Medieval Guilds

As mentioned in the previous post, guilds were put in charge of constructing a pageant wagon and sponsoring one of the plays. A medieval guild can be most closely compared to a modern day union for workers. There were two types of guilds, merchant guilds and crafts guilds, and both kinds of guild offered the same benefits and responsibilities. One had to begin as an apprentice, work up to a journeyman or day worker, and then after much time and effort, be promoted to a master. Guilds offered community services, as well as protecting workers from employers. The plays in the York cycle were named after which crafts guild sponsored them. The subject matter of the show quite often tied into which guild was in charge of it. For example, the nativity play's full title is "The Tile Thatchers' Play: The Nativity". This play was sponsored by York's guild of tile thatchers, meaning that the original production most likely had some element involving tile thatching.

"Guilds." ISU Public Homepage Server. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. <http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbetcher/373/guilds.htm>.