The Middle Ages




The Middle Ages lasted approximately
900 years. It began around 500 AD and
lasted until 1400 AD.
Historians disagree on the exact year
the Middle Ages began.
Some say that it started when the
barbarian Odoacer overthrew Emperor
Romulus Augustulus in the year 476 AD.
Others feel the Middle Ages began in
410 AD when Alaric sacked Rome. Still
others say it was later.
•
•
•
•
Likewise historians
disagree with when the
Middle Ages ended.
Some say it ended with
the fall of Constantinople
in 1453.
Others say with the
discovery of America in
1492.
Still others say the Middle
Ages ended with the
beginning of the
Reformation in 1517.
Early Middle Ages
•
•
•
•
•
Early Middle Ages
The years 500 to 1000 AD are
known as the tough times or the
Dark Ages.
During this time Vikings were
invading much of Europe. Tribal
disputes were causing constant
war.
Pagan worshipping was common
place.
Only the monks in the
monasteries kept learning alive.
During the Early Middle Ages
Charlemagne also conquered
most of France.
High to Late Middle
Ages
•
•
•
•
•
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages lasted
from 1000 to 1300 AD.
During this time society, nobility,
and the church grew stronger.
The feudal system became
organized.
William the Conqueror became
the King of England.
The Magna Carta was signed by
King John in 1215 limiting the
king's power for the first time.
•
•
•
•
•
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages lasted
from 1300 to 1400 AD.
This was time of tragedy and
hope.
The 100 Years' War between
England and France
The bubonic plague known as the
Black Death took many lives.
The church was fighting. Hope
began when the working people
began to rise. New ideas grew.
Overseas exploration lead to a
modern time.
Review


What is a general
timeframe for the
Middle Ages?
What are the three
main Middle Ages
periods called?

Give one distinquishing
characteristic for each
time period of the
Middle Ages.
Castles


The first kind of castle in
Europe was a low tower. It
was usually two stories high.
The castle had a living hall
above storerooms.
Before William the
Conqueror became King of
England in 1066, there
were only about six castles
in England.
Lay-out of Castles
•
•
•
•
In the motte-palisade-bailey style
castle a large ditch was dug in the
shape of a circle. The dirt from the
ditch was piled in the middle of the
circle to form a large mound or motte.
At the top of this mound was a wooden
fence called a palisade. Inside the
palisade was a tower. Inside this tower
was the home of the lord.
Both the motte and the palisade was
an area surrounded by a high
protective fence called a bailey. Inside
the bailey were other castle buildings
such as the stable.
To get into the castle a person had to
cross a bridge over the ditch or moat.
Then he had to climb ladders to reach
the top of the mound to enter the
house.
Motte and Bailey Castles- key points
•
•
•
•
Easy to build. (They could
be built in less than a
week)
Easy to defend. (And
remember, the Normans
were an invading army)
Could easily be modified
later (e.g. A stone tower
rather than wooden tower)
Over 70 were built during
William's reign as King of
England.
Castles- change to stone
•
•
•
•
Because of the danger of fire
many lords began gradually
replacing the wooden fences with
sturdy stone walls called curtains.
At the corners of the stone walls
gatehouses called barbicans were
built. “Stone towers” called keeps
replaced the wooden towers.
On top of the keep battlements
were added. Battlements were
walls with high places to hide
behind in case of an attack. The
battlement also had low places to
look out or shoot through when at
battle.
The high places were called
merlons and the low places were
called crenels.
Portcullis and Keeps
•
•
•
•
•
A building was attached to the front of
the keep. It served as an entry hall. To
enter the keep a person must pass
through a doorway which had a large
sliding door called a portcullis. The
portcullis was made of large logs or iron
bars. The portcullis hung of chains over
the doorway. It was closed to keep
unwelcome guest out of the keep.
As time went by keeps became larger.
The earlier keeps were square or
rectangular. Later many were built in a
round shape.
This round shape made the keep easier
to defend.
After the round keep proved so valuable
castles began building round gatehouses.
These replaced the square ones at the
corners of the stone walls.
Stairs were also added to the keep
replacing the earlier ladders.
Review of castles


Who was responsible
in England for really
pushing the building of
castles?
What is a Motte and
Bailey Castle?

Identify:
 bailey,
portcullis, keep,
barbicon, battlements,
merlon, crenel
Evolution of the castle
Round Towers by the gate
CastlesThe Great Hall
•
•
•
The largest room in the keep was
the great hall. It was usually two
stories tall. The keep often had to
be entered by climbing ladders.
The ladders could be removed
during an enemy attack.
In the great hall were long wooden
tables and benches where the
people who worked in the castle
sat while they ate. At one end of
the great hall was a raised
platform called a dais. This is were
the king and his family sat during
meals.
Because the great hall had thick
stone walls and only narrow slits to
let in sunlight it was often dark,
cold, and drafty.
Chepstow Castle
•
•
•
•
Chepstow is a Norman castle perched high above the banks of
the river Wye in southeast Wales.
Construction began at Chepstow in 1067, less than a year after
William the Conqueror was crowned King of England.
While Edward had his master castle builder in the person of
James of St. George, the Conqueror, some 200 years earlier, had
his equal in the person of his loyal Norman lord William
FitzOsbern.
FitzOsbern's fortresses were the vehicles from which the new
king consolidated control of his newly conquered lands.
Chepstow Castle became the key launching point for expeditions
into Wales, expeditions that eventually subdued the rebellious
population.
Clepstow Castle
Clepstow
ClepstowOuter gatehouse, main entrance
Great Tower
Martins Tower
Backside view of Wye River
Decline of Castles
•
•
•
The development of firearms
and the increasing use of
gunpowder ended the castles'
endurance.
Even the ones outlasting the
pounding of the cannon did
not survive the engineers, for
it was the policy at the end of
the English Civil War to slight
all captured castles.
By 1650, almost all of the
great castles had been
rendered useless.
Attacking Castles

Medieval Arms Race
War in medieval times was about the control of
land. Garrisons of knights and other soldiers
who lived in castles controlled the land around
their stone fortresses. To conquer a territory, an
attacking army would have to strike and take
these central strongholds.
To do so, they would launch a siege. Over the
centuries, medieval armies developed military
strategies to fight a siege. Weapons of war
also evolved, often in response to the
technological advances of the enemy.

