Renaissance Life Unit 2 / Note Page 4

Social Structure Society – Little different from Middle Ages Clergy – Church officials Nobility – Now merchants and bankers Peasants – Common workers

Baldassare Castiglione Noble class Courtiers – someone who hangs around court / king – “hanger ons” Baldassare Castiglione Wrote “The Book of the Courtier” Guide book for proper manners of noble people Set expectations of a Ren. Man & Woman were.

Peasants were 85 – 90 % of population Commoners Peasants were 85 – 90 % of population Urban poverty was great, things really hadn’t improved for the common man since the Middle Ages. Life still sucked.

Arrange marriages Girls were married off usually as soon as they hit puberty / 13 – 15. Boys once they could support a wife with a trade or craft, usually age mid 20’s or older. Men could still expect to have 2 or more wives over their life time since one in four women died in child birth.

Dominant role of male in society and family – women were to stay home / raise children. Not be involved in politics or religion.

Everyday Life Lots of physical work for most people Housing varied greatly Most lived in small thatch roofed houses. (Thatch is straw. You piled up straw to make roof. Not very warm and very leaky in the rain.) Little furniture Straw sacks for beds “Bed Bugs” – fleas, lice, etc.

Diets became more varied through trade and new food items from the New World. Potatoes and Corn ► Larger Populations!

Recreation - Gatherings, Holidays, Plays very popular with commoners, just like the old Roman Empire, wealthy Patrons and Politicians would help host public venues to keep the commoners happy. Happy commoners don’t revolt.

Superstition Belief in superstition - Christian in faith, but wanted some explanation for daily events

Witchcraft Good Witches or wise people –village healers, typically older women, widowed, used herbs to treat sickness Bad witches – Deal with Satan

Jealousy, unmarried, problems conceiving, different, out spoken. Witchcraft accusations mostly centered on women – those who were different / stood out. Jealousy, unmarried, problems conceiving, different, out spoken.

Burning was the most common punishment, the Catholic Church tried you, Witch hunting begins – It is estimated that over the Middle Ages and well into the 1800’s, over 100,000 women were put to death for witchcraft. Burning was the most common punishment, the Catholic Church tried you, but the civil authorities actually killed you so the Church didn’t sin. Burnings were public, people loved to blame bad luck on witches and rejoiced to see them burn, a foresight of the burning they expected to receive in Hell.

Learning Advances Few people could read. Only Rich or clergy. Books had to be copied by hand, usually by monks in monasteries, thus they were extremely expensive. Might own 4 to 8 books in their entire lifetime.

– German, idea from Marco Polo’s Book Johannes Gutenberg 1455 – German, idea from Marco Polo’s Book This was one invention that would change the course of history.

Almanacs – up to this time period most commoners could careless exactly what day it was, Priest kept up with that for religious reasons, (certain Saint’s days, etc) Commoners only cared about time of year for crops, if it was Sunday (to go to church).

Religious Works very popular Gutenberg Bible – First best selling book in Europe Service conducted in Latin, most couldn't understand mass services.

Gutenberg’s Bible written in German. Cheap, personal copy Motivation to learn to read. Problem here…

Discovered RC priest were illiterate. Sermons made up Priest not allowed wives, mistresses, children etc. Followers realizes their living in sin.

New Roles Traditional views decline First the Church let us down during the Black Plague Now we can read for ourselves and realized that the Church as been pulling the wool over our eyes. Things start to change

Instead of taking the Church’s opinion on the matter, scholars start to question the natural world around them. Superstitions start to fade with the Renaissance – People ask why / Birth of Science.

The End of Renaissance Life Unit 2 / Note Page 4