The Middle Ages
1066 - 1485
A Quick Review…
Horrible Histories - Vikings
I. The Norman Conquest

Began in October 1066 when Duke William of
Normandy (William the Conqueror) defeated
King Harold of England
A.
William was the cousin of English King Edward the
Confessor who was childless when he died in 1066
-
B.
Harold, the Earl of Wessex, was crowned King, but
William claimed Edward promised him the throne.
William wanted to rule the Anglo-Saxons, not eliminate
them. The two cultures intermingled.
I. The Norman Conquest cont’d
C. One of William’s great administrative feats was the Domesday
Book – an inventory of nearly every piece of property in
England
- For the first time people could be taxed based on
what they owned
HH: The Doomsday Book
D. William divided the holdings of the fallen English landowners
among his own followers
- They created a new social system  FEUDALISM
Norman Conquest YouTube Link
II. Feudalism

Feudalism is a pyramid system (caste system)
based on a religious concept of hierarchy with
God as the supreme overlord
The Annoying Peasant from
Monty Python
HH: Medieval War
II. Feudalism cont’d
A. The primary duty of males above the serf
class was military service to their lords.
1.
2.
Brave Sir Robin
Boys were trained from an early age to become
warriors. They were dubbed a knight upon completion
of their training.
Knighthood was grounded in the feudal ideal of loyalty.
The virtues of chivalry included:
-
Humility
Loyalty to God, king, and country
Courage
Honor
Being true to one’s word
Protection of the weak
Respect for women
Generosity
Fairness to enemies
Developing one’s skills
Determination to fight evil
The Worst Jobs in History
II. Feudalism cont’d
B. The feudal system did not always work if a
vassal (a feudal tenant) chose not to honor
his obligations to a weak overlord.
- A man’s word was the cornerstone of social life
C. Since they were not soldiers, women had no
political rights in this system.
- A woman’s social standing depended completely on
her husband’s or father’s status.
- Women were subservient to men, but they ran things when
their husbands were away
The Feudal System: Lego Style
HH: Historical Fashion Fix
III. Chivalry

Chivalry led to an idealized attitude toward
women and gave rise to a new form of
literature – the Romance
A. Chivalry was a system of ideals and social codes governing the
behavior of knights and gentlewomen.
1. Adhere to one’s oath of loyalty to the overlord
2. Observe certain rules of warfare
3. The Code of Chivalry did not extend to peasants
a. The “weak” was widely interpreted as “noble women
and children”
b. Thus, knights were often brutal to common folk
c. Knights could rape young peasant women without
fear of reprisal, all because they were part of the upper
class
III. Chivalry cont’d
4. Knights
 Should honor, serve, and do nothing to
displease ladies and maidens
 Were members of the noble class socially as
bearers of arms, economically as owners of
horse and armor, and officially through religiousorientated ceremony
 Believed in the code of chivalry
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Promised to defend the weak
Be courteous to all women
Be loyal to their king
Serve God at all times
HH: I’m a Knight
III. Chivalry cont’d
4. Knights cont’d
 Were expected to be humble before
others, especially their superiors. They
were also expected to not “talk too much.”
 Were to give mercy to a vanquished
enemy
However, the very fact that knights were
trained as men of war belied this code
Conquest: Weird Weapons

III. Chivalry cont’d
4. Knights cont’d
 Came from rich families, but many were not the
firstborn, so they did not receive an inheritance.
This makes them little more than mercenaries.
 Plundered villages or cities that they captured,
often defiling and destroying churches and other
property
 Belonged to a multitude of specific Orders, each
established for one purpose or another

Most Orders emphasized components of piety, faith,
humility, chastity or some other worthy ideals
The Most Well-Known Knights
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Hospitallers
Teutonic
Templars
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Lost Worlds: The Knights Templar
III. Chivalry cont’d
B. Courtly love  non-sexual  acting in the
name of a lady
- A knight would wear his lady’s colors, but the lady remained
pure and out of reach
literary example: Lancelot and Guinevere crossed
the line, and Camelot fell
C. Women’s position in society did not improve
Let’s Take a Break from
the Notes and discuss
The Legend of King
Arthur
(a very shortened version)
What is a Legend?


