Medieval Europe

500-1500

Russell’s Rule to the Middle Ages:

Major questions about the Middle Ages (according to the regents) deal with:

1) Feudalism (weak central gov’t)2) Rise and power of Catholic Church3) The Crusades and the increase in trade

The Good and the Bad

Germanic invasions lead to fall of Roman Empire which also led to:

Results of the Fall of

Rome

1) Breakdown of trade

Fear of bandits and without someone to “police” people stopped trading

= Less money, Less power, more isolation

2) Cities destroyed

3) Population Shift

People move out of “center” of Civilization and begin moving to North and Countryside

4) Learning decreased

a. Germanic invaders were not educated leaving only priest and other high officials educated

b. People could not read ancient texts of Greeks or Romans (culture lost)

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5) Loss of common languagea. Germanic people

spoke different language leading to Latin changing in to different dialects such as Spanish and French

b. DIFFERENT LANGUAGES SEPARATE PEOPLE

Homer says” Latin, who needs

Latin? I’m never going to use Latin”

After the Fall of Rome, many people went searching for

stability in everyday life,

Where do people search for stability?- Individually - Society

6) THE CHURCH!!!!!!

Increase in power of RCC!

Life began to surround itself around the Church

Going to ChurchHolidaysBehaviors

Education

Roman Catholic Church became source of education for many

The Arts

Mostly church relatedGothic ArchitectureFlying Buttresses Stained Glass

Age of Faith: Gothic Architecture

Economy: Monasteries and churches often had their own lands and produced food and wine with the help of the peasants.

THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH

Tithe

Tax by the Church, each person must give 1/10 income to Church

Another example of RCC increase in power.

This left Europe weak for many years until…

Life became chaosNothing was stable

Charlemagne (Charles the Great)united Europe 771 ad

-created greatest empire since Ancient Rome

-Frank (German) King, 6’4

-Spread Christianity-Pope crowned him Emperor

signifying alliance between Germans, Church, and former Roman Empire

Created Holy Roman Empire1st Reich

Died in 814

So what happened after Charlemagne?

WEAK RULERSDivided Empire amongst sons…too weakRulers that followed Charlemagne were weak and

empire would be divided in 3 parts-This lack of strong leadership lead to Feudalism in Europe

o Nobles often fought over power with one another

o Viking invasions also helped weaken rulers and villages

Political Systems of the Middle Ages

People searched for safety

Answer: Feudalism

Remember Feudalism is the political term Manor system or manorialism is the economic term for this system

Without a strong central body of power keeping peace,

people searched for

security

Feudalism King Lord

Knight Peasant

OATH OF FEALTY

THE BASIS OF MEDIEVAL ECONOMY WAS THE FIEF, OR PARCEL OF LAND GIVEN AFTER AN OATH OF LOYALTY IN EXCHANGE FOR SERVICES.

VASSALS (lesser lords and knights) pledged their loyalty.

FEUDALISM

Kings were Relatively Weak

Decentralized political system LORDS, LAND, AND LOYALTY

Isolated, Self-Sufficient Manors

Lords and Nobles control the domain or fiefOaths of Fealty to one’s liege lordLand was the basis of wealthProtection was exchanged for loyalty and land

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SERFS AND SERFDOMSerfs were tied to the land. They could not leave, marry, etc. without the lord’s permission.

A serf was at the bottom of the manor system.

They worked the lord’s land, and often the church estates, and then could tend their own small plot of land they received in exchange for these services.

LABOR!!LAND!

SERFS ALSO GOT PROTECTION !

KING

NOBLES

LESSER LORDS

KNIGHTS

SERFS

Feudal Society

Economics:MANORIALISM

AGRARIAN TRADITIONAL ECONOMY

AGRARIAN MANORIALISMA SELF-SUFFICIENT ECONOMY

BASED ON AGRICULTURE

THE MANOR HOUSE

THE LORD’S HOUSE WAS THE BIGGEST ONE BUT OFTEN NOT VERY SANITARY. IF HE LIVED IN A CASTLE, IT WAS COLD AND DAMP. THE LORD HAD CONTROL OF ALL OF THOSE IN HIS DESMESNE (domain). THEY WORKED OR PROVIDE MILITARY SERVICES FOR HIM. HE PROTECTED THEM IN HIS CASTLE IN TIMES OF DANGER.