By the mid-12th century, siege warfare had
developed into a science.
Here are some of the major weapons and
strategies used in what became a medieval
arms race. Let the siege begin!
Direct Assault

A direct assault was the most dangerous way
for attackers to try to take a castle. Soldiers
either scaled walls with ladders or overran
castle walls breached by tunnels, battering
rams, or artillery.
Sometimes they attacked two or three spots
around the castle at once to surprise their foe
or divide castle defenses, and sometimes they
approached the wall hidden within a trench or
tunnel. Archers and crossbowmen would cover
soldiers while they tried to break a wall or
storm over it.
Defenders, perched on the castle wall or in
narrow windows called loopholes, literally had
the upper hand. Archers rained arrows down on
attackers, while soldiers pushed ladders off the
wall with forked poles, dropped rocks or
firepots filled with burning tar, or poured
scalding water, wine, or hot sand (which could
enter armor) down onto those below.
Trebuchet

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lost
empires/trebuchet/builds.html
Trebuchet
During peacetime, castle commanders used
trebuchets to launch roses at ladies during
tournaments. But during a siege, these missile
launchers were one of the most fearsome
weapons of medieval times.
Early trebuchets were powered by muscle, but
later versions relied on a huge counterweight
that swung a long arm. When the counterweight
was dropped, the device launched a missile
from a sling at the end of the arm.
The best trebuchets fired stone missiles
weighing up to 400 pounds—big enough to do
serious damage to a castle wall.
Attackers also used them to launch dung or
dead animals into the castle with the intention
of spreading disease. Sometimes they even shot
out the severed heads of enemy soldiers or
even messengers who delivered unsatisfactory
peace terms.
If a trebuchet was set up too close to a castle,
archers would harass its builders with arrows
shot from bows or bolts from crossbows.
Castle defenders also would try to destroy
rising trebuchets with catapults shot from the
castle wall or with sneak attacks to burn it
down.
Siege Tower





Attackers sometimes built a siege tower to scale
castle walls. Soldiers lay in wait inside the
structure as others wheeled it to the castle.
Once there, the soldiers lowered a drawbridge
at the top of the tower onto the castle wall.
Some towers were almost 100 feet high, and in
the siege of Kenilworth Castle, fully 200
archers and 11 catapults were crowded into a
single tower.
Siege towers were difficult and time-consuming
to build, however, and castle defenders could
burn them down with fire arrows or firepots
(launched pots filled with flaming liquids such
as tar).
Sometimes castle knights launched surprise
raids on a tower to destroy it during
construction. To protect their siege engine,
attackers draped it with rawhides of mules or
oxen.
Battering Rams

Battering Ram
Siege armies used a battering ram to break
down a gatehouse door or even smash a castle
wall. To shield themselves from attack, they built
a covered shed, in which they hung a thick tree
trunk on chains suspended from a beam above.



Carpenters tapered the trunk into a blunt point
and capped it with iron. The slow forward
movement as the battering ram was wheeled
toward the castle wall earned it the nickname
"tortoise."
Soldiers swung the hanging trunk back and
forth, and the forward end of the trunk moved
in and out of the shed like a tortoise's head,
battering its target.
Castle defenders tried to burn the shed down
with flaming arrows, though attackers
responded by covering the shed with animal
pelts or earth to make it fireproof. Defenders
sometimes dropped mattresses down to cushion
the blows or lowered grappling irons to grasp
the trunk, preventing it from swinging.
Tunneling under the castle



Tunnel
Men called sappers sometimes dug
tunnels to gain entrance to a castle and
thereby launch a sneak attack, but more
often, these miners dug tunnels beneath a
castle wall to destabilize and topple it.
They supported their tunnels with timbers,
which they then burned to collapse the
tunnel—and, hopefully, the wall above.
To defend themselves, castle dwellers put
out a bowl of water and watched for
ripples that might indicate digging.
Sometimes the castle's garrison built
counter-tunnels; if the two tunnels met,
fierce battles ensued underground.
Gunpowder and castles


Up to the 15th century, the
medieval castle walls and moat
were sufficient defense against
attackers. But this changed with
the introduction of gunpowder
and the cannon.
Constantinople fell to the Turks in
1453: it’s three-tiered defensive
walls crumbled under the power
of a cannon capable of firing
projectiles exceeding 800
pounds in weight.
The old fortifications became
vulnerable, so new designs were
introduced by Italian military
engineers.
Post Castle ideas for defending a city
Star shaped forts around a city. Walls were armed with cannons and far away
enough to help keep the city itself safe from enemy cannon fire. The photo on
right is Palmanova, in north-eastern Italy, designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi
(1552 - 1616).
Fort Jefferson- Dry Tortugas, Fla



Built to protect the southern coastline of
the United States, due to flaws in the
foundation and obsolescence brought on
by improvements in weapon technology,
the fort never fulfilled its intended
purpose.
In the aftermath of the War of 1812 a
set of forts stretching from Maine to
Texas was intended to provide defense
for the young country. The walls didn't
reach their final height of 45 feet until
1862.
Construction on the fort dragged on for
more than 30 years, and it was never
really finished. The invention of the rifled
cannon during the Civil War made the
walls of the fort vulnerable to destruction
and made the fort itself somewhat
obsolete.
Dry Tortugas
Fort Jefferson
Fort Jefferson itself is six
sided building constructed
of 16 million hand-made
red bricks. A closer view of
the moat can be seen in this
shot looking east toward
the entrance of the fort.
Construction of the moat
was also an engineering
challenge and was not
completed in 1873.
Inside


The walls of the fort
are about a half
mile around the
perimeter, and the
grounds inside the
walls are spacious.
The area was
designed to
accommodate 1500
troops and included
barracks, parade
grounds, magazines,
batteries, and other
features. The view
below looks toward
the west and shows
the walls and some
remaining officer's
quarters in front.
Muiderslot is a castle in the
Netherlands
Krak des Chevaliers- Syria


