Late Medieval
What were the daily religious practises of people in late medieval england?

I need information on how a person in late medieval england would have behaved religiously - daily worship and prayers, superstitions, going to church - that kind of thing.
Can anyone help?

Thanks

Prayers: Many places had an Angelus bell rung at midday or sunset, at which time everyone would stop and recite a prayer. The number and times of prayers varied between places, though it was later standardised to morning, noon and evening. People would say grace before dining, and in many places also a short prayer after finishing.

Fasting: Fridays and Wednesdays were fast days, and so were many saint's feast days, as well as Lent and Advent. Fasting had been very legalised by the late middle ages, so that nobles still dined in style - only without any meat, eggs or dairy products.

Saints and relics were very much in play, and those who did not possess them could go on a pilgrimage to one of the holy sites for aid. There were a scattering of local sites in England; most prominently Canterbury.

Accessories: Rosaries and Books of Hours were popular fashion items, and could be as plain or lavishly decorated as the wearer could afford. Books were becoming much more widespread in the later middle ages, as the printing press had opened up literature to the merchant classes at the very least.

Superstitions: Witchcraft was officially said to be nonsense by the church, but was still believed. Wise women and cunning men existed in nearly all parishes, but were for the most part accepted as part of society. They performed such services as finding lost items, soothsaying, healing, divination and so forth. The witch trials never gained much heat in England, and was a 16th-century phenomenon for the most part.

Healing in particular seems to have been a fertile ground for superstitions. Some used prayers, other used charms, traditional herbs, "magical" protective items, or dabbling in hedge magic like digging holes in churchyards, boiling eggs in urine or tying staves and herbs to cow's tails.

Belief in faeries was an idea in decline, but still existed, particularly in Scotland. Some folk tales are still told about them, and no doubt they were alive and well in this time. The extent of the belief is somewhat murky, as we mostly come into contact with society through the eyes of the upper classes. Various seasonal rituals also make references to pagan beliefs, but those ideas existed in addition to the Christian base beliefs, not as a replacement.

This is just scratching the surface, so I recommend you look in your local library for more info.



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