Life in a Medieval Village

by Frances Gies and Joseph Gies

Book Overview

Medieval history comes alive in Joseph and Frances Gies's classic bestseller on life in medieval villagesThis new reissue of Life in a Medieval Village, by respected historians Joseph and Frances... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060920467
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 5.3" x 0.6"

Customer Reviews

Solid introduction

Life in a Medieval Village by Frances and Joseph Gies. Recommended.Life in a Medieval Village is one of a series, including Life in a Medieval City and Life in a Medieval Castle, written by Frances and Joseph Gies. This series rarely touches upon the great people and events romanticized by Hollywood and numerous fiction writers (and perhaps even a few historians), but focuses on the basics of everyday life for the average person or even the average lord or cleric. The Gies use a number of primary and secondary sources, the latter of which reveal how the historian's view of the medieval village has changed in the 20th and 21st centuries and how flexible historians must be in interpreting the evidence.Researched and written for the layperson, Life in a Medieval Village is more accurately about life in an English medieval village, with most of the detail coming from the records of Aethelintone/Aethelington/Adelintune/Aylington (Elton) in Huntingdon, one of Ramsey Abbey's manors. The Gies provide a history of the village concept and its definition; its role in the manorial system (contrasted to the seigneurial system); a description of its people, physical structure, buildings, administration and administrators, judicial system, family and spiritual life, and work; and the background behind its decline.The world of Elton and similar villages is not found in movies or novels. Social and economic statuses are not always clear cut, economic upward mobility is possible primarily through acquisition of land, and even the distinction between "free" and "unfree" is not distinct. Life revolves around the manor and the villeins' and cotters' obligations to the mostly absent lord and the manor, which come in the form of work, rents, fees, taxes, and fines. The administrative structure of the manor is somewhat like that of a modern corporation, with the lord as CEO of multiple manors (and primary consumer of goods) who "wanted the certainty of rents and dues from his tenants, the efficient operation of his demesne, and good prices for wool and grain." His steward, or seneschal, serves as senior executive, while the bailiff, reeve, beadle, woodward, and others are the manor's day-to-day managers and supervisors.As the villagers acquire surnames (from where they live, what they do, the offices they hold, and personal characteristics), patterns emerge from the records. Some families become dominant economically and politically (e.g., holding many offices such as reeve or juror many times); others decline; while yet others show a propensity for violence and petty crimes. Such infractions are punished primarily with fines rather than corporal punishment; the stocks and hanging are resorted to only in the most egregious cases. The judicial system is often compassionate (or at least practical); many fines for minor trespasses are lowered or forgiven by the court because "she is poor." When laws are broken, a jury hears the case, but the entire village decides.The Gies

An Interesting Flavor of Life in the Middle Ages

The Gies have made a career out of filling a niche in the medieval history market. Life in a Medieval Village gives a very detailed view of everyday medieval life to the casual reader. As a result, they walk a fine line. Some casual readers may find the text to be dry, and to lend too much detail to seemingly trivial matters, while specialist historians may find the work too general and superficial (not scholarly).I find their work to be engaging, and to provide a fairly good picture of the subject matter. In terms of medieval studies, it's useful to provide a general knowledge base prior to more detailed analysis. I recommend this book as well as their other works.

Life in a Medieval Village

This book is a great introduction into the lives of the common people in the middle ages. The concept of focusing on one village (Elton) throughout a protracted period of time provides a common thread throughout the dissertation and allows for the reader to identify with the people.

So good I bought it.

Years ago I checked this book out of the library. I bought a copy the day the book was returned to the library. I have used it so much for my research that it is now held together with tape and glue. (I am a published author of short fantasy stories that have as their framework some of the information on village life from this book.) Thanks are due to these fine people for opening up the past to our modern eyes.

From a DM

I use this book to flesh out my D & D campaigns. Full of good information for DMs, or someone kaing the next Diablo game! Gives a great sense of what it was like to live in those times..