Transcript 2010-Medieval PP Chaucer

England in
th
the 6
century
The Medieval Catholic Church
What was the
intended role of
the clergy?
Monasticism or
seeking God
Benefits the church provided
1.Refuge in war times
for safe keeping,
inns, and hospitals
(think The Sound of
Music)
Benefits the church provided
2. Keepers of the
printed word
(libraries, copying
manuscripts and
books, illuminated
manuscripts).
Benefits the church provided
3. Mission work
Benefits the church
provided
4. Provide for the
needy
The Power of the
Medieval Church
The church
controlled about
1/3 of the
land in Western
Europe.
The Power of the
Medieval Church
Curbed feudal
warfare to only 40
days a year of
combat.
The Power of the
Medieval Church
Tried to curb
HERESIES (i.e.
Inquisition,
Crusades)
The Power of the
Medieval Church
Collected money
from the people in
the form of TITHES
(10% of earnings or
a penny from the
paupers).
A Medieval Monk’s Day
1066: The Battle of Hastings
William the Conqueror of Normandy kills King
Harold and takes the throne of England.
1066
Language changes from
Old English (Anglo-Saxon based) to
Middle English (Latin based)
Evolution of
England’s
Political System
Set up court system
Evolution of
England’s
Political System
1. Started Grand Juries & Jury
Trials
2. Est. Principle of Common Law
3. Archbishop of Canterbury,
Thomas Becket, is killed and
later canonized
Evolution of England’s
Political System
King John I
Magna Carta of 1215
The “Great Charter” was the first document forced
onto an English King by his subjects in an attempt
to limit his powers by law and protect their
privileges. This document became important in the
later establishment of constitutional law.
•Monarchs were no longer above the law
•The king had to consult a council of advisors
•The king could not tax the people arbitrarily
Evolution of England’s
Political System
Beginnings of British Parliament
The Great Council

Middle class merchants and townspeople initially made
up PARLIAMENT.

Two chambers evolved in 1400:
1. House of Lords: nobles and clergy
2. House of Commons: knights and burgesses
(freemen who represented an area or “borough”)
Carcassonne: A Medieval Castle
Medieval Castle
Medieval Castle
Medieval Castle
Parts of a Medieval Castle
The Medieval Manor
Castles Floors
 Ground Floors: beaten earth, stone or
plaster
 Upper Levels: Timber with wooden
pillars below
 Carpet: Used for walls, tables, and
benches. Not used for flooring until
1500’s.
 Floor Coverings: Herbs and rushes to
cover the beer, grease, bones, spittle,
and animal excrements.
Castles Halls
Early halls were aisled like a church, with rows of wooden posts
or stone pillars supporting the timber roof. Windows were
equipped with wooden shutters secured by an iron bar.
Stained Glass
“Poor Man’s Bible”
Used in the Middle Ages to illustrate
the narratives of the Bible to a
largely illiterate populace
Feudalism:
A political, economic, and social system
based on loyalty and military service.
Lords’ Responsibilities
 Protection and military aid
 Swear loyalty (fealty) to the King
 Protect lesser Lords (vassals) and
guard their children.
 If a Vassal (lesser Lord) died without an
heir, the Lord would distribute their
holdings.
THE THREE ESTATES
Origins
“Here below, some pray, others fight, still others work…
“
-Bishop Adalbero of Laon
“ from the beginning mankind has been divided into
three parts, among men of prayer, farmers, and men
of war.”
- Gerard of Cambrai
Those Who Pray…1st Estate
Duties
1.
Administer the sacraments
(marriage, baptism, confirmation)
2.
Absolve men/ women of sin
(confession)
3.
Oversee the spiritual life of the flock
Problems with the Church
1. Tax-exempt status
2. Power with higher clergy
3. Luxury with higher clergy
while lesser clergy often
oppressed
4. Many were unscrupulous,
but reformers were
punished
5. Second sons of nobility
joined
Those Who Fight…2nd Estate
Nobility and Knights
Duties
1.
Military Campaigns (including
Crusades)
2.
Escort Duty for higher nobility
3.
Guard Castle
4. Swear Loyalty to Lord and King
Christian Crusades: East and
West
The Road to Knighthood
KNIGHT
SQUIRE
PAGE
The Road to Knighthood
KNIGHT
SQUIRE
PAGE
•Training begins at age 6
•Helps lord dress and put on armor
•Training games include wrestling,
sword practice, and lance
practice
•Ladies teach him table manners
•Waits on Lord and lady
•Learns to hunt and hark
•Removes rust from armor
•Religious training
•Did not learn to read and write
The Road to Knighthood
KNIGHT
SQUIRE
PAGE
•Age 14
•Knight’s personal servant
•Aided knight in battle with weapons
•Played games with real weapons
against real knights
The Road to Knighthood
KNIGHT
SQUIRE
PAGE
•Free to roam
•Adventures and quests
•Held other knights for ransom
•Saved damsels in distress
Chivalry:
A Code of Honor and Behavior
Problems with the
2nd Estate
1.
2.
3.
If a noble became powerful enough, he
could tell a king “No” without retribution.
Vassals might swear loyalty to multiple
lords. Would declare a “liege homage” if
conflict arose.
Rules of chivalry often more professed than
practiced.
Those Who Work…3rd Estate
• Highest burden of taxes…lowest estate
• Covered everybody from the Intellectual
Class to the Peasants and Serfs
• No real chance of upward mobility to the
1st or 2nd Estates.
Medieval Guilds
Commercial Monopoly:
 Controlled membership
apprentice - journeyman - master craftsman
 Controlled quality of the product
 Controlled prices
Estate System
Theoretically, the estates worked together
to keep society running.
In 1381, the Peasants’ Revolt a reaction to higher
taxes.
By early 1500s, the Reformation of the Church
begins to address corruptions in 1st Estate
Canterbury Tales 1386
1.
Written in the common language of the
English (vernacular).
2.
Satirizes the Estates’ system, especially the
Church.
3.
Follows a group of pilgrims on a journey to
Canterbury and points out their flaws and
foibles along the way.