Krak des Chevaliers is a
Crusader fortress in Syria
and one of the most
important preserved
medieval military castles in
the world.
The castle is also knows as
the Castle of the Kurds. It
was built by crusaders in
the early 1200s
Vaduz Castle
•
•
•
•
Vaduz Castle is the home of the
prince of Liechtenstein. It
overlooks a steep hillside, high
above the country's capital.
The castle is visible from almost
any location in Vaduz, being
perched atop a steep hill in the
middle of the city.
The castle's oldest fortifications
date back to 1500s. Since 1938
the castle is the primary
residence of the Royal Family.
The castle can not be visited by
tourists.
Carcassone Castle- France
•
•
•
•
Carcassonne Castle in France
is a magnificent example of
a medieval walled in fortress.
It is featured on UNESCO's
World Heritage list in 1997.
It has 52 towers, 2 rings of
town walls, and 3 km of
battlements.
It quite simply looks like a
fairy tale version of a
medieval castle.
Portions of the 1991 film
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
was shot in and around
Carcassonne.
Warwick Castle
•
•
•
Warwick Castle in England is a
medieval shell keep castle in
Warwick, the county town of
Warwickshire. It sits on a cliff
overlooking a bend in the River
Avon.
It was built by William the
Conqueror in 1068. Warwick
Castle was used as a
fortification until the early 17th
century, when Sir Fulke Greville
converted it to a country house.
It was owned by the Greville
family, who became earls of
Warwick in the mid-18th
century, until 1978.
The Church




It was very rich and powerful
during the Middle Ages
The church was organized like a
government with laws. Canon law
It even collected its own taxes.
Some of these taxes went to help
the poor. Most of the taxes were
spent to build beautiful churches.
The nobles and the church
worked together to control the
common people. They wanted
everyone to practice Christianity
in a certain way.
Monks and Nuns
•
•
Being a monk was one
way to stay alive during
the Middle Ages.
Some young nobles
became monks to avoid
a life of constant
battling. Monks lived in
monasteries or abbeys.
They worked and
prayed.
•
•
•
Women could also serve
a religious life as a nun.
The first nun was St.
Claire. She was a good
friend of St. Francis of
Assisi who was a
member of the
Franciscan Brothers.
St. Francis felt all living
creatures on the earth
were special.
Jobs of Monks
•
•
•
Monks were often
teachers who taught
noble children, and kept
historical records.
Some monks worked the
land of the monastery,
growing vegetables,
herbs, and fruit.
Some even had the job
of praying for everyone
else.
Churches
•
•
•
•
Almost all the churches that were
built during the Middle Ages
were made of stone.
A little wood was used on these
churches. It was used on the
ceilings, floors, and doors.
The early churches were built in
the Roman style with round
arched roofs(Romanesque)
Later the churches were built in
the Gothic style with tall pointed
towers. These churches grew so
large that many collapsed within
a century or less after their
construction.
Churches
•
•
•
•
The church provided spiritual
guidance and a place were
people could get an education.
Stained glass windows were used
as a teaching method. The
windows would tell bible stories
and the lives of the saints.
The Rose Window of the
Chartres Cathedral in France is
one of the most famous stained
glass windows.
The tradition of using stained
glass is still used in modern
churches today.
Norfolk, England



Norfolk has the largest
concentration of medieval
churches in the world.
There were over 1,000
medieval churches built in
Norfolk and 659 still
remain, this is the greatest
concentration in the world.
Not only are these
beautiful internationally
important buildings, but
they contain hundreds of
medieval works of art and
craftsmanship.
St. Helens church
Inside St. Helens
Rood Screen
Painted ceilings-note the
arches
Bath Abby - England


Begun in 1499, Bath
Abbey is the last of
the great medieval
churches of England.
The West Front is
unique as it depicts the
dream that inspired
the Abbey's founder,
Bishop Oliver King to
rebuild a larger
building on that spot
Holy Places of the Medieval Ages

People during the
Medieval Ages would
often go on
pilgrimages to worship
at a church or holy
place. Pilgrims saw
these trips as proof
that they were trying
to be more Christian in
their lives.
Holy places of the Medieval Ages

The Chalice Well at
the foot of
Glastonbury Tor
supposedly the place
where St. Joseph of
Arimathea buried the
Holy Grail.
Glastonbury Tor

