A number of
medieval sources divided their society into three orders, illustrated in the picture to the left:
oratores: those who pray
bellatores: those who
fight
laborares: those who
work
I adopt that model here because it provides a convenient starting point and because it serves to emphasize a division that concerned social roles rather than wealth.
The shortcomings of the threefold model become obvious quickly with a little thought. For one thing, it is a picture that is exclusively rural; there is no place for merchants or craftsmen. For another, the model concerns only respectable society, so to speak. It ignores the outlaw, the slave, the disabled, and it ignores social outcasts such as the Jews or the gypsies. All these people had a place in medieval society and I shall try to take account of them in various places in this treatment.
The structure of this section of the course is rather different. Instead of one large lecture, you will find a variety of short essays; an encyclopedic approach instead of a narrative. It seems to fit the material better.
Instead of reading through the lecture, think of this as a place to explore. The order in which you proceed is entirely up to you.
Supplemental Resources on
Medieval Social History