THE MANOR SYSTEM

ANYTHING NOT PRODUCED ON THE LORD’S MANOR COULD BE BARTERED.

MONEY WAS RARELY USED AFTER ROME’S EMPIRE COLLAPSED.

MEDIEVAL FARM TOOLS

THE AX

THE FLAILTHE RAKE

MEDIEVAL FARM TOOLS

LONG HANDLED SCYTHE AND THE SICKLE

MEDIEVAL FARM TOOLS

HAYMAKING FORK AND SPADE

THE 3 FIELD SYSTEMGray - Woodlands; the building blocks of the manor.

Green - The 3 Fields; crops were rotated each season on land owned by the Lord and worked by the serfs.

Purple - The Lord's house, land and pond.

Burnt Orange - The villager's homes.

Yellow - Small plots of land serfs could work themselves for their own benefit.

Blue - the stream used by all.

THE PLOUGH (PLOW)

In the Middle Ages, three inventions would help increase food production:

HORSE HARNESSThe Ox was a slow animal, but the ox harness was lethal to the horse. Once a new harness was designed, “horse power” was used.

WINDMILL

WATERMILLS KEPT PEASANTS NEAR RIVERS. BUT THE WINDMILL EXPANDED WHERE GRAIN COULD BE GROUND.

What do these inventions mean

Increase food productionIncrease populationLess people needed to farm

KNIGHTS

Knights

Soldiers of the Middle Ages

For a Fief, would pledge loyalty to defend Lords/Kings lands

MEDIEVAL TOURNAMENT

IN THE LATER MIDDLE AGES, THERE WERE FEWER INVADERS SO KNIGHTS WOULD FIGHT IN ENTERTAINMENT CALLED TOURNAMENTS.

CHIVALRY WAS THE IDEAL CODE OF HONOR THAT A KNIGHT SHOULD FIGHT, LIVE, AND DIE BY.

Soldiers mounted on horsebackProtect nobles or kings possessions

Code of Chivalry

Moral/ethical code of the knights

Behaviors of what is right/wrong

Tournaments:

when knights were not at war. (just like in A Knight’s Tale)

- Jousting- sword fighting

MEDIEVAL WEAPONS

LONG BOW

CROSS BOW

SWORD

Trebuchet

Medieval Women

Role of Women in Feudal society - little or no power - could inherit land- home activities or convent

Rise of the Guild System:

-people, especially the poor, without education were unsure of how to better their lives.

-What is the guild system? Page 388 in text take notes

Question to answer

1) What is a guild?

2) What is the purpose of the guild system?

3) What are the different levels of the guild system?

4) What are some examples of guilds?

GuildsGuild system –

organization of individuals in the same business or occupation working together to improve economic and social conditions

Apprenticejourneyman.Master

Middle Age living conditions

Small damp homesDirt Floors2 or 3 baths a yearGarbage in streetsFecal matter in streetsDead bodiesVery few had hot water

What is a castle for?

Wars

Numerous Wars (Hundred Years war between France and Britain and pillaging by Vikings and barbarians of lands)

Hundred Years War: 1337 -1453

England vs. France-Fought over who was heir to French throne

when King died-English ruler Edward III believed it was

him because he was the grandson of Philip IV of France

-Joan of Arc- France eventually gets England off soilIncrease nationalistic feelings

VS

Black DeathAlso known as the Bubonic Plague People

thought the apocalypse was coming

people were scared that God was punishing them

Black Death

1/3 of Europe’s population goneWorkers decreaseProductivity decreaseTrade decrease

Middle Ages: Good or bad

Good3 field systemHorse

harnessIron PlowGuild SystemChivalryResults of

CrusadesCommercial

Revolution

Bad

-Feudalism

-Education

-Living Conditions

-War (100 years war, Crusades

-Disease black death

-Life of a serf