Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices From a Medieval Village

Hugo recalls a day when he escaped from his studies and went into the forest. While there, he saw a boar. He went back his to tell his uncle, who held “rod in hand, but didn’t strike” (2). The uncle told Hugo that they should go hunting for the boar, and that Hugo must hunt like a man. If he did, he would be rewarded with the boar’s kidneys (a rare and valuable source of protein and fat). However, if Hugo were to run away, he would be beaten. 

Hugo remembers dreaming about the hunt, which began at dawn. During the hunt, they spotted the boar, and Hugo killed it with a spear when it charged. He remembers that the boar took a long time to die, and he was almost crying with “the joy of it, and the terror” (4). He remembers his uncle giving him the boar’s kidneys as promised, and calling him a man. However, Hugo still dreams about the boar and the terrifying sound it made.

Taggot recalls the events of May Day, a medieval holiday that included flower-gathering, dancing, and flirtation. Although her parents and the others went to the celebration, Taggot did not; she explains that her friends have sweethearts, but “there’s no one for [her]” (5).