and the fears, foibles and beliefs of those who lived and died in this period.
Setting a context for their book by discussing, albeit briefly, the various wars and the kings who waged them, they then plunge into the nuts and bolts of society, explaining each stratum and their relationship to each other. Each chapter then focuses on an aspect of daily life from time, the importance of religion, to clothing and accessories, what was consumed, general amounts and costs, and there are even some recipes should you wish to try them yourself!
Arms and armour is a fascinating chapter where they deconstruct just what it took to place a knight on the battlefield and what weaponry and protection was required. That foot soldiers and less well-equipped individuals still fought for king and country without the benefit (!) of such armoury made me wince while reading.
A chapter is devoted to entertainment – songs, dances, cards and the importance that gambling played in life in those times. There are even music sheets and lyrics to the more popular songs.
What I particularly enjoyed as well were the break-out boxes that use more contemporary sources to highlight the chapter’s theme – so we have snippets of Chaucer’s works, legal documents, letters and general accounts.
Always aware that the period they’re covering was one in which society began to change quite dramatically (the plague mid-century and different attitudes to the clergy, brought about largely by the plague, the schism in the Church (two Popes) and the growth of the Lollard movement), Forgeng and McLean segue back and forth in each chapter, keen to make the reader aware of the various forces working to alter world and social perceptions.
If you are a lover of history, fascinated by the minutiae of daily life in the past, a writer or just a fact-finder, this is a terrific book.
December 9, 2013
Daily Life in Chaucer's England is one of the most useful reference books on medieval daily life I've read yet. It includes sections on childhood, names, marriage, common trades, religious holidays, food (including recipes), clothing (including patterns), the calendar year (including what farm chores were performed in what month) and much more. The book originated as a handbook for historical reenactors and it shows- in the best possible way.
October 11, 2014
great book with a lot of details about everyday life in medieval england. it helped me a great deal in writing the introduction to my thesis on chaucer.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews