The Middle Ages
Introduction & Project Review
Announcements
• Today: Transition from the Anglo-Saxon period
to the middle ages
• Wednesday & Thursday: Lab to research and
write about an aspect of the middle ages
• Friday: Paragraph due and food or
entertainment due for our feast
Today’s Objectives
• Discuss and understand
the take-aways from the
Anglo-Saxon period
• Get a broad overview of
the Middle Ages
• Review the requirements
for your research project
on the Middle Ages
Intro Questions
• Review your half sheet from yesterday
- characteristics of Beowulf & AngloSaxon people
- answer to what Grendel could represent
and the message of the story
• Discuss your answers to yesterday’s
final two questions:
1.
2.
Rather than just an actual monster,
what could the monster “Grendel”
represent in people’s lives?
How does the writer encourage people
to face the “Grendel’s” in their lives?
Anglo-Saxon vs. Medieval Periods
• Discuss your answers to the
following questions with a
neighbor.
- How did the middle ages differ
from the Anglo-Saxon period?
- What do you think we can
learn by studying the middle
ages?
Let’s learn more!
Research & Paragraph Writing
People &
Society
Wars
Religion
Arts & Entertainment
Architecture
& Tools
Language
Both Wednesday and Thursday
• Research some food or
entertainment that was popular
during the middle ages.
• Write a clear T-E-A paragraph
describing the food and
entertainment, supporting your
paragraph with data from reliable
sources.
- Cite your sources using MLA format
• Come in with food or
entertainment on Friday to
contribute to our feast
Medieval Research Jigsaw Project
People &
Society
Wars
Religion
Arts & Entertainment
Architecture
& Tools
Language
Next Week
• Work as a group to examine
wars, people & society, arts &
entertainment, religion,
architecture or tools, and
language.
Jigsaw Project Requirements
• Each group will:
- Research the assigned topic
- Create an informative
PowerPoint
• Information slides with
graphics, sounds, web links &
resources
• Slides with a review quiz
• Slide(s) with bibliography
- Present the PowerPoint to
the class
Jigsaw Project Requirements
• Each individual will create:
- At least five PowerPoint slides with
important information about your
topic for your group
- At least two slides with a review
question for the group’s quiz
- MLA formatted works cited page
• Groups will compile each
individual’s slides to complete
their PowerPoint, compile the
works cited into a works cited
page, and create a guided notes
handout for the class
Let’s see an example…
Middle Ages Overview
Middle Ages Overview
• Wars: Norman conquest
• People & Society: Feudal system
• Religion: Catholic Church
• Architecture & Tools: cathedrals & castles
• Arts & Entertainment: tapestries & literature
• Language: Middle English
The Norman Conquest
• Middle Ages dates from about
1066 to 1450
• Started in 1066 with the Norman
Conquest
• William “the Conqueror,” Duke of
Normandy (which is now France)
conquered Harold, the king of
England
• The Norman kings spent much
of their time in France and other
parts of Europe, managing
England from afar
Feudal System
• In 1066, after the war, William
created a great shift in land
ownership.
• He deeded large plots of land to
those who fought faithfully with him
in battle.
• Nobody owned the land
independently—only as a vassal of
an overlord (some great noble or
the king)
• These landlords essentially paid
“rent” to the overlords through
military service.
Feudal System
• Most people lived on the manor—
small communities consisting of a
castle, church, village and
surrounding farmland
• They first farmed and then herded
sheep for wool
• Later on, merchants arose and
formed guilds (societies to regulate
prices and standards)
Clothing
• Upper class…
- men wore bright colors,
hose and a jacket
- women wore flowing
gowns and elaborate
headdresses
• Peasants…
- men wore stockings or
tunics
- women wore long gowns
and wimples to cover
their hair
The Church
• The Catholic Church reigned
supreme
• People were unified by having
them share religious beliefs—
everyone belonged to the
Christian community
• The church was the main center
for learning and the arts
Architecture
• With the prosperity of the
people, English turned to the
building of large cathedrals
• Some took hundreds of years
to build
- Yorkminster began in 1070
and was finished in 1472!
• Guilds were founded for the
workers (stone cutters,
masons, carpenters, etc.)
Arts & Literature
• The Anglo-Normans during
the Middle Ages were artistic
• Created beautiful tapestries
• Monks created illustrated
manuscripts
• They loved songs, ballads,
and romantic literature
Arts & Literature
• Their literature told the
tales of chivalry, wonders
and marvels including fairy
enchantments, giants,
dragons, wizards, and
sorceresses
- King Arthur and his knights
• They also began to have
drama which began in
churches and were based
on biblical stories
Language
• The language spoken during this time is known as
Middle English
• It is closer to our Modern English than was the AngloSaxon Old English
• Some of the variety and complexity of Old English was
lost—the language became simplified
• The Norman Conquest also introduced French
vocabulary into the language
Language Sample
• Here’s a selection of
the prologue to
Chaucer’s Canterbury
Tales read in Middle
English.
Summary
• So, the Medieval times were times
of…
-
Norman rulers & feudal system
Cathedrals and the Catholic Church
Art, poetry and beauty
Middle English—slowly transforming
to our Modern English we speak
today
Stop!
Quiz Time!
Review Quiz
• Historians date the
beginning of the
Middle Ages to…
a) 1600
b) 1066
c) 1000
d) 1200
Review Quiz
• The Norman Conquest was
when ________________
conquered Harold, the king
of England
a) William the Conqueror
b) Henry V
c) Prince Edward of France
d) Alexander the Great
Review Quiz
• The Norman Conquest was when
________________ conquered Harold, the king
of England
a) William the Conqueror
b) Henry V
c) Prince Edward of France
d) Alexander the Great
Church Quiz
• By checking out these photos, which famous
Medieval church was not structurally sound
and collapsed?
