Transcript The Early Middle Ages: The Feudal Spirit

From
This…
To this.
• Descended from Franks:
valued war and destruction
• Blend of two cultures during
reign of Charlemagne
• Kingdom: Large European
kingdom, from the Rhine to
Spain
• Renewed interest in learning
and arts
• His interest in culture assembled group of scholars and
artists. This is against the negative stereotype of the
Middle Ages.
• Borrowed imperial ideal from Rome and Byzantium
• Monks copied manuscripts and painted, learned chants
and interpreted the Bible.
• Alcuin of York, teacher: revival of learning and
literacy. Attempted universal education – again,
against the stereotype.
• Pilgrimage to Rome in 800.
Crowned Holy Roman
Emperor. First large-scale
monarch since Roman times.
• Charlemagne’s kingdom only
lasted one generation after
his death – split it up
between his children.
• New wave of invasions:
Muslims, Hungarians, Vikings
Charlemagne, ready to save the
damsel in distress – the Pope.
• France and England bore the
brunt of Viking invasions
• Decentralized government
system: feudal estates
• Feudalism: system based on
vows of military service and
ownership of land.
• Based on grant of lands by
lords to vassals (middlemen)
in return for service
• Castles served as refuge for the
feudal estate during war
• Crusaders came back and
improved them – stone instead
of wood!
• Fortresses intended to defend
against siege, not for comfort
• Decoration of castles simple
tapestries to protect from cold
• Emerged as a way to enforce
loyalty.
• Loyal to lord, not sleep with
his wife, or surrender his
castle as well as religious
devotion and service to
ladies
• Tournaments: feasting,
pageantry and dance
• Professional warriors
(knights) emerged
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
Thou shalt defend the Church.
Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born.
Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.
Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws
of God.
• Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.
• Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.
• Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good
against Injustice and Evil.
• In 1066, England was ruled by
the Anglo-Saxon king EDWARD
THE CONFESSOR. When he
died that year, his relative
HAROLD became king despite
Edward possibly naming a
Norman king.
• Harold quickly became involved
in fighting new and fearsome
invasions by the Vikings.
• Harold also had reason to fear
across the English Channel in the
French region of Normandy.
• The Normans were ruled by
Duke William of Normandy. He
claimed that the dead Edward
the Confessor had promised the
throne of England to him.
• In 1066, William sailed with
thousands of soldiers and
Norman nobles. They invaded
England to take the throne from
Harold. Harold’s troops were
exhausted from just having
defeated the Vikings – and
they were defeated by the
Normans at the BATTLE OF
HASTINGS in 1066.
• The Normans brought French language, culture, and legal
system to England. For many generations the Normans and
Anglo-Saxons of England struggled for power and to live
together.
• William the Conqueror united England under his control. He
used military force and bureaucracy.
• He built many castles throughout the kingdom for his forces to rule from –
such as the Tower of London and Windsor Castle.
• He established the DOMESDAY (not Doomsday) BOOK which was a
bureaucratic survey of the kingdom.