Medieval jobs?

Sleepy

I've been reading/watching a lot of fantasy over the past few years, which is nearly always set in a world that's about technologically equivalent to medieval times. Or often in post-apocalyptic worlds where humanity is forced to go back to a more agrarian society.

It's gotten me to thinking about how career options were far simpler in those circumstances and about what profession I might like to have followed in medieval days.

For me, the answer would be Blacksmith. TBH, I think I'd still love to do it today but haven't the time or money to take it up as a hobby / train in it.

So, denizens of AH, what would you do in an agrarian society?

Farm the land? Tavern Wench? Farrier? Fletcher? Thatcher?

Red Kev

Fletcher ? The careers guidance Brother in the CBS back in the day suggested I try fletching but I didn't fancy it.

The Diabolical Monocle

I am ...eh... how you say. I have wife and she is make with ...the plough.

mloc123

Red Kev wrote: »

Fletcher ? The careers guidance Brother in the CBS back in the day suggested I try fletching but I didn't fancy it.

At least he didn't suggest feltching..

Sleepy

It's hardly an exhaustive list, just a few I thought of off the top of my head...

Femme_Fatale

Oh tavern wench without a doubt. All those outfits you'd pay a fortune for in some fetish gaff nowadays, and all that ale - no different to many a Saturday night today!

jimgoose

'Twould have to be Blacksmith, my leige. Master of Fire, Finagler of Iron, Walloper of the Anvil. It seems to have been about the most interesting job available back then for a fella like me. :cool:

danniemcq

Gotta agree with you Sleepy, Blacksmith would be one of the top ones.

Be hard work but you are treated well and if you are great at it you will be moved up through the ranks.

Fairly low risk too, even if your town/castle is captured its likely that you will be useful so maybe escape death.

SEPT 23 1989

Alchemist

jimgoose

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Oh tavern wench without a doubt. All those outfits you'd pay a fortune for in some fetish gaff nowadays, and all that ale - no different to many a Saturday night today!

A-ha! Ye Blacksmith here - Ale-Wife, a firkin of your finest ale, fairly lively!

biko

Stone mason, and I'd build a Cathedral.

danniemcq

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Alchemist

I had thought of that but then knowing now what they didn't know then (mercury for example is highly toxic and really messes your brain up and is absorbed through the skin) i'd be very wary of it.

If ignorance was bliss though then yeah spend all day messing with crap trying to turn lead into gold and probably getting paid a lot for it

DeadHand

I'll be Ramsay Bolton if no one's called it already...

Duggy747

A wizard with +10 defense and an invisibility cloak.

--Kaiser--

I'd be the fella cutting people's heads off

maxwell smart

Executioner or Witch Hunter/Finder

You would get to meet some interesting people with a tale or two to tell!

Ole Rodrigo

Project Manager on building a castle. Business Analyst working for the King.

Or a Baker. Bread was nice in those days. I'd invent butter pastries and become rich and famous.

Aglomerado

Groom of the Stool.

Apparently a very sought after and privileged job among nobles in Tudor England!

Wouldn't fancy it myself, being in close proximity to Henry VIII's arse.

Michael D Not Higgins

biko wrote: »

Stone mason, and I'd build a Cathedral.

And invent a secret handshake?

emmabrighton

This is as close to my current job without me having to retrain - clouter (one who fixes things, a tinkerer)

Otherwise I was fairly successful as a breast feeding mommy so maybe a Wetnurse???

Can I select lady? I reckon that looks like a fairly handy number...

source

Sleepy

Headsman smart, you'll have to drag stonemason Biko out back... he wants to build monuments to witches!

The Diabolical Monocle

TOWN CRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAR


HEAAAAR YEE HEAAAR YEE


BEWAARE ... SOME KNAVE HATH LEFT A FLOOOATER.

85% of us would be peasants.

I know my place.

http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/medieval/rural/rurallife.html

Duggy747

Failing not being able to be a wizard, I'd settle on IT Consultant.

