During the medieval period, it was common for lords and nobles to host grand feasts and banquets. These events were often occasions for displays of wealth and generosity, with guests enjoying lavish meals and entertainment.
However, it was also a time of great poverty and hardship, and many people in the surrounding villages and towns struggled to make ends meet. The dole window was a way for the lord or noble to share their abundance with those in need.
After the feast or banquet was finished, the leftovers would be brought to the dole window, which was usually located on an outside wall of the castle or manor house. The poor and needy would gather outside the window, waiting for the scraps of food that were doled out to them.
The dole window was a way for the wealthy and powerful to demonstrate their generosity and compassion, and it was an important part of the social fabric of medieval society. While the dole window may not be as common today, its legacy lives on as a reminder of the importance of charity and compassion in our communities.
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