answers that question.
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Today’s Date __________ Medieval Times knight Name ________________________________ Period ______ Page 1 Today’s Date __________ Introduction to Medieval Times Do Now: Why do you think historians would name an era The Middle Ages? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ The Dark Ages? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ What do you think is the meaning behind the word Medieval? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ So, What started it all? _________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Manor/Fief ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Things found there ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Feudalism ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Page 2 Today’s Date __________ The Social, Political, and Economic structure of Feudalism Do Now: The topic of today’s lesson is the social, political and economic structure of feudalism What is the meaning of each word in this context? Social Structure- ____________________________________________________________ Political Structure- ____________________________________________________________ Economic Structure- ___________________________________________________________ Hierarchy All three of these structures are based on the strict hierarchy (_____________________________________) of feudalism Social Structure ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Page 3 Today’s Date __________ Political Structure King rules _____________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ The lord pays ____________________________________________________________ o __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ o __________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ o __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ o __________________________________________________________________ Economic Structure Very big gap ___________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Page 4 Today’s Date __________ Response Question Describe either the social, political, or economic structure of the feudal system. Be sure to include a definition of the area you chose to discuss and use at least three specific examples that describe what that structure is like. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Page 5 Today’s Date __________ Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Brain Dumps What evidence do you see of the social, political, economic structure of Feudalism? What evidence do you see of the importance of Christianity in Europe? What evidence do you see of the religious beliefs of the Muslims? ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Page 6 Today’s Date __________ Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Character Sheet Robin of Locksley (Robin Hood) Trait: ____________________ Scene: _____________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Trait: ___________________ Scene: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Azeem (Robin’s Trusty Companion) Trait: ____________________ Scene: _________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Trait: ___________________ Scene: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Maid Marian (Robin’s Love Interest) Trait: ___________________ Scene: _________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Trait: ___________________ Scene: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Sheriff of Nottingham (The Story’s Antagonist) Trait: ___________________ Scene: _________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Trait: ___________________ Scene: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Little John (“Best Man of the Woods”) Trait: ___________________ Scene: ________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Trait: ___________________ Scene: __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Mortianna the Witch (The Sheriff’s Helper) Trait: ___________________ Scene: ____________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Trait: ___________________ Scene: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Friar Tuck (A Servant of God) Trait: ___________________ Scene: _______________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Trait: ___________________ Scene: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Will Scarlett (A Mysterious Woodsman) Trait: ___________________ Scene: _______________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Trait: ___________________ Scene: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Page 7 Today’s Date __________ A Serf’s Life in the Manor Benfield Even among the serfs there is a hierarchy (HI-er-arkie), an order of rank and leadership. The reeve is the title given to the head serf. He is elected by the other serfs to oversee that all the work gets done. He also must report to the steward (an assistant to the vassal) any progress made and whether there are any problems. The serfs of Benfield chose Ralph Pigge almost ten years ago to be their reeve. Every day, Ralph goes to the steward to discuss what needs to be done that day, which fields need to be hoed or seeded or plowed, or whether a bridge or something needs repair in the manor. It’s Ralph’s job to see that the serfs carry out these tasks properly. He makes sure that they rise at daybreak and get to work quickly; he oversees all the farm work and is responsible for the animals and for the entire manor. He is also responsible for making sure whatever the lord expects in taxes from the serfs, wheat, corn or livestock, are counted exactly and ready for the steward to collect. Some serfs grumble and complain about Ralph. They say he favors his friends and gives the worst jobs to those who have offended him. But Ralph knows everyone and all the tricks of those who shirk their