Introduction to the Central Middle Ages
 The Normans were
descended from Viking
raiders. In the year 911
AD, the Viking leader,
Rollo made a deal with
King Charles III of
France, that in return for
land, the Vikings would
obey his laws and stop
raiding the French coast.
This land became the
Duchy of Normandy
 The Normans had great
success as conquerors,
capturing lands from
England (1066), Ireland
(1169) Italy and
Palestine. Their
mounted heavy cavalry,
called knights, were the
secret of their success.
Each knight was like a
human tank! A charge by
mounted knights was
not easily stopped
 The Norman lords and
knights lived in castles,
fortified hall called “keeps”
surrounded by defensive
structures like walls and
ditches. The earliest castles
were made of wood and
called “motte and bailey”
castles. A wooden keep was
built on a high artificial hill
(the motte) with a fortified
courtyard (the bailey)
beneath it. As these were
made of wood, only the
mottes have survived.
 As time went on and the
Normans consolidated
their conquests, they began
building great stone
castles. The Tower of
London was built by
William the Conqueror. In
Ireland, we have many fine
examples of stone castles,
such as Carrickfergus and
Trim Castle, built by King
John (see bottom picture)
 Clothing in the early Norman
period was very like clothing
in the Viking period. Men
wore tunics reaching to the
knee and leggings, which
later became tights (hose).
Women wore long dresses.
Only unmarried girls and
queens could have their hair
uncovered. Shoes were made
by a cobbler from leather, but
many poor folk went
barefoot, or wore wooden
clogs in wet and muddy
weather.
 There was a great difference in
the type and amount of food
eaten by the rich and poor.
Kings, barons and wealthy
knights ate huge amount of
game (deer, pheasant, wild boar,
swan etc.) vegetables including
cabbage, onions, garlic, turnips,
peas and beans. A lot of bread
was eaten. The poorer knights
and the peasants lived on rye
bread and pottage (a kind of
vegetable stew) with occasional
eggs, cheese and meat such as
bacon or rabbit
 The King was at the top of
society. He granted land to
the great barons in return for
their promise to obey his laws
and give him military service
when he went to war. The
barons gave land to knights in
return for the same thing.
Serfs or villeins were at the
bottom of society. They could
not leave their land or marry
without their lord’s
permission. Skilled craftsmen
ranked between knights and
serfs and were mainly based
in towns and villages
 Towns and cities became
increasingly important during
the Norman period. Many towns
had a “charter” a document
which laid out their rights and
priveliges. Many towns were
governed by a Mayor and
Corporation. If a serf ran away
from his lord and could hide in a
town for a year and a day, he was
declared a free man. Towns were
surrounded by a wall to keep
the citizens safe. Most towns
were crowded, smelly and
unsanitary. Rubbish was thrown
on the streets and animals
roamed free.
 The Black Death was a terrible
disease which reached Europe from
Asia in the 14th century. It was spread
by fleas which were parasites on rats
which travelled on medieval ships. It
was bubonic plague, and was socalled because of the black boils
which appeared on victims. It was
believed that the plague was caused
by “bad air” so doctors wore beakshaped masks filled with sweetsmelling herbs to keep away the
plague. As doctors could not cure
the plague, their reputation
declined, and because of their beakshaped masks they became known
as “quacks”. The rhyme “Ring-a Ring
a Roses” dates from plague times.
Over a third of Europe’s popullation
was wiped out.