What Was Life Really Like for Medieval Nobility in Europe?

In the medieval feudal system, the nobility were generally those who held a fief, often land or office under vassalage in exchange for military allegiance to their sovereign.

Living alongside serfs, it was their duty to ensure that the peasants, craftsmen and clergymen were defended so that they could live in peace and act as judges to handle disputes.

To explore the often ostentatious and gluttonous lifestyles of the nobility, Eleanor Janega visits Hedingham Castle, perhaps the best preserved Norman keep in Essex, England.

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[Thedude]

A history teacher we all dreamed of at school and never got

[jessnz]

This new series with Eleanor is amazing! She never sounds like she's reading a script, just like she's telling us stuff she knows.
More more more please!

[DefendTheStar]

I so thoroughly enjoy Eleanor as a presenter. She has such a smooth way of explaining things and keeping it interesting. Never drawn out or pretentious!

[nonamesarentreal]

The part where she talked about the fact that this family is violent, that they rule via violence, made me so happy. History was/is often taught by reframing that, and not directly calling it what it is.

[thebowandbullet]

Saw Janega in the thumbnail and hit play so fast 😄 I love the way she explains history and makes it come alive, with a touch of humour and heaps of interesting knowledge.

[kathejohnson]

Eleanor's extensive knowledge and warm personality contribute to the stunning visuals to make this an extremely enjoyable watch.

[rolandstockham]

I remember the castle from before it was restored. We used it as our scout hut in the 1960's and we had free run of the grounds. Each patrol used one of the alcoves in the guard room as it's base but the upstairs was closed and I think unsafe. I remember Musette Majendie and met her several times when she would hand out badges or attend troupe parades. It all looks very different now!

[crystalcastillo]

Thank you for actually taking the time to appreciate the people who helped build and maintain this castle & the lands/buildings that surrounded it. It’s sad that those people in history are often forgotten

[itsthesimplelife]

Felt like I was on a personal tour of this castle and history, thank you!

[nikkifrancis]

Found this video really interesting! My brother got married in this castle in early 2020 (in the banqueting hall) and we went to the different levels of the castle for the different parts of the wedding. Really cool to learn more about it

[shelleyleach]

I was lead to believe that the slit windows at the bottom were to protect the castle from invaders and not because the poor were at the bottom.

[omqgvrr]

Dear profesor Janega, I am so so happy to see your videos, because I am from Czech Republic - medieval Bohemian kingdom and also I am a great history and medieval fan. Your doctoral thesis about Jan Milíč and the king Karel IV. made me so happy. Please, excuse my bad english, I am an enternal beginner. I wish you all the best and if you will sometimes be by the chance in Opava, where we are from, you are cordially invited to visit us. And of course, if you can not, we wish you many achievements with your work and your videos. Heartily thank you.

[alexd.]

Excellent series, I liked learning those small details about architecture, how such a castle and its buildings are built...
One thing that stood out was "it's difficult to aneliate such a wealth from a family" and vice-versa for peasants. Well, today it's exactly the same: we have boards of directors, politicians, bankers... which are the new nobility. They will never lose their money, they will only amass more and we commoners are subject to crisis, shortages, wars... which are caused by those very nobles.

[bluberirainbows]

Eleanor!! One of my favorites, she’s so wonderful and well spoken yet easy to understand.

[staceymurray]

The monks were praying 'for' the deceased not 'to', I imagine.
Great content, exactly the sort of practical history I love.

[billieberube]

I learned, about ten years ago, my grandfather of many centuries ago (the 1300’s) was Richard de Vere, the Earl of Oxford. I learned from you, Dr. Janega, some of the history of the de Vere family and I thank you. I also appreciate contributions of facts from the many comments. Thank you. I only knew of the family name and nothing more. The architecture of the castle and how it came from the invasion of another country is fascinating. I will continue with this channel to learn more of English history and all of Europe.

[kevinjohnbetts]

I've actually stood in that Minstrel's Gallery playing guitar. About thirty years ago which, I suppose, is like yesterday to a castle that's been around for nearly a millennium!

[philturner]

I love these videos by Eleanor Janega, she explains things so clearly and interestingly.

[geoffcameron]

This is a really great series for anyone with a passion for history - this particular episode really highlights how the different levels of society were interlinked. Great stuff - please keep making more content like this!

[Baskerville]

I'm a de Vere living in Brisbane, Australia. My great grandfather (Horace de Vere) came from England in the late 1800's