Peasant rant

[limyaael]

Right. So. The peasant rant.

Comments

[kdorian]

I don't know what set him off, but I remember very well the day my father got on a tear about how peasants are depicted in modern stories. Consider the following points he brought up:

1) There isn't enough food. The people who get priority at the table are the people who have to work, not the children who are more likely to die anyway. When you don't have good quality food, and kids don't get much of what's available, what you end up with are short, scrawny kids who may have brain damage from malnutrition.

2) Women worked just as hard as men, frequently on the same job. They did not sit home and take care of the children. In fact, any child old enough to do so also worked. So who took care of the kids?
-a) Infants: Wrap the kid in cloth/skins/whatever tightly enough that the baby couldn't move, then stick him somewhere out of the way but close enough that s/he could be fed when the mother's breasts were full.
-b) Toddlers: One historical solution (I think from China, but I could be wrong) was to dig a pit too deep for a toddler to climb out of, stick the naked child in the pit as you went off to work, and pick him up again at the end of the day.

Between the lack of nutrition and lack of mental stimulation, it was no wonder that some peasants ended up little brighter than oxen. Which, of course, worked to justify the system - you couldn't expect the peasants to take care of themselves; the lords had reason to think of their peasants as little more than slightly-clever beasts.

[sabotabby]

Completely off-topic, but I love your icon.

[kdorian]

Thanks! I've forgotten who I got it from. :(

[tasllyn]

i've hear of situations where kids who weren't quite old enough to work took care of their younger/infant siblings...i can't remember where i read that, though, so i'm not sure how much truth is in that...

[peri_peteia]

I have to ring in on that icon thing too.

Lurve.

[kdorian]

Thank you! Not my own creation, I've not nearly the skill.

[lian_li]

Which, of course, worked to justify the system - you couldn't expect the peasants to take care of themselves; the lords had reason to think of their peasants as little more than slightly-clever beasts. Heh. Have you read "The Story of the Stone" by Barry Hughart? One of the main characters is from a peasant background, and he talks about the politics of peasant girls going to the city as prostitutes (because their families can't sustain them); it's along the same lines 'dirty inhumans, how can they sell their daughters into prostitution, yadda yadda, serves them right to be oppressed'. Can't do the beautifully sarcastic reasoning enough justice here, but there are quite some glimpses how the feudal system treats peasants in the book. Highly worthwhile.

[ciaan]

I love those books.

[kdorian]

I adore "The Story of the Stone", and yes, that's a good point. He does a great job of illustrating the Catch-22 that the peasants were forced into. He does a very clever job of illustrating some of the more notable and sarcasm-worthy conventions in that book.

[lian_li]

Word. ^_^ It's quite rare to find fellow adorers. I always wonder why that is? These books are to good to be ignored!

[kdorian]

Actually, I wasn't that thrilled with Eight Skilled Gentlemen, but that's only because he set such a high standard for himself with the first three books.

[lian_li]

Ah, but I'm simply blinded by "The Story of the Stone" -- my love for the book pours over the other two as well, but yes, I also like "Eight Skilled Gentlemen" least. Umm, or at least I only now three -- never heard there were four, although I know the series wa ssupposed to be seven volumes. What would be the fourth one?

[kdorian]

*Blinks* The imaginary one in my head? I meant to say the first two of the three books he wrote, my bad!

[kdorian]

Also (slightly off-topic) if you want to take a look at social conventions and why things that don't seem to make sense stay in place, look up Marvin Harris, especially his books "Cows, Pigs, Wars & Witches", "Good to Eat", and "Cannibals & Kings". He does a wonderful job of explaining why things that don't look like they make logical sense - like Hindu cow worship - are actually necessary for survival. If I ever create a world, I'm going to re-read his stuff first and see if I can create 'illogical' customs.

[lian_li]

Damn, that sounds interesting. Non-fiction, yes?

[kdorian]

Yes, he's an anthropologist.