Medieval Catholic practice in everyday life

[dragonfly]

Can anyone recommend a good source for information about how people practiced their Catholicism on a daily basis in the late Middle Ages?

More specifically, I am wondering what the English royal family in the early 1500s would have considered pious behavior.

I am writing Henry Fitzroy from Blood Ties, who is now a vampire, but was born in 1519. He is still (even as a vampire) a practicing Catholic, and, while I assume his worldview and practices would have changed with the Church somewhat over time, I'd like to follow that journey and need to know where he would have started.

Comments

[elven_ranger]

ummm... I have a few books on the subject kicking around (due to a couple of on- and - off -when- i- have- time writing projects on the Knights templar), ummm the one that I can immediatly see on my "medieval history" bookshelf is Religion in the Medieval West by Bernard Hamilton, which is the first one that I tend to hit if checking on peripheral details.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Religion-Medieval-West-Bernard-Hamilton/dp/0713164611/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314471555&sr=8-2

[dragonfly]

Thank you! I'll check my library.

[quinfirefrorefiddle]

So I'm guessing we're talking pre-Anne Boleyn, but are we talking post Henry-and-Catharine? Because if so, I have an Alison Weir book around here somewhere....

[dragonfly]

Well, anything describing people's daily beliefs and practices from that general time would be what influenced the character in his youth. I'm not familiar with Alison Weir; are you talking about a fiction book? Because I'd then have to trust that she did good research ...

[dragonfly]

Never mind! I see good research is what she is first known for. Thank you, I will look for her books at my library and paperbackswap.com.

[quinfirefrorefiddle]

In particular I suggest "The Six Wives of Henry VIII"- very readable, nonfiction, and has quite a bit on the religious issues and practices of the day, as she spends a lot of time contrasting the wives to each other and Henry on that score.

[dragonfly]

Cool. Thank you!