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Overview of the Middle
Ages
• The MIDDLE AGES is commonly believed
to span from 500 C.E. to 1300 C.E.
• The term medieval comes from the LATIN:
Middi = MIDDLE and æv= AGES
• The MIDDLE AGES was once called
Medieval, Dark Ages and Age of Faith
• The Middle Ages spanned over thousands
of years. It basically could be divided into
three periods:
• Early Middle Ages(450-1000),
• High M. A.(1000-1200)
• Late Middle Ages. (1200-1500)
• The middle ages began
in the west with the fall of
Rome and the beginning
of the Germanic rule.
• In the Eastern territories,
the Empire of Byzantine
(capital city
Constantinople) a
Christian stronghold, was
considered the most
stable empire in the
Middle Ages. It was a
civilized community
where learning, art and
rules were valued. They
spoke Greek, Latin and
most other languages.
• The High Middle Ages started in the 11th
century and spanned to the 13th century.
This was the age of the Norman
conquests in Britain and Sicily, the earlier
Crusades, the Investiture Controversy and
the signing of the Magna Carta.
• There was an explosion of stone castlebuilding, and the construction of some of
the most magnificent cathedrals in Europe.
What we call feudalism today was firmly
established in Britain and parts of Europe;
trade in luxury items as well as staples
flourished; towns were granted charters;
and a well-fed population was beginning to
grow rapidly.
• The Late Middle Ages can be considered
the transformation period. It was a time
when the Black Death, preceded by
famine and overpopulation, wiped out at
least a third of Europe and marked the end
of the prosperity that had characterized
the high medieval era.
• The Church’s influence dwindled.
• Towns and cities were wresting control of
their own government from the hands of
the church or nobility that had previously
ruled them. And the reduction in
population triggered economic and political
changes that would never be reversed.
Art
• The MIDDLE AGES were reflected in a
number of Art periods: Celtic, Early
Christian, Byzantine, Migration Period,
Pre-Romanesque, Romanesque, Gothic
and Islamic
• Celtic Art was practiced by
the Celtic speaking people of
Ireland and England during
the 5th to the 12th centuries
C.E. Celtic art is ornamental,
avoiding straight lines and
only occasionally using
symmetry, without the
imitation of nature or ideal of
beauty central to the classical
tradition, but as far as we can
understand it often involves
complex symbolism.
• Early Christian Art
flourished from 200 to 500
C.E. The artist working
during this period reflected
the Roman/pagan media
such as Sculpture, Mosaic,
Fresco, and Manuscript
Illumination. They also
adopted Roman motifs,
human proportions and
presentation of space.
• Byzantine art overlaps Early Christian art.
If the purpose of classical art was the
glorification of man, the purpose of
Byzantine art was the glorification of God.
Dome built on 4 pillars became the
Model for all Byzantine churches
Hagia Sophia was rebuilt from 532 to 537
• Migration Art is the artwork of the
Germanic people during the 300 to 900 C.
E. It examines the different types of art
including the Polychrome style (colourful)
and the Animal style.
• Pre-Romanesque art
took place between
the between the 8th
and 12th centuries
C.E. It consisted of
the Carolingian art,
the Ottonian art and
the Anglo-Saxon art
as well as the art of
France, Italy and
Spain.
• The Romanesque art period took place between
the 11th and 12th centuries C.E. The focus of
this art period is Architecture. It is characterized
by a use of round or slightly pointed arches,
barrel vaults, cruciform piers supporting vaults,
and groin vaults.
• The Gothic period took place
between mid-12th and late
15th centuries C.E. The
principle art mediums of this
period were sculpture, panel
painting, stain glass, fresco
and illuminated manuscripts.
The Gothic style of
architecture in this period
emphasized verticality and
features almost skeleton
stone structures with great
expanses of glass, pointed
arches using the ogive
shape, ribbed vaults,
clustered columns, sharply
pointed spires, flying
buttresses and inventive
sculptural detail.
• The Islamic art period took place between
500 and 1500. C.E. This style throughout
history has been mainly an abstract and
decorative, portraying geometric, floral,
Arabesque, and calligraphic designs.
Daily Life in the Medieval Era
• For safety and for defense, people
in the Middle Ages formed small
communities around a central lord
or master. Most people lived on a
manor, which consisted of the
castle, the church, the village, and
the surrounding farm land. These
manors were isolated, with
occasional visits from peddlers,
pilgrims on their way to the
Crusades, or soldiers from other
fiefdoms.
• In this "feudal" system, the king awarded
land grants or "fiefs" to his most important
nobles, his barons, and his bishops, in
return for their contribution of soldiers for
the king's armies.
•
• At the lowest echelon of society
were the peasants, also called
"serfs" or "villains." In exchange
for living and working on his
land, known as the "demesne,"
the lord offered his peasants
protection.
• Nobles divided their land among
the lesser nobility, who became
their servants or "vassals." Many of
these vassals became so powerful
that the kings had difficulty
controlling them. By 1100, certain
barons had castles and courts that
rivaled the king's; they could be
serious threats if they were not
pleased in their dealings with the
crown.
