Job offers

Come and get your job as a money lender quick, time is running out. The money lender job isn't high paying but it's better than nothing. The job is at the bank and lend money to people who need it. The next job is as a midwifes apprentice. You give the midwife a hand when she needs it and brew ales and potions that help. A woman is needed for this job.

Food

Food in the middle ages was hard to get. You worked for many hours and got very very little pay. With that little pay you had to divide it and spend it on food, water, accomadations, and clothing. Food that peasants ate included wtered down ale and over yeasted bread. Honey was used to sweeten food and drink. Kings ate all this but it was gormet food.

Gretonburg

Hi! Welcome to Grotenburg! Where Luxury Is At It's Finest! (We hung King John.) You can relax in your very own two story house and play lawn bowling in your very own backyard! You may also wish to go down to the town square to watch a "dancing" bear! Or if it is to your pleasure you may stay home and play chess or backgammon.

The Hundred Years War

Between the years 1337 and 1453, England and France fought a series of wars over the control of land in France. This long war helped to weaken feudalism in England and France. English kings had owned land in France for a long time. The french decided that they didn't want England owning land in their country. So they said, "Hey, we want OUR land back" Thats how the war began. The french were outnumbered by a lot. The English won many of the early battles. In the 1346 a battle broke out in the village of Crecy. The French had horse mounted knights that wore heavy armor. They could hardly move when not on horseback. Their main weapons were swords and lances. Some foot soldiers used cross bows(Very large flat laying bow and arrows). The English army was made up of mainly foot soldiers with light armor. The English had an advantage, long bows(much like bow and arrows with a longer range that a cross bow). After many battles the French drove the English out.

The Plague

The bubonic plague started in central Asia, possibly China. It spread out of China, into India, and near east Europe. It spread on the silk road along the black sea, from there it probably traveled on a ship to Italy. From there it traveled north and west, throughout the continent of Europe(England.)  Symptoms and signs of the plague included a fever, barfing,  fierce coughing and sneezing fits, and egg sized swelling or bumps usually under the armpits. The disease was carried by fleas that fed on the blood of infected rodents. On the bright side(What bright side!?)as people died off serfs demanded more power and money from lords. This terrible event wiped out twenty four million people(Between the years of 1200 - 1393.) 

Merchants and Guilds

Guilds are an organization of people in the same craft or trade. There were 2 main types of guilds, craft guilds and merchant guilds. All types of craftspeople had their own guilds, from cloth makers to cobblers(people who make shoes, belts , and other leather goods) to the stone masons who built the great cathedrals. Guilds provided help and protection for the townsfolk within their own guild. To become a member of a guild you had to start at the age of 12 as an apprentice. At the end of 7 years they had to prove to the guild that they could master their trade. 

Homes and House Holds

Medieval towns were typically small and crowded.  Most houses were made of wood.  as the houses got older they tended to lean to one side. Rich and poor people lived in much different houses. A family might share a house with another  family. One family would usually eat, sleep, and cook in the same room! Wealthy merchants often lived in fancy housings. They usually had four levels. The first level would often be business and include offices and storerooms. The second level family's living quarters where they would eat and chat with other family's. The third level usually housed servants and apprentices. All houses were usually dark cold and smoky. The only source of heat was fire places.