Why was medieval fairs so popular?

Answer 1

The purpose was financial.

In England all weekly markets and annual fairs were licensed by the king; the licence usually specified where the market or fair must be held, how long it may last and who would benefit from the incomes raised in tolls, taxes and fees.

The annual St Peter's Fair at Shrewsbury, for example, was held on 1 August for 3 days and all income from tolls and rents went to the Abbot of Shrewsbury Abbey - the original charter was granted either by king William I or King Stephen. The money was collected by servants of the Abbey.

Everyone benefited, since merchants could travel from fair to fair or market to market and be guaranteed a large number of customers; they still made profits for themselves even after paying the tolls for bringing their goods into the town and the fee for a place to erect a stall or booth. The customers benefited by having access to merchants and goods they might not otherwise see.

Answer 2

Medieval fairs served several different purposes. They were alternately to celebrate certain events (royal weddings, births, etc.), or they were a means for smoothing over diplomatic affairs, or very often were used to curry favor with the people.

There was no better way to show your importance as a ruler than to celebrate your victories in grand fashion. Medieval rulers only survived if they reinforced their importance, their grandeur, and their power. In lieu of military displays, they had to impress in other ways, ways that did not dampen morale or crush the spirits of the lessers.

Kings and other rulers had to understand that though they were the power holders, they were relatively few compared to the masses and masses of lesser folk. If those lesser folk ever made a concerted effort against the rulers and their stewards than things would go very badly, very quickly. So why not make the people happy once in a while?

Imagine you're in a room where the whisper of revolt turns the conversation to one of insurrection. Because the king or what have you had been magnanimous from time to time, there are going to be some people in that room on his side. "By Jove, it was the king's festival where I met my wife! Long live the king!"

Of course that is a bit of an oversimplification. In the case of diplomacy, there were a number of reasons for having fairs. For one, with every royal party that came to meet at the court of another, there were plenty of tag-alongs. Vendors, performers would trail royal caravans in the hopes of putting on shows. Sometimes the fairs just evolved organically. And think about all those wayward knights and yeoman. They would often be in proximity to their mortal enemies. How would you propose they be kept in control? Organized combat was a good way to temper aggression and keep the soldiers from sparking diplomatic incidents. It was also a good way to display the prowess of their fighting men.

I think why they were so important falls back to the morale of the people. In our current world, we can see the importance of having the people you lead looking upon you with good favor. Revolution happens when the poor are forced lower and lower without any sign of being allowed to rise and thrive.

Answer 3

The purpose was to sell goods and have a bit of fun.