Serfs In The Middle Ages

Although it may seem like serfs didn’t do much in the Middle Ages, they were actually the ones who kept both knights and nobles alive.

The serfs were just like peasants, except for the fact that they served under a lord. The serfs would farm their lord’s land - one strip of the field’s crops were for themselves and their family, while the rest of the field and their crops belonged to the lord. In exchange, the lord would protect his serfs from robbery and any other kinds of harm. The serfs lived a tough life - they would start their work from the light of dawn ‘till the sun set. The men would mostly harvest the field, and while some the women did harvest too, since farming required great strength, women usually did the housework, cooking,
Speaking of children, the children were required to work as soon as they were able to walk! There was no school - just working. Because of this, many believed that the serfs were unable to speak properly and were unable to read. However, nobody really knows if this is true or not. Both boys and girls were considered an adult when they turned 14 years old. When the sun set, it was time for the serfs to go home, as not much work could be done in the complete dark. By home, I mean a shabby, one-room house that were often smokey inside. The beds weren’t all that comfortable either, and falling asleep was most likely difficult, as the serfs slept with the animals, too! If the lord ever happened to go war, the serfs were sometimes required to serve him by doing the hard, dirty work while the knights took all of their credit. And since equipment and horses were expensive, the serfs had to go to war with nothing to defend themselves with. But just because they had a hard life didn’t mean that they didn’t have any fun! The serfs celebrated holy days, or holidays, as we call it today, such as Groundhog Day. The serfs would sing together and tell stories, such as Robin Hood. Once a serf, always a serf. The serfs