a traditional historical tale or collection of
related tales popularly regarded as true, but
usually contain a mixture of fact and fiction
not to be confused with a myth (A traditional,
typically ancient story dealing with supernatural
beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a
fundamental type in the worldview of a people,
as by explaining aspects of the natural world or
delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals
of society)
Arthur’s childhood
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Arthur is the son of King
Uther Pendragon, but is
orphaned at a young age,
unaware of his royal heritage
Upon King Uther’s death,
Merlin places the sword
Excalibur (a magical sword
given to Merlin by the Lady of
the Lake) in a stone
containing a spell that only
the rightful king could remove
it from the stone
In need of a sword for his
adoptive brother, Arthur pulls
Excalibur from the stone,
proving himself the rightful
king of England
The New King’s First Challenge
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When Arthur assumes power, England is
torn apart by war, is fractioned into citystates, and is on the brink of invasion by
the Saxons
To unite the country and defeat the
Saxons, Arthur creates the Knights of the
Round table. This is a revolutionary idea
for the time in which each city state is
represented by a knight. No one knight,
including King Arthur himself, has more
power than another. Arthur creates a
democratic society.
Because of this alliance, Arthur and his
knights defeat the powerful Saxons in a
series of 12 battles. It is said that the key
to Arthur’s success is the sword Excalibur
which he always takes into battle.
Excalibur is said to make its bearer
invincible.
Guinevere


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After the battles with the Saxons,
England finally experiences
peace.
During this time, Arthur decides
to marry the lovely young
Guinevere. She does not see
him before they are married.
Arthur sends his most trusted
knight Lancelot to fetch her. He
marries her and they are happy
for some time.
Guinevere, upon seeing Lancelot,
believes he is her husband to be
and falls in love with him.
Mysteries and Evil Plots

Arthur unknowingly had
a half sister, Morgan de
Fey. She believed that
she was rightful ruler.
In an attempts to usurp
the throne, she slept
with him and conceived
a son. Morgan was said
to be a witch and a
powerful woman. Her
son, Mordred,
threatened Arthur’s
marriage and his throne.

Mysteries
and
Evil
Plots
as any good legend there are
several mysterious stories
that parallel the legend of
King Arthur. King Arthur’s
Camelot is one that is
surrounded by countless
stories of chivalry, fairies,
magic and monsters. Some of
the most famous of these
stories are the following:
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Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight
Tristan and Isolde
The White Stag
The Lady of the Lake
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A
Country
Religiously
Divided
Arthur was a member of the Old
Celtic religion (as evident by
keeping a Royal wizard, Merlin)
However, a new religion,
Christianity, was beginning.
Guinevere, Arthur’s wife, was a
member of this religion.
Arthur and Guinevere were
having trouble conceiving.
Guinevere believed this was
because God was punishing
Arthur for believing in pagan
gods and encouraging his people
to do so as well.
To try to remedy the problem of
an heir and heal the country,
which had once again grown
restless, Arthur established the
Crusades.
Crusades and the Holy Grail
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Because the Celtic religion is
based upon tangible items and
nature, Arthur would need
artifacts to convince his
country to convert to
Christianity.
With the help of Merlin, Arthur
decided to send his knights on
a quest for religious artifacts,
more commonly know as the
Crusades.
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The body of Joseph of Arimathea
The Spear of Destiny
The Holy Grail
King Solomon’s Temple
Byzantine Crown of Thorns
Holy Rood
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The Holy Grail and The
Templars
The Holy Grail is the only
artifact not recovered which
explains its continued
popularity
Once the Holy Land was
discovered, Arthur
encouraged the English to
visit it and created the
Knights Templar** who were
warriors sent to protect the
road to the Holy Land. These
warriors begin much of the
problems that still exist in the
Middle East today.
*** Please note: This is one version of the story.
Many scholars argue that this is not
historically accurate.
Trouble
At
Home
During the search for the Holy Grail
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Arthur’s life begins to fall apart. Some
versions of the story have Arthur gone
10-20 years on his quest.
During this time, Merlin is seduced by a
young woman who steals his powers
and imprisons him. Arthur is left
without an advisor.
In Arthur’s absence Mordred has been
raised to hate Arthur and upon his
return, Arthur unknowingly knights his
own son and invites him to the round
table.
Guinevere has begun to realize her true
love for Lancelot, not Arthur, during
both their absences.
The Most Famous Affair in Literary
History
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Mordred sees the possibility to overthrow
his father in Lancelot.
Mordred discovers Guinevere and
Lancelot’s affair (the two people that
Arthur loves most) and convinces the
rest of the Round Table to capture
Lancelot in the act.
Lancelot escapes but Guinevere is
captured and is to be burned at the stake
for her treachery against the king. She is
rescued at the last minute by Lancelot
and the two escape and are never heard
from again.
Arthur does not follow them due to the
problems of his kingdom. They are once
again on the brink of war and Mordred
has turned much of the Round Table
against him.
The Fall of Camelot


