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What was it like to live in the Middle Ages? The 3 languages in the Middle Ages – Clergy • Latin chiefly spoken, those who pray – Nobles • French chiefly spoken, those who fight – Commoners • English spoken, those who work feudalism • Feudalism created ties of obedience and a sense of loyalty between the vassals and their lord. • Commoners (peasants) lived on a feudal manor. The lord of the manor gave his vassals (the peasants) land to farm. • In return, the vassals received protection. Yet they were taxed and had to give a portion of their crops to the lord. A tenant (vassal) renews his oath of fealty to his lord Chivalry • A product of feudalism, chivalry was an idealized system of manners and morals – Restricted to nobility • The Medieval knight was bound to the chivalric code to be loyal to… – God – his lord – his lady • Chivalric ideals include... – benevolence – brotherly love – politeness • Sir Gawain is an example • 1095 First Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem from the infidels – Open trade routes – Peasants (the vassals) are liberated from their lords to fight, and die, in the Holy Lands – Cities spring up along the crusade routes – Feudalism dies out – the transition to the Renaissance begins The crusades • Sadly, with the Crusades, the Church becomes incredibly corrupt. – Popes fight for political power – Greed is rampant • selling of indulgences • Crusades for $ With the Crusades comes The Black Death • spreads along trade routes • kills much of the population • the plague outbreaks occur through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance • Paradoxically, the Plague provides for continued growth in cities – Afterwards, hundreds of new jobs available – Many debts “died off” with creditors • also contributed to society’s culture Late Middle Ages • The rise of the merchants • Usury • Towards the bourgeoisie: The guilds • The printing press: William Caxton: Spread of education beyond the monasteries and the church • Important Middle Ages technologies Gunpowder Water Wheel Mechanical Clock Eyeglasses Literature During the Medieval Period Characteristics of Medieval Literature • Prose (French influence): Romance – Le morte d’Arthur – A narrative in prose that tells of the adventures and heroic exploits of chivalric heroes at the court of king Arthur • often a supernatural element involved • Poetry: A new literature in English: The Canterbury tales verse tales (Chaucer); the ballad • Drama (Christian influence): mistery, miracle & morality plays