Transcript Medieval Notes

The Medieval Period
or
The Middle Ages
1066-1485
The Role of the Church
A. Physical Protection
 Offered safe haven to
neighbors
 Some churchmen were
renowned fighters
 Monasteries preserved
important arts of
manufacturing (goods
and texts)
 Popes fill political
vacuum in the west and
were the head of the
church
B. Preservers of GrecoRoman Culture
 Significance of copying
manuscripts
 The only literature of the
time was copied by
monks. Almost all
literature was religious or
approved by the church.
 Since your population
could not read, they
depended on the church
to interpret for them.
 Only the noble class
could read and write.
C. Spiritual Protection
 Superstitious, illiterate age
 The Church was the door
to salvation
 Seven Deadly sins: pride,
envy, anger, greed, lust,
gluttony, and sloth
 People lived through the
church and it’s word.
 The church was the center
of daily life. People went to
church like they watch
television today.
C. Spiritual Protection
(cont)
 If people did not follow the
church’s rules, they were led to
believe they would go to hell or
purgatory
 People must repent their sins and
help the church or they would be
ostracized from society
 People had to do good deeds,
give the church a percentage of
the money (taxes and charity),
and follow all church rules.
C. Spiritual Protection
(cont)
 The cultural power of
calling on saints for
help
 The Supernatural
power of Relics
 Christian burial near
the Church altar
C. Spiritual Protection
(cont)
 The church was there to
guide people into
heaven and to control
the base feelings of
human kind.
 Salvation was only for
the holy.
 Monks and nuns
dedicated their lives to
the church away from
society and often took
vows of poverty,
chastity, silence, study,
work, and charity.
Spiritual Protection (cont.)
 A Nunnery is where
nuns (a cloister of nuns)
lived
 A prioress is a head nun
 Nuns devote their lives
to Christ—they are
brides of Christ
 The women were usually
sent there as
punishment from their
fathers or other male
relatives
Spiritual Protections
(cont.)
 Monks (those men who devoted
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their lives to Christ) lived in
monasteries and did not interact
with the public
Friars were members of the clergy
who lived on the charity of the
faithful only
Clerics are members of the church
who also work for it
Parsons were the priest of a parish
church (a village or manor’s church)
Pardoners gave out (or sold) tokens
and relics that forgave people of
their sins
IV. Feudalism: I rub your
back and you rub mine
Kings
 Kings were chosen by God.
They were the ones who ruled
the lands and created the laws.
 In order for Kings to protect their
lands, they needed an army.
 In exchange for money and
land, kings appointed noblemen
to protect the kingdom.
 These noblemen were called
vassals or lords
Lords: The mayors
 Lords are the central figures
of the feudal system.
 They stay loyal to the king
and receive a large chunk of
land on loan (a fief) and the
king’s protection
 The Lord would swear an
oath to serve in the army,
help at court, pay taxes to the
king, and help with order.
Knights: The Military
 In return for service, the Lords
would grant a fief to the knights
in exchange for military service
 Knights were usually sons of
noblemen
 Knights would either serve in the
King’s Army or locally
 Knights would often pay
scutage a payment in money or
goods to get out of serving in the
army
Knights: A Noble Path
 Even when born into it, knights had to train for years.
 Page: a young boy of six or eight who trained as a
knight by sword, spear, horse-riding, and wrestling. A
knight would also be taught to read, write, sing, and
behave in society.
 Squire: a teenaged knight-in-training who served a
knight. He often served the knight’s meals, groomed
his horse, polished his armor, assisted at tournaments,
and dressed the knight. Squires also trained to fight
wearing armor of 40+ pounds.
Knights: Chivalry
 The Chivalric Code:
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Defend the weak (women, children, elderly)
Be courteous to all women
Be loyal to the king
Serve God above all others
Be humble
Show mercy to the enemy (and no killing him
while his back is turned or he is unarmed)
 Be truthful and keep one’s word
 Exhibit self-control
Peasants
 In return for loyalty, work,
and taxes, Lords would
grant small pieces of lands
and protection to peasants.
 Peasants would work the
land and usually had a
specific trade or job.
Serfs: Not Slaves
 Serfs owned nothing.
 In exchange for working the
land, they were able to farm
a small tract to live off of.
 They were tied to the land
and could not leave.
 They received protection
from invaders
Daily Life
and
Other Information
Daily Rules and Life
 Primogeniture: A system where the first
born son inherits everything after the
father dies. Only the first born can inherit.
The other son must work.
 Women never inherit anything. They are
owned by men.
Courtly Love
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Be humble and chaste
Do not break up another relationship
Be honest and speak no evil
Be polite
Do not reveal a secret love affair
Choose someone you can actually marry
Be modest
Do not be greedy
B. Life in a Medieval
Castle
 Castles were far
from paradise.
They were cold
and drafty—
usually made of
stone. They were
usually
surrounded by
moats.
Women
 Women had no rights and were
owned by their fathers, brothers,
husbands, or closest male relative.
 A woman was sold to the highest
bidder or who could best align
families. Love did not equal
marriage. It was a business deal.
 If a woman was tainted or could
not marry, she was usually sent to
a nunnery.
 Women were seen as evil. A
menstruating woman was avoided
because she could bewitch you
with her blood. (Eve)
Punishment
 Life was harsh and brutal, so was
punishment
 Torture was common
 Crimes against the church or
individuals usually ended in death.
 If you owed money, you went to jail
until the debt was paid.
 No one fed or clothed you in jail.
Your family had to support you by
paying to feed you.
 The church thought God would
protect you if you were innocent.
B. Life in a Medieval
Village
 Living conditions of the
serfs
 Striking lack of privacy
for family members
 Variety of dietary options
for peasants
 The central role of bread
in the peasant diet—
80% of caloric content
B. Life in a Medieval
Village (cont)
 Types of meals eaten by
villagers
 Beer: the universal drink
of northern Europe
 Accidents as a way of
life in manorial villages
 Medieval view of
children
B. Life in a Medieval
Village (cont)
 Center of manorial life
was the village church
 Village church services
 Life was short and
frightening for village
peasants
 Village life was strictly
hierarchical
 Village life was also very
communal
 Village life was always
very local