Transcript The Middle Ages - Coyne

The Middle Ages:
Myth and Reality
The Middle Ages: The Myth

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We think of knights in
shining armor, lavish
banquets, wandering
minstrels, kings, queens,
bishops, monks, pilgrims,
and glorious pageantry.
In film and in literature,
medieval life seems
heroic, entertaining, and
romantic.
The Middle Ages: The Reality

In reality, life in the
Middle Ages, a period
that extended from
approximately the 5th
century to the 15th
century in Western
Europe, could also be
harsh, uncertain, and
dangerous.
The Lord of the Manor

For safety and
defense, people in the
Middle Ages formed
small communities
around a central lord
or master.
The Manor

Most people lived
on a manor, which
consisted of the
castle (or manor
house), the church,
the village, and the
surrounding farm
land.
Self-Sufficiency
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Each manor was largely selfsufficient, growing or producing
all of the basic items needed for
food, clothing, and shelter.
To meet these needs, the manor
had buildings devoted to special
purposes, such as:
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The mill for grinding grain
The bake house for making bread
The blacksmith shop for creating
metal goods.
Isolation
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These manors were
isolated, with
occasional visits
from peddlers,
pilgrims on their way
to the Crusades, or
soldiers from other
fiefdoms.
The Feudal System

Under the feudal
system, the king
awarded land grants or
fiefs to his most
important nobles,
barons, and bishops, in
return for their
contribution of soldiers
for the king's armies.
Nobles and Vassals
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Nobles divided their
land among the lesser
nobility, who became
their vassals. Many of
these vassals became
so powerful that the
kings had difficulty
controlling them.
Code of Chivalry
NotableMonarchs
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Charlemagne- Holy
Roman Emperor
Eleanor of
Acquitainetroubadours
Hugh Capet
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Normans & AngloSaxons
Danish Vikings,
Alfred the Great
Norman Conquest,
William
Domesday Book
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Germany-936 Otto
the Great unites
Germany, Holy
Roman Emperor
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Spain & Portugaltrouble with
Muslims, the Moors
Reconquista to
reclaim for
Christians
The Magna Carta
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In 1215, the English
barons formed an
alliance that forced
King John to sign the
Magna Carta. It limited
the king's powers of
taxation and required
trials by jury. It was the
first time that an
English monarch was
subject to the law.
The Peasants
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At the lowest level of
society were the
peasants, also called
serfs or villeins.
The lord offered his
peasants protection in
exchange for living and
working on his land.
MEDIEVAL LIFE
Cooperation and Mutual
Obligations
KING
MANORIALISM:
ECONOMIC SYSTEM
FEUDALISM:
POLITICAL SYSTEM
Fief and Peasants
 Decentralized, local
government
 Dependent upon the
relationship between
members of the nobility
 Lord and his vassals
administered justice
and were the highest
authority in their land
 Agriculture the basis for
wealth
 Lands divided up into
self-sufficient manors
 Peasants (serfs) worked
the land and paid rent In
exchange for protection
 Barter the usual form of
exchange
Military Aid
Loyalty
LORDS (VASSALS TO KING)
Food
Protection
Shelter
Military Service
Homage
KNIGHTS (VASSALS TO LORDS)
Food
Protection
Farm the
Land
PEASANTS (SERFS)
Shelter
Pay
Rent
Women: Household Chores
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Whether they were
nobles or peasants,
women held a difficult
position in society.
They were largely
confined to household
tasks such as cooking,
baking bread, sewing,
weaving, and spinning.
Hunting & Fighting
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However, they also
hunted for food and
fought in battles,
learning to use
weapons to defend
their homes and
castles.
Other Occupations

Some medieval women
held other occupations.
There were women
blacksmiths,
merchants, and
apothecaries.
Midwives, Farmers, & Artists

Others were
midwives, worked in
the fields, or were
engaged in creative
endeavors such as
writing, playing
musical instruments,
dancing, and painting.
Witches & Nuns

