I recently finished reading Ian Mortimer's The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century (2008). The book is a travel guide to England from 1300 to 1400, the approximate timeframe of many role-playing games, including Dungeons & Dragons. I thought my notes might be useful from a worldbuilding perspective.
I: The Landscape
Cities and Towns
The cathedral is the largest and most prominent landmark in any large medieval city.
Outside the city, a stream or river will be used as a dump for feces and junk.
There may be thieves hanging from the gallows and heads stuck on pikes by the city gates. There will also probably be begging children and waterways polluted with sewage.
London, the largest city in England, has only about 40,000 citizens, about 23,000 of them taxpayers. The population doubles or triples during the day when peasants and merchants enter the city to buy or sell goods. Many more will come during a fair or other special event.
~12% of people live in a town of any size.
Town Houses
The nicest homes are on the main streets, near the main gates. They will likely be 2 or 3 stories tall. There are also guild halls, colleges, and inns here.
The farther from the streets and gates are smaller homes of the poor, often facing an alley of 6-7 feet wide. The poor spend most of the day at work, so these homes are little more than a mattress, cooking space, and a toilet bucket.
About 1/3 of the city walled off subdivisions for cathedrals, parish churches, monasteries, and other areas. Another 1/10th is for royal castles.
Most market street houses have a narrow shopfront 15-16 feet wide, and their owners live above the business.
From 1300 to 1400, buildings are gradually rebuilt from wood to stone. Scaffolding is common.
There are no parks, gardens, or other public areas apart from the marketplace.
London
The government moved from city to city in 1300 but increasingly stayed located in London.
London is disgusting. People are paid to kill pigs, fined for leaving feces and barrels/crates in the street, fined for processing hides, and fined for throwing garbage in the Thames. It's becoming the people's responsibility to keep the place somewhat clean.
No other city is like London. There are a variety of goldsmiths, silversmiths, spice mongers, silk merchants, physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries.
Small Towns
Towns are distinguished from villages by their market, where people can buy and sell most common goods. There is a church but no guild houses or monasteries. Buildings are more likely to be dangerous (ramshackle construction with thatched roofs) and lack regulations (disgusting work is done inside them).
There's a town about every 8 miles.
The Countryside
Fields outside towns are divided for peasants to farm and animals to graze, and about one-third are left fallow.
~7% of the land is woodland, nearly all managed. Areas are coppiced. Banks deter deer. Lords let their tenants gather fallen timber and sticks. If forests become impassable, lords pay to remove dead wood—which is successful.
There are few evergreens, wild wolves, or wild boar.
The Changing Landscape
The land is slowly being developed, but climate change causes more rain, which kills crops and animals. Some areas are abandoned. Peasants are bound to their lord but may (illegally) leave to find work elsewhere.
Villages
1,000+ villages are deserted by 1400.
Sometimes, parishioners can't afford to repair churches, so the buildings will be downsized.
Homes are small, and the privy, henhouse, goose house, broken equipment (to be repaired or scrounged for parts), garden, and rainwater barrels are all nearby. Buildings are made of local materials, whether a specific type of wood, stone, or slate.
Home size can vary by status, from a 13-foot-square widow's cottage to a 90-foot longhouse of a yeoman. Some homes may be clustered, and others may be scattered around a parish church.
Outside the church, the largest and nicest building will belong to the local lord. The tenants go there to pay rent and fines and for communal meals at Christmas, harvest, and other times. Manor houses have their own outbuildings: "huge threshing barns and haylofts, ox houses and brew houses, stables, slaughterhouse, granary, goose house, henhouse, shearing shed, bailiff's house, and workers' cottages".
There are also monasteries in remote locations and some castles near roads, harbors, mines, fish ponds, and other important places.
Aside from the climate issues mentioned above, the Great Plague and border raids/wars have left large areas virtually uninhabited.