Metaphorically, the country
already had fallen with the
betrayal of Arthur’s only love and
his best friend
There are many versions of the
story. All of which end with
Arthur’s death in battle. Some of
the versions include the following
battles:
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Saxons
Romans
Goths
French
Irish
Lancelot
Morgan de fey
Mordred
All of the stories end with
Arthur’s glorious death in battle,
all that any legendary king or
hero can ask for
True History

Most scholars believe that a King
named Arthur did defeat the
Saxons in the 5th or 6th century.
This is outlined in one of the
oldest accounts of English History
Geoffrey of Monmouth's fanciful
and imaginative 12th-century
Historia Regum Britanniae

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There are ruins of a castle in
Cornwall that many believe to
belong to Arthur
Not much else is known; accounts
of Arthur seem to be mysteriously
missing from all Anglo-Saxon
chronicles and other such history
books.
III. Chivalry cont’d
D. Etymology
 The word evolved from…


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Chevalier (French)
Caballero (Spanish)
Cavaliere (Italian)

These words all mean “a warrior who fought on
horseback”
III. Chivalry cont’d

Some Big Ideas Associated with Courtly Love

Marriage is no real excuse for not loving.

He who is not jealous cannot love
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No one can be bound by a double love.
It is well known that love is always increasing or decreasing.
That which a lover takes against the will of his beloved has no relish.
Boys do not love until they arrive at the age of maturity.
When one lover dies, a widowhood of two years is required of the
survivor.
No one should be deprived of love without the very best of reasons.
No one can love unless he is impelled by the persuasion of love.
Love is always a stranger in the home of avarice.
It is not proper to love any woman whom one would be ashamed to seek
to marry.
A true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone except his
beloved.
Think about how this compares to modern associations
of love before we look at more of these ideas…
III. Chivalry cont’d

Some more ideas associated with courtly love

When made public, love rarely endures.
The easy attainment of love makes it of little value, difficulty of attainment makes it
prized.

Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his beloved.
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When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved, his heart palpitates.
A new love puts to flight an old one.
Good character alone makes any man worthy of love.
If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives.
A man in love is always apprehensive.
Real jealousy always increases the feeling of love.
Jealousy, and therefore love, are increased when one suspects his beloved.
He whom the thought of love vexes eats and sleeps very little.

Every act of a lover ends in the thought of his beloved.
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A true lover can never have enough of the solaces of his beloved.
Love can deny nothing to love.
A slight presumption causes a lover to suspect his beloved.
A man who is vexed by too much passion usually does not love.
A true lover is constantly and without intermission possessed by the thought of his
beloved.
Nothing forbids one woman being loved by two men or one man by two women.
The Twelve Chief Rules in Love
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
From The Art of Courtly Love by Andrea Capellanus
Thou shalt avoid avarice like the deadly pestilence and
shalt embrace its opposite.
Thou shalt keep thyself chaste for the sake of her
whom though lovest.
Thou shalt not knowingly strive to break up a correct
love affair that someone else is engaged in.
Thou shalt not chose for thy love anyone whom a
natural sense of shame forbids thee to marry.
Be mindful completely to avoid falsehood.
Thou shalt not have many who know of thy love affair.
The Twelve Chief Rules in Love
From The Art of Courtly Love by Andrea Capellanus
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Being obedient in all things to the commands
of ladies, thou shalt ever strive to ally thyself
to the service of Love
In giving and receiving love’s solaces let
modesty be ever present.
Thou shalt speak no evil.
Thou shalt not be a revealer of love affairs.
Thou shalt be in all things polite and couteous.
In practising the solaces of love thou shalt not
exceed the desires of thy lover.
Chivalric Hero: Arthur
beowulfandgrendel.com/v-web/gallery/albums/THE-GEAT-GALLERY/Iceland_
Beowulf_Grendel_2004_239.jpg&imgrefurl=http://
http://www.firstfoot.com/scotchmyth/images/King-Arthur-Butler-L.jpg
Epic Hero: Beowulf
Epic Hero: Beowulf
1. Struggle is physical
with a monster or
warrior
2.
Fights to save people
Chivalric Hero: Arthur
1. Struggle is spiritual
with ideals and
standards
2.
Fights to save ideals
3. Audience constantly at 3. Audience of leisure,
war, fighting for
wanting to be
survival
entertained
IV. Medieval Society

