Could you live in the Middle Ages?

[Still Waters]

A Russian man is taking the chance to escape the rat race to the extreme - by living like a 10th century hermit in the snow-covered forests of Russia.

He is only allowed to leave the fenced-off area of the farm to hunt and gather food, is banned from any kind of communication, and can only use authentic tools from ancient Russia.

http://www.dailymail...val-hermit.html

[Keel M.]

Good for him! It's a living history experiment.

[freetoroam]

If anyone wants to see what it is like living in the middle ages, visit Guedelon in France. I have been visiting it since it started and it is absolutely awsome.

Guedelon, a castle in the making, fascinating.

[freetoroam]

Ps: could I live there? Absolutely.

[toast]

Live in the middle ages? No, never ever!

No medical care, no dentist, no WC, plagues all around, syphilis, pest, tuberculosis, inquisition, burning of witches, exploitation by the

church and landlords, expectancy of life 35 years, infant mortality rate 30%, no old age benefits, underfeeding, malnutrition, hunger,

crud and fetid, abusiveness, oppression, boredom, no education, no free will, illiteracy, no books etc etc etc.

And from a hedonistic point of view, no because: no pizza, no grapefruits, no bananas, no BMW, no Ducati, no www, no Debbie Harry,

Bowie and all the others, no travel, no cocoa, no pasta, no chocolate, no cameras, no telescopes, no warm water etc etc etc.

The MA can really eat my a** !!!

[Xynoplas]

I used to do this on alternate weekends.

[freetoroam]

Live in the middle ages? No, never ever!

No medical care, no dentist, no WC, plagues all around, syphilis, pest, tuberculosis, inquisition, burning of witches, exploitation by the

church and landlords, expectancy of life 35 years, infant mortality rate 30%, no old age benefits, underfeeding, malnutrition, hunger,

crud and fetid, abusiveness, oppression, boredom, no education, no free will, illiteracy, no books etc etc etc.

And from a hedonistic point of view, no because: no pizza, no grapefruits, no bananas, no BMW, no Ducati, no www, no Debbie Harry,

Bowie and all the others, no travel, no cocoa, no pasta, no chocolate, no cameras, no telescopes, no warm water etc etc etc.

The MA can really eat my a** !!!

Oh toast, what has the modern world done to you? Lol

[toast]

Oh toast, what has the modern world done to you? Lol

Yeah, the modern world made me strong, smart, likable, humorous and inimitable. That´s wonderfull, isn´t it?

Edited January 28, 2014 by toast

[lightly]

Yes, i could.

Why does this guy have to be a "hermit"? .. or be " banned from any kind of communication "? That wouldn't be the norm for a person living in the middle age or any other?

But it's an interesting experiment.

[moonshadow60]

No; I couldn't do it. The idea of living in the Middle Ages is not that bad, but to be a hermit, cut off from all communication? In less than a month I would be stark raving mad.

[questionmark]

Depends, if I had no choice surely... voluntary? Absolutely no longer than a month and available med evac.

[wingyflam]

I could if there was a shop nearbye.

[MonkeyLove]

Inevitable given peak oil, global warming, and other predicaments.

[Ealdwita]

Leaving aside the absence of modern 'advantages' (so eloquently listed earlier by Toast...It's my belief that the greatest difficulty that modern man (or woman) would encounter is the basic skills necessary for day-to-day existance.

Firstly, aquisition of food...Not everybody is Rambo and I wonder just how many of us could actually loose the shaft that skewers Bambi in order to eat that day, or wring the neck of that goose for Sunday lunch. Everything....bread, butter, cheese etc has to be made from scratch...How many of us are capable of that? The Medieval farmer and his family make modern-day survivalists look like shopaholics!

Accommodation, clothing, tools and farm equipment must all be home produced. Animal husbandry and midwifery...all part of the daily round.

We just don't have the life skills to exist in the 10th.Century!

I am a 'modern' farmer and huntsman, and I very much doubt I'd survive much past my first nappy change!

[Xynoplas]

There'd have to be some wenches and ale involved before I signed up for that.

[Careful_perspective]

As a woman, I don't think I could. It would be incredibly difficult for me to put aside my modern day sensibilities as a female. Laws were so different back then, and social norms were even more extreme.

[Eldorado]

Only if I was allowed to stay at Ye Olde Holiday Inn.

[keninsc]

Oh I probably could but the real question is "Why would I?"

[keninsc]

Oh I probably could but the real question is "Why would I?"

[JGirl]

sorry, there must be coffee.

[Astra.]

No, I wouldn't handle it at all. I like my creature comforts to much.

All in all, I hope it works out for the Russian. I wonder what the pay off is?

[Peter B]

No from me, too.

And the thing I'd miss the most? I'm not sure, but I'll tell you that nail clippers would be high up on the list. Nail clippers: one of the great unheralded inventions.

[+susieice]

As a woman, I don't think I could. It would be incredibly difficult for me to put aside my modern day sensibilities as a female. Laws were so different back then, and social norms were even more extreme.

I know just what you mean. I wouldn't make it more than an hour in the actual middle ages. Two minutes after the neighbors started calling me a witch, they'd be screaming heretic.

[EllJay]

Could you live in the Middle Ages?

Well, if one is prepared to live only to the average-age of 40, lose most of your teeth, cope with insanely bad hygiene, a overwhelming "cocktail" of foul stenches if you are living in a town, and also suffering around a dozen different smaller or bigger ailments and pains, drink booze like it was milk just to keep those pains and ailments at bay, living in constant fear of being accused by the church for some random imagined wrongdoing, and generally be a subject to violent assault from people in a society that values a life less than a bucket of pi$$.

So yeah, if you are prepared for all of that you will be just fine in the middle ages.

Edited February 9, 2014 by EllJay

[Eldorado]

Well, if one is prepared to live only to the average-age of 40, lose most of your teeth, cope with insanely bad hygiene, a overwhelming "cocktail" of foul stenches if you are living in a town, and also suffering around a dozen different smaller or bigger ailments and pains, drink booze like it was milk just to keep those pains and ailments at bay, living in constant fear of being accused by the church for some random imagined wrongdoing, and generally be a subject to violent assault from people in a society that values a life less than a bucket of pi$$.

So yeah, if you are prepared for all of that you will be just fine in the middle ages.

You'd also be fine in Chad.

"The worst country to be born in last year was Chad, which has a life expectancy of 49."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/10561478/Countries-with-highest-and-lowest-life-expectancies-for-people-born-in-2013-charted.html