M. Tarasiuk, Master’s Student
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0003-2107-2073
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2640.2020.144.10
EVERYDAY LIFE OF VOLHYNIANS: FOOD, CLOTHES AND ETERTAINMENT
(late 14th – mid-16th centuries)
In the article some aspects of the everyday life of Volhynia burghers and peasants of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the end of the 14th and mid-16th centuries are considered. The variety and variations of food, the types of clothing available to ordinary people, the concept of body care and health care, as well as the entertainment of the common people and places of rest such as taverns and baths are explored. It was discovered that the Volhynians’ diet was rich and included meat products, such as fish like carp, pike, sturgeon, beluga and even Danzig herring, flour products, seasonings and natural preservatives, which were bought at city auctions and grown on their own. By the middle of the 16th century, Volhynians formed separate ideas about medicine, where approaching Jewish or Welsh doctors were common. Usually, medicines were herbal drinks and ointments Examination of the body was carried out to identify the causes of the disease. Activities of local people were analyzed, such as dice, chess, dance, communication with other residents of Volhynia cities and villages, usage of prostitutes. In fact, depending on the success of the production sphere, the citizen or the peasant could afford a standard of living. It was found out that the everyday life of the Volhynian was relatively bright and filled with events and included the choice of products for dinner, the selection of a new wardrobe item, the discussion of local news after work, participation in lawsuits in ham, playing games and taking the glass of a strong drink. The Volhynians’ ideas of «unprofitable people», which had analogies in Western European countries, were singled out.
Keywords: Late Middle Ages, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Volhynia, everyday life, clothes, food, medicine, entertainment.
Received by the editorial board: 13.02.2020
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