Medieval entertainment

It would be a mistake to judge, that in medieval Krakow, entertainment was indulged in with impunity and at will. Both drinking in taverns, and the dice game considered as gambling were under the control of municipal authorities. Special officers kept order in the taverns. After the specified time, it was forbidden to serve alcohol in “premises”, and only sell “Takeaway”. On holidays, however, it was forbidden to open more than one barrel of alcohol at a time and sell the drink before the sum in the church. Despite these and other sanctions in medieval Krakow, people drank a lot and at any occasion. By order of secular authorities, especially church ones, dice players were severely fined. One delinquent gambler even faced the penalty of thirteen weeks of the tower and the loss of citizenship. All state and church ceremonies were a great attraction: processions, entries of famous personalities, funerals and of course (always fascinating) executions. The people often had the opportunity to play. It was created for him by numerous holidays and indulgences in Krakow: Sleeve, Emmaus, Lajkonik, releasing wreaths on Sobótka and Whitsun. Guild games were also celebrated, whose scenarios differed depending on the guild. For example, butchers on the first day of Lent with the sounds of instruments, among the dancing, they brought an ox dressed in green to the market square, to burn smelly items afterwards. The representatives of all social classes devoted themselves to dancing with great enthusiasm: people danced in inns, in the streets and even in monasteries (during the visit of an important person). Dances in churches and cemeteries, not so rare at all, opposed (not very effective) church authorities.