Why Medieval People Were Always on the Move

People moved constantly, usually not because they wanted to, but because something had gone horribly

wrong. Crops failed. Lords raised rents. Armies marched through, ate everything,

and left behind the medieval equivalent of a sorry about that note written in hoof prints and

ash. When this happened, peasants didn't complain. Complaining was

dangerous. Complaining meant drawing attention to yourself, and attention from

authority figures rarely improved anyone's situation. So instead, they packed.

And by packed, I mean they grabbed whatever wasn't nailed down, argued over whether

the cooking pot was worth carrying, and walked, not toward opportunity - opportunity was