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At the heart of thick stones and tall towers, the medieval castle pulses with its own rhythm. From the bubbling of cauldrons to the clinking of swords, every moment of the day reveals a world both organized and full of surprises. Between rich dishes, rudimentary hygiene practices, and colorful recreations, the lordly life and that of the peasant household mingle, unveiling a daily life far from the clichés of mere war or political intrigues.
Sommaire
In Brief
🍗 Food: The lords savor banquets and smoked meats, while the household makes do with soups and vegetables. Supply comes through hunting, farming, and trade, with surprisingly advanced preservation techniques for the time.
🛁 Hygiene: Baths are occasional and viewed with suspicion, while perfumes and aromatic herbs compensate for odors and dirt. Laundry and body care rely on medicinal plants and rudimentary soaps.
⚔️ Entertainment: Tournaments, skill games, and music enliven the court, but reading manuscripts remains a rare privilege. Religious festivals and feasts punctuate the year, offering relaxation and cohesion to the community.
📜 The icing on the cake, the restoration of ancient parchments, such as those recounting life in the castle, called upon precise methods and specific tools to restore a medieval parchment without altering the content.
Food in the Medieval Castle
The Lords’ Feasts
Not every day was an occasion for a grand banquet, but the lords enjoyed elaborate meals. Pork, beef, and game — deer or wild boar — often took center stage on the tables, accompanied by spicy sauces made with vinegar and spices imported from the East. The cooks competed in ingenuity to present spectacular dishes: pâtés in crust, fruit jellies, stuffed pies. The most lavish sometimes included exotic foods like dates or saffron, reserved for an elite able to afford them.
The Household and Peasants’ Cuisine
At the other end of the hierarchy, peasants and servants mainly ate thick soup made from seasonal vegetables (turnips, carrots, leeks) and some cereals. Black or gray bread, sometimes made from barley or rye, constituted the bulk of the caloric intake. Legumes — peas and fava beans — sometimes supplemented the diet, especially in winter. On fasting days imposed by the Church, only salted fish and boiled vegetables were allowed.
Supply and Preservation of Foodstuffs
To avoid shortages, castles relied on three pillars: agricultural self-sufficiency, hunting, and local markets. The vast granaries, cellars, and heated rooms (warm chambers) were used to preserve meats, cereals, and wines. Salting, smoking, drying, and burying in fresh sand protected food from rancidity. A comparative table illustrates these methods:
| Method | Foods concerned | Preservation duration |
|---|---|---|
| Salting | Meat, fish | Several months |
| Smoking | Bacon, ham | 1 to 3 months |
| Drying | Fruits, legumes | 6 to 12 months |
| Burying | Roots | Several months |
“What enters through the mouth determines the strength of man,” wrote a 13th-century chronicler to emphasize the importance of food in the feudal landscape.
Hygiene and Body Care
Baths and Daily Washing
Contrary to popular belief, baths did exist but remained rare. Many feared drafts and illnesses. People washed more by rubbing with sponges and rudimentary “ässaep (soap)” made from wood ashes and animal fat. Perfumes made from dried flowers or medicinal herbs masked persistent odors. The wealthiest had bathtubs made of pewter or wood, sometimes installed in towers to benefit from a nearby hearth.
Clothing and Laundry
Wool and cotton fabrics, precious, were washed by hand in tubs of hot water mixed with detergent plants like tansy. Drying on racks or near fireplaces reduced the risk of mold. More delicate fabrics — silk and velvet — were treated with oak bark broth to fix colors. Clothing reflected social status: embroidered tunics for the nobility, simpler garments for the servitude.
Health and Folk Remedies
The “barber-surgeons” intervened to bleed, purge, or apply cauterizations, while herbalists advocated decoctions and poultices. Mugwort, chamomile, and sage were ingredients in soothing herbal teas. Epidemics, feared, sometimes made use of the same remedies recommended to balance the “humors,” a concept inherited from ancient medicine. In the absence of hospitals, leper houses and monastic hospitals welcomed the most destitute.
Entertainment and Leisure
Court Games and Music
Chess and trictrac — the ancestor of backgammon — were among the favorite pastimes to sharpen the mind. Nobles surrounded themselves with minstrels and trouvères (musical poets) to enliven the evenings. The harp, psaltery, and vielle accompanied courtly songs and epic ballads. The most talented sometimes taught their arts to the children of the household.
Tournaments, Jousts, and Feasts
Spectacular gatherings, tournaments served as much to display warrior valor as to create alliances. Fighters, clad in armor, faced off on horseback or on foot, under the eyes of an enthusiastic crowd. Jousts gave rise to improvised commentary and discreet betting. Between melees, people refreshed themselves with grilled meat and spiced wine, strengthening this precious sense of community.
Reading, Manuscripts and the Art of Gesture
The spread of knowledge remains limited: few people can decipher Gothic characters. The monastic scriptoria, located within or near the castle, ensure the copying of sacred texts and treatises. These parchments, often illuminated, sometimes bear traces of specialized interventions to restore a damaged medieval parchment, extending their lifespan. Sermons and public readings offer rare moments of literary sharing.
FAQ
- How did a grand banquet take place?
The banquet began with cold appetizers, followed by hot dishes and desserts made from candied fruits. The festivities were punctuated by performances from jugglers and troubadours. - Did castles have latrines?
Yes, in the form of “garderobes” in cantilever, where waste fell into the moat or a fitted cistern. - Could people really bathe in the Middle Ages?
Baths existed but were rare: local ablutions and the use of scented oils were preferred. - What games did servants play?
Backgammon, primitive billiards, and dice games were among the popular pastimes, often played in kitchens or inner courtyards. - How were manuscript texts preserved?
Manuscripts were stored in wooden boxes, protected by fabrics, shielded from humidity and rodents.
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