For the most part medieval society centered around the
feudal castle, but as the population grew, many people
lived in towns and cities.
A.
B.
C.
This led to the eventual collapse of the European feudal system
It led to the development of lower, middle, and upper-middle
classes
literary example: The Prologue in the Canterbury Tales
These people were free, tied neither to the land nor to
knighthood and chivalry
- This point of view was expressed in ballads, in mystery and
miracle plays, in cathedrals, and in municipal buildings
V. Specific Events that Influence
English History and Literature

Several specific events radically influence the
course of English history and literature
A. CRUSADES (1095-1270) were a series of wars
waged by European Christians against Muslims
1. Jerusalem and the Holy Land was the prize
2. The Europeans failed, but they benefited enormously from
contact with the higher civilization of the Middle East
The Crusades HH
Link
V. Specific Events that Influence
English History and Literature cont’d
B. The 1170 martyrdom of Thomas a Becket, the Archbishop of
Canterbury, led to greater power for the Church of Rome.
Old School
Trailer for
Becket
1. Thomas, a Norman, has risen to great power under his friend King Henry II
(reigned 1154-1189)
2. All Christians belonged to the Catholic Church
3. The pope in those days was enormously powerful and controlled most of the
crowned heads of Europe
4. Henry hoped to gain the upper hand in disputes with the church, but often
Thomas took the pope’s side
5. Four of Henry’s knights murdered Becket in his own cathedral. Becket
became a martyr, and public outrage turned against King Henry
6. This outrage helped to develop the concept of corruption in the church
because the church was allowed to gain greater power (show in TCT)
7. The medieval church did have one positive effect: it fostered cultural unity
a. The church continued to be the center of learning
b. The church fostered common beliefs and symbols
V. Specific Events that Influence
English History and Literature cont’d
C. In 1215 English barons forced King John
(who was backed strongly by the pope) to sign
the Magna Carta as an effort to curb the
Church’s power
1. Heralded a return to older, democratic tendencies
2. This document later became the basis for English
constitutional law
V. Specific Events that Influence
English History and Literature cont’d
D. The English lost the Hundred Years’ War (13371453) with France, but in the process they began to
think of themselves as British rather than Anglo-Norman
1. This may be considered the first national war waged by
England against France
2. Based on dubious claims to the throne of France by two
English Kings: Edward III (reigned 1327-1377) and Henry V
(reigned 1413-1422)
3. After the war England was no longer best represented by
the knight. Instead, the were represented by the yeoman
(small landowner)
a. With this, modern democratic England was born
b. An English national consciousness gradually developed
V. Specific Events that Influence
English History and Literature cont’d
E. The Black Death or bubonic plague (1348-1349)
delivered another blow to feudalism
1. Very contagious; spread by fleas from infected rats
2. Reduced the nation’s population by 1/3
- This was approximately 34 million people
- This caused a labor shortage which gave the lower class
more leverage against their overlords
3. One long term result was the serfs’ freedom and greater
power to the lower class
4. This led to the end of feudalism marking the end
of the Middle Ages
HH Bubonic Plague
Bring Out Your Dead
HH Peasants Plague
Common Remedies for the Black Death:
1. Apply sterile egg whites
2. Give the patient a treacle
3. Swaddle the patient and shave the sign of the cross into her head
VI. Health
A. As the populations of medieval towns and
cities increased, hygienic conditions
worsened
B. Medical knowledge was limited and an
adequate health care system did not exist
C. Antibiotics were not invented until the
1900s and it was almost impossible to
cure disease without them
Historical Paramedics
VI. Health Cont’d
D. Many myths about health and hygiene
existed
1. disease was spread by bad odors
2. disease of the body resulted from
sins of the soul
3. many sought relief through
meditation, prayer, pilgrimages, and
other nonmedical methods
VI. Health Cont’d
E. The body was viewed as part of the universe
1. four “humors,” or body fluids, were directly
related to the four elements
a. fire = yellow bile or choler
b. water = phlegm
c. earth = black bile
d. air = blood
2. these elements had to be in balance to ensure health
F. Bloodletting was a popular method of restoring
health and “humors”
G. Early surgery was often done by barbers
without anesthesia
The Worst Jobs in History: Leeches
Literature Connection

