Culture and Daily Life

People used superstitions to cope with the world around them.

Life could take an unexpected turn. Including struggles with nature and things people could not control

To explain the unexplainable, people used superstitions.

God was a distant figure, so many events were explained as the work of spirits.

Superstitions

Nothing that happened was an accident If a pitcher of milk spilled or if lightening

struck the house, it was the work of a demon.

Even a mix of religion with spirits, priests would bless fields or marriages in order to bring good luck.

Each town had an elderly to go to known as a Wiseman or Wisewoman, who were especially intune with superstitions and the spirits.

The World of Spirits

Palm Reading

Which hand to see?

Traditional palmistry suggests that the left hand of women and the right hand of men are traditionally read. It is said that the left hand is a doorway to the natural persona of the person, whereas the right hand shows what he has done with his personality and talents. Of course, this is opposite for the left-handed person. Texture

The texture of the hand is also a key to the persona of the person. This has to be observed for both, the back and front of the hand or palm. A soft textured hand shows sensitivity and refinement. A coarse textured hand will depict a coarse nature. Calluses will show that the person is either a hardworking person or has a job where he has to work with his hands a lot.

Palm Reading

Flexibility

The flexibility of the hand shows the adjustable nature of the person. The more flexible the hand, the more adjusting his nature is. On the contrary, if the hand is stiff, the person has a rigid personality. People whose fingers can be very easily bent back (90 degrees to the palm) are pushovers.

Nails

This is also an important aspect to consider in palm reading. The shape of the nails also gives us an insight into the personality traits of the person. Long nails which taper at the tips show creativity; while square nails show orderliness.

Color

The color of the hands shows the nature of blood circulation in the person's body. A pinkish colored hand, therefore, shows a healthy individual. Yellow denotes excessive bile production. Blue color shows a circulation problem.

Palm Reading

Ordinary people explained their problems to the Wise folk

These included things like a lost ring, a cruel husband, or a sick pig.

They would even report any unsual happenings.

The Wise folk would explain these events and give remedies to problems that included chanting spells, drinking potions, or wearing a good luck charm

Witchcraft

These ideas were a traditional part of witchcraft

Wise folk were often referred to as good witches

But if misfortune started to arise, some were accused of being bad witches

Bad witches were believed to have made a pact with the devil

In many cases, those accused of being bad witches were elderly woman without a husband or family.

Witchcraft

Stories of witchcraft became more sensational

A witch my be accused of flying on a broomstick, or dancing with the devil at night in the woods

Those accused and convicted of being a bad witch were burned at the stake, usually on the approval of the local lord.

Witchcraft

Working in the fields, but some found time for recreation and relaxation

Each village had a gathering place to drink, sew, or tell stories together

Games such as Skittles, Chess, Badminton, Dwyle Flunking, and hopscotch were played

Holidays and ceremonies were celebrated with village wide celebrations

Daily life

Villagers lived in close-knit communites

Because of this, anyone who went against the traditions or customs of the village were treated badly.

Hardship or famine caused stress within communities and protesting became more common

Violence and Protest in the Village

Printing Press help speed up the spread of knowledge. Through the printed word.

Broadsides, which were single printed sheets were being sold to the townspeople that had royal decrees or latest news stories

Almanacs were books printed which contained a variety of information, including weather, calendars, and maps.

Many still could not read, but gathering together to listen to someone read was a popular activity

Spread of Knowledge

The economy Standard of living - the measure of the quality

of life 85-95 percent of people were peasants

Diet Meat, fish, salt, and white bread rare so

eggs and cheese were a big part of the diet Trade introduced spices and new

vegetables into the European diet including green beans, spinach, lettuce, and asparagus

Changes in daily life

Housing Brick and stone housing but peasants still

lived in thatch roof houses Even beds were still a thing for the rich,

most slept on sacks filled with straw Decline in Traditional Culture To escape poverty, many moved into cities More governmental help in times of need Moved away from superstitions and sought

rational explanations

Changes in daily life