1066-1485

William, duke of Normandy, and King Harold of England

Day-long battle October 1066 Near Hastings, England William felt Harold had wrongly taken the throne

when Edward died, so he went to take back what he felt was rightfully his.

William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold of England, the last Saxon king

Beginning of the Norman Conquest

The illegitimate son of the previous duke of Normandy

Cousin to Edward the Confessor (the king before Harold)

Edward died childless early in 1066. Harold of Wessex was crowned the

following day. William claimed that the King Edward

had promised him the throne. William gathered a huge army and

sailed across the English Channel to seize what he felt was rightfully his.

William did not want to conquer the Anglo-Saxons; he just wanted to rule them.

Because of that, we have a culture and a language that is a combination of Norman and Anglo-Saxon elements.

The Anglo-Saxons provided more democratic and artistic elements.

The Normans provided administrative ability, emphasis on law and order, and cultural unity.

One of William’s greatest feats was the Doomsday Book – an inventory of nearly every piece of property in England—land, cattle, and buildings.

For the first time, people in Europe were taxed on what they owned.

The survey helped to solidify the feudal system.

Feudalism is a social hierarchy that was recognized for centuries.

It was a social system, a caste system, a property system, and a military system. (A caste system is a system based on birth or wealth.)

Based on a religious concept of rank with God as the supreme overlord.

By requiring that nobles swear loyalty to him, William was establishing the principle of centralized government in England.

The feudal system did not always work. Occasionally, a vassal might choose not to honor his obligations, and battles between iron-clad knights would break out.

A system of ideals and social codes governing the behavior of knights and gentlewomen

Included taking an oath of loyalty to an overlord and observing certain rules of warfare, such as never attacking an unarmed opponent

Language – French

Primary duty of males above serf class was military service to their lords

Page – young boys (around age 7) were sent to the home of a lord to begin training. They were trained in other homes to ensure the training was strict.• Taught to read, write, sing, dance, play the

harp, play chess, and rules of good manners by the ladies and the clergymen

• Taught to ride, wrestle, joust, and use a sword by squires.

Squire – around age 14; personal servant to a knight• Helped the knight dress, served meals,

made his bed, carried armor• Courtly love – the idea that adoring a lady

would make a knight braver and nobler; in its ideal form, courtly love is nonsexual A knight might wear his lady’s colors in battle,

glorify her in words, be inspired by her, but she was always pure and remained out of reach.

Knight – around age 21; huge ceremony; he held an all-night vigil in full armor• Accolade – 3 strokes with the flat side of a

sword (“dubbed”); originally a hard blow meant to test the courage of the person

• Largess – gifts given to the knight from his patron knight and gifts from the new knight to his companions and inferiors

• Title of “Sir”• Duty of a knight – service to God, his lord,

and his lady

Advantages:• Made for refinement in a rough age• Encouraged loyalty and courage• Exalted the position of women

Disadvantages:• Took no account of the common people• Took some virtues to absurd lengths

Joust – 2 knights ride at each other with lances; if either is unhorsed, they continue to fight on foot with swords (think of this as maybe a wrestling match)

Tourney proper – several knights on horseback with swords until one party was defeated or the herald stopped the contest (think of this as a football game)

List – oval enclosure surrounded by two rows of seats (think of this as a stadium)

Pavilion – located at each end of the list for the opposing knights (think of this as the locker room)

Heralds – presided over tournaments and enforced rules (think of this as the referee)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISsLEU4Cld0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEuhKRhrvRM

Armor in the early Middle Ages consisted of a helmet, a shield, and a mail shirt.

As weapons became more deadly, the need for more protection of heavier armor led to compromised flexibility and mobility.

Armor was held together by rivets, leather straps, hinges, turning pins, buckles, and pegs.

A heavily padded undergarment of leather and a mail shirt were worn under the armor.

Plate arm, leg, and foot pieces were also worn.

Some suits weighed 120 pounds and had 200 custom-fitted iron plates.

The knight also carried a dagger, a lance, a sword, a battle-ax, and a club-headed mace.

In addition to the threat of battle, the armor itself could be fatal.

Knights could die from suffocation, heart failure, heat stroke, even drowning.

Knights were unable to dress themselves.

Battles were scheduled to give the knights time to dress.

Servants stood nearby in order to help knights who had been unhorsed.

Similar to today’s unions Language -- English Merchant Guild – organized to include

all those who sold goods in the town• Main purpose – monopolize the trade of its

particular city Crafts Guild – organization of artisans

of various trades• Main purpose – securing competent

workmen and honest products

Levels of Craftsmen:• Apprentice – lived with a master craftsman

for 7 years; received no pay, but he was instructed in the art by the master craftsman; supplied with all his necessities; morals guarded

• Journeyman – if apprentice lacked money to become a master, he could continue to live and work with the master; did receive pay

All land except that which was farmed for the lord was treated as one big farm

Determined to a large extent the life of the peasantry

Language – English

The church concerned itself with almost every act of every man, regardless of rank

Language – Latin