The Family and Marriage
The people who lived under the rule of the Carolingians had undergone change concerning their family, marital and sexual lives because of the influence the Catholic Church had had on them over the years. The fathers and uncles of the brides still arranged marriages for them, and most men, though their wives were faithful to them, still had concubines; Charlemagne was also a man who had concubines even though he is considered one of the greatest Christian rulers in history. To combat these unlawful practices the Church attempted to become a larger part of marriage ceremonies in an effort to, "Christianize," the relationship between husband and wife making it more resilient to temptation. (pg. 219). One of the ways in which they kept the wife more faithful to her husband was by making it necessary for the bride to approve the man her father had chosen for her to marry.
Monogamy was eventually emphasized by the Church. Later, in 789, a Church council convened and officially announced that marriage was to be considered an, "indissoluble sacrament," and by declairing this hoped that the end of concubinage and easy devorce would follow quickly. (pg. 219). Eventually, under the rule of Louis the Pious (814-840), the church was able to prevent divorce in most cases, but was able to just about completely abolish it among both the peasants and the nobles not until the 13th century.
The stress the church placed on a strong marriage not only effected individuals, but also the social family structure. Now the nuclear family became very important because the couple was encouraged to start a family of their own and not to rely on too much support from the extended family. This effort to become almost independent from the entire family also gave women more power over their household and children within the nuclear family.
Monogamy was eventually emphasized by the Church. Later, in 789, a Church council convened and officially announced that marriage was to be considered an, "indissoluble sacrament," and by declairing this hoped that the end of concubinage and easy devorce would follow quickly. (pg. 219). Eventually, under the rule of Louis the Pious (814-840), the church was able to prevent divorce in most cases, but was able to just about completely abolish it among both the peasants and the nobles not until the 13th century.
The stress the church placed on a strong marriage not only effected individuals, but also the social family structure. Now the nuclear family became very important because the couple was encouraged to start a family of their own and not to rely on too much support from the extended family. This effort to become almost independent from the entire family also gave women more power over their household and children within the nuclear family.
Christianity and Sexuality
While the Church so heavily stressed a strong marriage they believed that celibacy was more honorable than an ideal marriage, and though they attempted to argue for celibacy they were met with too much conflict. Even though they were met with conflict they still advertised their beliefs. They knew few had the control to lead a life of celibacy, so they also taught that sex in marriage is better than sex outside of it. They believed that marriage made sexual intercourse lawful as long as it's done with the intent of bearing children and not for pleasure.
The church deemed sexual intercourse lawful only as long as it was for the cause of bearing children, and so this belief also limited the amount of contraception that took place. The church made it very clear that they were against all forms of abortion and believed that by limiting all causes of sexual relations to just the single cause of bearing children then abortion would work itself out of society. However they attempted to abolish abortion in vain for many different instructions to sinister concoctions were discovered in the works of Roman and Byzantine doctors and were found to be for the use of abortion.
Up until the reign of Justinian (538), a Byzantine Emperor, many societies, including that of Rome, had not outlawed or made a public statement condemning homosexual relations. Justinian was one of the first to officially outlaw homosexuality; he said it provoked the wrath of God. (pg.221). Justinian not only outlawed it, but also set a harsh punishment for any who were in fact found guilty of participating in a homosexual relationship. Justinian declared that those found guilty of this crime would be sentenced to castration. The church, while it agreed that homosexuality was morally wrong, was very flexible with its punishments of homosexuals. In fact the punishment for those who were found guilty of homosexuality was less than that of those found guilty of contraception in the eyes of the church.
The church deemed sexual intercourse lawful only as long as it was for the cause of bearing children, and so this belief also limited the amount of contraception that took place. The church made it very clear that they were against all forms of abortion and believed that by limiting all causes of sexual relations to just the single cause of bearing children then abortion would work itself out of society. However they attempted to abolish abortion in vain for many different instructions to sinister concoctions were discovered in the works of Roman and Byzantine doctors and were found to be for the use of abortion.
