ABSTRACT
From the 13th century, but especially after 1348, the European poor were seen as an urgent problem; from 1350 to 1500 their numbers rose steeply, with consequent fear of popular revolts; by the 16th century the harsh view of the poor was increasingly enshrined in Poor Law. As European wealth grew, there was a widening gap between rich and poor. The biblical image of the ‘holy poor’ was replaced by suspicion and hostility. These changes are reflected in literature and popular culture: for example, in works of Chrétien de Troyes, Neidhart, Villon, and Chaucer.