The water still stains
the ground red with
the blood of Christ.
Daily life of the Middle Ages
The Holy Grail!
Clothing
•
•
•
During the Middle Ages most people
wore clothing made of wool.
Undergarments were often made of
linen.
People rarely cleaned their outer
garments, but the linen clothing was
cleaned regularly. Unlike the Roman
clothes which were just wrapped and
tied around the body, the clothes
during the Middle Ages were cut and
sewn to fit. They had necklines,
bodices, sleeves, waists, and legs.
During Medieval Times people bathed
about once a month. When cleaning
the people used herbs such as
lavender flowers and mint instead of
soap. These herbs helped keep fleas
away. Fleas were a problem since
many items were stuffed with straw.
Clothing of the poor or peasants
•
Peasant men wore tunics.
The tunics were usually
knee length. The women
wore sleeveless tunics.
Cloaks made from
sheepskin, woolen hats,
and mittens were wore
in the winter. Leather
boots were an important
piece of clothing. Many
of the boots were midcalf length with turned
down or rolled tops.
Clothing of the wealthy
•
Wealthy men and women wore
brighter colors than the peasants.
The men wore tunics. Nobility
usually wore their tunics ankle
length from the fourteenth
century until the mid sixteenth
centuries. These were often made
of velvet or damask. The men
also wore stockings made from
wool or silk. During more formal
occasions men would wear a
loose, sleeveless outer garments
called mantles. These were at
times embroidered with gold or
silver threads. The mantle could
even had jewels on them or be
lined with fur.
Women’s clothing-continued
•
•
Wealthy women wore ankle
length gowns. During the
early Middle Ages the gowns
were full and loose fitting. The
gown had a round neck with a
split so it would fit over the
head.
During the fourteenth century
the gowns had fitted bodices
with long flowing skirts. The
sleeves of these gowns were
tight and could have fifty
button on each arm.
•
•
•
The women also wore large
headdresses. The head pieces
were often shaped like hearts.
Another popular shape was
the tall pointed hat with long
flowing pieces of fabric
attached to the top. This type
of hat was called a barbette.
Another kind of headdress
was a piece of silk or linen
that was wrapped in layers
around the head, then over
the chin, neck, and shoulders.
This was called a wimple.
Women’s clothing-continued
•
•
•
The women also wore large
headdresses. The head pieces
were often shaped like hearts.
Another popular shape was
the tall pointed hat with long
flowing pieces of fabric
attached to the top. This type
of hat was called a barbette.
Another kind of headdress
was a piece of silk or linen
that was wrapped in layers
around the head, then over
the chin, neck, and shoulders.
This was called a wimple.
Clothing-continued
•
•
The wealthy often lined their
garments with furs. Diamonds
became popular in Europe in
the fourteenth century. Gem
cutting was invented during
the fifteenth century.
Monks wore long woolen
habits. The order the monk
belonged to could be
determined by the color of
the habit. For example the
Benedictines wore black and
the Cistercians wore undyed
wool or white.
Coat of Arms
•
•
•
During the early Middle Ages
warriors had a hard time trying to
identify who they were fighting in
battles and tournaments. The knights
of the 1100's decided to solve this
problem by creating special designs
called Coat of Arms for their shields.
The knight picked almost any design
he liked including pictures of lions,
dragons, eagles, falcons, crowns,
diamonds, and other shapes.
Coat of Arms were later added to
tunics and shoulder guards wore by
the knights. They were also
embroidered or woven onto banners
that were carried by the knights into
battle.
Coat of Arms
•
•
Fathers passed down their
Coat of Arms to their
oldest sons. Younger sons
wore a version of their
father's Arms. The rule was
that the younger son had
to change the design
somewhat.
If the warrior died without
a male heir, his daughter
was allowed to combine
her father's Coat of Arms
with her husband's.
Holidays
•
•
•
During the Middle Ages
the main holidays that
were celebrated were
Mayday, Midsummer's'
Eve, Harvest Home,
Christmas, and Easter.
These holidays were
celebrated by taking time
off work to go to
banquets, special church
services, and festivals.
Often these holidays were
celebrated by a great
banquet.
•
•
After the meal was served
acrobats, dancers,
jugglers, minstrels would
entertain the guests.
A troubadour would chant
and sing stories. The fool,
or jester, wore a costume
that was half one color
and half another. He had
a cap that had bells
hanging from it. The jester
would tell jokes about the
noble classes and did
funny things.
Tapestries
•
•
•
•
Tapestries were often used as
wall hangings and as curtains to
help keep out the drafts in the
castle. They were made of
wool.
One famous tapestry is the
Bayeaux Tapestry. Woven into
the tapestry was pictures of the
Norman conquest of England in
1066 in the Battle of Hastings.
The pictures and words on the
tapestry were embroidered
with colored wool onto linen
. The tapestry is over two
hundred feet long and about
twenty inches wide.
The Bayeaux Tapestry
Edward the Confessor, King of England, died prior
to naming and heir. There were three likely
candidates:
-Harold Godwinson, who had the approval of the
Witengamot
-King Hardrada of Norway and Denmark believed
that he had a blood link
-Willam, Duke of Normandy, claimed that Edward
promised him the throne in 1051
Harold proceeded to be crowned King Harold II on
January 6, 1066. William was furious, and
proceeded to make preparations to invade
England. William was able to obtain the blessing
of Pope Alexander II, and landed on the beaches
of England on September 28, 1066. By October
14, the first attack was begun.
Initially, the Normans did not seize victory.
However, Harold’s troops were somewhat unruly
and thus would break from the main group and
pursue retreating Normans. William used this to his
advantage by feigning retreat. The English troops
followed and were defeated. Finally, the Normans
had conquered the English, and the conquest of
England was imminent.
Detail of Bayeaux
The Lost piece…
“Mille Fleurs”


Mille Fleurs" (French)
literally means
"thousand flower" and
refers to a background
made of many small
flowers and plants.
It was an especially
popular motif in the
applied arts and crafts
during the Middle Ages
in Europe.
Key Concepts of the Middle Ages
War
Religio
n
TURMOIL
Feudalism: The Middle
Ages’ social order
Crusades
•
•
•
•
Church became deeply involved in government
Christianity provided the basis for a first European "identity," unified in a
religion common to most of the continent until the separation of Orthodox
Churches from the Catholic Church in 1054.
Crusades: Popes, kings, and emperors unite and defend Christendom from the
perceived aggression of Islam
From the 7th century onward, Islam had been gaining ground along Europe's
southern and eastern borders.
Feudal System –
•
•
•
•
The feudal system was a way of
government based on obligations
between the lord or king and vassal.
The king gave large estates to his friends
and relatives. These estates known as the
fief included houses, barns, tools, animals,
and serfs or peasants. The king also
promised to protect the vassal on the
field or in the courts. In return the nobles
who were granted the fiefs swore an
oath of loyalty to the king.
The nobles promised never to fight
against the king. They also had to give
the king whatever he asked for. The king
may ask for men to fight a war, money, or
advice.
The nobles also gave the king a place to
stay when he traveled.
•
•
•
•
•
Each of the king's vassals was also a lord
or tenant in chief with vassals of his own.
Each vassal would be an overlord to
those he granted fiefs while remaining a
vassal of the king.
The subtenants in turn subdivided the
land. Sometimes there were many levels
of lords who had vassals under them.
The most important promise of the vassal
to the lord was the military. The vassal
usually served as a knight. This service
lasted about 40 to 60 days a year.
If they actually had to fight in a war they
usually did so for two months. If there was
no war the knights did 40 days of
training at the castle.
The Feudal System
Serfs
•
•
•
•
There were only a few nobles. Most
people, approximately nine-tenths,
were serfs who worked the land for
a noble. The serf was bound to the
land. If the noble sold the land the
serf went with it. This was not much
better than being a slave.
These peasants ate mostly grain, and
occasional vegetables from small
gardens. Meat was scarce and
rarely available.
When meat was available, they
often hung it from the rafters of their
homes to show off. The term
‘bringing home the bacon’ comes
from this time period.
Disease was common, and most
peasants did not live beyond the
age of 40.
Role of the Serf
•
•
•
About half the serfs time was
spent working for the lord.
Jobs included working in the
fields, cutting wood, hauling
water, spinning and weaving,
repairing buildings, and
waiting on the members of the
lord's family.
Peasant men were even
expected to fight in times of
war.
Besides all the work peasants
had to pay taxes to their lord.
This was usually given in
wheat, lamb, chicken, and
other animals.
Freemen
•
•
•
There were also some
freemen peasants. These
people were usually in a
trade. These people were not
bound to the land. They paid
a fixed rent to the lord.
The freemen had more legal
rights than the serfs and
fewer duties to the lord. In
actuality there was little real
difference between the
freemen peasants and the
serfs.
By the twelfth century this
system was found throughout
most of Western Europe.
Power of the Church from Feudalism