Illuminated Manuscripts
Literature Connection

The Canterbury Tales

Geoffrey Chaucer
1387: Poem about the pilgrimage to St. Thomas a’
Becket’s shrine
 Composed in Middle English

The Prologue in Middle English
Literature Connection

The Pilgrimage to Becket’s Shrine

Remember: Becket disagreed with King Henry II and
was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral

There have been several miracles in this cathedral
 After all the miracles, a shrine was put up in the
cathedral
 Becket was canonized a saint
 People set out on a pilgrimage, to Canterbury Cathedral
to pay homage to the shire of St. Thomas a’ Becket.
Some believed that shrine had healing powers
Canterbury Cathedral Visit
Literature Connection

The Canterbury Tales
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SETTING: April, The Tabard Inn
“Prologue”- 29 pilgrims, the narrator, and the
inn host are introduced

The 29 are spending the night at the Tabard Inn.
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The Narrator says he will describe and repeat everything
he hears no matter how offensive.
The Host proposes that each pilgrim tell 2 tales on the
way there and back.
The best tale will win dinner at the Inn
Literature Connection

The Canterbury Tales

The pilgrims are made up of all 3 divisions of
class in medieval society:
Feudal class
The Church
Merchant class
Literature Connection

The Prologue

Chaucer’s characterization was unlike anything ever written
before.
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He creates a human encyclopedia by describing physical, social,
mannerisms, beliefs, and morals of each character.
The Characters

After the pilgrims are introduced in the prologue each character
tells his or her own tale.
The Mark Steel Lectures
Review

HH Review
The Canterbury Tales
Table of Contents
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The Journey Begins . . .
England in the Middle Ages
Focus question
Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales
Travelers to Canterbury
Chaucer’s Middle Ages Population
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Green Knight
Sir Gawain
Works Cited
The Journey Begins . . .
In October 1066, a daylong
battle near Hastings, England,
changed the course of history.
Geoffrey Chaucer
c. 1343-1400
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Considered the father of English poetry
Wrote in the vernacular
Served as a soldier, government servant, and member of
Parliament in France, Italy and Spain, as well as England
Introduced iambic pentameter
First writer ever buried in Westminster Abbey
Background


Geoffrey Chaucer
wrote this story in
the late 1300’s but
never finished it.
He wrote in the
native language or
vernacular of the
Medieval period in
Britain called Middle
English.
The Cathedral at Canterbury
The cathedral at
Canterbury is the
main cathedral of
the Church of
England. The
shrine to the
martyr Saint
Thomas a Becket is
located at this
cathedral.
The Story Frame

Twenty nine people
that represent all
aspects of Medieval
society go on a
pilgrimage to the
cathedral at
Canterbury in
southeast England.
The Prologue

Chaucer’s characters
are going to pay
respects to this
shrine as a part of a
religious pilgrimage.
They all meet at a
tavern to begin their
journey.
Some of the characters

The host of the
tavern or innkeeper
is the man who
suggests that the
pilgrims each tell a
story on the way to
entertain the group.
Chaucer intended
for each to tell 2
stories, but he only
got to write one
apiece.
The wife of Bath and the
Pardoner,
The Priest and the Miller
The Knight and his Squire
The Canterbury Tales:
Snapshot of an
Age
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It frames a story of characters on a religious
pilgrimage to Canterbury.
The characters are a concise portrait of an entire
nation.
The pilgrimage is a quest narrative that moves
from images of spring and awakening to
penance, death, and eternal life.
The characters tell stories that reflect
“everyman” in the universal pilgrimage of life.
The Travelers to Canterbury
Working Class
Plowman
Cook
Miller
Reeve
Host
Haberdasher
Dyer
Carpenter
Weaver
Carpetmaker
The Travelers to Canterbury
Professional Class
Military
Knight, Squire, Yeoman
Religious
Nun, 3 Priests, Friar, Parson,
Pardoner, Summoner
Secular
Cleric, Serjeant at Law, Merchant,
Skipper, Doctor
The Travelers to Canterbury
Upper Class
Wife of Bath
Franklin
Chaucer’s Snapshot of the Middle
Ages Population