The‌‌Dark‌‌Life‌‌For‌‌A‌‌Peasant‌ 

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Life‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Middle‌‌Ages‌‌could‌‌be‌‌argued‌‌as‌‌dark,‌‌or‌‌not,‌‌depending‌‌on‌‌your‌‌position‌‌in‌‌  
society.‌  ‌
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Similar‌‌to‌‌life‌‌today,‌‌there‌‌are‌‌different‌‌classes‌‌of‌‌people,‌‌and‌‌depending‌‌on‌‌your‌‌wealth‌‌  
it‌‌could‌‌present‌‌if‌‌life‌‌was‌‌good,‌‌bad,‌‌or‌‌especially‌‌dark.‌  ‌
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In‌‌the‌‌world‌‌of‌‌a‌‌peasant,‌‌life‌‌was‌‌definitely‌‌dark,‌‌with‌‌very‌‌little‌‌to‌‌look‌‌forward‌‌to,‌‌such‌‌  
as‌‌a‌‌lack‌‌of‌‌food,‌‌low‌‌quality‌‌housing,‌‌and‌‌a‌‌short‌‌life‌‌expectancy.‌  ‌
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A‌‌peasant’s‌‌life‌‌was‌‌hard,‌‌and‌‌short.‌‌According‌‌to‌w ‌ ww.historyextra.com‌.‌‌a‌‌peasant‌‌  
would‌‌hope‌‌to‌‌live‌‌to‌‌40‌‌or‌‌50,‌‌however‌‌the‌‌poorer‌‌ones‌‌often‌‌lived‌‌to‌‌just‌‌30.‌  ‌
Peasants‌‌never‌‌saw‌‌a‌‌doctor‌‌as‌‌they‌‌couldn’t‌‌afford‌‌to,‌‌and‌‌it‌‌was‌‌quite‌‌common‌‌for‌‌  
peasants‌‌to‌‌never‌‌see‌‌one‌‌in‌‌their‌‌entire‌‌life.‌  ‌
Disease‌‌and‌‌poor‌‌health‌‌were‌‌part‌‌of‌‌everyday‌‌life,‌‌and‌‌in‌‌the‌‌article‌‌‌“What‌‌kind‌‌of‌‌  
medicines‌‌did‌‌people‌‌use‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Middle‌‌Ages”,‌‌m ‌ edicines‌‌were‌‌very‌‌basic‌‌and‌‌often‌‌  
consisted‌‌of‌‌herbs‌‌and‌‌other‌‌ointments.‌‌People‌‌also‌‌accepted‌‌magic‌‌and‌‌witchcraft‌‌as‌‌  
ways‌‌to‌‌heal.‌  ‌
With‌‌very‌‌little‌‌medicine,‌‌or‌‌healthcare,‌‌a‌‌peasant’s‌‌life‌‌was‌‌often‌‌dark‌‌and‌‌short.‌  ‌
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Peasants‌‌did‌‌not‌‌have‌‌many‌‌rights,‌‌if‌‌any‌‌at‌‌all.‌‌Women‌‌in‌‌particular‌‌had‌‌even‌‌less.‌‌  
Women‌‌would‌‌often‌‌be‌‌married‌‌by‌‌the‌‌age‌‌of‌‌12,‌‌and‌‌it‌‌wasn’t‌‌uncommon‌‌for‌‌them‌‌to‌‌  
have‌‌children‌‌before‌‌the‌‌age‌‌of‌‌16.‌  ‌
Peasant‌‌children‌‌were‌‌not‌‌educated,‌‌and‌‌according‌‌to‌‌“The‌‌Lifestyle‌‌of‌‌Medieval‌‌  
Peasants”‌‌c‌ hildren‌‌wouldn’t‌‌have‌‌attended‌‌school,‌‌rather,‌‌joined‌‌their‌‌parents‌‌working‌‌  
on‌‌the‌‌land.‌  ‌
The‌‌work‌‌was‌‌tough,‌‌with‌‌peasants‌‌working‌‌all‌‌year‌‌long,‌‌growing‌‌crops‌‌such‌‌as‌‌barley,‌‌  
wheat,‌‌and‌‌oats.‌‌The‌‌article‌‌on‌‌“D ‌ ucksters.com”‌‌‌references‌‌that‌‌they‌‌also‌‌grew‌‌fruit‌‌  
and‌‌vegetables,‌‌and‌‌sometimes‌‌had‌‌animals,‌‌including‌‌cows,‌‌and‌‌chickens,‌‌for‌‌their‌‌  
milk‌‌and‌‌eggs.‌  ‌
After‌‌long‌‌days‌‌of‌‌work,‌‌they‌‌would‌‌come‌‌home‌‌to‌‌have‌‌basic‌‌meals‌‌and‌‌water‌‌or‌‌milk‌‌  
for‌‌dinner.‌  ‌
A‌‌peasant’s‌‌daily‌‌life‌‌was‌‌hard,‌‌working‌‌long‌‌hours,‌‌having‌‌very‌‌few‌‌rights,‌‌and‌‌not‌‌  
having‌‌much‌‌to‌‌eat.‌  ‌
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A‌‌peasant’s‌‌home‌‌was‌‌very‌‌basic.‌‌Most‌‌houses‌‌were‌‌small‌‌and‌‌made‌‌from‌‌anything‌‌  
they‌‌could‌‌afford.‌‌Materials‌‌often‌‌included‌‌a‌‌mixture‌‌of‌‌mud,‌‌straw,‌‌and‌‌manure,‌‌and‌‌on‌‌  
the‌“‌ history‌‌learning‌‌site”‌‌peasant‌‌houses‌‌were‌‌referred‌‌to‌‌as‌‌cruck‌‌houses.‌  ‌