Under the feudal system, the
Catholic Church grew in power and
prestige. The bishop of Rome, known
as the Pope claimed authority over
all Christians in Western Europe.
The Pope often became involved in
political affairs, and even anointed
kings and rulers of various nations.
Some Roman Popes were more
powerful than the local monarchs.
Local religious leaders also grew in
power, influence, and wealth.
Because the leaders of the Church
were almost always nobles, they
received lands and wealth from the
king, and in turn from the peasants
who served them. Other nobles often
paid them tributes in hopes of
obtaining the grace of God.


Over time, these religious leaders
became the wealthiest and most
powerful leaders in Western Europe.
As this happened, they became more
concerned about the affairs of their
estates, and less concerned about
fulfilling their religious
responsibilities.
Chivalry and Knighthood



Knights were guided in
their conduct by a code of
ethics known as chivalry.
Chivalry promoted
honesty, fairness in battle,
and proper treatment of
noble women.
The concepts of chivalry
gradually blended with
the expectations of proper
manners for gentleman in
western culture.
Training to be a knight



The sons of lords began
training for knighthood at the
age of 7.
By 15 they became squires. A
squire was assigned as an
apprentice to a knight. He
followed the knight around,
and assisted him in his duties.
When a squire had
successfully proven himself in
battle, he would be knighted
in an elaborate ceremony.
Crusades- quick facts










Mostly occurred in Christian Europe
Most were sanctioned by the Pope in the name of Christendom.
Lasted between 1095-1291.
Originated based on the goal of recapturing the Holy Land from the Muslims;
Jerusalem. The launch was originally a response to a call from the Eastern Orthodox
Byzantine Empire to help against the growing of Muslim Seljuk Turks into Anatolia.
Battles weren’t just for belief and religion, but political reasons too.
Would usually only occur with the blessings of the Church and consent of the Pope.
There are 9 crusades accounted for during the 11th to 13th centuries. Some were not
initiated by the Pope.
The Crusades had a far-reaching impact on society politically, economically, and
socially. Some of which have lasted into contemporary times.
Because of internal conflicts however, some crusades had diverted from their
original goals and fought for a whole other reason.
“Let robbers become knights.” – Pope Urban of the first Crusade
The Crusades- Jerusalem
•
•
•
•
•
•
Jerusalem was important to three different
religions.
The Jews had a temple there.
The Christians were interested in Jerusalem
because Jesus Christ taught there.
The Moslems thought Jerusalem was important
because Mohammed left Jerusalem for
heaven.
The Dome of the Rock - The Mosque of Omar
on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is the oldest
existing Islamic monument. It was built in 685691 on the site where Mohammed is said to
have ascended to Heaven. The Temple Mount
itself is sacred as is an Islamic shrine and a
major landmark located on the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem. The dome was refurbished in1998
using 80 kilograms of gold. © Rolf Richardson
/ Spectrum / Imagestate
Causes of the Crusades
•
•
•
•
By the end of the eleventh century
the Muslims were in control of the
area around Jerusalem. The Turkish
people (Moslems) living in Jerusalem
destroyed many Christian shrines and
made it difficult for Christians to
make pilgrimages there.
At this time the Byzantines were
having trouble fighting the Turks.
They asked Pope Urban II for help.
In 1095 the Pope held a meeting. He
said that the Christians should free
Jerusalem. Council of Clermont
He further said that killing Moslems
was much better than killing each
other at home. He stated that if a
person died fighting Moslems his sins
would be forgiven.
Map of the Crusades
The
•
•
•
st
1
Crusade- Peter the Hermit
After Pope Urban II spoke
thousands of men went to
fight this Holy War. These
people were mostly peasants
and townsmen.
The men were lead by Peter
the Hermit. The army crossed
the Rhine and moved toward
Constantinople.
They stole everything they
could along the way. The
emperor sent them on to Asia.
There they were killed by the
Turks.
•
The word “crusade” comes
from the word Crux, which
means “cross” in Latin. Those
who volunteered for the
crusade would be called
crusaders, meaning that they
took the cross of Jesus upon
them.
Second Crusade
•
•
•
•
The Second Crusade was
much better organized. The
leaders were dukes and
counts mostly from France.
Four groups met at
Constantinople. Again the
emperor sent them across the
channel.
They won a few battles on
the way to Jerusalem.
When they reached the city
they massacred the Muslims
and Jews including the women
and children.
The Fourth Crusade
•
•
•
Political states were
established at Edessa,
Antioch, Tripoli, and
Jerusalem. These states lasted
for many years.
Seven other crusades took
place over the next two
hundred years.
The most noted was the Fourth
Crusade. During this crusade
the Venetian talked their
leaders into attacking
Constantinople. They sacked
the city and carried off all
valuable pieces of art.
•
•
The Venetian controlled
Constantinople for 47 years.
The crusades eventually
ended when the Moslem
leader Sultan Saladin
attacked Jerusalem. He took
the city and drove the
Crusaders out.
Review of Crusades


Where did the word
crusade originate?
Who issued a
proclamation saying it
was okay to kill in the
name of the Lord on a
crusade?