II: The People
The estimated population of England is 5M in 1300 (+/- 500k) and 2.5M in 1400 (+/- 250k). The population would not recover to 5M until the 1630s.
35-40% of the population are under 15, and 5% are over 65. The median age dropped from 38 in 1300 to 21 in 1400.
The younger society has less social and work experience, is more violent, more supportive of slavery, and likes dangerous entertainment.
On average, men are 5'7" and women are 5'2".
It's not uncommon to find people with minor or major injuries, missing eyes or limbs, breaks or fractures that didn't heal properly. Most people have had a disease in their lifetime.
People age faster socially. Citizens can work or get hanged for theft at 7, serve on juries at 12, marry at 14, and serve in the army at 15. Some marriages are arranged in infancy; the ceremony can happen at 12, with cohabitation at 14.
The Three Estates
The feudal hierarchy consists of the aristocracy ("those who fight"), the clergy ("those who pray"), and workers ("those who work"). This hierarchy is seen as created by God.
This concept is increasingly outdated, thanks to the power of English longbowmen. They are ostensibly "those who work" but also the best fighting force.
The Aristocracy
- The King
- 1-4 Dukes (King's sons), 7-14 Earls, 40-70 Barons; "tenants-in-chief" as their estates are given directly by the King; they are also House of Lords in Parliament
- 1,100 Knights and 10,000 Esquires and Gentlemen [Esquires are descended from knights and have a coat of arms; Gentlemen aren't and don't]; hold manors on behalf of their lords; they may be elected to Parliament
In general, the higher the rank, the larger and more lucrative estate they own/run.
- Hierarchy at estates:
- Franklins/yeomen
- Husbandmen (freemen)
- Villeins (unfree)
- Domestic servants
The Clergy
- Archbishops
- Bishops
- Abbots
- Priors of larger priories
- Canons, archdeacons, priors of lesser priories
- Rectors
- Vicars
- Chaplains, friars
- Hermits
Workers
- Mayors
- Richer merchants, alderman
- Lesser merchants, physicians, lawyers, master masons, master carpenters
- Shopkeepers, local traders, skilled workers, freemen
- Laborers
- Domestic servants
- Beggars
Those Who Pray
The clergy is split into secular clergy (most priests) and regular clergy (monks and canons).
The clergy also have manors/estates of varying income and power.
2+% of adult men are clergy.
Those Who Work
There are ranks among the peasantry; a franklin or yeoman might have "a whole yardland (thirty acres) and his own plow team of eight oxen"; a villein "is bound to serve his lord and has just one or two acres to his own use".
Peasants don't call themselves "peasants" but terms based on their rank, status, etc. They rank themselves based on where someone is from, the amount of land, crafts/skills, playing an instrument, being born in/out of wedlock, and (most importantly) being free or unfree.
Unfree men are villeins or bondmen. Villeins work ~3 days per week (morning to midday), plow/harrow a set acreage, collect firewood/nuts for their lord, and pay rent for their piece of land. Technically, everything they own and produce belongs to their lord—though most lords only demand a "heriot", their best or most valuable chattel/beast upon the villein's death. Lords can sell the land (and villeins/family with it), allow/disallow marriages, bar traveling more than a day, and run the manorial court.
Lords can make villeins free, or villeins can run away for a year and a day. However, his family or relatives will be ousted or fined. Also, villeins often don't have the crafts/skills or tools needed to improve their lot in towns.
There are also freemen peasants, franklins and yeomen, who may have significant land and wealth, and employ their own servants. Some rent entire estates from lords and knights, run their own manorial court, have a bailiff, etc.
Those Outside the Three Estates
Many people are outside the three estates/feudal hierarchy: merchants, professionals (physicians/lawyers), entertainers (jugglers, acrobats, jesters), mariners, etc. Even servants are relative, as they could be a sergeant-at-arms or a lord's son serving a king; they're a "servant" but hold considerable power.
