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Ye Old Carpentry

A carpenter focuses his= skilled eye on the wood, using his intuitive geometrical mind to calculate= the cut.

The Carpenter

Historically

Carpenters during the medieval ages were = elite tradesmen and crafters. (The Medieval Craftsmen) Obviously very skill= ed in geometry and mathematics and very handy with wood and cutting tools.&= nbsp; As a craftsmen, as where most craftsmen during the time, had to under= go apprenticeship. (Turner, Carpenters) The apprenticeship was usually soug= ht while they were young, and the majority of craftsmen belonged to guilds.= The guild was also an isolated structure, which only allowed jobs to peopl= e with training in a certain skill; differentiating themselves from a commo= n laborer, peasant, or serf of the time. (Craft Guilds in The Middle Ages) Carpenters used relatively simple tools to create works of great = importance, and this was only possible through uncanny skill attained throu= gh years of training. Most guildsmen were considered elite workers, especia= lly carpenters, since most objects were made out of wood. (Medieval Occupations: Carpenters) Road wagons, buildings, and sales carts were all the work of carp= enters; and held an important role in the economic infrastructure of the me= dieval economy.

Social

Socially, carpenters belonged to= the craftsmen in the medieval caste system. The craftsmen where distinguis= hed for their belonging to guilds, which gave them a specific power from ot= her regular laborers of the time. (Craft Guilds in The Middle Ages) A maste= r carpenter during the time always had the opportunity for a job, and was p= aid high wages for his work. In fact, a king would usually have a master ca= rpenter as part of his court as a specialist. Having a carpenter in your co= urt. was a sign of wealth and prestige. (Medieval Occupations: Carpenters) = The guilds were very loyal to its members, when members where sick, died, o= r were too old to work; the guild community was able to provide money for t= hose in need. (Craft Guilds in The Middle Ages) Socially, to the public, ca= rpenters were a class wholly different from the era. In a time when everyon= e was either insanely rich or destitute, carpenters displayed what we would= call today a “middle class” wealth. The wealth and status of a= carpenter put them above the common laborer, but nonetheless like everyone= in medieval Europe; wealth or prestige was always restricted by the divine= right of a King’s power.

Cultural

A good guildsmen was not one who= was the best at crafting, rather he was a good guildsman by his role in ai= ding other guildsmen in the community. (Medieval Occupations: Carpenters) T= he guilds stood together as a community, and though guildsmen were an impor= tant part of the community; they were a community within a community. The c= raftsmen held a whole social caste in themselves, isolated from other commo= n laborers. The guildsmen resembled what today we would call unions, and cr= eated a whole cultural norm under a person’s labor; protecting their = interests over the interests of merchants. A true craftsmen put the interes= t of the guild first, and they took care of their own, as we see a form of = “retirement” arose among the guilds. (Medieval Occupations: Car= penters) In all Carpenters could be considered the same thing as crafters, = all belonging to a certain caste system that provided support within number= s, but restricted numbers.

Bibliography

http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/me= dcraft.html &nbs= p; &= nbsp; (The Medieval Craftsmen)

http://www.qualityinfo.org/olmisj/ArticleRe= ader?itemid=3D00005844 (Turner, C= arpenters)

http://hkcarms.tripod.com/oc5.html &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; (Medieval Occupations: Carpenters)

http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/craft-guilds-= in-the-middle-ages.htm (Craft Gui= lds in The Middle Ages)

Irving

Period 5