How Did People Stay Warm in a Medieval Winter?

Have you ever thought about how much we as homeowners take for granted our furnaces or fireplaces to keep warm in the winter?

Without them we would probably freak out.  So how did people back in the medieval times keep warm, especially during below freezing temperatures?  People back then did not have the luxury of having furnaces or space heaters to keep their homes warm and cozy.  We usually look at fireplaces as an ambiance or romantic pleasure, while in the medieval times fire was a necessity to keep warm.

Peasants of theses ages normally used a fire pit in the middle of the room to keep warm.  Smoke would blow out of a hole in the middle of the roof.  The home was usually quite smoky, but that was a small price to pay to keep their families warm.

Other than having a fire, people had animal heat to depend on.  Most peasants would have their animals barn close to their living spaces because the animals close together kept it fairly warm., enough to prevent any freezing.

Families would all sleep close together to share each other’s body heat.  They did not use twin style beds, there was no point.  They also had wool, feathers, and furs to keep warm with which came with having animals.

Life was a lot different back then and we today take a lot of things for granted.  Heat is one of them.  We are lucky to have our furnaces and fireplaces in the coldest of cold weather.  Therefore, we should take care of our heating systems and not take for granted that they won’t ever break down or have issues.  Regular maintenance and inspections are important and should be kept up with.  Otherwise you might find yourself one day when the temperature is below freezing living like they did in the medieval ages.