Women
Society is misogynistic, and few try (or even think about) changing that. Social and legal prejudices are supported by religion, ancient philosophers, and even poorly understood medical/physical knowledge.
Most women's status depends on that of their father, husband, etc. They can't buy or sell property or make a will. Only widows/spinsters above a marriageable age are allowed some status (typically based on their last husband).
Women are free from conscription and don't have to tithe, but have few other rights. If they do reach an older age, they often gain social status.
III: The Medieval Character
Society can be exceedingly cruel and violent.
Sense of Humor
Human often reflects this cruelty and violence. Sarcasm is high wit. Practical jokes are common.
The Warrior's Love of Flowers
It's not looked down upon for lords to "love...the song of the nightingale and the scents of roses, musk, violets, and lily of the valley", cry, be religious, or be seen as virtuous.
Cursing and defamation are serious offenses.
Education
There is little formal education beyond practical education. Children of lords will have private tutors, and children in towns and villages may receive limited religious education from the parish priest.
Otherwise, children will work in the fields, become apprentices, or serve another lord starting at about age 7.
Monasteries, nunneries, friaries, and some city churches will have schools.
The universities (Oxford and Cambridge) exist but are expensive, and "there are no more than a few hundred resident members of each university at any one time".
Literacy is increasing. Most people in positions of power (bishops, landowners, judges, sheriffs, merchants) employ one or more clerks. Professionals and up to 20% of tradesmen in cities are literate. Also, "manorial clerks, parish clergy, and parish churchwardens" and even some freeholders are literate. (About 20% of men in urban areas and 5% in rural areas are literate.) Villeins are largely illiterate.
Knowledge of the Wider World
Many people know a surprising amount of information about towns and villages within 20-30 miles due to travel, kinship/marriages, friendship, and trade.
Clergy and freemen may have to travel to ecclesiastical court or to vote. Many people travel on pilgrimages. Men may be conscripted to fight in Europe or the Holy Land, meeting people from all over. All of these people will return with stories about their travels.
In London and the large port cities, native and foreign people will interact almost daily.
Most people will have heard of some lands and people outside England, though it is incomplete and often incorrect. The truth ends up blurring with misinformation and outright fantastical stories.
Discerning Minds?
Few people think it's a problem that fact and fiction are mixed.
Everything bad is blamed on the Devil or the will of God.
At the same time, superstition is rampant. Magic, sorcery, and witchcraft can make literally anything possible. Alchemy and prophecies are real. People consult astrologers for the most trivial things.
How is this reconciled? Magic is only bad when it's heretical. A witch helping someone recover a lost object is fine, but a witch cursing a husband is a heresy.
IV: Basic Essentials
Languages
People speak less French and more English, thanks to nationalism among the royalty.
There is no standardized language, dialect, spelling, etc. Many people still speak their regional languages.
People are more direct with their language.
Dates
The new year starts on different months/days, and other year numbering systems are used across England and the rest of Europe.
Most people will simply refer to the year of the King's reign.
Measuring Time
Before mechanical clocks, "hours" are a fraction of the daylight—meaning they're longer in the summer than the winter.
Most wealthy people have an astrolabe for telling (relatively) accurate time.
Major palaces, abbeys, and cathedrals will have a mechanical clock.
Bells are used to announce the market and curfews.
In London, taverns and city gates are closed at curfew, as are inn doors. Boats must be moored. Only "men of good repute" are allowed outside, and only with a lantern. Everyone else must return home, to their inn, or leave the city—or face arrest and detainment in a city prison.
Units of Measurement
There are no standardized units of measurement, either. A "plowland" is "the amount of land which a plowteam of eight oxen can plow in a year"—but that depends on what the land is like. Acre sizes vary across shires. Measurements can also depend on what is being measured, like gallons of ale or wine.
Identity
In 1300, people with low or no rank typically lacked a hereditary surname. However, people with common names may have non-hereditary surnames. That started to change as people began relocating. By 1400, most people would have hereditary surnames.
