Tag Archives: monk

A monastic funeral

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Ruth

Records from the past are limited, so the few records we have take on disproportionate importance. The monastic order for Christian burial was carefully written down; we must assume that burial in general followed this pattern, though we know a … Continue reading →

Posted in Medieval cycle of life | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Life in the monastery

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Ruth

Having traced the major ways that children transitioned into adult life in the Middle Ages, I’ll describe briefly what it was like to live and grow old in each of these life pathways. Since I was just talking about becoming … Continue reading →

Posted in Medieval cycle of life | Tagged | Leave a comment

Monastic vows

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Ruth

Entering the monastic life began with a year of living as a novice. Novices lived in separate quarters and although they participated in prayers and services, they received instruction in the community’s customs and sign language. Novice-masters expected to do … Continue reading →

Posted in Medieval cycle of life | Tagged | Leave a comment

Why would any teenager take monastic vows?

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Ruth

As described in a previous post, children could be dedicated to the church around the same age that their peers entered school or began professional training. They were not forced to take vows when they got old enough. Monks and … Continue reading →

Posted in Medieval cycle of life | Tagged | Leave a comment