About how many
official crusades were
there and did they
finally accomplish
freeing Jerusalem
forever?
Manorialism


Lords and peasants worked together to support one
another economically..i.e feed each other! The wealth of
the lords came by the labors of the peasants who
worked their lands. In return, the lords protected the
peasants, offered them shelter, and insured that they
were fed.
The lands of a lord were referred to as a manor. A
manor might be small and only include a few hundred
acres, or it might me huge, encompassing several
hundred thousand acres.
Manor



A manor consisted of the lords estate
or castle, farm lands, forests for
hunting, and a village where the
peasants lived.
Because war was rampant, trade
was nearly impossible. This meant
that a manor had to be selfsufficient. They had to produce
everything they needed to survive
within their own manor.
The lord directed these efforts and
protected his peasants. In exchange,
the peasants worked on road
repairs, built bridges, farmed the
lords lands, and built buildings.
They also paid tribute to the lord in
the form of grain, food, clothing, and
other goods.
Review

Make up 5 questions
about Feudalism.

Make up 5 questions
about Manorialism.
Famous people

-Thomas Aquinas-

-Roger Bacon-

-Pope Urban II-

-Peter the Hermit-

English Kings and important leaders:

-William the Conqueror-

-King Henry II-

-King John (son of Henry II)-

-King Edward I-

French Kings and important leaders:

-King Philip IV-

-William the Conqueror-

-Joan of Arc-

-King Charles VII-
St. Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas-Italian, Dominican Friar
-Supported Aristotles writings and
tried to connect “reason” and “faith”
together. -Summa Theologica
-Said you could prove the existence
of God by using Aristotelian logic;
every cause has a prior cause.
…tracing all the way back to the
divine first cause
-Some wanted to excommunicate him
but today his teachings are now
taught in Roman Catholic schools
Roger Bacon- “find out through experiments”





(1214-1292)
Franciscan Friar who taught at Oxford,
England
Rejected old untested beliefs
Thought that one should test why things
happen through experiments and not
take for granted old beliefs
1st to experiment in making what would
become gunpowder. It exploded making
Franciscan Order worried he was
practicing black magic. Accused him of
doing things against the church. Yet he
was supported by Pope Clement

Clement dies, Bacon imprisioned

Many of his projections would come true:

carriages without horses, ships without
sails or oars, man would fly, microscopes
Pope Urban II

Pope Urban II
-responsible for calling the first crusade
- “Council at Clermont”- 1095 Clermont
France
-church will protect property and family of
anyone going on a crusade
-all debts canceled, prisoners pardoned
-soul of anyone killed on crusade would go
directly to heaven all sins forgiven
-knights put the cross on their shields thus
Latin cruciata meaning “marked with a cross”
Peter the Hermit- “Peasants Crusade”

-
-
-
Peter the Hermit
In 1096 Peter the Hermit, a native of
Amiens in France, led 20,000
commoners out of Cologne on the
Peasants' Crusade.
Made up of poorly organized
groups led by Peter the Hermit and
Walter the Pennyless, the Peasants'
Crusade never actually made it to
Jerusalem.
Most died and later, in 1098,
Tancred found Peter the Hermit
attempting to flee to Constantinople.
Tancred made sure that Peter
returned to continue the fight.
William the Conqueror



In October of 1066, William the
Conqueror successfully invaded England
and defeated Harold Godwinson to win
the crown.
As King of England William initiated or
oversaw numerous changes, including an
extensive plan of castle-building and a
more rigidly structured system of feudal
government than England had previously
known.
One of King William's most significant
acts was to commission the Domesday
Survey, which catalogued the population
of England and to this day serves as
useful data for the historian. William also
ordered the building of the Tower of
London and Battle Abbey.
King Henry II

Ruled 35 years

8 children; 2 later become kings



Improved courts systems going to
trial by jury. Judges traveled
countryside for trials, found 12
good men to be jurors.
Punishments- traitor=blinded,
thief=hanged, other
crimes=mutilations
System of Royal justice he
created is known as “Common
Law”
Joan of Arc- the Maid of Orleans







born in 1412 Domremy, France.
From the age of 12-13 she began to have
mystical visions. In these visions she said she felt
the voice of God commanding her to renew the
French nation and recover their crown from the
English.
Age 17 she convinced the main French leader
Charles the Dauphin, that she could lead the
French against the English.
Time of magic and miracles in the world
Rode white horse, mans armor, led the troops to
Orleans( french town) won a battle marking
the beginning of end for British domination over
French
Later captured in battle by English, tried as a
witch, condemned to the stake at age 19
Her death led to increased patriotism of French
and eventual weakening of English
Growing power of the common man




Post Crusade era
rulers of kingdoms
needed more gov.
Feudalism was dying
Towns were growing
The rise of common
people force major
changes in society


Kings start to tax
people too heavily in
order to provide for
running kingdoms and
fight wars
People resist starting
with the Lords
King John and the Magna Carta




The Magna Carta is one of the most
recognizable documents in medieval
history. The Magna Carta also means
Great Charter.
Signed in 1215, it changed England
forever. King John was the man
responsible for the Magna Carta.
King John of England was a greedy,
unjust ruler and had many enemies. His
troubles were endless.
Pope Innocent III excommunicated John
and placed England under interdict, for
rejecting the pope’s nominee. Without
church services, John was forced with no
choice but to pay a yearly fine to Rome.



