Download The Middle Ages: The Reality

The Middle Ages:
Myth and Reality
The Middle Ages: The Myth
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We think of knights in
shining armor, lavish
banquets, wandering
minstrels, kings, queens,
bishops, monks, pilgrims,
and glorious pageantry.
In film and in literature,
medieval life: heroic,
entertaining &romantic.
The Middle Ages: The Reality
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In reality, life in the Middle
Ages, a period that extended
from the 5th century to the
15th century in Western
Europe.
Life could be harsh, uncertain,
and dangerous.
Started around 500 AD, when
the Roman Empire fell to
invading Muslim armies.
Why call it the Middle Ages (or Dark
Ages)?
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This time period consisted of a “dark” moment
in the arts – there was no minimal flourish
with visual art, drama, dance, and music.
The reasoning behind this was due to the fact
that the Roman Catholic Church had control
over the arts – to go against them could result
in Excommunication or death.
The Power of the Church:
Why was the church so powerful?
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1. It owned land. The church owned many large
areas of farmland. People who grew crops on this
land had to give 1/10 of everything they grew to the
church. This was called a tithe. This was a lot of
crops for many poor people to lose.
2. It controlled people’s beliefs. The church told
people that when they died, their souls lived on
forever, either in Heaven or in Hell. Hell – great pain
and suffering; Heaven – wonderful beyond
imagination; Purgatory – in between; they would stay
until any sins had been burnt away.
The Power of the Church
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3. It was rich. Many tried to buy their way into
heaven, because the church said that you could
shorten your stay in Purgatory by doing several
things: Attend church and live a good life; go on a
pilgrimage; buy a special pardon. These pardons were
also known as indulgences.
4. It was not controlled by the King. Church –
Roman Catholic and led by the Pope. King could not
tell anyone from the church what to do. If any crimes
were committed, could not be tried in normal court –
worst punishment – Excommunication – banishment
from the church.
The Lord of the Manor
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For safety and
defense, people in the
Middle Ages formed
small communities
around a central lord
or master.
The Manor
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Most people lived
on a manor, it
consisted of the
castle (or manor
house), the church,
the village, and
surrounding farm
land.
Self-Sufficiency
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Each manor was self-sufficient,
producing all of the basic items:
food, clothing, and shelter.
The manor had buildings
devoted to special purposes, such
as:
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The mill for grinding grain
The bake house for making bread
The blacksmith shop for creating
metal goods.
Isolation
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Manors were
isolated, with
occasional visits
from peddlers,
pilgrims on their way
to the Crusades, or
soldiers from other
fiefdoms.
The Feudal System
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Under the feudal
system, kings awarded
land grants or fiefs to
nobles, barons, and
bishops, in return for
contribution of soldiers
for the king's armies.
Nobles and Vassals
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Nobles divided their
land among the lesser
nobility vassals. Many
vassals became so
powerful that the kings
had difficulty
controlling them.
The Magna Carta
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In 1215, the English
barons formed an
alliance that forced
King John to sign the
Magna Carta. It limited
the king's powers of
taxation and required
trials by jury. It was the
first time that an
English monarch was
subject to the
(common)law.
The Peasants
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At the lowest level of
society were the
peasants, also called
serfs.
The lord offered his
peasants protection in
exchange for living and
working on his land.
Hard Work & High Taxes
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Peasants worked hard to
cultivate the land and
produce the goods that
the lord and his manor
needed.
They were heavily taxed
and were required to
relinquish much of what
they harvested.
Bound by law and custom…
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It is the custom in England, as with other
countries, for the nobility to have great power
over the common people, who are serfs.
-- Jean Froissart, 1395
Interesting Fact:
Under Medieval law, animals could be tried and sentenced for crimes, just as though
they were people. There are records of farm animals being tried for injuring or killing
people. Animals were charged with smaller crimes, too. Some mice were taken to court for
stealing part of the harvest, and, in another case, a flock of locusts was convicted --in
absentia--of eating crops
MEDIEVAL LIFE
Cooperation and Mutual
Obligations
KING
FEUDALISM:
POLITICAL SYSTEM
Fief and Peasants
 Decentralized, local
government
 Dependent upon the
relationship between
members of the nobility
 Lord and his vassals
administered justice
and were the highest
authority in their land
What kind of meal was
"fit for a king"? King
Richard II of England
sometimes gave feasts
for as many as 10,000
people at once. One of
these required 140 hogs,
14 oxen, 12 calves, 12
boars and 3 tons of
salted venison.
 Agriculture the basis for
wealth
 Lands divided up into
self-sufficient manors
 Peasants (serfs) worked
the land and paid rent In
exchange for protection
 Barter the usual form of
exchange
Military Aid
Loyalty
LORDS (VASSALS TO KING)
Food
Interesting Fact:
MANORIALISM:
ECONOMIC SYSTEM
Protection
Shelter
Military Service
Homage
KNIGHTS (VASSALS TO LORDS)
Food
Protection
Farm the
Land
PEASANTS (SERFS)
Shelter
Pay
Rent
Women: Household Chores
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Whether they were
nobles or peasants,
women held a difficult
position in society.
They were largely
confined to household
tasks: cooking, baking
bread, sewing,
weaving, and spinning.
