Medieval Entertainment: Four Things That People From Long Ago Used To Do For Fun!

When we hear the word “entertainment” these days, our thoughts immediately go over to the cinema or our phones where we can watch movies and YouTube videos or spend time on social media. Some of us might even grab a good book to read or play a competitive game online to relax. Entertainment can mean a plethora of activities for each person these days, and technology usually has a part to play.

However, during the medieval ages, people certainly didn’t have access to any such things. That doesn’t mean they didn’t have entertainment, of course. It simply meant that they found all sorts of alternative ways to pass their time in enjoyable ways, and a lot of them are still relevant to this very day. In fact, a lot of the entertainment from the medieval ages grew into the activities that we call entertainment in the current day and age. Here are some activities that kept our ancestors from getting bored:

They Loved A Good Hunt

Hunting is still alive today, although it’s (thankfully) going down pretty rapidly due to numerous animal protection laws. However, it was one of the favorite hobbies of the nobles and royalty of the past. Nobles would gather and scour the local land for all sorts of game that could provide them with entertainment and good food to carry back home. They’d even have dogs that were trained for the purpose and would provide them with assistance on their hunting trips. This activity wasn’t just reserved for the men either since the women loved hunting just as much. Sometimes, birds of prey would also be trained alongside dogs to help their masters hunt down their targets. Unlike today, where guns have made the task much simpler, hunting was an arduous task back in the day and would provide hours, if not days, of continuous engagement.

Music Was Popular All Around

It seems that there was never a time in history in which good music wasn’t appreciated, and the medieval times were no exception. You could expect a minstrel at every occasion to give a great performance that would leave the crowd in a much merrier mood. There wasn’t a shortage of instruments either, with cymbals, harps, and flutes to help everyone enjoy themselves. These days, we’d usually have to go to a concert to enjoy some live music, and those who don’t want to attend live shows can easily stream them online. That’s one luxury that was missing back then, but other than that, they also had just as great a time as we do when our favorite singer comes on stage.

Board Games Were One Of The Main Forms of Entertainment

Nowadays, we don’t even need to whip out our old board games from the closet and worry about missing pieces — we can play a variety of them online! But did you know that they used to be pretty popular back in the day as well? Without a need for too much experience or any power sources, board games could be played anywhere and could provide anyone with hours of entertainment. One of the main advantages of board games was that they didn’t require anyone to be educated in order to play them which means that pretty much anyone could have a good time with them. Chess used to be extremely popular, and it is still perhaps the most played board game around even to this very day. Some other games which were popular are Backgammon, Knucklebones, and Hazard.

Outdoor Activities Were Pretty Common

Engaging outdoor activities were a favorite and enjoyed by all, rich or poor. Of course, they both had their own separate versions of outdoor “sports”, but that’s not to say that either one was less entertaining.  The nobles would spend their time watching jousting tournaments which were often followed by feasts, dance, and music while other people would participate in athletic activities like wrestling and horseshoe throwing. They were pretty similar to the Olympics that we have today and would provide people with hours upon hours of fun. Of course, gambling was often involved which made the events all the more exciting and fun to participate in.

It’s great to know that many sports and means of entertainment have sprouted from the activities of people a thousand years before us. It’s also pretty impressive that they were able to keep themselves occupied without the slightest need for technology like we have.