High platforms over the stove and along the walls were built for the people to sleep on (Hoch, p.61). Fresh straw was used for comfort and then burned in the morning for warmth. .
Household serfs made up only about seven percent of the population. These are peasants that were treated better than other serfs. Unlike the non-house serfs, there are detailed records on this particular group. Each adult household serf received two puds (one pud equals 36.1 pounds) of rye flour and one-quarter chetverik (one-quarter of which is approximately equal to 9 pounds) of either buckwheat groats or ground millet a month (Hoch, p.18). Children between ages six and sixteen, received half that amount and children under six were not allowed any food (Hoch, p.19). Two people were permitted to receive extra food each month such as wheat, oats, peas and hempseed. Meat was limited and had only been hunted during the late fall to carry them through the winter and was usually only consumed during special occasions (Vuinich, p.13). It was bread that was the chief diet of serfs. Other foods that consisted of their diet included a variety of vegetables such as cabbage; it could be eaten fresh in the summer and as sauerkraut in the winter (Vuinich, p.13). Beets, onions, tomatoes, potatoes and cucumbers were also other vegetables consumed by families. A common drink of the peasants was beer. It was made from bran, malt, dried crusts of bread, flour and water (Vuinich, p.13). The women made their own tea consisting of herbs, carrots, and fruit. Some household serfs were given extra monthly grain rations and also received money for non-grain food purchases. The less fortunate serfs did not have such luxuries. They had less food to eat and had to fend for themselves. The non-house serfs also hunted in the fall and vegetables had been farmed for their families as well.
After the fall of the Roman Empire in Europe the lack of a central authority gave rise to local lords exercising control.