Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Religion was a very important part of life. Catholicism was the main religion of Europe. People were expected to attend church at least once a week to attend mass, their main religious ceremony. In addition, the days were split into prayer hours. People would pray to God whenever they needed comfort. Religious ceremonies were led by priests, who could sometimes be just as corrupt as the lords. Monks were holy men who dedicated their lives to worship and prayer. They were supposed to take vows of poverty, but in reality many of the monasteries were very rich.

Many people were not happy with the way things were. A desire for reform in the Church emerged, and some rebel leaders began to preach for more equality in daily life. They wanted to put an end to serfdom and make taxes and wages fairer. In 1381 there was a Peasant Revolution in England, in which many people rose up to demand changes. One of the leaders was John Ball, who appears in this story. The revolution was very violent, and unfortunately was not successful. John Ball and other rebel leaders were executed. This took place just a few years after this story is set.