Images of the Medieval Peasant
Paul Freedman
The medieval clergy, aristocracy, and commercial classes tended to regard peasants as objects of contempt derision. In religious writings, satires, sermons, chronicles, artistic representations often appeared dirty, foolish, dishonest, even subhuman or bestial. Their lowliness was commonly regarded a natural corollary the drudgery their agricultural toil. Yet, at same time, peasantry not viewed “other” in manner other condemned groups, such Jews, lepers, Muslims, imagined “monstrous races” East. Several crucial characteristics rendered it less clearly alien from elite perspective: were minority, work fields nourished all social orders, and, most important, they Christians. respects, could be meritorious by virtue simple life, productive work, unjust suffering hands exploitive superiors. unrewarded sacrifice piety also sometimes thought place them closest God more likely win salvation. This book examines these conflicting images post-Carolingian period German Peasants’ War. It relates representation debates about how society should organized (specifically, human equality Creation led subordination), slavery serfdom assailed defended, themselves structured justified demands. Though argued that legitimately subjugated reason nature some primordial curse (such Noah against his son Ham), there considerable unease exploitation those who completely alien—who were, after all, Christians—could explained. Laments over peasant expressed literature might have stylized quality, but this shows appropriated shaped themselves, especially large-scale rebellions characterized late Middle Ages.
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