Oh Grow Up!
Introduction
Being born, being young, growing up, and growing old. Was it different back then? Was it the same? What sort of sources do we have to work with and what can we discover from them?
By following people, both in the abstract and in specific cases, through the cycle of life, we can glimpse various aspects of social life in passing, a bit like watching the passing scenery through a car window. It's not the only way to look at society, but it is a way. It has the merit of bringing to the fore a number of misconceptions people tend to have about the medieval past.
In this essay we will do just that: trace through the cycle of life, from birth to death. Elsewhere we will look at institutions; here focus is on the individual.