Badge of Honor
an Online Medieval Romance Story

A Note from the Author -

The Realities of Medieval Life

When many of us think of medieval times, we bring to mind the drab Hollywood image. We imagine people scrounging around in the mud, eating dirt. The people were under 5 feet tall on average and barely lived to be thirty years old. These poor folk had no teeth and never bathed.

Then you have the opposite extreme. In the romantic medieval times, men were always strong and chivalrous. Women were dainty and sat around staring out the window all day, waiting for their knight to come riding in. Everybody wore purple.

The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle. The middle ages by and large were a time of a very warm climate. Crops grew exceedingly well, and there was plenty of food. As a result, the heights of people were around the heights of modern humans. It's amazing how much nutrition affects the way we grow! The abundance of food also had an effect on the longevity of people. Chaucer (born 1340) lived to be 60. Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) was 82 when she died. People could and did lead long lives. The actual "average age" of someone who survived childhood was age 65.

How about their living conditions? The Romans had adored baths and set up many in Britain. When they left, the natives could not keep them going, and it is true they then bathed less. However, by the middle ages, with the crusades and interaction with the Muslims, there was a renewed interest both in hygiene and medicine. Returning soldiers and those who took pilgrimages brought back with them an interest in regular bathing and cleanliness. This spread across the culture.

While people during other periods of English history ate poorly, often due to war conditions or climactic changes, the middle ages was a time of relative bounty. Villagers would grow fresh fruit and vegetables behind their homes, and had an array of herbs for seasoning. The local baker would bake bread for the village - most homes did not hold an oven, only an open fire. Villagers had easy access to fish, chicken, geese and eggs. Pork was enjoyed at special meals like Easter. Upper classes of course had a much wider range of foods - all "wild animals" (rabbits, deer, etc) belonged to them. They ate peacocks, veal, lamb, and even bear. Meals for all classes could be flavorful and well enjoyed.

How about the role of women? In pagan days women were given rights and responsibilities, but as Christianity came in they were relegated to a more subservient role. It is true that wealthy families would arrange for "proper" marriages for their children, as this was about the transfer of land far more than a love match. This was the case for both sons and daughters. Parents wanted to ensure their land connected with a family worthy of ownership, one with the resources to defend it from attack. Yes, villagers sometimes married for love, and even a few nobles would run off and follow their hearts. Even so, they would have considered - seriously - the down side of such an activity first. Think of it in this way. If you owned five horses and ran off to live in Bermuda you might adore the idea of living in Bermuda, but you would worry about those horses you had abandoned without protection or care. Marriage and the transfer of land was a very serious issue in medieval times.

Women in medieval times were not meek and mild. That stereotype came in with the Victorian era, many centuries later. Back in medieval days, women had to be hearty and hard working. There were fields to tend, homes to maintain and children to raise! Not only that but a fifth of women died in or after childbirth. The church said this was the "pain of Eve" and told them to bear it without medicine or follow-up care. Of course, midwives did their best to get around these rules, but childbirth still led to immense death tolls. Add to that the knowledge that only 40% of babies survived until age ten for a variety of reasons. On one hand a person could live a very long life - on the other hand, they had to make it through childhood first. This was very much a time of ‘survival of the fittest’. So women were strong - very strong. They had to be. Still, would they fight?

Queen Boudicia, from Norwalk, was born around AD60 and personally led her troops against the Roman Empire, quite successfully. She had been flogged - and her daughters raped - spurring her to revenge. She was extremely intelligent and quite strategic. In fact her daughters rode in her chariot at her side.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was also intelligent and married both to a King of France and then to a King of England. She actively went on the Second Crusades as the leader of her troops - reputedly riding bare-breasted as an Amazon. At times she marched with her troops far ahead of her husband. When she got divorced from the King of France, she immediately married Henry II, who she passionately adored. He was 11 years her junior. When things went sour, Eleanor separated from him and actively led revolts against him.

Many historical accounts talk of women taking up arms to defend their villages and towns. Women would not passively let their children be slain or homes burned. They were able and strong bodied from their daily work. They were well skilled with farm implements and knives, and used them with great talent against invaders. Many of these defenses were successful, and the victories were triumphed as a brave, proper role model, rather than dismissed as an unusual act for a woman. A mother was expected to defend her brood, to keep her home safe, just as a wolf mother protects her cubs.

Numerous women took their martial skills to a higher level. In 1301 a group of Italian women joined up to fight the crusade against the Turks. In 1348 at a tournament there were at least 30 women who participated, dressed as men.

This is not as unusual as you might think. In medieval times, all adults carried a knife at their belt for daily use and defense. All knew how to use it. Being strong and safe was a part of daily life. In modern times most women know how to drive - but few are race car drivers. In medieval times, most women knew how to defend themselves with a weapon - but few actively sought to be swordswomen. Still, these women did exist, and did thrive.

Read on to enjoy a story about one of these active heroines!

Badge of Honor - Chapter 1

Badge of Honor Catherine's family has spoken. Despite her pleas, she is to be wed to a nobleman twice her age. Her life is to be based on a marriage of politics, not of love. However, her world changes when she encounters the lord's sword-wielding foster son. Jack's keen eyes and steadfast patience promise her a future she never could have dreamt was possible. But to be by his side, she will have to risk everything - even her life ... Badge of Honor - a medieval romance

Medieval Romance

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