All About the Middle Ages

Travel 
Only noblemen, knights and bishops could afford horses. Keeping horses was expensive and difficult. Furthermore, travelling by horse with a daily output of 30 kilometers was often slower. People could sometimes make much more progress on foot. Professional messengers even walked up to 80 kilometers a day. 

Music
Some instruments were mainly played in the king’s court. This included the harp, lute, portative (a small pipe organ), psaltery (a type of zither), and rote (a stringed instrument). Instruments such as the symphonia, shawm, flute, drum, and vielle could also be played elsewhere.

Toys
Children often played with spinning tops, dolls, marbles, and wooden and clay animal figurines. If the family belonged to the wealthy upper class, the children had ceramic painted birds and rocking horses as well as musical instruments such as flutes, tambourines, and drums.

Weapons
The long sword was an important weapon in the Middle Ages but not the only one. Battle axes, war hammers and long weapons such as lances and halberds were just as prevalent. The bow and arrow and the cross bow were also important in both battles and castle sieges.

Dental Care
Mouth rinses made from wine or vinegar with herbs such as peppermint and cloves for fresh breath were popular. Teeth and gums were frequently rubbed with a linen cloth. For stubborn deposits, the cloth would first be wetted and dipped in ground pumice, marble chalk, or similar powder.

Childhood 
In the Middle Ages, few children attended school. Many had to help with work from about the age of seven years. They swept the courtyard, fed the animals, brought the cattle to the pasture, pulled weeds, and helped thresh the corn or turn the hay so that it would dry well. There was little time for play.

Status
A strict class order existed in the Middle Ages. People were assigned to different groups. Kings and nobility had the highest rank. They were followed by the knights. Most people were peasants who worked hard and had little. Serfs had the lowest rank in society and were treated as possessions.

Food
The food in court was more diverse than that of the normal people. Meat such as game, duck, and goose were often served alongside exotic herbs, dried fruits, and nuts. In contrast, the peasants primarily ate bread, cheese, and pork. They got their milk from goats and sheep. They cooked broths or stews with oats and barley.