Identity includes where a person is from, their status, title, company or guild, and whether or not they are free. All of these affect how much protection a person can expect.
Personal seals are standardized and used by people of rank or power, but also by corporations, abbeys, cities, organizations, etc. If a seal is stolen, it may be announced by town criers.
Manners and Politeness
Hand over weapons at homes of equal/superior status.
Ask permission to enter any home.
Remove hats until told to put them on.
Bow to hosts of equal status; kneel to hosts of superior status; meeting Kings will involve 3 (or more) kneels, bows when speaking, meeting his eyes, never turning your back to him, etc.
There are also many rules about standing, making way for social superiors, not leaning, not spitting, etc. Eating has its own set of rules. Everything is about showing respect and not showing disrespect.
Greeting People
Greetings are also about saying the correct thing and not being overly warm or cold.
Shopping
The market(s) opens with the town bell.
The larger the city/town, the more likely there will be specialist shops. There may be multiple markets, specialist markets, or markets that rotate throughout the week.
Towns with weekly markets will probably have an annual fair. These last 3 days, with the 2nd day landing on a saint's day. Fairs are more likely to have specialist/exotic products, and they're a time for bulk/wholesale purchases.
Trade is regulated by guilds, which set duties and fees, and can ban sales of certain items or by certain people.
Still, sellers use all kinds of tricks and deceptive practices. People can complain, and the seller may be tried in a "piepowder court".
Money
There is quite a variety of coin denominations, designs, and sizes.
There are multiple royal mints and even private (church) mints.
Prices
The law sets standard prices for various goods, including their quality. These goods include bread, ale, wine, grains, horses, cows, etc.
However, costs can increase during harvest failures or plagues—or decrease for luxury items.
Haggling is also common.
Food is more expensive than we'd expect now. Both labor and land are cheaper. Food also tends to cost more in cities than in rural areas.
Working and Wages
It was difficult to improve one's rank through wages.
Becoming a member of a guild or livery company was expensive. Even becoming an apprentice was beyond what many could afford.
Craftsmen weren't expected to work on Sundays or the 40-50 holy days throughout the year. This gave people a good deal of time off, but also limited wages.
V: What to Wear
In 1300, clothing tended to be more practical. Outside the peasantry and clergy, clothing was similar, though the wealthy had better/different colors and better quality. This began to change around 1330, and by 1400, clothing was differentiated between men and women.
Women couldn't show their arms or legs in public. Exceptions: washerwomen, peasants, and prostitutes. Prostitutes had to wear yellow hoods.
Lepers had to wear cloaks and ring bells.
The clergy wore clothing based on their status and order.
The type of fur people could wear was limited by rank.
People who served lords in their households wore their livery/heraldic colors. This was considered a threat and/or protection.
Sumptuary laws were added in 1337 and extended in 1363. These further limited the wearing of furs, jewels in hair, gold cloth, silver cloth, silk, embroidery, and fabric cost by rank.
Royalty
The royal family could wear what they wanted, and they often pioneered trends. Their fashion would affect lower ranks over time.
Aristocratic Men
They wore layers of clothing, often sewn to the body.
Buttons were invented in 1330, which removes having to sew clothing onto people.
Men's clothing gets more and more elaborate, even sexualized.
There was little emphasis on hairstyles, and this didn't change.
Aristocratic Women
Women's and men's clothing were very similar.
Women had different hairstyles and headdresses. The headdress reflected the woman's status.
Townsmen and Townswomen
Again, people wore similar clothing styles, but the difference between ranks was the quality of cloth.
Countrymen and Women
Clothing tended to be more plain, not multi-colored. Little differences, including distinctive items, demonstrated one's rank.
Accessories
Perfumes and spices were used to cover body odors.
Most people had a knife and coin purse.
People who could afford jewelry wore it, and the type/expense increased with rank.
