Life of Peasants in Medieval Times (short read)

[Maverick]

Reason we prep! Learn from the past

"This lifestyle was filthy and uncomfortable at the least. Water was a tremendous premium so usually a small amount was carried to the home once a day and it was used for cooking or any cleaning that needed to be done. Water was retrieved from the same river or stream that the refuse was emptied into the previous morning. And since everyone in the village had the same habits, the likelihood that the family drinking water was contaminated was high. Peasants had no resources for bathing or maintaining the minimum of what we currently consider to be hygiene, which meant that disease and death were rampant"

http://www.thefinertimes.com/Ancient-History/the-harsh-life-of-peasants-in-medieval-times.html

 

[Gazrok]

Good read for what we'd face without the grid. At least now, we KNOW about hygiene. Back then, wasn't such a widely accepted idea. At least as far as being connected with disease.

 

[Dani]

Reminds me of a book I have. 'The Good Ole Day - - They Were Terrible!" The thought of it is romanticized to say the least of the actual.

 

[Maverick]

Reminds me of a book I have. 'The Good Ole Day - - They Were Terrible!" The thought of it is romanticized to say the least of the actual.

Many in the prepper community is romanticizing a post-shtf for what ever reason such wanting to play with the new shiny toys, the perceived adventure, reality tv I don't know why so many wish for bad things? I read on another forum that a 9.0 earthquake would be excited, I really fail to see that kind of mentality why anyone would think a post-shtf would be exciting, adventurous or is it some are wanting to prove their perceived manhood? Such people would be the first to fall the first to cry the first to beg and the first to join a gang I tend to call the youtube baby squad. No, I'm not putting down youtube, youtube has a lot of good folks with a ton of good information unfortunately youtube also has false teachers that radicalize the mind regarding prepping, Sad!

 

[Akingu]

I grow a Medieval garden that has a lot of the plants and herbs they used to grow back then. Being a medicinal/edible herbologist, I find their eating habits rather interesting.

 

[lonewolf]

post SHTF life would be hard but it would be DIFFERENT-that's the one thing I like about it, but then I dislike everything about the 21st Century so maybe I'm biased?

 

[jontte]

I'm interested in medicinal herbs...not the one you smoke, knew you would think that, but as a way to use less modern drugs and as a back-up if needed

 

[lonewolf]

wife is a herbalist and all round country girl, her herbal "bible" is: "the complete illustrated holistic herbal" by David Hoffman, see if you can get a copy, there are similar books out there if not.

 

[Maverick]

post SHTF life would be hard but it would be DIFFERENT-that's the one thing I like about it, but then I dislike everything about the 21st Century so maybe I'm biased?

I'm not so much against the 21st century as I am against most of the laws that follow so-called progress and the lack of support and teaching self reliance in effect illegitimatizing independence weakening one's mind in believing big government and technology will save the day.

 

[QuietH3art]

I'm not so much against the 21st century as I am against most of the laws that follow so-called progress and the lack of support and teaching self reliance in effect illegitimatizing independence weakening one's mind in believing big government and technology will save the day.

That's where I am, Maverick. I really like my ac, indoor toilet, tv and cleanliness. The idea of having to live like those in third world countries is terrifying at best. You are right that our govt has destroyed independence. What they provide us with in exchange for that independence is poor quality, unhealthy foods (thank you Monsanto), doubling electricity costs (thank you EPA) non-existent healthcare (thank you Obamacare) ad infinitum. Without some kind of SHTF, though, change is going to take longer than I'll be alive, if it ever happens.

 

[lonewolf]

even post SHTF NOBODY has to live like a third world country(unless they ARE a third world country), we can do things in a safe and hygienic manner, it does not have to be all filth and disease. depends on the numbers I suppose, I mean you cant force people NOT to dump their waste in the same water they are drinking from, not unless you use the barrel of a gun !!Shoot

 

[QuietH3art]

even post SHTF NOBODY has to live like a third world country(unless they ARE a third world country), we can do things in a safe and hygienic manner, it does not have to be all filth and disease. depends on the numbers I suppose, I mean you cant force people NOT to dump their waste in the same water they are drinking from, not unless you use the barrel of a gun !!Shoot

You know what the biggest problem is going to be? Dead bodies. A lot of them. Look at any possible scenario and the result will be a lot of dead bodies. No matter how careful you are, that brings the huge potential for disease.

 

[tr2212]

That's where I am, Maverick. I really like my ac, indoor toilet, tv and cleanliness. The idea of having to live like those in third world countries is terrifying at best. You are right that our govt has destroyed independence. What they provide us with in exchange for that independence is poor quality, unhealthy foods (thank you Monsanto), doubling electricity costs (thank you EPA) non-existent healthcare (thank you Obamacare) ad infinitum. Without some kind of SHTF, though, change is going to take longer than I'll be alive, if it ever happens.

Ditto. Before my eyes were opened, I was excited. Then I started to realize how messed up the world is, and how out of control things have gotten. Like I have said before, the Founders would be leading another revoltution if they were around today.

You know what the biggest problem is going to be? Dead bodies. A lot of them. Look at any possible scenario and the result will be a lot of dead bodies. No matter how careful you are, that brings the huge potential for disease.