responsibility. He has the right to beat them with his stick and he sometimes reports their misdeeds to the Manor Court. For his work, the reeve has certain rewards. He has his own plot of land to farm, like some other serfs, but is excused the farm work for the lord. At busy times he gets meals free at the castle and the steward gives him five shillings a year, one cartload of wheat and the right to graze his ox with the lord’s cattle. So, Ralph is well off, with the best of the serfs huts- his has three rooms. Other serfs in Benfield who have special privileges are the herdsmen, like John the swineherd, Hugh the cowherd, and Lawrence the shepherd. They are excused from the farm work for the lord, because their jobs require more time with the animals. They look after the flocks and herds of the manor, moving the animals to the common pastureland, to the fallow land, to the meadows, and the demesne according to the seasons. For their work, they get a piece of land larger than any of the other serfs to farm on their own. They are allowed to keep some livestock of their own as well. Both of these allow these serfs the opportunity to earn some money selling their crops, skins, wool or meat to the townspeople in the village. The farmers are the serfs who are the hardest working serfs in the manor. They may have a small piece of land to farm for their own food and perhaps a chicken or a cow for eggs and milk. Otherwise they need to barter with other serfs for food or supplies they might need. They are expected to be in the fields by sunrise and to complete the tasks told to them by the reeve. They may be plowing, carting, hoeing, spreading dung, or digging ditches, whatever needs to be done that day. The serf must remain in the field all day, getting a short break in the afternoon for a meal of bread and ale. The serf may not farm his own land until all the work for the lord has been completed. The only day a serf is not working is Sunday, when he is expected to attend church with the rest of the manor. The lowest of the serfs are called cottars, because their only possession is the cottage in which they live. There are only five cottars in Benfield. They aren’t allowed to keep livestock and have no strip of land of their own to farm. How do they live? They are the manor’s poor to whom the lady of the manor and the priest give alms (donations). Their ragged children search the woods for nuts and berries and their wives trail behind the gleaners to pick up a few grains of corn. Some of the cottars, like the Holt brothers, are well-known poachers. Poaching is hunting animals illegally. All of the animals in the forest of Benfield belong to the lord, and only certain Page 8 Today’s Date __________ people are allowed to be in the forest hunting. If you are caught poaching you must appear before the Manor Court and could face a fine or imprisonment. Even with the social divisions between the serfs, there still is a great sense of camaraderie among the serfs in Benfield. Some Sundays after church they will meet in the alehouse and talk about the crops and exchange bits of news and gossip. Simon, John’s son has been caught poaching partridges, and Jack’s son has run off with a band of outlaws. The older men shake their heads, but some of the others begin to grumble about their burdens. They say a man cannot grind his own corn, bake his own bread, sell his own livestock or collect wood for his fire without paying a fee to the lord and his over-mighty officials. ‘Are we not men?’ they cry, ‘Yet they treat us like beasts!’ Complete the following exercises: 1. Draw a social structure triangle illustrating the hierarchy of the serfs in Benfield Manor. 2. Of the four levels of serfs, choose two and draw a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting their jobs, privileges and lives Page 9 Today’s Date __________ The Role of Medieval Women and Children Life expectancy during the early middle ages was between 25 and 30 years of age. By the end of the middle ages, a person could expect to live to between 30 and 35 years old. Noble Women Managed the household Spent time spinning, sewing, weaving, and caring for the sick and wounded Defend the castle when her husband was gone Usually could not read Had few rights Could be divorced by her husband if she did not produce at least one male heir Often died early of disease or in childbirth; because of the high mortality rate, husbands might outlive five or six wives Noble Girls Taught by mother to und household Learned handicrafts and dancing Around age 16, usually sent into a marriage arranged by her father Given a dowry when married and all land inherited belonged to husband Noble Boys Had two options: become a knight or enter a monastery Training to become a knight meant he would leave home at age 7 to live and work in another noblemen’s home as a servant, but would be educated there and taught the fighting skills of knights Joining a monastery would mean he’d also leave the home at a young age and live among monks. He would be educated and taught the ways of the church Peasant Women Had a very difficult life with no prospect for change in status Weeded crops, tended animals, cooked, preserved food, brewed ale, made butter and cheese, and gathered herbs to make medicines Peasant Children Began working when they learned to walk Gathered sticks, picked berries, and picked up pieces of wool that fell off sheep When older, boys herded geese or pigs while girls became maids (by age six) By age 10, the children worked like adults Page 10 Today’s Date __________ Use your own words to Compare and Contrast Medieval Women Noble Peasant Use your own words to Compare and Contrast Medieval Children Noble Page 11 Peasant Today’s Date __________ Life in a Medieval Castle Directions: Highlight only the information that answers the question. Place the question # in the margin next to the area which answers that question. 