Feudalism in the middle ages essay3/26/2023 ![]() Some parts of society were involved more than others. Everybody in society was involved with feudalism. Others, like serfs and slaves, did not enjoy feudalism. Some people, like the royalty and nobles, supported and liked feudalism. It was never intended as a scholarly work, but I highly recommend it as a great read in its own right, regardless of your familiarity with medieval history or fantasy literature.Feudalism was the way of life for people in the Middle Ages. The essay was intended as a primer for fantasy authors asking the OP's exact question, addressing other aspects of the OP's question like politics, fencing, medieval government, sailing ships, and much more. All of these tendencies the rider must keep under control. It’s also lazy, stupid, and sometimes malicious. In fact, it’s a rather fragile creature, requiring close attention - for example, rubdowns after hard exertion - if it isn’t to fall sick and perhaps die on you. Don’t let your steed eat or drink indiscriminately it’s likely to bloat and become helpless. The best way to make time in the saddle is to alternate paces, and have a remount or two trailing behind, and allow the animals reasonable rest. Poul Andersen's On Thud and Blunder, written when the Conan movies were capturing the public imagination and leading to a renewed interest in the Sword and Sorcery genre, has an excellent discussion of this exact issue. Secondary: Paul Freedman, ed., Food: A History of Taste. Sources: Primary: Le Menagerie de Paris, Le Viandier de Taillevent. Very different indeed from the mounds of mutton and beef we generally associate with food and dining in the Middle Ages. Dishes were appreciated not only for their taste, but also for their aesthetic quality- one might even argue that aesthetics trumped taste in the high cuisine of the late-14th century. Blues, greens and reds frequently appeared on the tables of the wealthy. In short, medieval cuisine, at the highest levels, was highly ornate, incredibly complex and far more colorful than the food that you and I eat. In England, there were generally three courses during a meal, whereas in France, noblemen and royalty would frequently eat four or more courses during a meal- a far cry from modern depictions which show fruits, meats and soups occupying the same table. ![]() The later "blandness" of French haute-cuisine, in which the flavor of underlying ingredients is emphasized over that of spices, is a direct reaction against the spice-heavy cuisine of the Middle Ages.Ĭourses. ![]() ![]() In a late-14th century cookbook from France, the Menagier de Paris, more than 75% of dishes called for the use of spices such as pepper and grains of paradise. Cooks were pretty intense about using spices in their dishes during the medieval period. The medieval cuisine of royalty and nobility was very much about presentation and showmanship. We have primary source reports of such fanciful dishes as ducks re-dressed in their own feathers, meatballs with a green sauce disguised to look like apples, "eggs" made from almonds, and a whole sturgeon cooked three ways- the head, boiled the body, baked the tail, fried. Highly ornate and elaborate presentation of dishes. What can we expect from a medieval feast? Most modern kitchens don't have the competence or equipment necessary to recreate what little of medieval cuisine we actually know about- there's not a single restaurant in the world (to my knowledge) that serves dishes derived from 14th-century European cuisine. The food that would be served to kings and lords in medieval Europe was extremely complex. When we think of medieval feasting, images of huge lamb/pork chops and mountains of bread come to mind- in other words, unsophisticated fare, cooked blandly. One aspect of medieval Europe that almost all "medieval fantasy" series gets wrong is cuisine. ![]()
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