Swords and Armor
The type and quality of swords and armor also reflected rank.
Since 1285, every man from 15 to 60 is expected to have arms to keep the peace—even the poor.
VI: Traveling
Maps are rare, especially maps of the entire country.
Most people know the general area around them, so travelers simply keep asking for directions.
Roads
In 1360, about 40% of the roads are Roman. The quality of these can vary: some have been maintained, others haven't, and still others have been moved or their stones plundered.
In 1300, Edward I and his entire court were able to ride 19 miles per day. In 1336, Edward III was able to ride solo 55 miles per day.
In other areas, roads are treacherous.
Bridges
Most water crossings don't have bridges; they're made at places with shallow water or a ford.
Commissioning a stone bridge is seen as an act of charity.
Tolls
Tolls are common, especially at places that need to be maintained: gates and walls, streets, bridges, etc.
Some towns and lords acquire or grant a charter exempting freemen from paying tolls.
Road Transport
Since 1286, manorial lords are supposed to clear 200 feet on each side of a highway—except the "great oaks" used in buildings and ships.
Horses are expensive, especially better horses. Most people walk.
In 1300, there were ~12 coaches in England. They became more common by 1400. They're also very expensive to use and maintain.
Water Transport
Sailing is becoming more common from 1300 to 1400. So is piracy.
Ships
Ships are also getting bigger and more maneuverable.
Life at Sea
Ships smell and are uncomfortable. Only the wealthy can afford a separate cabin.
VII: Where to Stay
Most people are kind enough to offer travelers a place to stay. It's also considered hospitality, a "work of charity".
Some rules: (1) respect your host's property, (2) the host is legally responsible for their guest(s), and you should hand over sword/weapons, (3) if a guest dies, their goods become the host's property.
Inns
As mentioned above, innkeepers are responsible for their guests. They may refuse a bed if they don't like the person—which some places have passed laws against. If you're wealthy, you're almost guaranteed a room.
Inns have some basic food ("ale, pottage, bread, and cheese") for guests, but they're not a tavern.
Beds may be shared by 3 or more men or women, although women rarely stay at inns. If you're wealthy, you might have your own room.
Town Houses
Houses can get quite large, especially when owned by the powerful or wealthy. People may be able to stay here and have their own room with some decent amenities.
Monasteries and Other Religious Establishments
Abbeys, priories, and hospitals often have lodging. The clergy see this as part of their required hospitality and charity.
Monasteries may be quite advanced, with flush drains and water taps.
Castles and Fortified Manor Houses
Castles are being rebuilt and renovated in huge numbers across England. They have many more bedchambers than was common, so chances are any visiting Esquire can have a private room.
All servants/servants in a household will be men. The only women are related to the lord or their companions.
Rank affects where people sit during feasts.
Latrines in castles are increasingly nice, with cushions, chutes to remove feces, and wool, linen, or even cotton to wipe.
When the lord is away, castles are almost nearly empty.
Peasant Houses
Peasant houses can vary in size, from longhouses with a family bedchamber in the back, to cottages and hovels.
VIII: What to Eat and Drink
What food is (and isn't) available depends on the weather and harvests.
Rhythms of Food
The main meal (dinner) is in the late morning (10-11 o'clock), and a more modest meal (supper) is in the late afternoon (4-5 o'clock).
Meat is forbidden (by the church) on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays throughout Lent and Advent for about half the year; there are no eggs during Lent.
Peasant Households
Bread and pottages (oat, pea, or leek porridge) are a large part of the diet.
Vegetables are well-boiled before eating, because they are believed to be harmful if eaten raw.
Meat is a status symbol. However, animals are more valuable alive, for milk, wool, eggs, pulling the plow, etc.
Fish are expensive and are often sold to the lord.
Ale is the most important drink. Its price and quality are also set by law. Brewing ale is one of the wife's duties.
