What do you really know about medieval children?
Perhaps no other period of history has more misconceptions associated with it than the Middle Ages. The history of childhood is also full of misconceptions. Recent scholarship has illuminated the lives of medieval children as never before, dispelling many of these misconceptions and replacing them with verifiable facts about life for the medieval child.
In this multi-part feature, we explore various facets of medieval childhood, from childbirth through the teen years. We'll see that, though the world they lived in was very different, medieval children were in some ways very like the children of today.
Table of Contents
- Part 1: Introduction
Page One: The Concept of Childhood
Page Two: The Importance of Children
and A Question of Affection
- Part 2: Entry into the Medieval World
Page One: Childbirth
Page Two: Baptism
- Part 3: Surviving Infancy
Page One: Life for the Infant
Page Two: Child Mortality
Page Three: Infanticide
- Part 4: The Playful Years
Page One: Play
Page Two: Training and Socialization
Page Three: Discipline
Page Four: Leaving Home
- Part 5: The Learning Years
Page One: Schooling
Page Two: University
Page Three: Apprenticeship
- Part 6: Teens at Work & Play
Page One: Working at Home
Page Two: Service
Page Three: Recreation
Guide's Note: This series originally debuted in October of 2000 and was updated in May of 2009.