Up until the reign of Justinian (538), a Byzantine Emperor, many societies, including that of Rome, had not outlawed or made a public statement condemning homosexual relations. Justinian was one of the first to officially outlaw homosexuality; he said it provoked the wrath of God. (pg.221). Justinian not only outlawed it, but also set a harsh punishment for any who were in fact found guilty of participating in a homosexual relationship. Justinian declared that those found guilty of this crime would be sentenced to castration. The church, while it agreed that homosexuality was morally wrong, was very flexible with its punishments of homosexuals. In fact the punishment for those who were found guilty of homosexuality was less than that of those found guilty of contraception in the eyes of the church.
New Attitudes Toward Children
The children of the medieval world were also effected by the influence the church had on the family unit. Unlike the Romans and the Germanic tribes who did not condemn infanticide and who greatly valued the, "better," or healthier child, the church was very much against infanticide. Though the practice was condemned by the church it was not abolished.
The church strongly advertised the option to not kill the unwanted child, but instead to leave the child in the care of the church. This was a very sensible option because the monks and nuns that the child would stay with over the years valued the rights and virtues of the children, so as they grew up they were taught to respect authorities and more importantly were raised in a Christian environment.
The church strongly advertised the option to not kill the unwanted child, but instead to leave the child in the care of the church. This was a very sensible option because the monks and nuns that the child would stay with over the years valued the rights and virtues of the children, so as they grew up they were taught to respect authorities and more importantly were raised in a Christian environment.
Travel and Hospitality
Monasteries in the Carolingian World were not only a place for unwanted children were to be raised, but they were to also be treated almost as a tavern. There were even laws in place that fined a monastery or a wealthy estate for not allowing a traveler to abide in their residences; the person found guilty of refusing a lodging was to be fined three solidi according to Burgundian Law.
Because the monasteries played such an active role in proving a place to stay for travelers hospitality, as it has been called, was considered a sacred practice, but, even with laws in place, was hard to come by. Contrary to what one might think the monasteries didn't have guest rooms or an extra bed somewhere, instead they had two separate housing units for visitors. Surprisingly one unit was for the wealthy and one was for the poor, and the two units differed quite substantially. The house for the poor might include a couple of rooms, a few seats and chairs and a sort of bathroom or outhouse. On the other hand the house for the wealthy had heated rooming with additional rooming for servants and a stable. Again it is surprising that the monasteries would divide travelers up into two groups based on their income.
According to Saint Boniface, a missionary who traveled to Germany, such hospitality is hard to come by. He said that the only possible way for a certain group of female missionaries to gain room and board on their way to Rome was to sell themselves to prostitution at every inn they stopped at. In retaliation to this catastrophe the church banned all female missionaries from undergoing any such journeys.
Because the monasteries played such an active role in proving a place to stay for travelers hospitality, as it has been called, was considered a sacred practice, but, even with laws in place, was hard to come by. Contrary to what one might think the monasteries didn't have guest rooms or an extra bed somewhere, instead they had two separate housing units for visitors. Surprisingly one unit was for the wealthy and one was for the poor, and the two units differed quite substantially. The house for the poor might include a couple of rooms, a few seats and chairs and a sort of bathroom or outhouse. On the other hand the house for the wealthy had heated rooming with additional rooming for servants and a stable. Again it is surprising that the monasteries would divide travelers up into two groups based on their income.
According to Saint Boniface, a missionary who traveled to Germany, such hospitality is hard to come by. He said that the only possible way for a certain group of female missionaries to gain room and board on their way to Rome was to sell themselves to prostitution at every inn they stopped at. In retaliation to this catastrophe the church banned all female missionaries from undergoing any such journeys.