Hunting & Fighting
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They also hunted for
food and fought in
battles, learning to
use weapons to
defend their homes
and castles/manors.
Other Occupations
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Some medieval women
held other occupations.
They were
blacksmiths,
merchants, and
apothecaries.
Midwives, Farmers, & Artists
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Others were
midwives, worked in
the fields, or engaged
in creative endeavors:
writing, playing
musical instruments,
dancing, and painting.
“Wet Nurse”
Witches & Nuns
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Some women were
known as witches,
capable of sorcery
and healing. Others
became nuns and
devoted their lives
to God and spiritual
matters.
The Catholic Church
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The Catholic Church was
the only church in Europe
during the Middle Ages, It
had its own laws and great
wealth.
Church leaders: bishops
and archbishops sat on the
king's council and played
leading roles in
government.
Bishops
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Bishops, who were often
wealthy and came from
noble families, ruled
over groups of parishes
called dioceses.
They were part of the
feudal system and in
exchange for a fief and
peasants had to provide
homage and military aid
to a King/ Lord.
Parish Priests
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Parish priests, on the other
hand, came from humbler
backgrounds and often had
little education.
The village priest tended to
the sick and indigent and,
if he was able, taught Latin
and the Bible.
Priests
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Three different orders: Jesuits, Dominicans,
Franciscans
When scrolls were translated, they were
divided into 1/3s among the Jesuits,
Dominicans, Franciscans
Monasteries
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Monasteries in the Middle
Ages were based on the
rules set down by St.
Benedict in the 6th
century. The monks were
known as Benedictines
and took vows of poverty,
chastity, and obedience.
Monks
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Monks performed
manual labor – were
forbidden to own land,
leave the monastery, or
become entangled in the
concerns of society
(Lived a monastic life)
Daily tasks were carried
out in silence.
Nuns
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The female
counterparts – nuns
lived in convents, and
provided for the lessfortunate members of
the community.
Monasteries and
nunneries were safe
havens for pilgrims
and other travelers.
Monastic Life
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Monks and nuns went to
the monastery chapel
church 8 times for Mass.
They sang, chanted, and
recited prayers.
Its sole purpose was to
“get closer” to God, to
live spiritually 24/7.
The Divine Office
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The first office,
“Matins,” began at 2 AM
and the next seven
followed at regular
intervals, culminating in
“Vespers” (sunset
evening prayers) in the
evening and “Compline”
(Prayers at the end of the
day – final night service)
before the monks and
nuns retired at night.
Education
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Between prayers, the
monks read or copied
religious texts and
music. Monks were
often well educated
and devoted their
lives to writing and
learning.
Pilgrimages
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Pilgrimages were an
important part of religious
life in the Middle Ages.
Many people took
journeys to visit holy
shrines such the
Canterbury Cathedral in
England and sites in
Jerusalem and Rome.
Town Life
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After 1000, peace and
order grew. As a result,
peasants began to
expand their farms and
villages further into the
countryside. The earliest
merchants were peddlers
who went from village
to village selling their
goods.
Peddlers
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As the demand for goods
increased--particularly for the
gems, silks, and other
luxuries from Genoa and
Venice, the ports of Italy that
traded with the East--the
peddlers became more
familiar with complex issues
of trade, commerce,
accounting, and contracts.
Businessmen
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They became savvy businessmen
and learned to deal with Italian
moneylenders and bankers. The
English, Belgians, Germans, and
Dutch took their coal, timber,
wood, iron, copper, and lead to the
south and came back with luxury
items such as wine and olive oil.
Tradesmen
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With the advent of
trade and
commerce, feudal
life declined. As
the tradesmen
became wealthier,
they resented
having to give their
profits to their
lords.
Boroughs
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Arrangements were made
for the townspeople to
pay a fixed annual sum to
the lord or king and gain
independence for their
town as a "borough" with
the power to govern
itself. The marketplace
became the focus of
many towns.
Town Governments
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As the townspeople
became "free" citizens,
powerful families,
particularly in Italy,
struggled to gain control
of the communes or
boroughs. Town councils
were formed.
Guilds
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Guilds were established to
gain higher wages for
their members and protect
them from competitors.
As the guilds grew rich
and powerful, they built
guildhalls and began
taking an active role in
civic affairs, setting up
courts to settle disputes
and punish wrongdoers.
The Merchant Class
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The new merchant class
included artisans,
masons, armorers,
bakers, shoemakers,
ropemakers, dyers, and
other skilled workers.
“Barber-Surgeon”
The First Companies
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The population of cities
swelled for the first time
since before the Dark
Ages. With the new
merchant activity,
companies were formed.
Merchants hired
bookkeepers, scribes,
and clerks, creating new
jobs.
The Printing Press
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Printing began in 1450
with the development of
the printing press by
Johannes Gutenberg.
This revolutionized the
spread of learning. Other
inventions of the time
included mechanical
clocks, tower mills, and
guns.
Urban Life
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Few serfs were left in Europe by
the end of the Middle Ages, and
the growing burgher class became
very powerful. Hard work and
enterprise led to economic
prosperity and a new social order.
Urban life brought with it a new
freedom for individuals.