1. In what ways was the hall of the castle used? 2. In what ways did the lord use the chamber of the castle? 3. What was wrong with the labor and the land on a medieval manor? Life in the feudal class was rough and uncomfortable. The castles were cold and drafty. If a castle was of wood, you had no fire, and if a stone castle allowed you to have one you smothered in the smoke. Until the thirteenth century no one except a few great feudal princes had a castle providing more than two rooms. In the hall, the lord received his officials and vassals, held his court, and entertained ordinary guests. There the family and visitors ate on trestle tables that at night served as beds for the servants and guests. The chamber was the private abode of the lord and his family. The lord and lady slept in a great bed. Their children had smaller beds, and their personal servants slept on the floor. Distinguished visitors were entertained in the chamber. When the lord of the castle wanted a private talk with a guest, they both sat on the bed. The lord and his family could have all the food they could eat, but it was limited in variety. Great platters of game, both birds and beasts were the chief standby, reinforced with bread and vast quantities of wine. They also had plenty of clothing, but the quality was largely limited by the capacity of the servant girls who made it. In short, in the tenth and eleventh centuries the noble had two resources, land and labor. But the labor was magnificently inefficient and by our standards the land was badly tilled. Not until the revival of trade could the feudal class begin to live in anything approaching luxury. Page 12 Today’s Date __________ No more Manors, let’s talk Manners! In the late middle ages, a number of books were written for young boys about the proper behavior of gentlemen. The fact that this books like this even needed to be written suggests that there was some question on how one was to behave regarding bodily functions and at the dinner table. Here are some excerpts: Manners relating to bodily functions: There should be no snot on the nostrils. A peasant wipes his nose on his cap and coat or on his arm or elbow. It is not much better to first wipe it with your hand and then wipe it on one’s clothing. It is more decent to take up the snot in a cloth, preferably while turning away. If when blowing the nose something falls to the ground, it must be immediately trodden away with the foot. The same applies to spit. It is not polite, after wiping your nose, to spread out your handkerchief and peer into it as if pearls and rubies might have fallen out of your head. Before you sit down, make sure your seat has not been fouled. Do not reach under your clothes to scratch yourself. If you have to scratch yourself, do not do so with your bare hand, but use your coat. Do not expose without necessity the parts to which nature has attached modesty. Some say that a boy should retain wind by compressing the belly, but you can contract an illness that way. Yet it is not pleasing, let a cough hide the sound. Do not be afraid of vomiting if you must, for it is not vomiting but the holding of the vomit in your throat that is foul. One should not relieve oneself in front of ladies, or before the doors or windows. No one should foul the staircases, corridors, or closets, but should go to a suitable place for such relief. If you pass a person who is relieving himself you should act as if you had not seen him, and so it is impolite to greet him. Manners relating to the dinner table: Some put their hands into the dishes when they are scarcely seated, peasants and animals do that. Do not be the first to take from a dish that is brought in. Page 13 Today’s Date __________ Do not poke around in the dish but take the first piece that presents itself. A peasant grasps his food with his fist. It is better to use only three fingers of the hand. It is good if conversation interrupts the meal from time to time. Some people eat and drink without stopping, not because they are hungry or thirsty, but because they cannot control their movements. Do not poke your teeth, scratch your head, snort, or spit while at the dinner table. A man of refinement should not slurp with his spoon when in company. Some people bite a slice and then dunk it in the dish in a coarse way; refined people reject such bad manners. A serious offense is if one gnaws a bone and then puts in back in the dish. A man who clears his throat when he eats and one who blows his nose in the tablecloth are both ill-bread, I assure you. If a man wipes his nose on his hand at the table it is because he knows know better and is a fool. If a man snorts like a seal when he eats, as some people do, and smacks his chops, he acts like a peasant. When you blow your nose or cough, turn around so that nothing falls on the table. Everyone uses his hands to take food from the common dish. It is not decent to poke your fingers into your ears, eyes, or nose before doing so. Refrain from eating with both hands, peasants do that. It is not good manners to loosen ones belt at the table. Do not spit on or over the table. Do not clean your teeth with your knife or the table cloth. Do not blow your nose in the table cloth. Do not fall asleep at the table. Never talk or laugh with a full mouth. It is bad manners to lean against the table while eating, as it is to keep your helmet on when serving the ladies. Do not put back on your plate what has been in your mouth. Never offer anyone a piece of food you have bitten into. Page 14 Today’s Date __________ No more Manors, let’s talk Manners! 1. Which of the manners do you think no longer relates to people today? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. Which of the manners would you put in a book for young boys today? