Total stench, pompous holidays and other delights of life in castles dating back to the Middle Ages

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Do not be fooled by all the films that sometimes portray the Middle Ages as a "golden time". Not to mention the peasants, the everyday life of even the nobility, who just owned the castles, were not at all like non-stop holidays and bright fights. Life in castles, even for the upper class, was not at all comfortable. What are the dank, dark and gloomy rooms lit through and through, lit by smoldering candles and a widespread stench in the castles of aristocrats? So, let's move on to one of them …

1. Total stench

Because of the toilets, which were just a hole in the floor, and the lack of hygiene among the lower classes, the castles smelled really bad. Fresh water and a bath were a bit of a luxury. In addition, diseases were very common among the lower classes, and although the wealthy lords could easily afford a healer, the average castle resident would have to rely only on herbal infusions.

2. Toilets - it couldn't be easier

In medieval times, natural needs had to be done on a long bench with many holes for bowel movements. Waste products fell down into the cesspool, and that was the end of it. And, of course, no privacy during the process.

3. No privacy

Castles may seem like real fortresses from the outside, but the open and spacious layouts inside left little privacy, especially for the servants. The owners of the castle had private rooms in which they could change their clothes and swim, but everyone else who lived within the walls of the castle was forced to spend days and nights constantly next to each other. Also, most of the rooms in the castle were very dark and dirty.

3. A typical castle could accommodate over 100 people

Few people think that a whole army of servants was needed to "serve" the lords and carry out the daily routine in the castle. Once again, all these people lived in cramped quarters without any possibility of privacy.

4. Prisoners were sent to dungeons and often tortured

The prisoners were often kept in the deepest and darkest "bowels" of the medieval castle in extremely deplorable conditions. And the problem was not only the conditions of detention of the prisoners, they were also subjected to terrible torture. One German researcher stated that torture was intended not only to torture the victim, but also to "purify the soul." Many believed that the only way to cleanse the body of its sins was through pain.

5. Rats in houses

The dark, humid and cold environment is an ideal breeding ground for rats. Thus, those who lived in the castle lived with rats by default. Not only did this contribute to the spread of disease, rats were also used to torture the unwanted.

6. Booze was readily available and very common

Alcoholic drinks (be it wine, beer, or ale) were a common element of medieval meals. Naturally, the nobility and servants drank alcohol of different quality. Interestingly, alcohol was somewhat of a necessity during this time, as the water was often contaminated and therefore not drinkable. Then people did not know that you can just boil water, so they were always "under the fly."

7. The day began at dawn

Sunlight was one of the decisive factors in what was happening in the castle. Even during the day, the meager light that came in through the small windows was barely enough for most household chores. Therefore, they had to get up at dawn in order to have time to do everything for their masters. In the medieval city, everyone was roughly divided into five main roles: the clergy, noble class or members of the royal family, and the lower class: merchants, artisans and workers. Those who were not noble or a member of the royal family rose with the sun because their job was to "rule" the city for everyone else.

8. Swimming in wooden tubs

Contrary to what many people think of the Middle Ages, people loved taking a bath, it just wasn't always easy to get access to clean water and a bath. Inside castles, a wooden bathtub was often installed, which could be carried from room to room. It didn't even remotely smell of sanitation, but people were happy if they had access to at least such a bath.

9. It was very dark and very cold

Castles in the Middle Ages were mainly built of stone, and not for comfort, but for protection from enemies. They were gigantic stone fortresses with small and narrow windows. The stone did not quite contribute to the warmth inside, and the small windows let in very little sunlight, and most of the rooms in the castle were extremely dark and cold. And, by the way, do not forget the constant dampness.

10. Pompous holidays

The constant pumping might have been a little annoying, especially for the lower class people who did all the work of preparing for all the festivities and parties. Plentiful treats and artsy meals were the norm in a medieval castle. Naturally, the servants were not allowed at the table, and the responsibility of preparing the food fell on their shoulders. But at the table at the head sat the lord and the lady, on the sides were relatives and guests, and the servants huddled somewhere "out of harm's way." Of course, what the servants prepared to serve on the table, she was forbidden to eat.

11. Lunches were served in a large hall according to the status

In medieval times, people sat at the table according to their level of "importance." The Lord and Lady sat at the head of the table, and food was first served to them. These could be real gourmet dishes with exotic spices. The food for the "less important" diners would be much less extravagant, and these people were seated at the dark and cold end of a long table.

12. Permanent work

All the people living in the castle had their own responsibilities. Mostly, they had to make sure that the lord, lady and numerous members of their family were well fed and comfortable, but they also had to do the day to day chores at the castle. The Lord and Lady were engaged in political issues and made important decisions regarding their lands and the protection of the castle, they did not even think about everything else.

13. The floors were covered with reeds and grasses to hide dirt

As part of the ongoing battle to keep the castle clean and fresh, reeds and herbs were scattered across the floor. This was done so that the dry grass would help absorb and retain any fluids (and solids) that fell on the floor during the day. We are talking about beer, grease, leftovers, spit, dog and cat excrement, etc.

14. Constant fire hazard in the kitchen

In the first half of the Middle Ages, kitchens were mainly built of wood. However, considering what is happening inside kitchens when there is simply no electricity yet (for example, cooking over an open fire), wood as a building material was not the smartest choice. The kitchens in the castles were regularly burned down, so they soon began to be built from stone.

15. Mandatory chapel

Any respectable medieval castle required one thing - a chapel in which the lord and his family could attend morning mass. Most often it was built perpendicular to a rectangular large hall, and some chapels were even two-story, so that the lord and his relatives were taller than the commoners during the service.