Medieval Saaremaa islanders very likely had many children. The attitude towards avoiding having children, abortion, and even the killing of new-borns was generally more lenient in pre-Christian society. Conversion to Christianity, however, brought severe punishments for such transgressions.
In a document from 1241, Saaremaa islanders accept the following obligation:
‘They pay a fine of 3 oserings for infanticide and the mother herself is scourged in the graveyard on nine successive Sundays.’
In general, new-borns were killed if there already were numerous children in the family and the family was incapable of supporting an extra child. At the same time, giving birth to children out of wedlock was probably not considered reprehensible in medieval Saaremaa.
Depicting the death of a child, part of a Dance of Death from the beginning of the 16th century.
Hans Holbein the Younger, woodcut, c. 1526
The way people were able to get by in their old age depended to a great extent on how many children they had. Only some of the children who were born reached adulthood. According to some researchers, altogether up to 70% of children died before reaching the age of 3 years old. Most of those deaths were due to illness but very many children also died as a result of accidents. Little children drowned, fell into fires, were run over by carts or horses, or were eaten by animals such as wolves or swine.
Tõenäoliselt oli keskaegsetel saarlastel üsna palju lapsi. Kristluse-eelses ühiskonnas oli suhtumine laste saamisest hoidumisse, aborti ning isegi vastsündinute tapmisse üldiselt leebem, ristiusku astumine tõi aga selliste üleastumiste eest kaasa ranged karistused.
1241. aasta dokumendis võtavad saarlased kohustuseks:
„Lapsetapmise eest annavad nad 3 oseringi trahviks ja ema ise saab üheksal pühapäeval surnuaial rooska.“
Üldjuhul tapeti vastsündinu siis, kui peres oli juba mitmeid lapsi ning veel ühte ei suudetud ülal pidada. Samas vallaslapse saamist tõenäoliselt ei peetud keskaegsel Saaremaal taunitavaks.
Lapse surma kujutav osa 16. sajandi alguse surmatantsust.
Hans Holbein noorem, puulõige, c. 1526
Inimeste hakkamasaamine vanas eas sõltus suuresti laste arvust, täiskasvanuikka jõudis aga vaid osa sündinud lastest. Mõnedel andmetel suri lausa kuni 70% lastest enne 3-aastaseks saamist, enamik haigustesse, kuid väga paljud ka õnnetuste tagajärjel. Väikelapsed uppusid, kukkusid tulle, jäid vankri või hobuse alla või söödi ära loomade, näiteks huntide või sigade poolt.