Diet
Most people in the Carolingian World, rich or poor, basically lived off of bread. Even monks consumed bread on a very regular basis. Some monastery ovens were capable of baking up to 1000 loaves of bred at one time. If a family wasn't able to afford bread, barley or oat gruel might take its place. Dairy also became a large part of the ancient world diet, but it spoiled too quickly, so it was often either made into cheese or butter. The ancients were also big on eggs and either rich or poor vegetables were eaten by all. Another diet staple for the common man was alcohol. Every one drank and they always drank in excess; this included monks and abbots even though, as is said below, the monastic community had a ration limit and therefore a daily cap on wine and ale. Because of the high demand for alcoholic beverages, taverns became a regular sight even in monastic estates.
Unlike the poor however, the rich did have a varied diet and a favorite was meat, usually roasted. Because the aristocrats loved different kinds of meats, such as pork, hunting became an extremely popular sport, but namely among the wealthy. Though the aristocrats were fond of these cooked meats it was rare for any beef or mutton to be consumed. This was because cows, sheep and oxen were and still are production animals meaning that they all provided something other than meats to the public, like wool, milk and old fashioned plowing force. The rich not only loved meat, but also spices and honey. However and strangely enough the aristocrats didn't only love the spices, and spicy dishes for that matter, simply for their taste, but also because it symbolized wealth. The rich were able to obtain homegrown spices such as sage, chives and thyme, but they also procured expensive foreign spices like cinnamon, pepper and cumin. They used honey as a simple sweetener for dishes and drinks. While honey was most commonly used by the wealthy it was occasionally found in the homes of peasants. Because clean water was hard to come by, though monasteries tried to find and cultivate sources of it, many aristocrats and monks turned to wine. Ale was another viable beverage option, but was not as liked in the southern and western areas of the Carolingian World as it was in the northern and eastern.
Looking back at the 8th century one would find that there were many cases of gluttony/malnutrition and drunkenness among the populace. The Monastic communities created large rations for their monks or nuns in order to place a healthy limit on the amount of food and alcohol consumed each day. This was in order to keep them healthy while avoiding the common problems of drunkenness and gluttony. The rations included things like: Bread - 3.7 lbs Wine/Ale - 11.2 qrtz. Cheese - 2/3 oz. Vegetables - 8 oz.
Nuns were allotted a little less bread (3 lbs) and a little less vegetables (4 oz.), but either way it was about 6000 cal. a day; a healthy diet. Unlike monks and nuns in the monasteries the common man remained quite malnourished.
While hygiene was not completely ignored in the medieval world, it was not of the greatest importance. Most aristocrats took what might be called a Saturday bath. One bath a week was plenty, though multiple a week was often desired. Monks believed one Saturday bath was sufficient and anything extra was excess. The only people who might have had more stress on baths would have been people of King Charlemagne's social status. Charlemagne, for example, had both a hot and cold bath, but still likely didn't bath too often.
Unlike the poor however, the rich did have a varied diet and a favorite was meat, usually roasted. Because the aristocrats loved different kinds of meats, such as pork, hunting became an extremely popular sport, but namely among the wealthy. Though the aristocrats were fond of these cooked meats it was rare for any beef or mutton to be consumed. This was because cows, sheep and oxen were and still are production animals meaning that they all provided something other than meats to the public, like wool, milk and old fashioned plowing force. The rich not only loved meat, but also spices and honey. However and strangely enough the aristocrats didn't only love the spices, and spicy dishes for that matter, simply for their taste, but also because it symbolized wealth. The rich were able to obtain homegrown spices such as sage, chives and thyme, but they also procured expensive foreign spices like cinnamon, pepper and cumin. They used honey as a simple sweetener for dishes and drinks. While honey was most commonly used by the wealthy it was occasionally found in the homes of peasants. Because clean water was hard to come by, though monasteries tried to find and cultivate sources of it, many aristocrats and monks turned to wine. Ale was another viable beverage option, but was not as liked in the southern and western areas of the Carolingian World as it was in the northern and eastern.
Looking back at the 8th century one would find that there were many cases of gluttony/malnutrition and drunkenness among the populace. The Monastic communities created large rations for their monks or nuns in order to place a healthy limit on the amount of food and alcohol consumed each day. This was in order to keep them healthy while avoiding the common problems of drunkenness and gluttony. The rations included things like: Bread - 3.7 lbs Wine/Ale - 11.2 qrtz. Cheese - 2/3 oz. Vegetables - 8 oz.