• In 1215, the English barons formed an
alliance that forced King John to sign the
Magna Carta. While it gave no rights to
ordinary people, the Magna Carta did limit
the king's powers of taxation and require
trials before punishment. It was the first
time that an English monarch came under
the control of the law.
• Peasants worked the land and produced the
goods that the lord and his manor needed. This
exchange was not without hardship for the serfs.
They were heavily taxed and were required to
relinquish much of what they harvested. The
peasants did not even "belong to" themselves,
according to medieval law. The lords, in close
association with the church, assumed the roles
of judges in carrying out the laws of the manor.
• It should come as no surprise that women, whether they
were nobles or peasants, held a difficult position in
society. They were largely confined to household tasks
such as cooking, baking bread, sewing, weaving, and
spinning. However, they also hunted for food and fought
in battles, learning to use weapons to defend their
homes and castles. Some medieval women held other
occupations. There were women blacksmiths,
merchants, and apothecaries. Others were midwives,
worked in the fields, or were engaged in creative
endeavors such as writing, playing musical instruments,
dancing, and painting.
• Some women were known as witches,
capable of sorcery and healing.
Others became nuns and devoted
their lives to God and spiritual
matters. Famous women of the Middle
Ages include the writer Christine de
Pisan; the abbess and musician
Hildegard of Bingen; and the patron of
the arts Eleanor of Aquitaine. A
French peasant's daughter, Joan of
Arc, or St. Joan, heard voices telling
her to protect France against the
English invasion. She dressed in
armor and led her troops to victory in
the early fifteenth century. "The Maid
of Orleans" as she was known, was
later burned as a witch.
• The Catholic Church was the only church in Europe
during the Middle Ages, and it had its own laws and large
coffers. Church leaders such as bishops and
archbishops sat on the king's council and played leading
roles in government. Bishops, who were often wealthy
and came from noble families, ruled over groups of
parishes called "diocese." 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 to
the youth of the village.
• As the population of Europe
expanded in the twelfth century,
the churches that had been built in
the Roman style with roundarched roofs became too small.
Some of the grand cathedrals,
strained to their structural limits by
their creators' drive to build higher
and larger, collapsed within a
century or less of their
construction.
• Monasteries in the Middle Ages were
based on the rules set down by St.
Benedict in the sixth century. The
monks became known as Benedictines
and took vows of poverty, chastity, and
obedience to their leaders. They were
required to perform manual labor and
were forbidden to own property, leave
the monastery, or become entangled in
the concerns of society. Daily tasks
were often carried out in silence. Monks
and their female counterparts, nuns,
who lived in convents, provided for the
less-fortunate members of the
community.
• Monasteries and nunneries were safe
havens for pilgrims and other travelers.
• Monks went to the monastery church eight times
a day in a routine of worship that involved
singing, chanting, and reciting prayers from the
divine offices and from the service for Mass. The
first office, "Matins," began at 2 A.M. and the
next seven followed at regular intervals,
culminating in "Vespers" in the evening and
"Compline" before the monks retired at night.
Between prayers, the monks read or copied
religious texts and music. Monks were often well
educated and devoted their lives to writing and
learning. The Venerable Bede, an English
Benedictine monk who was born in the seventh
century, wrote histories and books on science
and religion.
Pilgrimages
• Pilgrimages were an important part of
religious life in the Middle Ages. Many
people took journeys to visit holy shrines
such as the Church of St. James at
Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the
Canterbury cathedral in England, and sites
in Jerusalem and Rome. Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales is a series of stories told
by 30 pilgrims as they traveled to
Canterbury.
Medieval Homes
• Most medieval homes were cold, damp,
and dark. Sometimes it was warmer and
lighter outside the home than within its
walls. For security purposes, windows,
when they were present, were very small
openings with wooden shutters that were
closed at night or in bad weather. The
small size of the windows allowed those
inside to see out, but kept outsiders from
looking in.
• Many peasant
families ate, slept,
and spent time
together in very
small quarters,
rarely more than
one or two rooms.
The houses had
thatched roofs and
were easily
destroyed.
• The homes of the rich were more elaborate than the
peasants' homes. Their floors were paved, as opposed
to being strewn with rushes and herbs, and sometimes
decorated with tiles. Tapestries were hung on the walls,
providing not only decoration but also an extra layer of
warmth. Fenestral windows, with lattice frames that were
covered in a fabric soaked in resin and tallow, allowed in
light, kept out drafts, and could be removed in good
weather. Only the wealthy could afford panes of glass;
sometimes only churches and royal residences had
glass windows.
Food
• In simpler homes where there were no chimneys, the
medieval kitchen consisted of a stone hearth in the
center of the room. This was not only where the cooking
took place, but also the source of central heating. In
peasant families, the wife did the cooking and baking.
The peasant diet consisted of breads, vegetables from
their own gardens, dairy products from their own sheep,
goats, and cows, and pork from their own livestock.
Often the true taste of their meat, salted and used
throughout the year, was masked by the addition of
herbs, leftover breads, and vegetables.
• Some vegetables, such as cabbages, leeks, and
onions became known as "pot-herbs." This
pottage was a staple of the peasant diet.