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3. Which of the manners did you think shouldn’t be necessary to ‘teach’ but should just be understood by polite society? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 4. Which of the manners did you find to be the funniest/oddest/ most unique? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Page 15 Today’s Date __________ The Castle (Insert diagram of castle) Label the Castle Diagram using this key: A. B. C. D. E. F. G. Dungeon Inner Court Gate House Drawbridge Moat Outer Wall Great Hall Page 16 H. I. J. K. L. M. Chapel Kitchen Lord’s Chambers Stables Squires Hall Wells Today’s Date __________ Castle Movie Questions 1. Why did a castle need both an outer and inner wall? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. What was built between the outer and inner walls? What was its purpose? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3. What was the Great Hall used for? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 4. Why were the windows built so small? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 5. How are the rooms heated? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 6. Where are the wells located? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 7. Why are there identical rooms in all of the towers? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 8. What is stored in those rooms? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 9. Where was the gate house located? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Page 17 Today’s Date __________ 10. Name 4 parts of the gate house Draw an illustration of the gate house and all of its parts: ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ 11. What is an arrow loop? Why is it designed the way it is? ______________________________ Draw an illustration of an arrow loop ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ 12. What is the parapet and why is it designed the way it is? ______________________________ Draw an illustration of a parapet: ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ 13. What is a portcullis? ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Page 18 Draw an illustration of a portcullis: Today’s Date __________ Thou shalt complete the Thou shalt create a Squire’s Challenge! Thou shalt Coat of Arms! pass the build a Knighthood Quiz! Medieval Model! Thou shalt Due Dates Squire’s Challenge _____ Coat of Arms ______ Knighthood Quiz _____ Medieval Model ______ Page 19 Today’s Date __________ Knighthood Two types of Armor: __________________________ and __________________________ Steps in Becoming a Knight: Page - ________________________________________________ o _________________________________________________ o _________________________________________________ o _________________________________________________ Squire - _______________________________________________ o _________________________________________________ o _________________________________________________ o _________________________________________________ Chivalry - __________________________________________________ Heraldry- __________________________________________________ Achievement- _______________________________________________ http://www.fleurdelis.com/ http://www.yuni.com/library/latin.html Page 20 Today’s Date __________ The Knight Training In peacetime, knights often demonstrated their martial skills in tournaments, which usually took place on the grounds of a castle. Medieval tournaments were a major spectator sport -- much like large sporting events today. In early tournaments, many knights fought in an apparent free-for-all called a melee. The melee looked very much like a real battle. The knights assembled in a large group, and a judge or marshal would signal for the fight to begin. Each knight would fight another, the victor would move on to another opponent, and the last knight standing was the winner. The church disliked melees, and even tournaments, because many knights were injured or killed. The most popular, and romanticized, competition in tournaments was the joust. In an area of the grounds called the lists, two knights on horseback would charge each other. Each knight held a wooden lance with a blunted tip. Each would try to break his lance on the body or head of his opponent or try to knock his opponent off his horse. They received points for breaking a lance (the number of points depended upon what part of the opponent's body was struck), and there were usually anywhere from one to three charges in a round. Even though the weapons were blunted, many knights were injured or killed in jousts. King Henry II of France was killed in a joust in 1559 when a broken lance penetrated the visor of his helmet. The winner of the joust moved on in the competition and could challenge other knights. The loser had to turn his armor and horse over to the victor. Usually, the victor would then sell the armor and horse back to the loser. In this way, knights could amass a fortune (or lose one) in tournaments. Armor and Weapons Throughout the Middle Ages, the armor used by knights varied. Knights in the early Middle Ages, using technology from the Romans, wore leather armor. Leather was very expensive, but it could be easily shaped and hardened by boiling in water or oil. It was effective in stopping sword cuts but was vulnerable to thrusts and arrows. Throughout the Middle Ages, knights wore chain mail (again, technology borrowed from the Romans). Chain mail consisted of small, interwoven steel rings. The ends of the rings could be close to one another (butted mail) or affixed with a metal rivet (riveted mail). Chain mail was relatively easy to make, cheaper than later forms of armor and relatively effective in stopping a slice from a weapon. However, it was vulnerable to pointed weapons. As blacksmiths and armorers improved their metalworking