In some areas, alternatives to ale include cider, perry (pear cider), mead, and metheglin (mead with herbs). Wine is usually too expensive for peasants.
Towns and Cities
Food tends to be better quality and more specialized in towns and cities, but it is also more dependent on market conditions.
Taverns sell wine, not ale. As expected, the better quality taverns sell better quality wine and have better (more polite, less dangerous) customers.
Noble Households
Rank limits the number of dishes per meal. (5 for lords, 3 for gentlemen, 2 for grooms.)
As mentioned earlier, being a guest and rank affects where people sit.
Instead of a plate, food is eaten on a trencher (flat, round bread), which will be given to the poor.
Rank also determines which quality of wine or ale people can drink.
Monasteries
Many of the rules at manors apply to monasteries. The higher the rank, the better the food and drink.
Monks have ways around rules against eating meat.
IX: Health and Hygiene
Ideas of Illness
Most people consider illnesses to be divine judgment. They are meant to purify the soul. Astrology is another common cause.
Astrology and numerology are also used to determine if a patient will or won't recover.
Most medicine is based on the 4 elements (fire, water, earth, air) and the corresponding 4 humors (choler/yellow bile, phlegm, black bile, blood)
Dirtiness and Cleanliness
Expected cleanliness depends on identity and rank. Cleanliness is often specifically about the "face, teeth, hands, body, fingernails, beard, and hair".
They rarely bathed daily unless someone had a filthy job, like cleaning latrines.
However, they do frequently wash their hands, face, and feet.
Baths are growing more common among the wealthy.
Soaps for washing clothes are becoming more common.
Diseases
Plague
Most people who get the plague will die of it.
Death rates vary: in some towns 9/10ths of people die, in others only 5/10 or 4/10. It's 27% among the gentry and esquires who flee infected areas.
The plague had social effects: it "cauterizes feudalism, frees up capital, and allows society to develop in a more democratic way". This tempts us to romanticize the plague, but of course at the time it was awful.
Leprosy
Leprosy included Hansen's disease (actual leprosy) but sometimes "all manner of skin ailments, including eczema, psoriasis, and lupus". People with obvious skin conditions could have been forced to live as lepers.
Lepers had to wear a cloak and ring bells.
Rates of leprosy decrease from 1300 to 1400.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is increasing.
People believe the King's touch can cure it, or that the King touching a coin and passing it to the infected can.
Perhaps the only real "cure" at the time is getting good food and rest.
Other Diseases
Malaria, Typhoid fever, lung diseases (from mines), parasites, lead poisoning, and childbirth are other common causes of death.
Medical Practitioners
Physicians
Physicians with medical degrees are rare, probably less than 100 in England. They're usually located in large cities or towns.
Most non-degree-holding physicians will follow manuals based on astrology, bloodletting, diagnosing urine, etc.
Surgeons
The number of surgeons is increasing.
Surgeons, many of them also barbers (hence "barber-surgeon"), can sew and cauterize cuts, set bones, remove teeth, lance boils, remove cataracts, etc. Some specialize in one or more procedures.
The better surgeons will have pain medication, like opium.
X: The Law
Local Justice
People have small, close social circles, so it's expected that when crimes happen, they will have an idea who committed them (or is capable of them).
Frankpledge, a Saxon system: male villeins from 12 to 60 in the same hamlet or street form a "tithing", and swear to uphold the law; they report on each other, or are fined.
Anyone who discovers a crime must raise an alarm ("hue and cry"). Everyone who hears it is supposed to come to the crime scene and then go after the criminal. If the criminal isn't caught and the crime is serious, the sheriff may form a posse.
Criminals who are caught evading arrest may be beheaded (if a man) or drowned (if a woman).
The Sheriff and the County Court
The sheriff has a variety of duties, directly doing the King's orders ("writs") in a county: summoning a jury, sending people to court, holding elections, gathering men for the army, maintaining the gaol/jail, etc.
