Download Early Middle Ages

Warm Up
Early Middle Ages
REVIEW from content yesterday:
1. Who was Alexander Nevsky and why was he important?
2. Why are the monks Cyril and Methodius important to the
Kievan Rus?
3. What was The Great Schism and what year did it take place?
4. Explain two differences between the Eastern Orthodox and
Roman Catholic churches.
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Read THE INSIDE STORY on p. 361 about Alfred the Great and
answer the question.
Read the “Benedictine Rule” on p. 363, answer questions.
Early Middle Ages in Europe
New Germanic Kingdoms
• By 500 AD- the Roman Empire was replaced by Germanic
Kingdoms (Germany does not become a country until the 1800’s, however most
of Europe was composed of Germanic tribes)
1. Angles and Saxons spread to Britain
• Britain/England was united under Alfred the Great
– pushed the Danes back North
– 1st King of England (land of the Angles)
– Established school system
2. Franks in Gaul (modern day France), Visigoths in Spain
• Merging of German and Roman culture
– Let go of Roman law codes/systems
• Germans had trials by physical ordeal (tests)
– If you were thrown in a river and floated, you proved you were a witch because
you weighed too much not to sink. However, if you sink and drown, it showed you
were either innocent but still drowned, or that you were guilty and the God didn’t
save you. Ordeals could be interpreted any way the people wanted to- so, it was
NOT based on logic.
• Believed in divine intervention on behalf of innocent
Trial by Ordeal
Notice: The hand of God
coming from the heavens to
help the person through their
ordeal of walking across sharp
objects/ sometimes hot coals,
etc.
If you survived the ordeal, it was
believed that God, the saints,
and the angels had intervened
to help you because you were
innocent.
Women's Rights and Trials
However, we KNOW the body
has physical limitations, which
we KNOW does not prove
innocence nor guilt.
• Clovis
Frankish Empire
– king of Franks, converted to Christianity c. 500 AD
– Gained support of Roman Catholic Church
– Pepin took crown in 751 AD
• Charlemagne (“Shar-lu-main”) – means “Charles the Great” in French
• son of Pepin became king, expanded territory
– Defeated the Lombards and protected Pope Leo III
• Thus, crowned “emperor” by pope 800 AD
– Renewed interest in Latin/Greek works
• Monks copied works by hand
– Empire fell apart after his death, 814AD
• (3 grandsons split empire 3 ways- where divisions start with what we recognize as
France and Germany)
– Spread Christianity to conquered people, or else
death…sent missionaries to live with them
– Written law
Charlemagne Music Video
Notice:
Lombardy is a territory in northern Italy and tried to invade the Papal States (territory controlled by
the Pope), thus Charlemagne knew if he defended the Pope it would be a tactical move because
the Pope would back him- giving legitimacy to his control over his own territory. It worked. The
Pope crowns Charlemagne showing the power of the church in Western Europe.
The split of Charlemagne’s empire after his death: shows the divisions that eventually
become France, the Holy Roman Empire (Germany), Italy, Denmark, Hungary, northern
Spain, etc.
Invasions of 9th and 10th Centuries
• Scandinavia:
– not good for farming
– Vikings/ “Norsemen” (men from the north) raided other
communities
• Used long, narrow, shallow dragon ships to sail up
rivers into European continent
• Eventually Europeans tired of Viking raids
– gave land to Vikings/Norsemen and they settled
down
• Ex: “Normandy” in France
Crash Course: The VIKINGS!
Vikings
The Holy Roman Empire
• Neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire
– Confused yet? Shows the power of the church over the territory since
the Pope crowns the emperors, and it was a way to try to keep the
former Roman Empire alive in the west, even though it was really just a
territory controlled by one leader.
• After Viking raids calmed down:
– some centralization in Europe
• 962 AD Otto Ist: crowned Holy Roman Emperor
• Not Frankish lands, but German lands
– Most emperors preoccupied w/ power struggle with popes,
European politics
– German city-states stayed very independent and were NOT
fond of being part of the “Holy Roman Empire”.
England
• 1066 AD: (need to know this date!)
– William of Normandy invaded and conquered England (called William
the Conqueror)
• Defeated Anglo-Saxons at Battle of Hastings
• Slow merging of Anglo-Saxon and Norman culture, language, etc.
• Henry II became king c. 1142
– Expanded royal courts
• to put ALL people through the same legal process (to treat all people the same)
• Catholic church was outraged, they didn’t believe the state had the
power to try religious leaders, only the church could discipline their
own leaders.
– Common law – same law throughout kingdom
– Tried to control clergy
• (Thomas a Becket- Archbishop of Canterbury, England, was killed in his cathedral, had
a huge disagreement with King Henry II over church v. state and who had the most
power. People blamed the king for possibly having him assassinated. Henry II was
famously quoted as saying to his knights “Who will rid me of this man?”)
– Married to Eleanor of Aquitaine
Battle of Hastings
Eleanor of Aquitaine
• Very unusual woman for Middle Ages
(wealthy landowner)
– Controlled her own land in south west
France (territory of Aquitaine)
• Married to King of France: Louis II
– Had two daughters
– Traveled to Constantinople & Jerusalem
on Crusade with him
– Annulled marriage (pseudo-divorce)
• He wanted sons?
• Married King Henry II England
– He had her imprisoned for over 15 years
(she was NOT your typical subservient
woman, she was raised powerful, he did
NOT appreciate that trait in her)
– Had 3 sons with him
• Kept her own court in France
• Her famous son- Richard the Lionheart
(famous good king in the Robinhood stories)
Aquitaine- in yellow
Magna Carta (means “Great Charter”)
~English nobles resented
power of King John
-revolted
~Forced King John to
sign the Magna Carta in
1215 -which limited the
king’s power
Read the Magna Carta on p. R59
and answer questions #1-3.
ACTIVITY: Create a rap/song…
• With a partner….. (YES, you can use your phones in class to
assist with this assignment) 
• Create a rap or song about the greatness of Charlemagne and
his influence throughout Europe, OR on the Magna Carta, OR
Eleanor of Aquitaine, OR William the Conqueror, OR Henry II
and Thomas a Becket, etc.
– Take a popular song or nursery rhyme and re-write the lyrics
Must:
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Charlemagne Music Video to "Call
Be “G” rated (language and content)
Me“
At least ½ page
William the Conqueror Music
On topic with academic content
With specific details about the topic chosen Video
Be turned in on a piece of paper with both names
Extra credit for presenting (5 pts. on a quiz)