Nuns were allotted a little less bread (3 lbs) and a little less vegetables (4 oz.), but either way it was about 6000 cal. a day; a healthy diet. Unlike monks and nuns in the monasteries the common man remained quite malnourished.
While hygiene was not completely ignored in the medieval world, it was not of the greatest importance. Most aristocrats took what might be called a Saturday bath. One bath a week was plenty, though multiple a week was often desired. Monks believed one Saturday bath was sufficient and anything extra was excess. The only people who might have had more stress on baths would have been people of King Charlemagne's social status. Charlemagne, for example, had both a hot and cold bath, but still likely didn't bath too often.
Health
Health in the Carolingian World was often sustained by two things one of which was medicinal herbs and the other was bleeding. The bleeding approach, however, was taken much more often than that of the herbs, though many doctors advised caution with this technique. It was advised not to be used too often because it required blood loss. Physicians, who were available to people for serious illnesses, and other doctors could be found in monasteries because the monks were usually trained in the medicinal field. In fact many different types of herbs used in medicine could have been found in a monastery's garden because the monks need supplies to work with also.
In addition to growing medicinal herbs the monks also kept medical records. These records contained instructions for medical potions, instructions on how to amputate a soldiers limb, descriptions of sicknesses and gynecological help, something that was extremely important as it showed that doctors of that time did not only focus on men, but also women. Nowadays anesthesia is a given for amputations, but many wondered if such a drug was used in medieval operations. After some research scholars learned that herbs like poppy, mandrake and henbane were used during amputations because of the narcotic effect they had on the patient.
Other prescriptions a medieval patient might receive from a physician could be supernatural. This might not necessarily be monastical physicians, but a townsman. The belief of magical remedies originated from the Germanic tribes the pagan peoples who belonged to them. A doctor might tell his patient to wear an amulet or charm to ward off the disease. Sometimes the amulets a sick man would wear would be full of a certain said, "magical," substance like the dung of a wolf.
The monastical doctors had their own, "magical," remedies, but theirs involved God. Instead of wearing amulets or charms monks might have believed in healings through God, or miracles. Modern scholars saw that more and more often in the medieval world people began to believe in healings through touching a Saint or through some other miraculous means of that sort. Though the more that scholars followed the medieval beliefs in, "magical," healings they began to see that, at least for a time, Christian and pagan health practices became joined, in that, writings in manuscripts suggest remedies consisting of Christian prayers used as pagan amulets and charms.
In addition to growing medicinal herbs the monks also kept medical records. These records contained instructions for medical potions, instructions on how to amputate a soldiers limb, descriptions of sicknesses and gynecological help, something that was extremely important as it showed that doctors of that time did not only focus on men, but also women. Nowadays anesthesia is a given for amputations, but many wondered if such a drug was used in medieval operations. After some research scholars learned that herbs like poppy, mandrake and henbane were used during amputations because of the narcotic effect they had on the patient.
Other prescriptions a medieval patient might receive from a physician could be supernatural. This might not necessarily be monastical physicians, but a townsman. The belief of magical remedies originated from the Germanic tribes the pagan peoples who belonged to them. A doctor might tell his patient to wear an amulet or charm to ward off the disease. Sometimes the amulets a sick man would wear would be full of a certain said, "magical," substance like the dung of a wolf.
The monastical doctors had their own, "magical," remedies, but theirs involved God. Instead of wearing amulets or charms monks might have believed in healings through God, or miracles. Modern scholars saw that more and more often in the medieval world people began to believe in healings through touching a Saint or through some other miraculous means of that sort. Though the more that scholars followed the medieval beliefs in, "magical," healings they began to see that, at least for a time, Christian and pagan health practices became joined, in that, writings in manuscripts suggest remedies consisting of Christian prayers used as pagan amulets and charms.