A teenager might spend a large part of each day working or studying but, in most cases, he would still have a little time for recreation in the evenings. He'd have still more free time on holidays such as Saints' Days, which were fairly frequent. Such liberty might be spent alone, but it was more likely to be an opportunity for him to socialize with coworkers, fellow students, fellow apprentices, family or friends.

For some teenagers, childhood games that occupied the younger years such as marbles and shuttlecocks evolved into more sophisticated or strenuous pastimes like bowls and tennis. Adolescents engaged in more dangerous wrestling matches than the playful contests they'd attempted as children, and they played some very rough sports like football -- variations that were precursors to today's rugby and soccer. Horseracing was fairly popular on the outskirts of London, and younger teens and pre-teens were frequently jockeys due to their lighter weight.¹

Mock battles among the lower classes were frowned upon by authorities, for fighting rightfully belonged to the nobility, and violence and misconduct could ensue if youths learned how to use swords.² However, archery was encouraged in England due to its significant role in what has come to be called the Hundred Years' War. Recreation such as falconry and hunting were usually limited to the upper classes, primarily due to the cost of such pastimes. Furthermore, forests where sporting game might be found were almost exclusively the province of the nobility, and peasants found hunting there -- which they usually did for food rather than sport -- would be fined.

Archaeologists have discovered among castle remains intricately carved sets of chess and tables (a precursor to backgammon),³ hinting at some popularity of board games among the noble classes. There is no doubt that peasants would be unlikely at best to acquire such costly trifles. While it is possible that less expensive or home-made versions could have been enjoyed by the middle and lower classes, none have yet been found to support such a theory; and the leisure time required to master such skills would have been prohibited by the lifestyles of all but the wealthiest folk. However, other games such as merrills, which required only three pieces per player and a rough three-by-three board, could easily have been enjoyed by anyone willing to spend a few moments collecting stones and roughing out a crude gaming area.

One pastime that was definitely enjoyed by city teens was dicing. Long before the Middle Ages, carved cube dice had evolved to replace the original game of rolling bones, but bones were occasionally still used. Rules varied from era to era, region to region and even from game to game, but as a game of pure chance (when honestly played), dicing was a popular basis for gambling. This prompted some cities and towns to pass legislation against the activity.

Teens who engaged in gambling were likely to indulge in other unsavory activities that could result in violence, and riots were far from unknown. In hopes of heading off such incidents, city fathers, recognizing the need of adolescents to find release for their youthful exuberance, declared certain saints' days occasions for great festivals. The celebrations that ensued were opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy public spectacles ranging from morality plays to bear-baiting as well as contests of skill, feasting and processions.

Whatever entertainment occupied a teen's free time, there was almost always an opportunity to meet, flirt with, and fall in love with members of the opposite sex. We'll look at gender relationships and rites of passage next time in The Medieval Child, Part 7: Growing Up.

Notes

1. Hanawalt, Barbara, Growing Up in Medieval London (Oxford University Press, 1993), p. 79. [back]

2. Ibid, p. 116. [back]

3. Reeves, Compton, Pleasures and Pastimes in Medieval England (Oxford University Press, 1995), p. 75. [back]

Sources and Suggested Reading

The links below will take you to mySimon, where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.    

Pleasures and Pastimes in Medieval England
by Compton Reeves

Growing Up in Medieval London: The Experience of Childhood in History
by Barbara A. Hanawalt

The Ties that Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England
by Barbara A. Hanawalt

Medieval Children
by Nicholas Orme

Marriage and the Family in the Middle Ages
by Frances and Joseph Gies

Medieval Women
by Eileen Power

Medieval People
by Eileen Power

Life in Medieval Times
by Marjorie Rowling  

The Renaissance Man and His Children: Childbirth and Early Childhood in Florence 1300-1600
by Louis Haas

The Medieval Child, Part 6 is copyright © 2001-03 Melissa Snell. Permission is granted to reproduce this article for personal or classroom use only, provided that the URL below is included. For reprint permission, please contact Melissa Snell.

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