Some women were
known as witches,
capable of sorcery
and healing. Others
became nuns and
devoted their lives
to God and spiritual
matters.
The Catholic Church
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The Catholic Church was
the only church in Europe
during the Middle Ages,
and it had its own laws and
large income.
Church leaders such as
bishops and archbishops
sat on the king's council
and played leading roles in
government.
Popes
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Some Popes had enough authority to summon
nobles and kings to councils
Leo IX (anti simony-selling offices),
excommunicates, Patriarch excommuication
splits church in two
Launch Crusades
Supremacy over Kings (Gregory & Henry IV)
Bishops
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Bishops, who were often
wealthy and came from
noble families, ruled
over groups of parishes
called dioceses.
Parish Priests
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Parish priests, on the other
hand, came from humbler
backgrounds and often had
little education.
The village priest tended to
the sick and indigent and,
if he was able, taught Latin
and the Bible to the youth
of the village
Monasteries
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Monasteries in the Middle
Ages were based on the
rules set down by St.
Benedict in the sixth
century. The monks
became known as
Benedictines and took
vows of poverty, chastity,
and obedience to their
leaders.
Monks
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Monks were required to
perform manual labor
and were forbidden to
own property, leave the
monastery, or become
entangled in the concerns
of society.
Daily tasks were often
carried out in silence.
Nuns
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Monks and their female
counterparts, nuns, who
lived in convents,
provided for the lessfortunate members of
the community.
Monasteries and
nunneries were safe
havens for pilgrims and
other travelers.
Education
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Between prayers, the
monks read or copied
religious texts and
music. Monks were
often well educated
and devoted their
lives to writing and
learning.
Pilgrimages

Pilgrimages were an
important part of religious
life in the Middle Ages.
Many people took
journeys to visit holy
shrines such the
Canterbury Cathedral in
England and sites in
Jerusalem and Rome.
The Canterbury Tales

Chaucer's Canterbury
Tales is a series of
stories told by 30
pilgrims as they
traveled to
Canterbury.
Religious Crises
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Heresy: beliefs that oppose the official
teachings of the Church
Inquisition to fight heresy, abuses
Development of additional orders to combatFrancis of Assisi and Dominic of Osma-friars
live amongst people instead of separate
Arguments over who should be pope lead to
Schism- 2 Popes, Rome & Avignon
Homes
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Most medieval homes
were cold, damp, and
dark. Sometimes it
was warmer and
lighter outside the
home than within its
walls.
Peasants Homes
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Many peasant
families ate, slept,
and spent time
together in very small
quarters, rarely more
than one or two
rooms. The houses
had thatched roofs
and were easily
destroyed.
Homes of the Wealthy
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The homes of the rich were
more elaborate than the
peasants' homes. Their
floors were paved, as
opposed to being strewn
with rushes and herbs, and
sometimes decorated with
tiles. Tapestries were hung
on the walls, providing not
only decoration but also an
extra layer of warmth.
The Kitchens of Peasant Homes
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In simpler homes where
there were no chimneys,
the medieval kitchen
consisted of a stone
hearth in the center of
the room. This was not
only where the cooking
took place, but also the
source of central heating.
The Peasant Diet
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In peasant families, the
wife did the cooking and
baking. The peasant diet
consisted of breads,
vegetables from their own
gardens, dairy products
from their own sheep,
goats, and cows, and pork
from their own livestock.
The Kitchens of Manor Houses
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The kitchens of manor
houses and castles had
big fireplaces where
meat, even large oxen,
could be roasted on
spits. These kitchens
were usually in
separate buildings, to
minimize the threat of
fire.
Clothing of the Wealthy
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The clothing of the
aristocracy and wealthy
merchants tended to be
elaborate and changed
according to the dictates of
fashion. Towards the end of
the Middle Ages, men of
the wealthy classes sported
hose and a jacket, often
with pleating or skirting, or
a tunic with a surcoat.
Women’s Clothing
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Women wore flowing
gowns and elaborate
headwear, ranging from
headdresses shaped like
hearts or butterflies to tall
steeple caps and Italian
turbans.
Peasant Clothing
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Peasant men wore
stockings and tunics, while
women wore long gowns
with sleeveless tunics and
wimples to cover their hair.
Sheepskin cloaks and
woolen hats and mittens
were worn in winter for
protection from the cold
and rain..
Health & Hygiene
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As the populations of
medieval towns and
cities increased,
hygienic conditions
worsened, leading to a
vast array of health
problems.
Medicine
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Medical knowledge was
limited and, despite the efforts
of medical practitioners and
public and religious
institutions to institute
regulations, medieval Europe
did not have an adequate
health care system
Remedies
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Many medieval medical
manuscripts contained
recipes for remedies
that called for hundreds
of therapeutic
substances.
Believed that disease
could be the result of
sinful behavior.
Blood letting by the
surgeon.
Black Death
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1347-1351 Sweep the Continent
Mongol armies first, merchants carry
Up to 1/3 population dies in Europe
Effects: 1. role of the Church/God
2.anti-Semitic backlash
3. lower population-ends manorial system,
survivor want higher wages, move from land
Arts & Entertainment