• The kitchens of manor houses and castles had
big fireplaces where meat, even large oxen,
could be roasted on spits. These kitchens were
usually in separate buildings, to minimize the
threat of fire. Pantries were hung with birds and
beasts, including swans, blackbirds, ducks,
pigeons, rabbits, mutton, venison, and wild boar.
Many of these animals were caught on hunts.
Garbage
• Current archaeological studies of sewage and rubbish
pits contribute to our understanding of what medieval
people ate. One of the most informative pits was found in
Southampton, England. This pit belonged to a prominent
merchant. It contained the remains of berries, fruits, and
nuts, as well as pottery, glass, and fabrics, including silk,
from Europe and the Near East. It also contained the
remains of a Barbary ape. Documents found at the site
describe the family's consumption of meat, use of pewter
utensils, and love of music. Evidence that butchery took
place during this time was also found in these
documents
Clothing
• Most people in the Middles Ages
wore woolen clothing, with
undergarments made of linen.
• Brighter colors, better materials,
and a longer jacket length were
usually signs of greater wealth.
The clothing of the aristocracy
and wealthy merchants tended to
be elaborate and changed
according to the dictates of
fashion.
• Towards the end of the Middle
Ages, men of the wealthy
classes sported hose and a
jacket, often with pleating or
skirting, or a tunic with a surcoat.
• Women wore flowing gowns and elaborate
headwear, ranging from headdresses shaped
like hearts or butterflies to tall steeple caps and
Italian turbans.
• Fur was often used to line the garments of the
wealthy. Jewellery was lavish, by the midfourteenth century there were laws to control
who wore what jewellery , and knights were not
permitted to wear rings. Sometimes clothes were
garnished with silver, but only the wealthy could
wear such items.
• Most of the holy orders wore long
woolen habits in emulation of Roman
clothing. One could tell the order by
the color of the habit: the
Benedictines wore black; the
Cistercians, undyed wool or white. St.
Benedict stated that a monk's clothes
should be plain but comfortable and
they were allowed to wear linen coifs
to keep their heads warm. The Poor
Clare Sisters, an order of Franciscan
nuns, had to petition the Pope in
order to be permitted to wear woolen
socks.
• Peasant men wore stockings or tunics,
while women wore long gowns with
sleeveless tunics and wimples to cover
their hair. Sheepskin cloaks and woolen
hats and mittens were worn in winter for
protection from the cold and rain.
• Leather boots were covered with
wooden patens to keep the feet dry.
The outer clothes were almost never
laundered, but the linen underwear was
regularly washed. The smell of wood
smoke that permeated the clothing
seemed to act as a deodorant. Peasant
women spun wool into the threads that
were woven into the cloth for these
garments.
Medicine
• As the populations of medieval towns and cities
increased, hygienic conditions worsened, leading to a
vast array of health problems. Medical knowledge was
limited and, despite the efforts of medical practitioners
and public and religious institutions to institute
regulations, medieval Europe did not have an adequate
health care system. Antibiotics weren't invented until the
1800s and it was almost impossible to cure diseases
without them.
• There were many myths and superstitions about health
and hygiene as there still are today. People believed, for
example, that disease was spread by bad odours. It was
also assumed that diseases of the body resulted from
sins of the soul. Many people sought relief from their ills
through meditation, prayer, pilgrimages, and other
nonmedical methods.
• Medicine was often a risky business.
Bloodletting was a popular method of
restoring a patient's health and
"humours." Early surgery, often done
by barbers without anaesthesia, must
have been excruciating.
• Medical treatment was available
mainly to the wealthy, and those
living in villages rarely had the help of
doctors, who practiced mostly in the
cities and courts. Remedies were
often herbal in nature, but also
included ground earthworms, urine,
and animal excrement.
Art and Music
• Art and music were critical aspects of medieval religious
life and, towards the end of the Middle Ages, secular life
as well. Singing without instrumental accompaniment
was an essential part of church services. Monks and
priests chanted the divine offices and the mass daily.
• Medieval drama grew out of the liturgy, beginning in
about the eleventh century. Some of the topics were
from the Old Testament (Noah and the flood, Jonah and
the whale, Daniel in the lion's den) and others were
stories about the birth and death of Christ. These
dramas were performed with costumes and musical
instruments and at first took place directly outside the
church. Later they were staged in marketplaces, where
they were produced by local guilds.
Urban Living
• Following 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. 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. 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.
• 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. 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.
Forming Town Governments
• 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 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 new merchant class included artisans,
masons, armourers, bakers, shoemakers, rope
makers, dyers, and other skilled workers. Of all
the craftsmen, the masons were the highest paid
and most respected. They were, after all,
responsible for building the cathedrals,
hospitals, universities, castles, and guildhalls.
They learned their craft as apprentices to a
master mason, living at lodges for up to seven
years.
• 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.
• Printing began in 1450 with the publication of the Bible
by Johannes Gutenberg. This revolutionized the spread
of learning. Other inventions of the time included
mechanical clocks, tower mills, and guns. The inventions
of Leonardo da Vinci and the voyages of discovery in the
fifteenth century contributed to the birth of the
Renaissance.
• 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.