Peasant Life in the Mediaeval West

A history of peasant society in Europe from the tenth to the mid-fourteenth century, the text provides a detailed picture of the peasants' daily life, discussing among other things the food they cultivated and ate, the houses and villages they lived in, their customs and taboos. In particular, the author considers their relationship to the land they grazed and tilled and to the lords who controlled the land. He also describes the critical role played by women in the medieval economy and medieval society. Additionally, the book looks at the peasant as an individual within the rural community, exploring changes in his legal status and economic condition, family relationships and structures, and inheritance customs. Combining traditional historical methods with insights drawn from archaeology and anthropology, this is a contribution to a key topic in our understanding of the Middle Ages.