The sheriff holds county court every 4-6 weeks, where a judge will come to try local cases.
Hundred Courts and the Sheriff's Tourn
A subdivision of a county, called a "hundred", holds a "hundred court" every 3 weeks. These are for lesser crimes, like fighting and drawing blood, fraud, debts, and small thefts. The punishments are typically fines.
These courts can cross jurisdictions. Free men are outside the frankpledge system, so they would be tried at a hundred court.
The "sheriff's tourn" happens twice a year, at Easter and Michaelmas. Indicted felons are taken into custody to be tried by a royal judge.
Miscarriages of Justice
Many people accused of crimes are strangers.
There is little to stop lords or sheriffs from abusing their power. "There are very few checks or balances in this system." Torture is illegal but it occurs, along with extortion and bribes.
Manor and Borough Courts
All villeins and some freemen will attend these.
Minor cases are tried, such as damage caused by animals, improperly maintained lanes, poaching, blocked streams, fistfights, slander, brewing poor ale, adultery and fornication, etc. Heriots and small fines are paid.
Lords often claim the right of "infangenthef" or "infangthief", to execute his people who are caught thieving red-handed on his land. But some also claim "outfangenthef" or "outfangthief", to execute his people who are caught thieving red-handed elsewhere, or to execute others' people who are caught thieving red-handed on his land. This can be controversial.
In London, the mayor claims the right of infangenthef and outfangenthef.
Other towns are setting bylaws on baking bread, brewing ale, using weights/measures, and drawing blood in fights.
Royal Justice
The royal laws are messy in 1300, often Saxon in origin but revised by royal judges/justices, and there were few complete law books.
Many basic, still extant laws are written in the 14th century: the right to plea in English in court, defining "high treason", forbidding bearing arms in Parliament, and requiring arrests according to the Magna Carta.
Royal Judges
There are also three royal courts: the Court of the Exchequer, the Court of the King's Bench, and the Court of Common Pleas.
The King's Bench and the Court of Common Pleas are appeals courts, but they also travel to counties to try serious cases.
Commissions of the Peace
A new type of judge/justice is created, Commissioners/Keepers of the Peace, who can arrest people for felonies and judge them, in order to clear out the gaols/jails.
Eventually, they are made Justices of the Peace, later Magistrates, with expanded powers.
Organized Crime
~1/3 criminal gangs are families, often knights or nobles, or with important connections.
Ecclesiastical Courts
Church courts handle cases involving clergy, but also servants and other workers.
Sanctuary
People accused of felonies can request sanctuary in a church. They can stay up to 40 days. The accuser(s) need to post guards, who will feed the accused and must allow them outside to urinate/defecate. The coroner will arrive to take the accused's goods and then tell them where and which ship they can take to leave England.
That's what's supposed to happen, at least. Sometimes, the accusers, coroner, the wronged, or crowds will interfere.
XI: What to Do
Music and Dancing
Music is important. Musicians can earn a lot, or at least make a living.
Instruments vary and are handmade.
Plays
Plays are also common, even put on by guilds and royals.
Jousting
Jousts are one of the rare cases in history where high-ranked people risk injury or death.
Jousts can be quite dangerous.
Hunting and Hawking
Hunting specific game is limited to royals, or anyone they allow to hunt.
Hawking is open to gentlemen.
Popular Games
There were common kids' games, wrestling, bearbaiting, bullbaiting, cockbaiting, football, bowls, hockey, quoits, tennis, archery, heads or tails ("cross and pile"), dice, tables (backgammon), draughts (checkers), chess but with early rules.
Archery is available to commoners, unlike most sports. This is to encourage practice for the army.
Pilgrimages
Because people can control very little in their lives, promises to God to go on a pilgrimage are common. They are a demonstration of faith.
Literature and Storytelling
Hand-copied books are getting more common, even before the invention of the printing press. They're seen as a status item.
The high-ranked will have books read to them, as a performance.
