Life as a Serf

A Serf's Life

Your master is the lord of the manor which you live on. He is also supposed to be your protector as well as

your governor and judge. You work his field and give him taxes of money and crops. You are bound to him

and cannot even marry without permission. You get up at dawn and work until bedtime at dusk.

Your lord lives in a stone castle; live in a small, dirt-floored hut. Some are made of wood, many of straw or

grass. You probably sleep on a pallet of straw on the ground.You probably believe that the nobles

are in fact superior to you and that God has put you in your class. You have no chance of moving up in

society: you were born of ignoble blood and there you will stay. There are

100 of you for every one of the nobles. When famine comes, you are the first to feel the pinch

. If you are female, the highlight of your life is your marriage. You marry very young. You must obey your

husband and he may beat you, as long as he doesn’t kill you in doing so. You work as hard in the fields as

the men do. The labor is difficult, and even small children must pitch in

. Education is basically non-existent. A few bright boys may be recruited by the church and so learn to read

and write, but that is rare. From every side you are criticized, put down, and beaten. Every once in awhile

you may attempt to revolt, but you are not trained and have no supplies.