RikkFlair

Probably a drifter, with a wine problem and busking the odd time with my lute.

gramar

The village idiot but it's still a fairly popular profession even nowadays.

BrokenArrows

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

I'd be the fella cutting people's heads off

Id be the guy getting his head cut off for calling the king a douche!

--Kaiser--

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Id be the guy getting his head cut off for calling the king a douche!

You'll be needing to use less anachronistic insults, thou varlot!

dr strangelove

King.
I'd be the king.

You shall all bow before me

OldGoat

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Id be the guy getting his head cut off for calling the king a douche!

With your name I'd a thought you'd have opted for fletcher.

Personally I'd be an Earl rather then a King. All the kudos of being in the palace but without the murderous shinnanagins of dastardly princes trying to steal the throne. Earls tend to have plenty of time and money for wenching which I'm sure would have been my main pastime.
Duke could be a good choice too.
Or Viscount. I could give Viscounting a go.

smcgiff

Most of us have better lives now than the kings of yore. Well, the power would be nice and that Prima Nocta thing has its advantages, but would you really fancy kissing a wench from that era sans modern oral hygiene?

Would rather be who I am now, than a medieval King.

But, if I had to choose a Job, it'd probably be Sheriff - putting the Evil into Medieval!

Frank Black

A simple but honest Stable Lad.

Dyr

Tooth quack. No shortage of work

preston johnny

gramar wrote: »

The village idiot but it's still a fairly popular profession even nowadays.

I agree, a friend of mine came second in a Village idiot competition down at the local community centre.

The bloke who won it forgot to turn up.

Sleepy

I knew I should have put a disclaimer into the first post about this society not having a ruling class of lazy aristocrats...

Neyite

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Alchemist

BURN THE WITCH !!!!

Frank Lee Midere

Well I'd be a Lord. Not a King. Too much danger and work. A Lord who doesn't rock the boat, gets on with the King, and only occasionally massacres the peasantry.

Also I will kill all the blacksmiths.

Saruman

The mad wizard of course.

Jesus Wept

I'd probably bludgeon cúnt$ in the head for whatever they had of worth.

Teyla Emmagan

Boxom wench. I would ideally spend a lot of time rolling in hay and having my arse slapped.

smcgiff

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Boxom wench. I would ideally spend a lot of time rolling in hay and having my arse slapped.

So... same as now then

BrokenArrows

OldGoat wrote: »

With your name I'd a thought you'd have opted for fletcher.

You would think, but I know my weaknesses. I would just keep breaking the arrows and the armies would have nothing to fire!

dr strangelove

Sleepy wrote: »

I knew I should have put a disclaimer into the first post about this society not having a ruling class of lazy aristocrats...

you DARE tell me i cannot be the king?

Off with your head!

josip

biko wrote: »

Stone mason, and I'd build a Cathedral.

And they'd cut off yer hands when you finished so you couldn't make another one like it.

MadsL

dr strangelove wrote: »

King.
I'd be the king.

You shall all bow before me

dr strangelove wrote: »

you DARE tell me i cannot be the king?

Off with your head!

I didn't vote for you...

Citroen2cv

Has your wife got much Plough Experience?
Only looking for a small amount, 6-7 years.

Teyla Emmagan

smcgiff wrote: »

So... same as now then

There's not as much arse slapping now as I'd like, to be fair

WilyCoyote

Strolling player

MonkeyTennis

A cooper. Id have to do a lot of testing mind you, licking leaks etc

josip

Sleepy wrote: »

...

For me, the answer would be Blacksmith. TBH, I think I'd still love to do it today but haven't the time or money to take it up as a hobby / train in it.

...

Congratulations. You're the successful applicant for the position of blacksmith to the Lord of Madrid.
You will take up the role starting on the 1st of June and there will be a 3 month probationary period.

Sunhill

To get one's Guild papers as a blacksmith involved a long apprenticeship (for which you paid for the training and your keep), with much hard work and a high standard of workmanship demanded. Would probably be harder to achieve than to get a PhD today. Mind you, the difference was that you were producing something that people found useful.