Agreed. Only way to combat that, I think, is to live far away from the urban centers as possible and have access to the water supply. I just started looking at land.

Which brings me to a new guy question: what are the best options for accessing a well without power? Are the old fashioned hand pumps still around?

 

[lonewolf]

depends on what they died of I suppose but if its not possible to bury or burn them, I have been told LIME does a lot to cover up the smell and aid the decomposing progress. of course if your in a big city and there are millions of corpses the easiest thing to do is LEAVE.

 

[QuietH3art]

depends on what they died of I suppose but if its not possible to bury or burn them, I have been told LIME does a lot to cover up the smell and aid the decomposing progress. of course if your in a big city and there are millions of corpses the easiest thing to do is LEAVE.

Here in the states, you can no longer buy the kind of lime that will help get rid of bodies - because too many murderers were using it.

 

[lonewolf]

glad I don't live in a city anymore then, for several reasons not just this one. mind you I think eventually cities will be only for the dead and dying and will revert to nature after awhile. maybe the last one to leave should strike a match and leave it(the city) in flames as they walk away

 

[Maverick]

Migration from heavily populated areas will be a problem to small communities and entrenched homesteads ebola being an example to small communities and villages in africa, in a post-shtf death will always walk amongst migrating people littering ground with death in it's wake.

 

[Akingu]

http://www.medieval-recipes.com/medieval-garden/

 

[jontte]

one problem would be pepper...I'm kinda addicted to blackpepper...put it in nearly every dish I do, any substitute for that??
know I can't grow it here..to cold to short summer...and I couldn't walk to far east every time I need it

 

[forager]

Most wouldn't be living with what those in medieval times did. There may be a period of adjustment when we adapt. After, there's some technology we'd be missing at least till it was recovered or modified. We have the knowledge unlike our predecessors and once enlightened humans will never be content without applying it, making changes where necessary. Some though, would never even miss most of this.
I have family members who live in the woods without any piped-in utilities. One of my nieces raised 9 kids without electricity or phone, educating them to 9th grade equivalent without the system.

 

[jontte]

have to say that's awesome what she did!

proves you can survive without modern things and live a good life

 

[Dani]

I love my modern technologies. . . fridge, stove, toilet, tiller. Life will be harder than it is now, but not impossible. It will just take longer to get things done. Think of it as an extended camping trip where you have to forage, trap, grow or whatever for your food. . . . and I ain't talkin about one of those RV types. Mom would consider a well stocked cabin in the woods rough camping.

 

[psalm 7]

I do remember the peasant's off Monty Python's History of the World . But sierious I practice combinning the old homestesd way's and Modern know how . There are some leassons to learn from the ancients it takes a little home work to gleem it .

 

[lonewolf]

wife lived for many years off grid until she was 12 years old(no mains water, electric, sewers, anything), I managed an off grid family smallholding for 12 years, and we both lived with only basic services in caravans(trailers) for several years, and we are both still here to tell the tale, its not hard to do if you put your mind to it, it just takes a bit of adapting to the different situation. I'm not sure if the masses will be able to do this, especially the ones who have never know anything different.

 

[Akingu]

one problem would be pepper...I'm kinda addicted to blackpepper...put it in nearly every dish I do, any substitute for that??
know I can't grow it here..to cold to short summer...and I couldn't walk to far east every time I need it

Lepidium Virginicum Pepper Grass http://www.eattheweeds.com/peppergrass-potent-pipsqueak/ vitamin c and has a peppery taste
archillia milliflorum- yarrow http://www.gardenguides.com/494-yarrow-yarrowyarrow.html peppery taste but is also the best herb for stopping deep wound infections, including tetnus; raises the bodies temp when taken as a tea so as to kill infections and colds. Named after Archilles who made his men carry it in battle to stop infections from spear wounds.

 

[jontte]

thanks! that was helpful info, have to check if it grows here or do I have to get seeds and start growing it, have some empty space on my windowsills

 

[Maverick]

Lepidium Virginicum Pepper Grass http://www.eattheweeds.com/peppergrass-potent-pipsqueak/ vitamin c and has a peppery taste
archillia milliflorum- yarrow http://www.gardenguides.com/494-yarrow-yarrowyarrow.html peppery taste but is also the best herb for stopping deep wound infections, including tetnus; raises the bodies temp when taken as a tea so as to kill infections and colds. Named after Archilles who made his men carry it in battle to stop infections from spear wounds.

Yarrow, Plantain and Dandelions are the three I grow that have multiple uses and strongly encourage learning of these three plants and it's uses.

 

[jontte]

dandelion I know it used to frustrate the living out of me while I was working at my garden..not any more
those two others I must familiarize with..and thanks to the wonderful world of google I now know what they are

 

[psalm 7]

The Plantain is a small plant with broad flat leaves that when mature will have a cluster of stems loaded with seeds . Some folks make tea and salve for cuts , burns . It grows in the wild very prolific .

 

[jontte]

as soon as I saw the pic of plantain I rememberd that plant, my grandma spoke of it and showed me how it can be put on a small cut and little-jontte felt better...
things like this do shows how much one can forget..