What Was Life Really Like for Medieval Nobility in Europe?

What was life really like for the merchants, craftsmen and traders in London in the middle ages? Whilst the majority of people who worked in the Medieval Period were peasants, a significant community of merchants and tradesmen existed, the majority of whom belonged to one of the most powerful and influential groups in medieval Europe - the Guilds. Guilds were associations of artisans and merchants who oversaw the practice of their craft or trade in a particular area. They were able to command prestige and power over medieval populations and membership of these organisations was extremely desirable. The Grocers' Guild for example, which oversaw the trade in spices (one of the most expensive and important commodities in the Middle Ages) was an incredibly rich and powerful association as is very apparent by the opulence and grandeur of Grocers' Hall in London. In this video, Dr Eleanor Janega visits the banqueting hall to explore the lives of those who earned in medieval London.

From the Norman invasion in 1066 to the end of the Wars of the Roses in 1485, Medieval England transformed from an agricultural feudal society to one on the brink of creating an empire. The feudal system under William the Conqueror emphasized that all land was the crown's property, and peasants worked on their lord's land for rent. The Manor Court addressed agricultural disputes and enforced the lord's rights, with a bailiff overseeing it. Medieval England had village settlements in forests, with Forest Law infamous for harsh punishments for deer hunting. Life was challenging for peasants with seasonal food scarcity, and education and social status were evolving during this period.

What was it like to be a knight in the middle ages? What were your roles and responsibilities? How dangerous were medieval tournaments? History Hit's Luke Tomes and Louee Dessent are back at the medieval tiltyard outside the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds for the medieval tournament challenge. Can our knight in shining armour complete our medieval gauntlet, including picking up a glove from horseback, the quintain and full contact jousting against a real opponent? Louee and Luke get to learn about what it was really like to be a knight in the Middle Ages, donning a full suit of armour themselves and completing their own set of physical tests. Can you sprint in armour? How cumbersome is it? Is the Hollywood image of the clunky, slow-moving knight really that accurate? Watch the video where we answer these questions and more!

The English village with a deadly past. Join Historian Louise Quick as she explores Eyam village, the site of a devastating plague outbreak and uncovers the extraordinary sacrifice that earned it the name “The Plague Village.” Special thanks to Owen and the Eyam Museum. To find out more and plan your own trip more information can be found here: You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.

Joann Fletcher explores the magnificent Colossi of Memnon built under Egypt's greatest pharaoh, Amenhotep III. Joann explores the dizzying heights of Egypt's civilization, and the lives of the workers and artisans caught up in Egypt's most ambitious building project: the Valley of the Kings.

*We apologize for any sections with uneven audio levels, we are aware of the issue.* You'd suspect that working in a royal palace wood have been preferable to working in the fields. But these royal jobs are among the worst in history. Life was gruelling for those who found themselves working as a lance maker, falcon-keeper, whipping boy, food taster, groom of the chamber, royal messenger, royal washerwoman, fireworker, boot boy, and the dreaded purple maker.