Meet the Middle Ages
BackFrom apprentice to master
The guilds had detailed rules of how the crafts should be conducted. They also set the rules for training. Small boys started as apprentices to a master at the age of eight or nine. To begin with, they only did the simplest work. When they got older, they were gradually given more responsibility. After seven or eight years, an apprentice usually knew enough to prove his skill by making a qualifying piece of work. This piece of work was often complicated and richly decorated - the young man wanted to show how clever he was. If his work was approved of, he became a journeyman. Most journeymen travelled to learn more. The journeys could last for a long time and could be taken to foreign countries. When the young man returned, he brought home new ideas and techniques.
When the journeyman came back, he could take an examination for the master. If he passed the examination, he became a master himself, and could apply for complete membership of the guild. The new master was accepted into the guild at a grand ceremony. One of the most important rituals was to drink with the others from the so-called "välkomman" (the welcomer), a richly adorned cup. If there was no need for a new master in the town, he had to go to another town or continue as a journeyman.