John’s greed got the best of him. He
oppressed the peasants, reducing them to
nothing. The taxes were so high; most
peasants couldn’t afford to live.
The king abused his power so much the
townspeople were enraged. While
children starved, King John continued to
take the people’s money. The people and
barons of England were bound to rebel.
A group of nobles eventually revolted,
cornering King John. This uprising forced
him to sign the Magna Carta at
Runnymede. This document gave King
John limited power. John was not happy,
but had no choice.
Magna Carta



The barons wanted to protect their own
legal rights; included in the Magna
Carta, are the protection of the Church
and townspeople’s legal rights also. John
would not be allowed to tax the people
without permission. The change that swept
the country was enormous, even though it
wasn’t instant. Peasants could afford to
keep land again, eat normal food, and
survive.
King John and Pope Innocent III were
outraged. The Pope annulled the Magna
Carta, saying it was a demeaning
agreement, forced upon King John.
The Pope released King John from his
oath to the document and committee. This
caused England to go into a civil war, the
First Barons’ War.
Impact of the Magna Carta



The Magna Carta was re-issued 1225.
Only this time, it was shortened to 37
articles, excluding clause 61. After King
John died, his nine year old son, Henry III,
took over. When he turned 18 the Magna
Carta was reinstated. For 56 years
Henry ruled until he died. By then the
Magna Carta was a solid part of
England’s government.
The political structure of England still
remained a monarchy after the Magna
Carta, but a more orderly monarchy.
After King Henry III died, his son, Edward
I, took the throne. Ruling under the legal
rights of the Magna Carta, Edward
reissued the Magna Carta for the last
time in October



The Magna Carta not only changed
England, but also affected us today.
America’s constitution is based off the
idea of the Magna Carta.
Each clause protects the right of the
English people. The U.S constitution is
made up of amendments to give legal
rights to the people of America.
The people today would not have those
rights, without the idea of the Magna
Carta; a document to be signed for the
people. Clause 39 would not only be
recognized in England, but also in the
U.S. constitution as “due process of law”.
The idea of a monarchy, may have been
changed some, gave a democracy the
same idea for the rights of the people.
Magna Carta
Edward I





Parliament of 1295
Established ideas of “representative government”all those who obey laws have a voice in making
them.
Parliament of 1295 = basis for future parliaments
-no tax can be made without consent of parliament
members
*King now dependent of Parliament for funds
The Plague






Black Death, or Bubonic Plague, hit Europe
in 1347. Transmitted primarily by fleas and
rats, the bacteria Y. Pestis swept across the
continent, killing one third of the population
by 1351.
The bacteria is thought to have started in
China and jumped to humans in Europe
The onset of the disease was sudden; the
symptoms were fever, weakness. delirium,
lung distress, and dark-colored swellings
(buboes) in the neck, armpit and groin
areas.
Patches of skin darkened due to
hemorrhages under the skin. Spread by
people through sneezing, coughing
Quite often, those infected died within 1-2
days, delerious, and vomiting blood.
including young and previously healthy
individuals.
The End of an Era


The Black Death and
wars like the 100
Years War killed
nearly half of all the
people living in Europe
during the 14th
Century
Where is there hope?



Feudalism is dying, the
church is no longer
powerful, monasteries
are abandoned
Hope is found in
patriotism
Joan of Arc’s life is an
example of where a
country moves forward
Reasons for change
“La France pour les
Francais”
“France for the French”
was her battle cry when
she led soldiers into
battle.
It inspired the French to
drive the British out of
France forever




Countries all over
started to think for
themselves—patriotism
Rise of towns led to
economies based on
money, not land
Lords and knights no
longer control the
people- Kings are
more powerful
Inventions spur changes



Inventions like the
printing press and
parchment paper
1456 –Johann
Gutenberg uses his
movable type to print
the “Gutenberg Bible”
Many more people
learn to read
Medieval Literature




Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem in what is
identifiable as a form of the English language. (The
oldest surviving text in English is Caedmon's hymn
of creation.) The precise date of the manuscript is
debated, but most estimates place it close to AD
1000.
The story came to England at a time when the
Germanic peoples were still part of the same
cultural sphere and spoke what really were just
dialects of the same language.
It is known only from a single manuscript, kept in the
British Library. The manuscript suffered some
irreversible damage in a fire in 1731.
The manuscript was written in Old English. Some
Old English words and sounds closely resemble
modern English. Today most readers read a
version of the poem translated into modern english.
Beowulf


Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem which relates the adventures of Beowulf,
a Scandinavian hero who saves the Danes from the seemingly invincible
monster Grendel and, later, from Grendel's mother.
He then returns to his own country, Geatland, and dies in old age in a vivid
fight against a dragon. The poem is about encountering the monstrous,
defeating it, and then having to live on in the exhausted aftermath.
Grendel
Map: The Geography of Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf





As a Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University, J.R.R.
Tolkien probably taught Beowulf every year of his working
life
His scholarly paper, “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics”
brought studies of the poem to the forefront of the
academic world
Tolkien's imagined world of Arda owes something of it's
creation to Beowulf: “Beowulf is among my most valued
sources” (Letters, no.25).
Tolkien used Beowulf in creating his own works and
adopting the good vs. evil archetype. Just as our modern
English language is based on the ancient English, Tolkien
used Old English words in his creation of names.
Tolkien included almost 50 Anglo-Saxon words or phrases
from Beowulf in his works.




The Canterbury Tales
Englishman Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The
Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories in a
frame story, between 1387 and 1400.
Story about of a group of thirty people who
travel as pilgrims to Canterbury (England). The
pilgrims, who come from all layers of society, tell
stories to each other to kill time while they travel
to Canterbury.
Chaucer intended that each pilgrim should tell
two tales on the way to Canterbury and two
tales on the way back. He never finished his
enormous project and even the completed tales
were not finally revised. Scholars are uncertain
about the order of the tales. As the printing press
had yet to be invented when Chaucer wrote his
works, The Canterbury Tales has been passed
down in several handwritten manuscripts.
http://academics.vmi.edu/english/audio/GP_Hanks.ht
The
Canterbury Tales is written in Middle English.
ml
Canterbury Tales

A rich, tapestry of medieval social life


combining elements of all classes, from nobles to workers, from priests
and nuns to drunkards and thieves.
When The Canterbury Tales were written:



Christianity was the dominant social force throughout western Europe,
including England.
In 1388, while Chaucer was working on the tales, a change occurred in
the way that Christianity was perceived and practiced when John
Wycliffe, an English reformer, released a version of the Bible translated
into English.
For the first time, people from the lower classes, who had not been
educated in Latin, could read the Bible themselves instead of having its
word interpreted to them by members of the clergy.
King Arthurian Legend




Arthurian legend has become the mirror of the ideal of
medieval knighthood and chivalry.
Arthur:

Was the illegitimate son of Uther Pendragon, king of Britain

Became king of Britain by successfully withdrawing a sword from
a stone.

