A Distant Mirror
Reading Assignment Instructions
Please follow the Reading Guide and answer the following questions in short-answer MLA
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Tuchman discusses the “hazards” of writing history; Define historiography. Why do historians disagree
and have different interpretations of primary source documents?
Describe the European world view? Spiritual world view? Their views on the Church?
Describe the impact of the Crusades.
Describe the Carolingian Renaissance. Was the medieval period really “dark”?
What were the 3 estates? How did they function within France?
What were the major climatic issues of the period and how did they affect life?
Describe the ideas of William of Ockham and Marsilius of Padua.
Describe how the Church influenced the beliefs, lifestyle, and views of Europeans.
Why was there Anti-Semitism and how prevalent was it in Europe?
What was the Inquisition?
Describe the origins of the Hundred Years’ War.
How was the institution of marriage viewed?
How was “love” viewed?
How were infants and children viewed?
Describe the medieval everyday life in regards to hygiene, time, entertainment, etc.
How was the Hundred Years’ War an impetus for the advancement of technology?
How did kings finance their wars?
What was the Black Death? What were its short-term and long-term effects on Europe? Impact on
religion? Impact on popular culture and art? On Jews?
Describe the medieval concept of marriage in the upper classes? Why were marriages arranged? Was
“love” involved?
What was the medieval view on children and child rearing?
Describe the everyday life of people. How did they groom, etc?
Describe the concept of time to the medieval mind. The idea of the calendar and how religion influenced it.
The idea of science vs. the idea of magic. The idea of education.
What was chivalry? How did it influence courtly behavior?
What was the theory of indulgences? What was anti-clericalism?
What was the life of a peasant in France like?
What was the Jacquerie and what were its origins?
Describe the Church’s view of women.
What was the purpose of mercenaries? What was the life of a mercenary like? Describe the life of Sir John
Hawkwood.
Analyze the life of free peasants.
Describe the lifestyle of the nobility in France and Italy.
Describe Urban V’s attempts to return the Papacy to Rome.
Describe the ideas of John Wyclif and Lollardy. Why does John Gaunt support Wylif
Describe the development of the French “nation”.
Describe the changing attitudes towards sorcery and the evolving concept of the devil within the Church.
Who was Catherine of Siena?
What was the Great Schism and how did it relate to 14 th century politics?
What is Wyclif’s short and long term impact?
What ideas actions attitudes, etc are evident that would finally provoke some Europeans to throw off the
Catholic Church and the Papacy in favor of the Protestant Reformation?