The‌‌frame‌‌was‌‌made‌‌from‌‌timber,‌‌and‌‌the‌‌mixture‌‌of‌‌mud‌‌and‌‌manure‌‌was‌‌fixed‌‌to‌‌the‌‌  
wall‌‌using‌‌a‌‌wattle‌‌and‌‌daub‌‌process.‌‌Straw‌‌was‌‌added‌‌for‌‌insulation‌‌to‌‌protect‌‌against‌‌  
the‌‌cold‌‌weather.‌  ‌
“Life‌‌In‌‌the‌‌Middle‌‌Ages”‌‌‌states‌‌that‌‌Kings‌‌and‌‌Queens,‌‌as‌‌well‌‌as‌‌Knights‌‌and‌‌Noble‌‌  
people‌‌lived‌‌in‌‌far‌‌better‌‌houses,‌‌known‌‌as‌‌Manors,‌‌often‌‌made‌‌from‌‌stone.‌‌These‌‌  
houses‌‌had‌‌paved‌‌floors‌‌and‌‌sometimes‌‌had‌‌tapestries‌‌hung‌‌on‌‌the‌‌wall.‌‌These‌‌helped‌‌  
make‌‌the‌‌house‌‌warmer,‌‌but‌‌peasants‌‌couldn’t‌‌afford‌‌this,‌‌so‌‌had‌‌go‌‌without.‌  ‌
Windows‌‌were‌‌another‌‌way‌‌to‌‌keep‌‌the‌‌house‌‌warm,‌‌and‌‌again,‌‌only‌‌the‌‌rich‌‌could‌‌  
afford‌‌glass.‌  ‌
Not‌‌only‌‌was‌‌a‌‌peasant’s‌‌life‌‌less‌‌enjoyable,‌‌but‌‌when‌‌they‌‌came‌‌home‌‌from‌‌working‌‌  
long‌‌hours‌‌in‌‌the‌‌fields,‌‌their‌‌houses‌‌were‌‌basic,‌‌small,‌‌and‌‌often‌‌cold,‌‌compared‌‌to‌ 
those‌‌who‌‌were‌‌wealthier.‌  ‌
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The‌‌life‌‌of‌‌a‌‌peasant‌‌wasn’t‌‌enjoyable.‌‌They‌‌were‌‌poor‌‌and‌‌were‌‌treated‌‌as‌‌a‌‌lower‌‌  
class‌‌in‌‌society.‌‌Their‌‌work‌‌was‌‌harsh,‌‌their‌‌hours‌‌long,‌‌and‌‌their‌‌life‌‌expectancy‌‌was‌‌  
short.‌‌Food‌‌was‌‌limited,‌‌and‌‌their‌‌housing‌‌was‌‌simple,‌‌and‌‌didn’t‌‌protect‌‌them‌‌from‌‌the‌‌  
cold‌‌weather‌‌in‌‌the‌‌way‌‌the‌‌wealthier‌‌people‌‌lived.‌  ‌
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I‌‌do‌‌believe‌‌that‌‌the‌‌life‌‌of‌‌a‌‌peasant‌‌was‌‌dark‌‌and‌‌miserable.‌  ‌
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B
‌ ibliography‌  ‌
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Medicines‌  ‌
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The‌‌knight‌‌with‌‌the‌‌lion,‌W ‌ hat‌‌kind‌‌of‌‌medicines‌‌did‌‌people‌‌use‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Middle‌‌Ages?‌‌ 
Viewed‌‌the‌‌12‌‌August‌‌2021‌‌  
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/sll/disciplines/english/lion/medicine.shtml‌  ‌
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Living‌  ‌
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History‌‌Learning‌‌Site,‌‌The‌‌lifestyle‌‌of‌‌medieval‌‌peasants,‌‌viewed‌‌the‌‌11th‌‌August‌‌2021‌  ‌
https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval-england/the-lifestyle-of-medieval-peasants/‌  ‌
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Medievalists.net,‌‌Who‌‌were‌‌the‌‌peasants‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Middle‌‌Ages?,‌‌viewed‌‌the‌‌10th‌‌August‌‌  
2021‌h ‌ ttps://www.medievalists.net/2020/05/who-peasants-middle-ages/‌  ‌
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Housing‌  ‌
History‌‌on‌‌the‌‌net,‌‌the‌‌medieval‌‌life-‌‌housing,‌‌viewed‌‌the‌‌11th‌ ‌August‌‌2021‌  ‌
https://www.historyonthenet.com/medieval-life-housing‌  ‌
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H‌istory‌‌Learning‌‌Site,‌‌The‌‌Lifestyle‌‌of‌‌Medieval‌‌Peasants,‌‌viewed‌‌the‌‌10th‌‌August‌‌
 
2021,‌‌uploaded‌ ‌5‌‌Mar‌‌2015.‌‌13‌‌Aug‌‌2021.‌  ‌
https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval-england/the-lifestyle-of-medieval-peasants/‌  ‌