Lords and Villeins

Aims

This programme explains how the feudal system worked and how it changed Irish society in the parts of Ireland under Norman control. Life in a medieval town is examined through a walking tour of Carlingford. There is a description of how a medieval town such as Carlingford would have looked and functioned. The lifestyle of the rich who lived in the castles, and the Norman diet, are examined.

The programme should enable students to:

• understand and describe how the feudal system worked
• describe the lifestyle of the rich people who lived in castles
• understand that religion was important to the Normans
• know about some aspects of life in a medieval town, for example trade and street layout
• talk or write about the foods eaten by the Normans and how they were cooked
• describe a Norman banquet with details about dress, seating, manners, food and how it was eaten