Winter’s grip: Surviving the Medieval Freeze
Winter in the medieval period was a harsh and unforgiving season. For many, surviving the cold months required a combination of practical knowledge, resourcefulness, and sheer determination. Unlike us with our modern conveniences of central heating and insulated homes, medieval people had to rely on simpler, yet effective, methods to stay warm and healthy during winter.
Living Medieval has a passion for immersive events and these mercifully often take place in the height of summer. This winter, however, some of the team had the extraordinary opportunity to immerse themselves in medieval life during the cold harsh winter in an event hosted by Weald and Downland Open Air Museum and performed by Black Knight Historical.
The event spanned 10 days and ended with the medieval tradition of Candlemas. We were only able to stay for a weekend ourselves but even so, we gained a valuable appreciation of the realities of surviving a medieval winter. From the struggle to keep warm to the early onset of darkness, the challenging conditions were vividly brought to life. Our brief experience highlighted the resilience and ingenuity of medieval people as they navigated the coldest months. Here, we provide only a brief overview of our experience, but for a more detailed consideration of this incredible immersive event, be sure to read our next edition.
Early Darkness and Candlelight
It seems quite obvious, but it was something we hadn’t properly considered before the event. One of the first observations we made was how early darkness descended upon the medieval world. Without the benefit of electric lights, people relied on candles and hearth fires to illuminate their homes. However candles, particularly beeswax candles, were expensive and burning them constantly was a luxury that many could not afford. As a result, people often made do with limited lighting, relying on their eyes to adjust to the dimness of the hearth fire. The long nights were often spent huddled around the fire, with families sharing stories, mending clothes, or preparing food for the next day.
The communal aspect of this event was highly enjoyable; without modern distractions we sat around the fire and enjoyed each others company. Due to the level of activity required to keep the household running and energy used to keep warm in the course of the day, we often found we were exhausted by the time darkness descended and struggled to keep ourselves awake beyond 8pm. Due to the early bedtimes brought on by this darkness, midnight wake ups were commonplace for the majority of the group. Without a lamp to flick on with ease, this came with a number of challenges in an attempt to scramble to find a candle to light in the all encompassing blackness of the night.
The Reality of Two Sleeps
This brings our commentary briefly to the concept of the medieval ‘two sleeps’, one of the more intriguing practices of medieval life, mentioned in several contemporary sources including Chaucer’s Tales.
Without the influence of artificial light, it is believed medieval people would often sleep in two distinct periods during the night. The first sleep or nap would take place after darkness fell, and after a few hours they would wake for ‘the watch’, a time in which they could be productive outside the usual hecticness of daily life. During this time they could tend to the fire, complete household tasks or mend clothes, socialise with family, be intimate or engage in quiet contemplation and prayer. After a good couple hours of well-spent time, people would go back to sleep until dawn or a little later for the ‘morning sleep’.
In practice, during this event, we found the concept somewhat impractical to our modern sensibilities. Waking up in the middle of a cold, dark night to complete chores or tend to the fire felt disruptive, inconvenient, and undeniably chilly. Stoking a fire only to put it out again for the second sleep seemed an inefficient use of already limited resources. Moreover, the darkness would make it challenging to accomplish any tasks or chores.
While quiet contemplation and prayer are indeed achievable, particularly in more affluent households with the means and manpower to keep fires and candles lit and monitored, we were not particularly enthusiastic about waking ourselves up in the middle of a January night. Admittedly, we did naturally wake up in the early hours for a quick dash to the toilet. And while there is no evidence that the 'biphasic' sleep pattern was seasonal, we feel the summer months would certainly lend themselves more to the idea of a midnight ‘watch’ to tend to farms, livestock, and other tasks when the nights were shorter and warmer.
Nevertheless, as modern visitors to the medieval world with only two days of 'in the field' experience at this event, we have limited appreciation for the value of time well spent during any hours possible. In a period of history where completing preparations for the next day could be, at its most extreme, the difference between life and death, our perspective remains rooted in modern convenience and comfort.
Practical and Warm Clothing
Clothing played a crucial role in surviving the winter, particularly given the average medieval home did not have glass to fill their windows and keep out the chill. We knew that our clothing in theory would hold up well against the winter chill but given living history events tend to take place in the summer we had not had the opportunity to truly test them. There was slight apprehension at the thought of being in sub zero temperatures in a building with no windows, no heating and no hot water bottle but we are pleased to report what was expected - that medieval people really did know what they were doing when it came to clothing.
For women, a linen shift (a basic undergarment) was worn closest to the skin underneath a woollen kirtle. A further woollen overdress was worn for added insulation, coupled with woollen short hose on the legs, a thin woollen partlet of sorts to cover the chest and neck and a woollen hood, amongst various accessories where wanted.
Men wore similar layers, starting with a linen shirt and braies, followed by woollen doublet, woollen coats or livery vests, joined woollen hose, over hose and cloaks. There were of course variations for both men and women depending on their fashion preferences and social status or activities: working over the hearth all day might might mean the removal of some layers and outdoor activities may necessitate mittens, hats and pattens to provide additional protection against the biting cold.
Wool was incredibly valuable due to its insulating properties and ability to retain heat even when damp. I can happily confirm the layers worked miracles in keeping us warm. As someone who regularly complains of feeling cold, I was cosy all day even in sub zero temperatures.
Keeping feet and hands warm was, however, quite a struggle when inactive or completing sedentary tasks. Even with the precautions taken, the extremities were often vulnerable and we would frequently warm our hands and feet by the fire. The option to use heated stones or bricks wrapped in cloth as makeshift foot warmers was also an option, although we didn’t take up that option this time around.
Here we have provided only a brief look at our experience of a ‘medieval winter’; a more detailed account will be provided in our next edition.
This event offered a captivating look into the ingenuity and resilience of medieval people during winter. By experiencing early darkness, the cold and all its associated challenges we can better understand how they coped and gain a much deeper appreciation for the hardships they faced. As we reflect on these insights, we are reminded of the remarkable human spirit that has endured through the ages.
With thanks to Black Knight Historical for allowing us to join them during this experiment and to Weald & Downland for hosting.