The Luttrell PsalterDaily life of Peasants

What is a Psalter?

Psalms are 150 ancient songs, grouped together in the Old Testament book called, “Psalms”

Many people in the Middle Ages learnt to read by being taught the Psalms.

Because of this, the Book of Psalms were often written out in separate book called a Psalter.

As well as the Psalms, a Psalter would also included the the church feast days & various types of prayers.

The Luttrell PsalterIllustrated sometime between c. 1320-1340 (14th Century)

These pictures show what daily life was like in medieval times.

There are 309 illustrations in all, commissioned by Sir Geoffrey Luttrell to show daily life on his Irnham estate.

Sir Geoffrey Luttrell was lord of the manor at Irnham, Lincolnshire. He owned many other estates throughout England, so was a wealthy land owner.

For more information: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/luttrellpsalter.html

Points to note…

Since it was commissioned by the Lord of the Manor, the artist designed the illustrations to please the Lord, not those in the pictures.

Clothes would have been colourless.

The peasants would not have been so clean.

…but the work was still hard!

These pictures show:STACKING SHEAVES SOWING

THREASHING WORKING IN WINDMILL

HARROWING (Covering the seeds with soil after sowing

HARVESTING

WEEDING BREAKING CLODS (bigger bits of soil after ploughing)

REAPING WORKING IN THE WATERMILLS

TASK 1:

Open up YOUR OWN new word document and

write the title: The Luttrell Psalter. Also record

the date.

In pairs, discuss and answer (in 2 or more

sentences) the following question for each of

the 10 pictures:

What does this image reveal about how hard life

was for the peasant farmers in medieval times?

NB: Allow 5 minutes a picture

Stacking sheaves

                                            

                             

The British Library•Illustration of harrowing from the Luttrell Psalter.

©2000 Fathom, Inc.

                                                                                                  

Sowing in the Luttrell Psalter.

WEEDING THE FIELDS

                             

                                                                           

The British Library

Illustration of reaping from the Luttrell Psalter.

©2000 Fathom, Inc.

Breaking clods in the Luttrell Psalter.

                                                                                                  

                                                                                                  

Harvest wagon from the Luttrell Psalter.

                                                    

THREASING

                         

                                                                           

The British LibraryIllustration of a watermill from the Luttrell Psalter.

©2000 Fathom, Inc.

                                                                          

The British Library

Illustration of a windmill from the Luttrell Psalter.

©2000 Fathom, Inc.

TASK 2:

In the same word document,

answer the following questions

about all of the images:For what purpose do you think these pictures

are intended for? i.e, to show off to other

Lords, or to record farming at the time.

State what you think the collection of images

say about the Lord of the Manor?