Life, Work, Death and the Peasant, Part V: Life in Cycles
2 days ago
- #agrarian-societies
- #peasant-life
- #historical-modeling
- Peasant farmers constituted the majority of humans historically, yet left little evidence of their daily lives due to illiteracy.
- Peasant life was structured by cycles—daily, weekly, and annual—rooted in agricultural and social rhythms.
- Daily life involved early starts, gender-divided labor, and reliance on sunlight, with women managing household tasks and men working in fields.
- Annual cycles were marked by planting and harvest seasons, with festivals providing breaks from labor and opportunities for social bonding.
- Generational cycles dictated household dynamics, inheritance, and marriage, often leaving younger sons like Freddie Middles with limited prospects.
- Peasant societies valued stability and conformity, with little room for individualism, yet found joy in communal events and familial bonds.
- Extraction by elites funded societal advancements (e.g., monuments, literature) but kept peasants at subsistence levels, balancing survival with exploitation.
- Peasants faced constant anxiety over harvests, storage, and nutrition, with poor yields risking the lives of the very young and old.
- Military service, colonization, or urban labor acted as 'release valves' for surplus young men like Freddie and Michael Biggs.
- Despite hardships, peasants were resourceful, cared for their families, and took pride in their work, clothing, and modest luxuries.