By: Jessica Joy andSarah Carter McClanahan

Occupations of Medieval Europe

Feudal system-4 main groups- kings, nobles, lords, and serfs It was a society status and social standing Many different kinds of jobs were available

King gave land to nobles and lords in return for security and support

Knights served in the armies which provided their needs

Lords gave knights in trade for a manor

Peasants to farm their land

Introduction to the Feudal System

Cover everyone’s basic needs Clothing, food, and drink.

Workers almost always had work Not well paid, further down in class

Peasant, serf, yeoman (family farmer), housewife, butcher, beggar, brewer, miller (grain grinder), baker, weaver, cobbler (shoemaker), or blacksmith

Surnames- Smith, Weaver, Miller, or BakerBakers – only ones with ovensNaturally cobblers were in businessBlacksmiths always in demand

55 kilogram armor

"Bread and Butter Jobs"

Christianity and Catholicism were popular, Judaism not so much

Well respected because they helped your soul have eternal life

Varying pay and class Logically, the pope was second only to God

Life-long job Chaplain (head of a castle, manor house, chapel, or

monastery), cardinal (which equaled a king), monks and nuns (very simple folks), bishops, and parsons, or poor priests.

"Religious Jobs"

Careers inside the walls of a castle Plenty of jobs Living in the castle= a great advantage

Generally fed with necessities taken care of Knights worked for the lords and given to the king

Pages, squires, and knights Other jobs included Heralds (messengers), armorers, bailiffs

(somewhat like the chaplains of a manor), cooks, marshals (like today’s CEO position), archer, jester, chamberlain (bedroom servant), almoner (one who gives noble’s money to the poor), butlers, or regular servants

Fun fact- Many newspapers are still called “The Herald” today!

"Castle Jobs"

Masters of their tradeGenerally well paid with average respect

Hired by a king or noble= boost credibility and high pay

A majority of these jobs sound so fun; they could be mistaken for hobbies!

Inventor, artificer (or technician for stage machinery), architect, engineer, scribe (Equal to today’s modern Xerox machine), and bookbinder

"Wonder Worker's Jobs"

Refer to the jobs of those who provide medical help and attention Doctors refused to treat peasants, so other folks had to fill in Barbers doubled as surgeons- amputated or bloodlet

Because it was believed that having too much blood caused numerous diseases, bloodletting was a practice used frequently.

Surgeries were primarily done by surgeons No anesthesia or pain numbing Assistants held down patients

Doctors often made diagnoses by studying astrology and looking at the stars

Apothecarists were somewhat like pharmacists of the modern world Used herbs to concoct new medicines

"Life and Death Jobs"

“Sit-Down Jobs” Considered a luxury Some examples are:

A teacher, philosopher, polymath, alchemist, clerk, astrologer, and a nonfiction author.

Polymath: someone who knows everything there is

to know Roger Bacon likely was closer than

anyone else to knowing everything. Alchemist had two goals in their job:

figure out how to turn other metals into gold

the philosopher’s stone Nonfiction Author:

wrote practical books such as histories or “self-improvement” books

“Artistic Jobs” “Artistic jobs” were hard to

make a living off of. Artists had to be businessmen

in order to sell the work, as well as an artist in order to make their work.

Some examples are: stained-glass artist, painter,

embroiderer, wood-carver, sculptor, playwright, player (actor), illuminator, and a poet.

Painter: To be a painter you need the

talent, a steady hand, determination and not too much imagination.

Poet: make his/her living at other

jobs. have to cut and sharpen their

own quill pen, mix their own ink and write on vellum or parchment

“Dirty Jobs” “Dirty jobs” refer to dirty in

two different ways; Some are dirty because you

have to work in nasty conditions

Others were dirty because you hunted, cheated, or bullied your victim

Some examples are: a street cleaner, gong farmer

(latrine attendant), bathhouse attendant, miner, pardoner, and witch hunter.

Bathhouse attendant: you would carry water, soap

and wash the hair of your customers

Pardoner: sell fake pardons from God for

the forgiveness of sins

“Law and Order Jobs” A “law and order job” would

not have been easier in that time because the medieval legal systems were not simpler than ours today.

Some examples are: a lawyer, provost, summoner,

headsman, torturer, money changer, sheriff, bandit, and an enforcer of laws against rich clothes.

Pardoner: finds the person who has been

charged with an offence or called as a witness, explains the charge and warn him/her to appear in court.

Torturer: someone who used torture to

make someone confess to a crime

Money Changer: must know the value of

different coins and it’s weight

“Traveling Jobs” People traveled for many

reasons: business, diplomacy, pilgrimage, carriage of goods by land or sea, messages, study, consultation, war, and curiosity.

Some examples are: a messenger, minstrel,

troubadour, town crier, innkeeper, pilgrim, carter, traveling merchant, importer/exporter, and an explorer.

Town Crier: carry news and make

announcements. Explorer:

had a lot of courage to be put to sea in a small boat not knowing whether or not the map they have is right or wrong.

Since then, we’ve made great technological advancesSome job methods formerly practiced seem

ridiculous and silly nowCreated paths for many industries we still

have around todayFamilies passed down their line of work

through many generationsEach job was very important and affected

many peopleIntertwining web of professions that depended

on other professions

Conclusion

Than

k Yo

u!