Name: ____________________________
Date: __________________
Period: __________
Early Middle Ages
Notes: 17-1
The Germans
Why it’s Important:
During the first 400 years after the birth of Christ, the Germans left the forests and
marshes of Northern Europe in search of:
1. Warmer climates
2. Better grazing land
They slowly drifted south towards the Roman Empire. What were the Germans attracted to?
Rome’s wealth and culture.
What did the Germans hope to do?
Live peacefully within the empire’s borders
How did the Romans feel about this and what did the Romans do?
Considered the Germans enemies and fought to keep Germans out of Rome
By 300 CE, however, the empire had begun its long decline and could no longer turn back the
Germans. So the Romans allowed the groups of Germans to move into the Danube River
Valley, where a blending of German and Roman ways took place.
Section 1: Village Life
Although the Germans took part in Roman life, they kept much of their own culture.
They lived in villages surrounded by farmlands and pastures.
Describe what most of their homes were like:
Thatched-roof huts with open space around them
The family lived in one end of the hut and divided the other end into animal stalls.
Body heat of the animals helped to warm the hut during the cold winters.
German villagers made their living herding cattle.
This provided what?
Food and clothing
They also traded cattle for what three items from the romans?
1. Glass vessels
2. Table Articles
3. Jewelry
The Germans farmed as well; they grew:
1. Barley
2. Rye
3. Wheat
4. Beans
5. Peas
Most farm work was done by:
1. Women
2. Children
3. Enslaved people
What did the women do when they were not in the fields or cooking?
Spun wool and wove cloth on upright looms.
Describe German Dress:
Women: Long skirts made of different yarns from the shoulders to the feet; 1-piece sacklike
dresses; sometimes wore scarves
Men: Short woolen tunics, close fitting trousers (pants), cloaks
The Germans believed in hospitality. So strong was this belief that it was against the
law to turn away anyone who came to the door. Invited guests and strangers alike were
welcomed, fed, and entertained.
What three things were German pastimes?
1.Feasting
2. Drinking
3. Dancing
Men also enjoyed gambling with dice. Sometimes, they took part in such organized sports as
boxing and wrestling. In winter, they skated on frozen ponds and lakes using skates made of
flat bone.
The Germans spoke a language that later became modern German. At first, they could
not read or write because their language had no alphabet. Some learned to speak and write
Latin. Gradually they began to use Roman letters to write their own language.
Warriors
German men were warriors.
They spent most of their time:
1. Fighting
2. Hunting
3. Making weapons
They began training for war when they were young boys. When a male reached manhood, he
was brought before a special gathering held in a sacred grove under a full moon. There, he
received a shield and a spear, which he had to carry with him at all times. The loss of the
shield and spear meant a loss of honor.
The Germans were divided into clans, or groups based on family ties. At first, the
Germans gave their greatest loyalty to their clan. After a while, however, they developed a
strong feeling of loyalty toward a military leader called a chieftain. A man had to fight well to
become a chieftain. In the beginning, a chieftain was elected by a band of warriors. Later, this
office became hereditary. What does hereditary mean?
Passing down by inheritance from parent to child
What three things did a Chieftain give their men?
1. Leadership
2. Weapons
3. Chance for wealth/adventure
Chieftains also kept peace among their warriors. In some cases, they gave their warriors food
and shelter. In return, warriors gave their chieftains complete loyalty. Some even gave their
chieftains credit for the brave deeds they themselves did. In battle, what did the chieftain
fight for and what did the warriors fight for?
Chieftains - >Victory
Warriors - >Their chieftains
German warrior bands did not have fixed plans for fighting. Each band was small and
usually fought on its own, apart from other bands. The bands made surprise raids against
their enemies. Warriors on foot and on horseback would charge wildly, yelling in loud voices
to frighten their foes. They fought with daggers, short swords, and heavy axes made of metal
and stone. They carried light wooden shields and wore suits of leather.
What would a successful attack provide?
1. Enslaved people
2. Cattle
3. Other treasures
The Germans’ love of battle was closely linked to their religion. Germans had many gods who
liked to fight and hunt. Who was their chief god?
Wodan
What was he the god of?
1. War
2. Poetry
3. Learning
4. Magic
Another god of war was Wodan’s son Thor, who was also the God of Thunder. The Germans
believed what about the sound of thunder? Came from the wheel’s of Thor’s chariot.
The Germans admired bravery. Like the Spartans, they expected their warriors to win in
battle or to die fighting. The only German shields left on the battlefield were those of dead
warriors.
What did the Germans believe about what happened if you died on the battlefield?
Goddesses carried spirits of warriors into the afterlife.
Laws
Where did the Romans believe laws came from?
The Emperor
Where did the Germans believe their laws came from?
The People
German rulers could not change a law unless the people approved.
The Germans based their laws on the customs of their ancestors. Instead of writing
down the laws, the Germans memorized them and passed them from parent to child.
Reckless fighting, often caused by too much drinking, caused problems in German
villages. The Germans wanted to keep such fights from becoming blood feuds or quarrels in
which the families of the original fighters seek revenge. Blood feuds could go on for
generations. Why did the Germans set up courts?
To prevent blood feuds from going on for generations.
Judges listened to each side and tried to find a settlement that would bring peace to the
village.
The Germans decided who was guilty or innocent in different ways. One way was by
oath-taking. Describe what an oath-helper is and does:
People who swore that the accused was telling the truth
If the accused could not find oath-helpers, then their guilt or innocence was decided by ordeal
or a severe trial. Describe what would happen during these ordeals:
Accused walked barefoot over red-hot coals OR Arm placed in boiling water --Burns of
the innocent would heal within 3 days
Ordeal by water :Accused hands/feet were tied and thrown into a lake/river --- Innocent
sank, guilty float
A person who was judged guilty was not always punished physically. Courts could
impose fines called wergeld. The exact amount of the payment varied. Although courts could
set these fines, they did not have the power to collect them. They had to depend on public
opinions to make a guilty person pay the fine.
The German legal system did not treat all people fairly. What did matter in determining
the penalty for a crime?
A person’s wealth/importance
German law did keep the peace.
Use the diagram below to compare the strengths and weaknesses of German Law.
Strengths

Helped settle quarrels

Oath-helpers

Wergeld
Weaknesses

Did not treat people fairly since penalties
were determined by a person’s wealth and
importance


Could not be changed without approval from
the people
Laws were not written down