Entertainment in 14th Century England

Most people would not think of medieval England as the most entertaining time and place to hang out and compared to the entertainment of today, it probably was not. Nevertheless, there was more entertainment in 14^th century England than just court jesters and public executions. Actually, a number of the ways that we entertain ourselves today were in use at the time. Here is a look at just a few of the ways that the populations of 14^th century England entertained themselves.

14^th Century England Entertainment: Books

The enjoyment of books was slightly different in medieval England than it is today. Books were not printed as of yet. Therefore, there was often only one hand-written copy of any given book. Because of this, people who would like to hear a story would typically get together in a common room and have it read to them. Thus, reading was more of a group entertainment than it is today. Poetry reading and story telling were also enjoyed in medieval England.

14^th Century England Entertainment: Games

Children in medieval England had games despite the lack of electricity. Children today would probably be shocked or bored by their methods of entertaining themselves, though some of them are still around today. Children enjoyed playing games like follow the leader and they would try to catch insects with nets, among other things. Adults would play sports, board games and such, just as they do today. Some of the sports that were played in medieval England were football and tennis. Of course, the rules were much different and/or much less than they are today. However, the games were quite similar. Gambling dice and jousting competitions were also fun games with which to entertain yourself in medieval England.

14^th Century England Entertainment: Theater

Plays were fairly common in 14^th century England. It was great entertainment for both the actors and for spectators. Some of the plays in medieval England were put on as celebrations for religious holidays. They were at times ridiculous, religious, mysterious, etc. in nature. Some of the plays were comical mockeries. However, players had to be careful because freedom of speech then was not what it is today.

14^th Century England Entertainment: Music

Music and dancing were quite popular in Medieval England. There were several instruments in use at the time and there were several types of venues that people would use for dancing. Other types of entertainers such as jugglers would often join in the fun when music was playing.

As you can see, medieval England was not a place where all work no play was the order of the day. People knew how to pass the time when they were not busy working hard or living the life of an aristocrat.

Source

Mortimer, Ian, The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England, pages 247-275, Touchstone, January 2010