skills, they developed plate armor in the latter half of the Middle Ages. The plates provided protection and ease of movement (knights wore chain mail underneath to protect open areas called gussets (in underarms and at joints). Each plate covered a different area and had a specific name. Plate armor was effective against cuts and thrusts, but it was expensive. Also, contrary to popular belief, armored knights could move in plate armor -- they could mount and dismount from a horse and get up if knocked down. Knights generally limited themselves to the heavy lance and sword. Medieval swords usually were made from a mild steel (low carbon steel). How elaborate the sword was decorated depended upon its owner's wealth, with some of the more intricate ones encrusted with jewels and fine engravings. Apart from the sword Page 21 Today’s Date __________ another standard weapon of a knight was the lance. Lances were usually made of wood, with metal tips. As a weapon, the lance enabled the knight to take advantage of his superior position on horseback as it provided the length necessary to engage opponents while still mounted. After the lance became broken or dropped the knight could rely on his sword, dismounting if necessary. Other weapons finding use in the hands of the medieval knight were the axe, mace (metal club), and war hammer. It was, however, the sword and lance that the knight more often than not depended upon as his chosen weapons. Archers were always a concern for the knight as they could hit targets from a distance. Many knights believed archer's methods to be cowardly, as they did not engage in hand-to-hand combat, but struck from afar. Nevertheless, archers became an integral part of medieval warfare, and were decisive factors in many famous medieval battles. Describe a melee ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Describe a joust ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ What would the prize be for winning a joust? ________________________________________________________________________________________ What was the advantage of Chain Mail? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ What was the advantage of Plate Armor? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Which weapon do you think was more efficient, the lance or sword? Why? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Page 22 Today’s Date __________ The Rights of Knights The Middle Ages was the age of feudalism. Under the feudal system, peasants, or serfs, lived on the lord’s land in return for agreeing to fight for their lord. Like peasants, knights did not have easy lives. In the following excerpt, historian Joseph R. Strayer describes some of the problems they face, beginning with the problem of inheritance. As you read, think about answers to the questions listed below. When you have completed the reading, answer these questions at the end of the reading. 1. What happened to a knight’s land when he died? 2. How did the knights react to the problems they had with their land claims? 3. In general, how well did knights live compared to peasants? Was this the same throughout the medieval period? 4. In what ways does the status of the knight change during the feudal period? Why do you think this was so? The ordinary vassal, or knight… was… subject to disabilities [problems] which would have shocked his thirteenth-century descendants… The lord might seize his estates [lands] on flimsy [weak] excuses or force him to exchange them for other, less desirable holdings. The knight could not be sure that his lands would go to his heirs, since when he died they legally reverted [went back to] the lord. If the knight left a son who by age and training was reading for military service, it was almost certain that the fief [land] would be regranted to him. Even then, however, the son might not receive exactly the same holding which had been granted to his father. If the heir were a minor, a daughter, or a collateral [not direct] relative, the lord might ignore his claims altogether. The best that could be hoped for would be that the lord Page 23 would recognize the rights of these weaker claimants in return for additional payments. He might take the revenues [money earned] until the minor heir came of age (right of wardship); he might allow the daughter to inherit only if she married a man of his choice (right of marriage)… Is it not surprising that vassals came to be obsessed [deeply concerned] with the problems of strengthening their hereditary [birth] rights in their estates, and that they were ready to support any political or legal innovations [new methods] which would change the precarious [uncertain] possession of fiefs into something more like ownership. There is an echo of these feelings in the epic [heroic] poems written for the feudal class in the twelfth century. In case after case the whole plot turns on the attempt of a lord to deprive a vassal of his rightful inheritance, and the vassal’s struggle to retain it. Today’s Date __________ The weakness of the economic position of the lesser vassals was paralleled [matched] by their political weakness and relatively low social status. It is true that even in the ninth and tenth centuries, knights were infinitely better off that the great mass of the population. As expert fighting men, they could expect to be better fed, better housed, and treated with more consideration than peasants. Nevertheless, the line between knight and peasant was not very sharply drawn in the first period of feudalism. A poor knight might be no wealthier than a rich peasant. Each might hold the same amount of land, and if the knight had serfs to work his land for him, the well-to-do peasant could hire poor laborers at very low rates of pay… No one in 1100 would have thought that the knightly class as a whole was noble or aristocratic. Some knights were of noble descent, some were not, but as a class they were simply a group of specifically trained and specifically rewarded retainers [attendants]. They could be given by one lord to another, just as any other dependants could be given. For example, an eleventhcentury Norman duke gave a monastery a village with its peasants, mills, meadows, and knights. It is only when the knight ceased to be primarily a soldier that he became a gentleman. Answer the questions at the beginning of the reading in the spaces below. 1. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 4. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Page 24 Today’s Date __________ What’s the Problem, Pope? Do Now: Listen to Pope Urban’s speech. What is happening that is causing him to call people to arms? ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ What motivating things does he say to encourage people to go crusading? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ What does Deus Vult mean? Why do you think he uses this phrase to motivate people? ___________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Why was Jerusalem important? Three major religious groups all claimed it as their holy city. To Christians, _________________________________________________________ To Muslims, __________________________________________________________ To Jews, _____________________________________________________________ Exit Card: Which person had the most to gain from fighting in the Crusades? Why? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Which had the most to lose? Why? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Page 25 Today’s Date __________ The Crusades The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars in which the Christians of Europe attempted to regain control of the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the Muslims. Jerusalem lies on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and was the birthplace of Jesus Christ. For two hundred years the Christians fought, unsuccessfully, to defeat the Muslims and place the Holy Land back under Christian rule. The popes and other religious leaders who began the Crusades promised spiritual rewards to those who risked their lives for this holy cause. Christians were promised remission of sins, and for those who died immediate entry into heaven. Thousands of peasants set off from Europe on the long journey to Jerusalem. Religion was not the only reason people went crusading. Economic factors also played an important role. For the peasant, the Crusades gave him a chance to escape the slavery of life on a manor. Lords and knights even took up the cause with the lure of land and wealth to be won. Merchants saw an opportunity to expand their trade opportunities. The promise of improvement in one’s economic status convinced many to join the Crusades. The Crusades were a failure for the Christians. The Holy Land was never recaptured from the Muslims. However, the impact that the Crusades had on Europe are nearly immeasurable. First, they opened up Europe to the rest of the world. The crusaders brought back to Europe new trade products like silks, spices and pearls. They also brought new foods, manners of behavior, and cultural knowledge which easily assimilated into the Western European culture. Merchants became prosperous and the standard of living increased with these new luxuries. For so long Europe had been in a Dark Age without much exposure to the rest of the world. The Crusades ends that. Feudal lords often paid their soldiers to travel to the Holy Land; therefore they lost a tremendous amount of money as there was no reward to be had. Some lords were killed and left their families in debt. Men who had never left the manor brought back with them knowledge of new places, cultures, and peoples outside of Europe. This new-found knowledge helped to stimulate Europeans in increase their desire for further exploration. Thus the crusades quickened the progress and prosperity of the Europeans and took them out of the Dark Ages and set the stage for a rebirth, or ‘renaissance’ of culture and ideas. Page 26 Today’s Date __________ The Crusades 1. What were the Crusades? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. Why is the Holy Land important to Christians? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3. How long did the Crusades last? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 4. What was promised to those who joined the Crusades? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 5. How did the Crusades help peasants and merchants? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 6. What was the outcome of the Crusades? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Page 27 Today’s Date __________ 7. How did the Crusades change Western Europe? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 8. Why did Feudalism decline after the Crusades? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 9. What was the most important effect of the Crusades? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Page 28 Today’s Date __________ The End of Medieval Times The Crusades People moved off of the manor ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Merchants became wealthier than lords ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Strengthened the power of the Monarch (king) ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The Growth of Towns People built towns outside of the manor ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Towns traded with one another ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ A middle class emerged ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The Bubonic Plague Famine 1315-1319 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Plague hits Europe 1347, 1360, 1374 Page 29 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
