What are Merchants?Merchants are people who travel the land to sell everyday items. In return for land from the Knights, they would provide them with everyday necessities.
The word merchant was taken from the Latin word mercari which means travel. Merchants also had a guild. However, this guild was formed by merchants who also negotiated issues with the King and created a levy. Merchants often only traded with exotic items as they were rare and there was a higher demand for them. |
What are Farmers?Farming wasn't as productive as it is nowadays, farmers had little knowledge about fertilizes so the land never had fertile soil. Farmers only prepared two thirds of the soil. The land was split into thirds; one third was used for winter crops, the other for summer crops and the third was left to waste. Peasants were used to harvest the crops.
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What are Craftsmen?A Craftsmen was skilled with his hands. He worked with materials such as wood and stone. He made everyday items such as chairs and tables. There was along process to becoming a craftsmen, as a young boy, you would be sent to live at a craftsmen's shop. You would live and eat with his family. After seven years of training you would become a journeyman. This is when you were 'qualified' and could be paid for your work. The town that you lived in would have a guild. A guild was like the council of Craftsmen, they made the rules. To continue work as a craftsmen, you would have to pay a yearly fee to the guild.
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What is a Peasant?
Peasants were the least thought of people in society. They were given little land and dirty or unwanted jobs. Unfortunately Peasants were not allowed to work their way into a higher ranking of society as many believed that the ranking you were born into was decided by God and that could not be changed. Unfortunately if your parents were peasants, you would not have an education and on many occasions were left home alone as your parents were required to work. You could be left alone as young as the age of two. Marriages were arranged and men were the ones who controlled the relationship and women were sometimes treated poorly as men were seen better then women. Peasants wore ragged and dirty clothing as they worked long hours and were looked down on by society, it meant that it didn't matter how they looked.