Medieval Winter

Winter was not a great time for anyone, but it was especially bad for the poor. Proper clothing and enough
fuel would be important concerns, but none were so important as food.
Pottage was the essential food for the poor, a mixture of whatever vegetables and herbs, including onions,
peas, beans, leeks, colewort, lentils and plenty of herbs.
Apart from that, anyones winter diet would be heavily salted, as that was the only way to preserve meat,
cheese, and butter, which would be present in the house of a lord.
What about fun!
Winter activities included ice skating, which en"oyed by both
adults and children using pieces of bone or polished wood,
the playing of backgammon and chess.
(1) Marie Collins and Virginia Davis. A Medieval Book of Seasons.
United Kingdom: Harer Collins !"#lis$ers% 1&&'.
(') (ran)is and *ose$ +ies. Dail, -ife in Medieval .imes. /e0
1ork: Barnes and /o#le Books% 1&&2.
Medieval Winter
Winter was not a great time for anyone, but it was especially bad for the poor. Proper clothing and enough
fuel would be important concerns, but none were so important as food.
Pottage was the essential food for the poor, a mixture of whatever vegetables and herbs, including onions,
peas, beans, leeks, colewort, lentils and plenty of herbs.
Apart from that, anyones winter diet would be heavily salted, as that was the only way to preserve meat,
cheese, and butter, which would be present in the house of a lord.
What about fun!
Winter activities included ice skating, which en"oyed by both
adults and children using pieces of bone or polished wood, the
playing of backgammon and chess.
(1) Marie Collins and Virginia Davis. A Medieval Book of Seasons. United
Kingdom: Harer Collins !"#lis$ers% 1&&'.
(') (ran)is and *ose$ +ies. Dail, -ife in Medieval .imes. /e0 1ork:
Barnes and /o#le Books% 1&&2.
Medieval Winter
Winter was not a great time for anyone, but it was especially bad for the poor. Proper clothing and enough
fuel would be important concerns, but none were so important as food.
Pottage was the essential food for the poor, a mixture of whatever vegetables and herbs, including onions,
peas, beans, leeks, colewort, lentils and plenty of herbs.
Apart from that, anyones winter diet would be heavily salted, as that was the only way to preserve meat,
cheese, and butter, which would be present in the house of a lord.
What about fun!
Winter activities included ice skating, which en"oyed by both adults
and children using pieces of bone or polished wood, the playing of
backgammon and chess.
(1) Marie Collins and Virginia Davis. A Medieval Book of Seasons. United
Kingdom: Harer Collins !"#lis$ers% 1&&'.
(') (ran)is and *ose$ +ies. Dail, -ife in Medieval .imes. /e0 1ork:
Barnes and /o#le Books% 1&&2.