After you have read the following, write a short essay comparing and contrasting life in the Middle Ages to today. Is there anything that was better about life then?
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be... Here are some facts about the1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.
Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet of flowers when getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women, and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying.... Don't throw the baby out with the bath water...
Houses had thatched roofs (thick straw piled high) with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained, it became very slippery, and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying....It's raining cats and dogs.
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, Dirt poor. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold. (You are getting quite an education, aren't you?)
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight, and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme... Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold,
peas porridge in the pot nine days old.
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat...
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "the upper crust."
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat, drink, and wait to see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people
alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground, and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, "saved by the bell" or was considered "a dead ringer"...
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The question asks you to compare and contrast with conditions today. I don't see any contrast or comparisons.
This is the paragraph you need to compare and contrast to today. I needed help on it so I was wondering if anyone could give me a couple of ideas... Like list a 1 or 2 comparisons or contractions and I will figure it out to make it into a paragraph form and also write extra on my own.
Life in the Middle Ages was vastly different from life today. In terms of personal hygiene, bathing was not a common occurrence, with most people only taking a yearly bath in May. The wedding tradition of carrying a bouquet of flowers originated from brides trying to hide their body odor. In contrast, today we have access to clean water and bathing is a regular part of our daily routine.
Housing conditions in the Middle Ages were also significantly different. Thatched roofs provided warmth and shelter for not only humans but also cats and other small animals, leading to the saying "it's raining cats and dogs" when it rained heavily. Beds had big posts and a sheet hung over the top to protect against bugs and droppings, giving rise to the concept of canopy beds. Today, we have well-designed homes with proper insulation and bedroom furniture that prioritizes cleanliness and comfort.
Another major difference lies in the cleanliness of living spaces. Floors were typically dirt, and only the wealthy had floors made of materials like slate. The saying "dirt poor" originates from the fact that those who couldn't afford better floors lived with dirt floors. To prevent slipping on the wet floors, thresh (straw) was spread, and the excess would end up being pushed out when the door was opened, hence the term "threshhold."
In terms of food, meals mainly consisted of vegetables and stew. Leftover stew, which sometimes contained food that had been there for quite a while, would be reused for the next day's meal. The saying "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old" reflects this practice. Today, we have access to diverse food choices and better preservation methods to ensure food safety.
Social customs and traditions were also unique during the Middle Ages. The wealthy had plates made of pewter, which caused lead poisoning when acidic foods like tomatoes were placed on them. This led to the misconception that tomatoes were poisonous for about 400 years. Guests would be served the top part of bread, known as "the upper crust," while workers would receive the burnt bottom of the loaf. Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky, sometimes leading to unconsciousness for days. This practice resulted in the custom of holding a wake, where people would gather around the table of an unconscious person, waiting to see if they would wake up.
Lastly, burial customs were different due to limited space. Coffins were often reused, and to prevent burying people alive, a string would be tied to the wrist of the corpse and connected to a bell above ground. Someone would sit in the graveyard all night, listening for the bell. This practice is the origin of the phrases "saved by the bell" and "dead ringer."
While there are fascinating historical anecdotes and cultural practices from the Middle Ages, it is important to acknowledge the advancements that have made life today more comfortable, hygienic, and safe.