THE MIDDLE AGES

Society in the Middle Ages was divided into distinct classes each with rigid customs, obligations and a strict etiquette on how a member would interact with those of higher and lower classes. Costume and speech assisted in maintaining class distinctions.

The Court:

The courts of princes and the higher nobility (e.g. dukes, earls and barons) were the natural centers for the social life of the noble class. The great feasts of the Christian year: Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost were celebrated with great pageantry and ceremony. The gathering for military expeditions, whether it be war, tourney, or Crusade began at the courts and it was to the prince's court that the nobles were summoned for judgment in their own cases or those of their peers and to which they came to give counsel to their lords. Because they fought exclusively on horseback, the nobles became the cavalry, the chivalry of Europe. Prowess, loyalty, generosity and courtesy were the basic values of their social code.

Marriage during the Middle Ages

Weddings during medieval times saw the origin of several modern traditions and customs. There was more to the Middle Ages than just castles, chivalry, and fancy colours. It was a time of developement for many social and marriage customs followed by brides today. This era between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Reformation was unique and through it all, faith was the ever-present catalyst for artistic, intellectual, social, and political developments. Medieval marriage was still the province of the Church, and the sacrament of matrimony was central to Christian doctrine.

Grooms, on the average, were much older than their brides. Noble women sometimes didn't marry until the age of 24, but this was rare. More than 3/4 were married before they reached 19. By today's standards, western Europe was inhabited by the young, with more than half of the population under 20 years of age.

Medieval Beauty

Every part of a woman's face would be painted with some type of cosmetic, and many women during the Middle Ages would sun-bleach their hair. Medieval fashion prompted young women to pluck their hairline giving them a higher forehead. A wedding might be the one time a woman would wear her hair loose. Others would weave flowers into their hair to make a floral crown.

Romance, Love and Chivalry

"Courtly love" began to emerge during the 1100s starting in southern France. This was a code of behavior made popular through Romance literature, defined then as any prose written in one of the Romance languages. This term later evolved to include any tales of knights, chivalry and courtly love. Troubadours originally told these stories as they went from village to village, and later they were written down by court scribes, musicians, clerics and aristocrats. They were first used for edification of the noble classes but found popularity among the masses. Romantic poetry and prose emphasized the ennobling power of love, the concept of "passionate," or inextinguishable love, and the elevation of the beloved woman to a superior position over her male suitor. This was a dramatic change in the cultural attitude toward noble women, though common women were still viewed mostly as property during the Middle Ages.