Author Piotr "Ziemowit" Kamiński.
Introduction
In today’s article, we will explore something seemingly trivial yet incredibly fascinating — daily life in the early Middle Ages, specifically the everyday experiences of people living in rural areas.
Population and Landscape
How did ordinary people live in the 10th century?
The first thing often mentioned is that 1000 years ago, there were only about a million people living in the Polish lands, approximately 38 times fewer than today.
What did this look like in practice?
Almost the entire area of what is now Poland was covered with forests, swamps, and impenetrable woodlands and hills. Most of these areas were inaccessible to humans. Forests stretched for miles, some of which no person had ever traversed, with only small settlements dotted here and there. For example, today’s remnant of the Sandomierz Forest was then an impenetrable woodland where most people would have been afraid to venture.
Poland was mostly composed of difficult-to-access areas that were largely uninhabited. Here and there, settlements were found around major strongholds such as Poznań, Gniezno, Wrocław, Kraków, and Płock, where there was more settlement and a higher population. There were more fields, and more people lived there, but outside of these areas, the rest of the country was predominantly wild, sparsely interspersed with small strongholds or villages.
Village Life and Housing
What did such a village look like in the early Middle Ages? It usually had about 100 to 200 people, which meant around 20-30 homesteads. A family had its own hut, typically no larger than 25 square meters. Most homes did not exceed this size, often ranging from 16 to 20 square meters. But why, with free wood and ease of building, did they choose such small huts? There were two main reasons: firstly, it was much easier to heat a small hut. When winter came, all the family had to do was gather inside, light a small fire in the corner, and they could comfortably survive the winter without using much fuel. Secondly, the lifestyle of people in those times did not necessitate larger houses. In those days, people didn’t spend time indoors as we do today. Nowadays, everyone has a TV, a computer, or reads books at home, but back then, this was not the case; time was spent outside the home. The house was like a shelter, similar to a cave for primitive humans. It was a place to take refuge from heavy rain, biting frost, or scorching heat. In the summer, it provided a pleasant, cooler temperature than the hot outdoors. Work, play, and meals often took place outside or in other farm buildings.
Life Expectancy and Social Roles
In the 10th century, the average life expectancy was around 32-35 years, which might seem surprising. This statistic was mainly due to high infant mortality rates. However, the survival rate of adults was significantly higher, and those who survived childhood often lived to their forties, fifties, or even sixties or seventies. It is important to emphasize that in the 10th century, a person aged thirty-five was not considered an old person at the end of their life.
If someone survived a tough childhood and the equally demanding youthful period from ages 15 to 30, they had a real chance of reaching sixty or even seventy years of age. Rare, though possible, were cases of people living to eighty. After the age of 15, men were considered adults — they married, started families, and often took part in wars, which were common at the time. Life without participation in war was practically impossible, as men regularly stood to defend their settlements, called upon by princes to protect their strongholds.
Men who lived to thirty or thirty-five years old often had participated in numerous armed conflicts. After this age, many of them could settle down and focus on working within their community, not needing to fight again unless a special need arose. Thanks to this, they could reach old age, enjoying a quieter life after years of struggle.
Women’s Lives and Childbirth
It was the same for women. A woman around 15 years old would be married off and start bearing children. She would continue to have children for the next 15 years. A typical Slavic woman gave birth to 6 to 10 children, which posed the greatest threat to her health, as childbirth was incredibly dangerous at that time due to the level of medicine and hygiene. If she managed to survive, say, eight births and was already 30 years old, then life was still ahead of her. As a mature woman with a brood of children, she could peacefully live to sixty. The elderly were, of course, highly respected, as they were the repositories of knowledge. There were no books or any other methods of storing knowledge other than in human minds. A person who lived 50 years had accumulated knowledge and experience from their entire life and was very valuable to the younger generations.
Daily Occupations and Farming
What did people do 1000 years ago?
About 90% were farmers who dealt daily with raising animals, growing plants, and everything related to agriculture. Their work was much less efficient than it is today, with all our mechanization and automation of agriculture. The whole family worked to secure food for themselves. Parents and children, from the youngest age, worked with animals and plants to ensure the family’s survival.
Workload and Natural Living
What is most surprising, however, is that when you calculate the number of hours, people in those times worked much less than people do today! Farming is very labor-intensive and hard work, but for most of the year, plants did not require as much care and labor. Animals were raised in a very natural way, so they didn’t require much work either. Pigs were raised semi-wild; they were not kept in sties as they are today, but rather grazed like other animals. Similarly with cows, sheep, goats, and horses — they were not kept in small stalls or constantly fed hay or other feeds like oats or wheat. Absolutely not! These animals largely fed themselves, with families only trying to provide some hay for the winter. It is also important to note that 1000 years ago, the climate was slightly warmer than it is today. According to climatologists, the average temperature in Poland 1000 years ago was 2 degrees higher than today! This meant that winters were milder, summers hotter, and it was also more humid. The family, therefore, had plenty of time for other activities.
Self-Sufficiency and Community Specialization
In ancient times, besides securing food, families met almost all their needs on their own. If they needed a table, a spoon, or a pot, they usually made them themselves. Clothes were also often sewn at home. They hunted animals to obtain skins, which were used to make clothing. As a result, a family’s needs were mostly met within their own means. The rural communities they lived in also largely secured their needs independently, sometimes choosing slight specialization. For example, a village might have a potter who provided ceramics for all the residents. Blacksmiths, craftsmen working with leather, or jewelers also played important roles in the community. Trade accounted for only about 1% of needs, involving mainly goods not locally available, such as salt, luxury fabrics, jewelry, specialist tools, and weapons that were made in specialized locations.
Children and Family Structure
Families were large, and children helped in the household from a young age. A five-year-old could participate in household chores, and an eight-year-old boy could hunt small animals. Children were seen as support, not a burden, and their contribution to family life grew with age. Around the age of 15, young people, usually after getting married, built their own huts with the help of their family and began living independently, often in the same settlement.
Taxes and Duties
Taxes at that time were relatively low and fixed, for example, paid in animal skins. Additional duties included providing supplies for the prince’s table during his visits or supplying horses for messengers. Later, the church tithe, which was 10% of production, was introduced and perceived as a high tax, though it was often understated due to fraud.
Military Service and Nobility
Military service was also an important duty, but ordinary peasants were only required to defend local strongholds. A special class of warriors, who traveled across the country and abroad, had different duties and privileges, and over time, this class evolved into the nobility.
Valuable Possessions and Mobility
The most valuable possessions for people at that time were their animals, tools, and jewelry, which were easy to move in case of danger. Wooden houses, although important, could be quickly rebuilt. In daily life, residents rarely traveled far beyond their locality, and their main needs were met within local communities. Longer journeys were the domain of merchants, warriors, and those associated with rulers.
Conclusion
If you are interested in more details about everyday life in those times, such as diet or clothing, we invite you to follow future articles where these topics will be discussed in greater detail.