• unfreeradical@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Peasants’ work was dominantly agricultural, with some required contribution to maintenance of lands and structures around their manor.

    Each peasant worked either a family lot, or an open field directly managed by the manor.

    They may have worked at home for mending clothes and other simple tasks, but very little was a private responsibility.

    Days not committed to work could be spent for games and festivals. There were no private hobbies, but public life was quite rich.

    • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      They worked for their Lord, and in return could live there and be subsistence farmers. And the late middle ages had taxes on everything.

      Want to mill your wheat? Use the lords mill. Bake bread? Lords ovens. Also pay your tithe, and more taxes due to the war of course.

      Enjoy your holiday, but you’ll still have to work your own field, milk the goats, gather firewood (no cutting trees from the lords forest though), fetch and boil water, mend the roof, put food away for winter, etc etc. But enjoy only working for rent every other day.

      • unfreeradical@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I feel doubtful that the scenario involves taxes as you describe them.

        Under a manor, polity and production are fully integrated. Each peasant takes a share the harvest, and may have entitlements for the commons, while the rest falls under control of the lord and his house.