Art and music were critical
aspects of medieval
religious life and, towards
the end of the Middle Ages,
secular life as well. Singing
without instrumental
accompaniment was an
essential part of church
services. Monks and priests
chanted the divine offices
and the mass daily.
Drama
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Medieval drama grew out
of the liturgy, beginning
in about the eleventh
century. Some of the
topics were from the Old
Testament and others
were stories about the
birth and death of Christ.
Town Life
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After 1000, peace and
order grew. As a result,
peasants began to
expand their farms and
villages further into the
countryside. The earliest
merchants were peddlers
who went from village
to village selling their
goods.
Peddlers
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As the demand for goods
increased--particularly for the
gems, silks, and other
luxuries from Genoa and
Venice, the ports of Italy that
traded with the East--the
peddlers became more
familiar with complex issues
of trade, commerce,
accounting, and contracts.
Businessmen
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They became savvy businessmen
and learned to deal with Italian
moneylenders and bankers. The
English, Belgians, Germans, and
Dutch took their coal, timber,
wood, iron, copper, and lead to the
south and came back with luxury
items such as wine and olive oil.
Tradesmen
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With the advent of
trade and
commerce, feudal
life declined. As
the tradesmen
became wealthier,
they resented
having to give their
profits to their
lords.
Boroughs

Arrangements were made
for the townspeople to pay
a fixed annual sum to the
lord or king and gain
independence for their
town as a "borough" with
the power to govern itself.
The marketplace became
the focus of many towns.
Guilds
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Guilds were established to
gain higher wages for
their members and protect
them from competitors.
As the guilds grew rich
and powerful, they built
guildhalls and began
taking an active role in
civic affairs, setting up
courts to settle disputes
and punish wrongdoers.
The Merchant Class
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The new merchant class
included artisans,
masons, armorers,
bakers, shoemakers,
ropemakers, dyers, and
other skilled workers.
Masons
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Of all the craftsmen,
the masons were the
highest paid and most
respected. They were,
after all, responsible
for building the
cathedrals, hospitals,
universities, castles,
and guildhalls.
Apprentices
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Masons learned their
craft as apprentices
to a master mason,
living at lodges for
up to seven years.
The master mason
was essentially an
architect, a general
contractor, and a
teacher.
The First Companies
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The population of cities
swelled for the first time
since before the Dark
Ages. With the new
merchant activity,
companies were formed.
Merchants hired
bookkeepers, scribes,
and clerks, creating new
jobs.
The Printing Press
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Printing began in 1450
with the publication of
the Bible by Johannes
Gutenberg. This
revolutionized the spread
of learning. Other
inventions of the time
included mechanical
clocks, tower mills, and
guns.
Literature
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Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales
Dante Alighieri: The Divine Comedy
Religious texts: Hildegard of Bingen poet
Thomas Aquinas: at University of Paris,
Scholasticism- Christian teachings also
knowable and provable through the use of
logic and reason
Epic poems: The Song of Roland-chivalry &
troubadours
Visual Arts
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Architecture: Gothis style, flying buttresssupports walls from outside raises ceilings
Stained glass windows
Lavish outside decorations
Illuminated texts
Tapestry
Universities
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Develop in growing cities
Charlemagne early supporter
Men, studying liberal arts
Not strictly tied to a campus
Urban Life
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Few serfs were left in Europe by
the end of the Middle Ages, and
the growing burgher class became
very powerful. Hard work and
enterprise led to economic
prosperity and a new social order.
Urban life brought with it a new
freedom for individuals.
Wars
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Crusades- Pope Urban II calls for Christian
nations to put aside their differences to reclaim
the Holy Land from Turks
Nine Crusades-First Crusade reclaims
Jerusalem
Third- Saladin v. Richard the Lionhearted
Economic Effects: trade, Social Effects:
knowledge, persecutions,Political Effects:
death of nobles increases power of kings
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Hundred Years Wars-English/French, Joan of
Arc solidifies nationalism in France, military
technology
War of the Roses- battle between York and
Lancastrian families for English crown
References
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Adapted from the Annenberg Media/Learner.org website “The Middle
Ages”
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/