Lifestyle in the 15th Century

The Hundred Years' War and the Wars of the Roses drained England. The reign of Henry VII finally brought peace.

The fashion continued from the previous century. The hood was no longer a turban, but a brimmed hat. The standing collar appeared. Men's hair was cut in a round style, and their waists were cinched with belts, which returned to the waist rather than the hips. Shoes became even pointier, and sometimes the toe of the shoe was chained to the knee. As weapons, men carried a small whip with three straps, each ending in lead pieces. Women wore very long pointed hats, with a veil that reached the ground from the tip. They also carried a pouch in which they kept a prayer book.

Inside the houses, spaces were divided into several small rooms, as everyone needed their privacy. Tudor houses were characterized by protruding windows, which increased the internal space. Buildings were still asymmetrical. There was a greater emphasis on comfort rather than security and defense. The hall remained the most important room. It had a high ceiling, and materials were no longer transported from far away but adapted to the local environment. Where there was stone, stone houses were built; where there was wood, wooden houses were constructed. People spent more time in the garden, where they created flowerbeds, lawns, and small decorative fountains. The interior of the house still resembled the coldness of cathedrals. The walls were painted, and later, wallpaper replaced them. Nobles often took their favorite tapestries with them when traveling, hanging them in their temporary accommodations. The 15th century was the century of color in England. Everything was painted, including the windows of private houses. Sussex became a famous center for glassblowing. Later, craftsmen from Venice, the hub of glass manufacturing, came to London.

On the walls of church naves, a large hook was hung, which could be easily reached in case of fire, enabling the roof to be pulled down to prevent the fire from spreading. A clock was placed next to the pulpit, so if the preacher ran out of time, the sermon had to stop. The organ maintained its dominant role, but a variety of other instruments also appeared. In vaulting, the central part of the support beams was removed, allowing the ceiling to be seen in its full beauty. Beams were decorated with small standing figures. From the mid-14th century to the mid-16th century, the "perpendicular style" dominated architecture. This was the characteristic direction of English late Gothic, defined by the rigidity of lines and the richness of details. Notable examples include the King's College Chapel and the cathedrals of Canterbury, York, and Winchester.

After the "craftsman" Benedictines, the "farmer" Cistercians, and the "preaching" Franciscans and Dominicans, the Carthusian Order appeared. The monks lived in separate cells and only ate together on Sundays, when they were not allowed to speak to each other. They ate twice a day, at ten in the morning and at 4:30 in the afternoon. Food was handed to them through a small window, designed so that the monk could not see the lay brother who delivered the food. They spent ten hours in prayer, ten hours sleeping and working, and four hours reading or working in the garden. Everyone had their own small garden. The libraries were small, with only a hundred or two hundred books, including theological, philosophical, medical, logical, grammatical, historical, and canon law texts.

The century was marked by a boom in trade. Ships were now three-masted, with multiple sails. Leather bellows were used for smelting iron. By the 15th century, silver mining in England had ceased. Copper was still imported from the continent, while tin and iron were exported. Pottery did not advance much, but human-shaped goblets appeared.

The noblest form of recreation was hunting. Many books praised its beauty: "Hunters are good people, and they will go to Paradise." At jousting tournaments, knights fought with swords, lances, and maces, but the goal was not to strike but to unseat the opponent from their saddle. The poor found joy in puppet shows and market performances.

Marjorie and C.H. B. Quennel "A History of Everyday Things in England", ford. Radó Bálint