Download The Middle Ages: The Reality

The Middle Ages:
Myth and Reality
The Middle Ages: The Myth


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 seems
heroic, entertaining, and
romantic.
The Middle Ages: The Reality

In reality, life in the
Middle Ages, a period
that extended from
approximately the 5th
century to the 15th
century in Western
Europe, could also be
harsh, uncertain, and
dangerous.
The Lord of the Manor

For safety and
defense, people in the
Middle Ages formed
small communities
around a central lord
or master.
The Manor

Most people lived
on a manor, which
consisted of the
castle (or manor
house), the church,
the village, and the
surrounding farm
land.
Isolation

These manors were
isolated, with
occasional visits
from peddlers,
pilgrims on their way
to the Crusades, or
soldiers from other
fiefdoms.
The Feudal System

Under the feudal
system, the king
awarded land grants or
fiefs to his most
important nobles,
barons, and bishops, in
return for their
contribution of soldiers
for the king's armies.
Nobles and Vassals

Nobles divided their
land among the lesser
nobility, who became
their vassals. Many of
these vassals became
so powerful that the
kings had difficulty
controlling them.
Becoming a Knight


Needed to be a son
from a wealthy
family (horses and
armor were
expensive
At age seven, boys
became Pages and
began their training


From ages 14-16,
these Pages became
Squires, or servants
to a Knight.
When the Squires
were ready, about
age 20-21, they
could become
Knights…if they’d
proved themselves
The Magna Carta

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 law.
The Peasants


At the lowest level of
society were the
peasants, also called
serfs or villeins.
The lord offered his
peasants protection in
exchange for living and
working on his land.
Hard Work & High Taxes


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.
MEDIEVAL LIFE
Cooperation and Mutual
Obligations
KING
MANORIALISM:
ECONOMIC SYSTEM
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
 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
Protection
Shelter
Military Service
Homage
KNIGHTS (VASSALS TO LORDS)
Food
Protection
Farm the
Land
PEASANTS (SERFS)
Shelter
Pay
Rent
Women: Household Chores


Whether they were
nobles or peasants,
women held a difficult
position in society.
They were largely
confined to household
tasks such as cooking,
baking bread, sewing,
weaving, and spinning.
Other Occupations

Some medieval women
held other occupations.
There were women
blacksmiths,
merchants, and
apothecaries.
Midwives, Farmers, & Artists

Others were
midwives, worked in
the fields, or were
engaged in creative
endeavors such as
writing, playing
musical instruments,
dancing, and painting.
Witches & Nuns

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,
and it had its own laws and
large income.
Church leaders such as
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.
Many times, they were
part of the feudal system
and in exchange for a
fief and peasants had to
provide homage and
military aid to a leige
lord.
Parish Priests


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
Monasteries

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.
Monks
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
Monks 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.
Nuns

Monks and their female
counterparts, nuns, who
lived in convents,
provided for the lessfortunate members of
the community.
Monasteries and
nunneries were safe
havens for pilgrims and
other travelers.
Pilgrimages

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.
The Canterbury Tales

Chaucer's Canterbury
Tales is a series of
stories told by 30
pilgrims as they
traveled to
Canterbury.
Homes

Most medieval homes
were cold, damp, and
dark. Sometimes it
was warmer and
lighter outside the
home than within its
walls.
Peasants Homes

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.
Homes of the Wealthy

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.
Health & Hygiene

As the populations of
medieval towns and
cities increased,
hygienic conditions
worsened, leading to a
vast array of health
problems.
Medicine

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.
Myths and Superstitions

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
odors. 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.
Bloodletting

Medicine was often a risky
business. Bloodletting was
a popular method of
restoring a patient's health
and "humors." Early
surgery, often done by
barbers without anesthesia,
must have been
excruciating.
Medical Treatment

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.
Arts & Entertainment

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.
Town Life

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.
The Printing Press

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 Birth of the Renaissance

The inventions of
Leonardo da Vinci and
the voyages of
discovery in the
fifteenth century
contributed to the birth
of the Renaissance.
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.
References
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Adapted from the Annenberg Media/Learner.org website “The Middle Ages”
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/