cuckold
A husband unaware that his wife has been unfaithful to him.
fabliau
A literary genre characterized by being short, ribald, peopled with stock characters, and that seeks to humorously teach a moral lesson.
cleric
A person who is a member of the clergy and who is a character very often targeted for being hypocritical in these stories.
covetousness
A sinful desire for what another possesses
burgher
The middle class citizen of a medieval village or town.
industrious
Diligent, conscientious and hard-working.
merriment
An exhibition of joy and gaiety.
stratagem
A single tactic that is utilized as part of a grander strategic plan.
jongleur
Medieval entertainer who told stories through song.
moneylender
A loanshark who offers credit at oppressively high interest rates
ignoble
Lacking honor and worthy of contempt
prowess
A person’s particular expertise and talent for a certain task
baseborn
Being of a lowly or humble parentage
vagabond
A purposeless wanderer, a nomadic traveler
castellan
The caretaker of a castle
malingerer
A person who fakes an inability or incapacity to do work to get out of doing it.
tankard
An oversized cup for drinking that features a handle and a hinged cover
tonsure
The ritualistic bald patch resulting from shaving the crown of the head associated with monks.
cloister
The section inside a convent or monastery devoted to isolated ritualistic prayer
furbelow
The decorative ruffled frill on clothing.
