What things were worth in the Middle Ages wasn’t just a matter of prices or wages. Medieval societies attached worth to objects not only for their utility but also for their symbolic and social significance. While data on prices and wages offer some insights into medieval economies, they provide only a partial view. To truly understand what things were worth, one must explore the deeper layers of meaning, symbolism, and status attached to objects in this period.
Beyond Prices: Exploring Worth in Medieval Economies
Medievalists, inspired by thinkers like Karl Polanyi, increasingly view medieval economies as distinct from modern ones, akin to primitive or ancient economies. Documentation from this period reveals not only economic activities but also the social relationships mediated through the objects people made, exchanged, and consumed. For instance, written records allow us to count and measure objects, but they also highlight that commercial exchange often coexisted with non-market forms of exchange, such as gift-giving and ceremonial transactions.
The Symbolic and Historical Worth of Objects
The story of the golden table promised by Prince Sisenand to King Dagobert I in the early 7th century illustrates the complex nature of worth in the Middle Ages. This table, weighing 500 pounds and originally gifted by the Roman general Aetius to a Visigothic king, symbolised not only wealth but also the historical and cultural identity of the Visigothic people. Its proposed exchange for military aid provoked resistance among the Visigothic elite, as it was not merely an object of monetary value but a repository of historical and political significance. Eventually, Sisenand offered 200,000 gold sous instead—an astronomical sum compared to the maximum fine for major crimes in Visigothic law, which was 300 sous.
Throne of Dagobert, on display at Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris. It is believed to date to th 7th century. Photo by Cangadoba / Wikimedia Commons
Its worth was not simply tied to its weight in gold but to its role as a symbol of Visigothic sovereignty and identity. As anthropologist Maurice Godelier describes, certain objects, deeply tied to group identity and honour, are “priceless” and removed from ordinary circulation.
Gifts and Their Worth in Medieval Hierarchies
Gifts in medieval societies often carried both economic and symbolic weight. Weapons, for instance, exemplified this dual nature. In the mid-9th century, Count Evrard of Friuli bequeathed gold- and silver-decorated swords to his sons, reflecting their rank and inheritance. The worth of these swords lay not only in their material value but in their ability to signify social rank, familial bonds, and historical continuity.
Similarly, testaments reveal how the allocation of valuable objects like saddles, prayer books, or ceremonial swords reinforced relationships and societal order. A vassal who received his lord’s saddle was honoured, but less so than the son who inherited a gilded sword. These items also carried historical resonance: an heirloom sword connected its new owner to the past glories of its previous wielder, conferring a portion of that prestige. Rare materials like gold and silver, coupled with skilled craftsmanship, further amplified their worth.
The Role of Money in Determining Worth
Carolingian coin – Wikimedia Commons
Despite the prominence of non-monetary exchanges, money remained a constant reference point in medieval economies. Even during the early medieval period, from the 5th to the 8th centuries, monetary systems provided a framework for assessing worth, though coins were not always the medium of exchange. For instance, land transactions often involved complex measurements and assessments of economic potential rather than straightforward monetary payments.
The enduring presence of money in medieval economies highlights its role as an instrument connecting quality and quantity. Land valuations relied on precise calculations of area and productivity, as evidenced by 9th-century records. Similarly, the ability to assess the quality of materials, such as gold or steel, and to link these assessments to monetary equivalents, was a hallmark of economic expertise.
What things were worth in the Middle Ages was rarely just about monetary value. Whether as symbols of political power, expressions of social bonds, or markers of historical continuity, objects were deeply embedded in the social and cultural fabric of the time. From priceless treasures like Sisenand’s golden table to heirloom swords, worth was defined by utility, rarity, and the stories objects carried. This dual conception of worth invites us to view medieval economies not merely as precursors to modern systems but as distinct entities with their own complexities and logics.
Dr Lorris Chevalier, who has a Ph.D. in medieval literature, is a historical advisor for movies, including The Last Duel and Napoleon. Click here to view his website.
Further Readings:
Laurent Feller, “La valeur des choses au Moyen Âge”, Archéopages, Hors-série 5 | 2019, 45-47.
By Lorris Chevalier
What things were worth in the Middle Ages wasn’t just a matter of prices or wages. Medieval societies attached worth to objects not only for their utility but also for their symbolic and social significance. While data on prices and wages offer some insights into medieval economies, they provide only a partial view. To truly understand what things were worth, one must explore the deeper layers of meaning, symbolism, and status attached to objects in this period.