Possessed the miraculous sword Excalibur , given to him by the
mysterious Lady of the Lake .
Arthur's enemies: sister Morgan le Fay and his nephew
Mordred. Morgan le Fay was usually represented as an evil
sorceress, scheming to win Arthur's throne for herself.
Mordred (or Modred) was variously Arthur's nephew or his son
by his sister Morgawse.

He seized Arthur's throne during the king's absence.

Later he was slain in battle by Arthur, but not before he had
fatally wounded the king.
Sir Gawain & The Green Knight (ca 1370)
This poem tells the story of Gawain, a knight and member of King
Arthur’s Round Table
 A perfect example of the idealism and romanticism of chivalry

Plot Overview

During a New Year’s Eve feast at King Arthur’s
court, a strange figure, referred to only as the
Green Knight, pays the court an unexpected
visit.


challenges the group’s leader or any other brave
representative to a game: The Green Knight says
that he will allow whomever accepts the challenge to
strike him with his own axe, on the condition that the
challenger find him in exactly one year to receive a
blow in return.
Arthur hesitates to respond, but when the
Green Knight mocks Arthur’s silence, the king
steps forward to take the challenge.
The Green Knight-continued
 As
soon as Arthur grips the Green Knight’s axe, Sir
Gawain leaps up and asks to take the challenge
himself. He takes hold of the axe and, in one deadly
blow, cuts off the knight’s head.
 To the amazement of the court, the now-headless Green
Knight picks up his severed head. Before riding away,
the head reiterates the terms of the pact, reminding the
young Gawain to seek him in a year and a day at the
Green Chapel.
 After the Green Knight leaves, the company goes back
to its festival, but Gawain is uneasy.
Dante Alighieri- The Divine Comedy
(written from 1306 to 1321)

The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri, is comprised of 3 works:




Inferno the most widely read section





Inferno
Purgatorio
Paradiso
Dante describes a journey through Hell from the entrance at the
lowest and less harsh level.
His companion for the travel is Virgil, a mentor and protector.
Constructed as a huge funnel with nine descending circular ledges
Dante’s Hell carefully categorizes sinners according to the nature of
their sins.
Those who recognize and repudiate their sins are given a change to
purify themselves in Purgatorio, the second of three segments in the
poem. Therefore, Dante feels Hell is a necessary, painful first step of
any man’s spiritual journey.
The Divine Comedy is in no way a comedic literary work.

Dante himself simply called this work "Comedy." because the poem is
a optimistic process from Hell toward Heaven, or from worse to
better.
Structure of Inferno- Some Examples
Canto
Region
Sin
People
Punishment
Canto
12
Circle 7
Violent Against
neighbors &
fellow men;
murderers, war
makers
Alexander the
Great
Attila the Hun
Submerged in hot blood,
Guarded by centaurs, who
shoot any soul which
attempts to rise
Canto
26-27
subcircle
8
Evil counselors
Ulysses/
Odysseus
Concealed in flames
Canto
34
Round 3
Traitors to lords
and benefactors;
those who set out
to destroy the
rightful God
Judas, Brutus,
Cassius
At the center of the Earth,
completely submerged in
ice. The three ultimate
traitors are held in
Lucifer's three mouths.
Lucifer's three wings send
forth freezing blasts of
impotence, ignorance and
hatred.
Salvador Dali’s Work inspired by
Inferno

Canto 26-27
Evil
counselors
 Ulysses
Bibliography

http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/feudal.html

http://www.medievalcrusades.com/

http://eawc.evansville.edu/chronology/mepage.htm

http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/endmiddle/bluedot/crusades.html

http://triode.net.au/~dragon/tilkal/issue1/beowulf.html

http://academics.vmi.edu/english/audio/GP-Opening.html

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html

http://www.engl.virginia.edu/OE/Beowulf.Readings/Beowulf.Readings.html

http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/romefallarticles/a/fallofrome.htm

http://www.umkc.edu/lib/engelond/prologue.htm

http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/resource_medieval_lit.html

http://www.heorot.dk/

http://www.bl.uk/collections/treasures/beowulf.html

http://itsa.ucsf.edu/~snlrc/britannia/beowulf/beowulf.html

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2406/

http://members.aol.com/bakken1/angsax/angsaxe.htm

http://www.mrdowling.com/703middleages.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/contents.html
Middle Ages: General Timeline
10951291C.E.
Crusades
1066 C.E.
Norman
invasion of
Britain
450 C.E.
AngloSaxons
invade
England
476 C.E.
Fall of
Rome
306 C.E.
Constantine
comes to
power in
Eastern
Roman
Empire;
beginning of
Byzantine
Empire
Beowulf
Composed
sometime
between
850 C.E.
900 C.E.
1306-1321
Dante’s
Divine
Comedy
1347
Bubonic
Plague
1375-1400 Sir
Gawain &
Green Knight
1386 C.E.
Chaucer
begins
writing
Canterbury
Tales
1337-1453
100 Years War
France &
England
1455 C.E.
Printing
Press
1517
Protestant
Reformation
1453
Fall of
Byzantine
Empire with
invasion of
Ottoman
Turks
The End of the Middle Ages


Latin translations of
Greek philosophers
leads to a rise of
scholars in Europe
Educated men want to
know more about the
universe and world



1453 Turkish Sultan
Mohammed II attacks
Constantinople and
renames the city,
Istanbul.
Turks block the eastern
end of the
Mediterranean Sea
Middle Ages is over