1. Pastimes in the Dark Times
by: Chandler Padgett & Alexis Colon-Ortiz
September 2, 2009

2. Sports sports were a major part of the period
the picture depicts hunting, which was a sport as well as a necessity

3. Sports (cont.) major sports were swimming, running, and wrestling
swimming in armor to prove strength
running with a load to prove strength
wrestling to overcome opponent and prove strength

4. Other Pastimes
whittling wood, carving and decorating bones and antlers, embroidery, etc. warriors practiced knife juggling
not really hobbies because it was done for a living most times

5. Games a lot of board games involving dice
popular game called Knucklebones played like Jacks
knuckles are actually astragals' from pig
most games they played are still played today

6. Music and Verse bards sang tales of heroes (Beowulf)
scops were professional storytellers
gleemen were professional musicians
few of the instruments survived the period

7. Dancing dancing for rituals, for money, and for fun
warriors danced naked to get nimbler
…did I mention they were naked?
wore masks and animal skins to be more in touch with nature while dancing

8. Children’s Games
danced, played music, and made riddles for each other, and pretended to be knights and jousted
children were considered adults at the age of 10 so could do adult related things

9. Children’s Toys
had wooden instruments, carved wooden animals, wooden spinning tops, wooden swords, dolls

10. Works Cited http://www.history.com