A.
B.
Canterbury—began in
1067 A.D.
C.
Chartres—Began in 1194
A.D.
D.
Beauvais—began in
1225 A.D.
Notre Dame—Began in
1634 A.D.
Answer
• Beauvais
• The cathedral at Beauvais (St. Peter) was built on the site of two tenth-century
churches. Parts of one of these older churches have been preserved next to the
present cathedral.
• This, a building of immense proportions, was begun in 1247, and the choir was
completed in 1272. Beauvais, coming as it did toward the end of a frenzy of
cathedral building, was built to have the highest nave of any Gothic cathedral of the
time (well over twice the height of a five-storyed office building). The architect
fulfilled his goal, and Beauvais towered above worshippers with its 157 foot nave.
Unfortunately, in under a century, in the year 1284, the roof vaulting fell in. When
rebuilding began, the piers were doubled everywhere but in the apse. In 1374,
when the choir was complete, work was suspended. It was not taken up again until
1500 and in 1548 the south transept was erected. Unfortunately, the central tower
collapsed in 1573. The nave was never rebuilt.
• The town was destroyed during World War II and the cathedral was damaged.
Clothing Quiz #1
•
Who wore this hat?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Monk
Noblewoman
Nun
Peasant
Warlord
Linen head warmers
Answer #1
• Benedictine Monks!
- They wore this to keep
their heads warm
during cold winter
nights.
Linen head warmers
Clothing Quiz #2
•
Who wore this hat?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Monk
Noblewoman
Nun
Peasant
Warlord
Straw or felt hat
Answer #2
• Peasants!
- They wore straw hats
in summer and felt
hats in all weather.
During the rain the hat
could be reversed to
allow the rain to run
off.
Straw or felt hat
Clothing Quiz #3
•
Who wore this hat?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Monk
Noblewoman
Nun
Peasant
Warlord
Visored bassinet
Answer #3
• Warlords!
- This pointed helmet was
worn by fully armored
knights in the 14th century.
The lower section was
made of chain mail and
provided protection for the
neck, throat, and shoulders.
Visored bassinet
Clothing Quiz #4
•
Who wore this hat?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Monk
Noblewoman
Nun
Peasant
Warlord
Wimple
Answer #4
• Nuns!
- This was a mantle with a
covering at the forehead, worn
by married ladies and nuns.
Some also wore gorgets,
covering their throats and
necks.
Wimple
Clothing Quiz #5
•
Who wore this hat?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Monk
Noblewoman
Nun
Peasant
Warlord
Butterfly
Answer #5
• Noblewomen!
- This was an arrangement of
wire frame with a
handkerchief covering that
made it look like butterfly's
wings. These were worn by
noblewomen, as were
heart-shaped headdresses,
steeple caps and turbans.
Buttterfly
Medicine Quiz #1
Time to diagnose and cure patients like Medieval
doctors. I’ll give you your patient’s description and you
select the proper “cure”.
•
Your patient has black and blue blotches all over her
body. You are fairly certain it is the plague. What
treatment do you prescribe?
A.
Apply sterile egg whites.
B.
Give the patient an herbal mix.
C.
Swaddle the patient and shave the sign of the cross into her head.
Medicine Answer #1
• Herbal Mix!
- Most medieval medicines were "simples" made of herbal ingredients,
which were taken raw or in teas. One medicine that apothecaries
(forerunners of chemists and pharmacists) dispensed was called
"treacle" (theriac). Treacle was considered a cure-all. It was said to
prevent internal swellings, cure fevers, unblock internal stoppages,
alleviate heart problems, epilepsy, and palsy, get rid of blemishes,
induce sleep, improve digestion, strengthen limbs, heal wounds,
remedy snake bites, cure prolapsed uteruses, and cure the plague.
The formula for treacle stems from a recipe developed by the Greek
physician Galen and includes more than 60 ingredients, including the
roasted skin of vipers. It took 40 days to make and 12 years to
mature.
Medicine Quiz #2
• Your patient has taken to his bed with chills, a
fever, and a terrible headache. When you examine
him, you find pimple-like spots covering his skin.
Your diagnosis is smallpox, a contagious disease
common in your time. How will you treat this
patient?
A. Soak a piece of linen in a mixture of peony root and rose
oil and apply it to the affected areas.
B. Have the patient eat chicken broth
C. Wrap the patient in red cloth and drape red hangings
around his bed.
Medicine Answer #2
• Hang red cloth!
- Draping colored cloths from the bed and around a person infected
with smallpox was a treatment that may have been related to magic
and witchcraft. Or it could have been related to that fact that smallpox
patients suffered from photophobia--the colored cloths may have
protected them from the light.
- Black magic, the occult, witchcraft, and necromancy (the last derived
from the ancient Egyptians) were used both as remedies and as
means of creating illnesses, even death. However, anyone engaging
in these practices could be tried, imprisoned, or executed.
Review Quiz
• The main language
spoken in England
during the Middle Ages
is known as _________.
Works Cited
Baragona, S. Alan. "Baragona's Medieval Drama Page." 8 Feb. 2007. Viginia
Military Institute. 19 July 2007
<http://academics.vmi.edu/english/medrama.html>.
Getty Images. 19 July 2007 <http://www.gettyimages.com>.
Gorman, Benjamin. "Medieval Life: Squires, Maidens and Peasants." YaleNew Haven Teachers Institute. Yale University. 19 July 2007
<http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1986/3/86.03.03.x.html>.
"Middle Ages" Wikipedia. 19 July 2007
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages>.