Beyond Prices: Exploring Worth in Medieval Economies
Medievalists, inspired by thinkers like Karl Polanyi, increasingly view medieval economies as distinct from modern ones, akin to primitive or ancient economies. Documentation from this period reveals not only economic activities but also the social relationships mediated through the objects people made, exchanged, and consumed. For instance, written records allow us to count and measure objects, but they also highlight that commercial exchange often coexisted with non-market forms of exchange, such as gift-giving and ceremonial transactions.
The Symbolic and Historical Worth of Objects
The story of the golden table promised by Prince Sisenand to King Dagobert I in the early 7th century illustrates the complex nature of worth in the Middle Ages. This table, weighing 500 pounds and originally gifted by the Roman general Aetius to a Visigothic king, symbolised not only wealth but also the historical and cultural identity of the Visigothic people. Its proposed exchange for military aid provoked resistance among the Visigothic elite, as it was not merely an object of monetary value but a repository of historical and political significance. Eventually, Sisenand offered 200,000 gold sous instead—an astronomical sum compared to the maximum fine for major crimes in Visigothic law, which was 300 sous.
Its worth was not simply tied to its weight in gold but to its role as a symbol of Visigothic sovereignty and identity. As anthropologist Maurice Godelier describes, certain objects, deeply tied to group identity and honour, are “priceless” and removed from ordinary circulation.
Gifts and Their Worth in Medieval Hierarchies
Gifts in medieval societies often carried both economic and symbolic weight. Weapons, for instance, exemplified this dual nature. In the mid-9th century, Count Evrard of Friuli bequeathed gold- and silver-decorated swords to his sons, reflecting their rank and inheritance. The worth of these swords lay not only in their material value but in their ability to signify social rank, familial bonds, and historical continuity.
Similarly, testaments reveal how the allocation of valuable objects like saddles, prayer books, or ceremonial swords reinforced relationships and societal order. A vassal who received his lord’s saddle was honoured, but less so than the son who inherited a gilded sword. These items also carried historical resonance: an heirloom sword connected its new owner to the past glories of its previous wielder, conferring a portion of that prestige. Rare materials like gold and silver, coupled with skilled craftsmanship, further amplified their worth.
The Role of Money in Determining Worth
Despite the prominence of non-monetary exchanges, money remained a constant reference point in medieval economies. Even during the early medieval period, from the 5th to the 8th centuries, monetary systems provided a framework for assessing worth, though coins were not always the medium of exchange. For instance, land transactions often involved complex measurements and assessments of economic potential rather than straightforward monetary payments.
The enduring presence of money in medieval economies highlights its role as an instrument connecting quality and quantity. Land valuations relied on precise calculations of area and productivity, as evidenced by 9th-century records. Similarly, the ability to assess the quality of materials, such as gold or steel, and to link these assessments to monetary equivalents, was a hallmark of economic expertise.
What things were worth in the Middle Ages was rarely just about monetary value. Whether as symbols of political power, expressions of social bonds, or markers of historical continuity, objects were deeply embedded in the social and cultural fabric of the time. From priceless treasures like Sisenand’s golden table to heirloom swords, worth was defined by utility, rarity, and the stories objects carried. This dual conception of worth invites us to view medieval economies not merely as precursors to modern systems but as distinct entities with their own complexities and logics.
Dr Lorris Chevalier, who has a Ph.D. in medieval literature, is a historical advisor for movies, including The Last Duel and Napoleon. Click here to view his website.
Further Readings:
Laurent Feller, “La valeur des choses au Moyen Âge”, Archéopages, Hors-série 5 | 2019, 45-47.
Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time (Boston: Beacon Press, 2011).
Maurice Godelier, The Enigma of the Gift (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007).
Laurent Feller, Économie et société au haut Moyen Âge (Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 2019).
Alain Guerreau, L’économie médiévale (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 2001).
Timothy Reuter, “Gifts and Commodities in the Middle Ages,” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 5th Series, Vol. 5 (1995): 111-128.
Claudio La Rocca & Livia Provero, “Weapons and Wealth in Carolingian Testaments,” Early Medieval Europe 9, no. 3 (2000): 215-230.
Top Image: British Library MS Cotton Claudius B. VI, f.87v
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