Fia <3: What forms of entertainment were there in the 1690s?
I need help finding forms of entertainment in the 1690s for a Crucible project I am doing for my language arts class. I don’t need information on the book but from the time period (1690s). Like what did they do for fun (Theater, art etc).
Please provide links to where you found the information!
Thank you!
Answers and Views:
Answer by Maddy
Well, Dracula impaled people with long sharp poles.
Up the butt, through the mouth.
They stayed alive like that for days.
Women, Children, Men.
the daily executions believe it or not…Answer by will
executions, dramas/plays, opiates, and rolling a barrel. sometimes all at once.Answer by Courage
Music was important. In 1690 the clarinet was invented, which gave a LOT of variety of music that was unavailable before then. See “Water Music” for instance. Change ringing was also invented (where a bunch of bells in a tower play a song basically.)
Spirits were around at that time of course. Pantomiming was popular. Storytelling of course.
There was the ‘meal’ which were very important and had a lot of ritual going on.
There were a lot of games. Chess of course. Backgammon I think. Just plain storytelling. Blowing up the stomach of an animal to use as a balloon or ball. Winding a cord around and around to make a harder ball. Stick ball, and the like. Croquet, primitive football.
There were crafts going on, cross-stitch, crochet, knit, etc. People whittled interesting patterns or intricate designs.
Storytelling of course.
Honestly though, if you read the book it probably talks about what they did for entertainment as much as anything.
Answer by zigotoIn the Middle Ages in Europe, society was dominated by the Clergy, and by Feudal Lords.
Both fed lavishly on the peasants and the general population of serfs.
In order to better exploit them, they had to provide mysticism (through religion) and “drama” (stories about the life of the “bold and beautiful” of the era…, the nobility)
They had “Songs”, like the Niebelungen Song in Germany and the Roland Song in France…, with “raconteurs” (story tellers) going from village to village, recounting the Songs (actually Song meant story).
The secular and religious Lords and Masters provided many others form of public entertainment. For instance, going to Church was a important form of mystical entertainment. Huge and ornate Churches ( romanic, gothic, baroque, rococo etc.) were an impressive venue compared to the shacks and huts they lived in. The Church had the most awsome musical instrument of the time, the Organ. And they were elaborate music pieces from famous composers (Teleman, Bach etc) to listen to, at a time where they were few opportunities to listen to music (no radio yet). And the elaborate Church rituals in latin, with colorful robes, decans and choir boys, with plenty of bell-ringing, incense burning, and simple “chants” to sing along with.
The Church was definitely the best show in town.
And then, every now and then, the feudal master of the area (the Duc, Count, Baron, Knight or Bishop, etc) was staging a “festival” , with music, puppet shows, theater, fighting games, early ball games, and food.
Of course, the law enforcement and penal procedures of that time were also a form of gruesome entertainment , staged with great fanfare, such as hangings, torture, beatings, stonings, and other forms of public punishments.
Finally, the natural disasters, of weather, disease and pestilence, combined with unatural disasters of bloody wars, conflict, and personal vendettas, were in a way contributing to the otherwise boring and painful existence.
I dare say, that life in the 1690’s was certainly more intensely entertaining for people than for today’s couch potatoes. (not much time to be depressed or anorexic)
The average life expectancy was probably 40 years if I recall. Life was truly, short, nasty and brutish.
Answer by EmilyMusic, writing, dancing, conversing with friends. Kinda like today, only more medival.
Leave a Reply