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Europe in the 6c Regional States • Germanic invaders toppled Rome’s authority in the late 5th Century A.D. but no clear successor to centralized authority emerged – The Franks temporarily revived the empire; the high point of which was the reign of Charlemagne from 768-814. Charlemagne Political-Military Relationship • A close relationship between political and military authorities developed – As a result, political authorities and military specialists merged into a hereditary noble class which lived off the surplus agricultural production that it extracted from the cultivators – Only by tapping into this surplus could the lords and their retainers secure the material resources necessary to maintain their control over military, political, and legal affairs Periodization Early Middle Ages: 500 – 1000 High Middle Ages: 1000 – 1250 Late Middle Ages: 1250 - 1500 Medieval Society Early Middle Ages (450-1050) • The country was not governed by the king but by individual lords who administered their own estates, dispensed their own justice, minted their own money, levied taxes and tolls, and demanded military service from vassals • Usually the lords could field greater armies than the king – In theory the king was the chief feudal lord, but in reality the individual lords were supreme in their own territory • Many kings were little more than figurehead rulers Three Estates of Medieval Society • Those who pray – The clergy of the Roman Catholic Church • Those who fight – Nobles • Those who work – Peasants • The result was a society marked by political, social, and economic inequality How was order maintained in the Early Middle Ages? • In the absence of a strong centralized authority, local political and military elites worked out various ad hoc ways to organize and protect their territories – Lords and retainees – Manors – Serfs “Feudalism” • There really was no “feudal system” if that implies a neat hierarchy of lords and vassals who collectively took charge of political and military affairs • Because the feudal hierarchy arose as a makeshift for defense against invaders, it always had a provisional, ad hoc, and flexible character – There was no “system” • However, medieval European society was characterized by: – Fragmentation of political power – Public power in private hands – Armed forces secured through private contracts Feudalism A political, economic, and social system based on loyalty and military service. The Road to Knighthood KNIGHT SQUIRE PAGE Retainers • The nobles maintained their armies by offering grants, usually land, to armed retainers • In exchange for the grants, the retainers pledged their loyalty and military service to their lords – The retainers gained increased rights over their land, to include the prerogative to pass on their rights to the heirs Manors • Manors were large estates consisting of fields, meadows, forests, agricultural tools, domestic animals, and serfs • The lord of the manor and his deputies provided government, administration, police services, and justice for the manor • Many lords had the authority to execute serfs for serious misconduct • In the absence of thriving cities in rural areas, manors became largely self-sufficient communities The Medieval Manor Life on the Medieval Manor Serfs at work Serfs • Free peasants sought protection from a lord and pledged their labor and obedience in exchange for security and land to cultivate • Beginning in the mid 17th Century, this category became recognized as serfs– neither fully slave nor fully free – Not chattel slaves subject to sale by their master – But still owed obligations to the lords whose lands they cultivated Serfs’ Obligations • Had the right to work certain lands and to pass those lands on to their heirs • In exchange they had to perform labor services and pay rents in kind (a portion of the harvest, chickens, eggs, etc) • Male serfs typically worked three days a week for their lords with extra services during planting and harvesting times • Women serfs churned butter, spun thread, and sewed clothes for their lords and their families Serfs’ Obligations • Since the lord provided the land, the serfs had little opportunity to move and had to get the lord’s permission to do so – Even had to pay fees to marry someone who worked for a different lord Chivalry: A Code of Honor and Behavior Chivalry • Church officials originally proposed a chivalric code to curb fighting within Christendom • By the 12th Century, the ritual by which a young man became a knight commonly included the candidate placing his sword upon an altar and pledging his service to God Chivalry • With chivalry, warriors were encouraged to adopt higher ethical standards and refined manners and become cultivated leaders of society • The chivalric code called for a noble to devote himself to the causes of order, piety, and the Christian faith rather than seeking wealth and power The Medieval Catholic Church Filled the power vacuum left from the collapse of the classical world. Monasticism: St. Benedict – Benedictine Rule of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Provided schools for the children of the upper class. Inns, hospitals, refuge in times of war. Libraries & scriptoria to copy books and illuminate manuscripts. Monks missionaries to the barbarians. [St. Patrick, St. Boniface] Chivalry Ideals associated with knighthood • French word chevalier which means “knight” Honor is the foundational and guiding principle Three basic areas 1. Relation to countrymen and fellow Christians • mercy, courage, valor, fairness, protection of the weak and poor, servanthood to lord • warrior chivalry - chief duty is to his lord 2. Relation to God • being faithful to the church, being the champion of good against evil, being generous and obeying God above all 3. Relation to women • idea that the knight is to serve a lady • general gentleness and graciousness to Chivalric Codes • Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions. • Thou shalt defend the Church. • Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them. • Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born. • Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy. • Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy. • Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God. • Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word. • Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone. • Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil. Courtly Love System of attitudes, myths and etiquette Governed the real and idealized behavior of knights and their ladies System of admiration and courtship Idea that a noble man would dedicate his life to the love of a lady Such a love could not exist within marriage Standards of etiquette and custom varied • Chaste or Platonic admiration • Intention of consummation expressed Non-Christian tradition • Alternative to the love of God and the Church • Condemed by Church as heretical Spawned Romance literary genre Courtly love most commonly expressed in the compositions of the troubadours, and poets Courtly Love Andreas Capellanus 12th century author • The Art of Courtly Love Stages of Courtly Love • Attraction to the lady, usually via eyes/glance • Worship of the lady from afar • Declaration of passionate devotion • Virtuous rejection by the lady • Renewed wooing with oaths of virtue & eternal fealty • Moans of approaching death from unsatisfied desire (and other physical manifestations of lovesickness) • Heroic deeds of valor which win the lady's heart • Consummation of the secret love • Endless adventures and subterfuges avoiding detection Arthurian Romance Gained great popularity in the 12th century • Appears as the ideal of kingship both in war and peace • Cultural icon of a idealized British past Arthur gathered the Knights of the Round Table (Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad) at his court at Camelot • Arthur's knights engaged in fabulous quests ad advnetures, such as the quest for the Holy Grail Geoffrey of Monmouth - first major popularization of Arthurian legend in History of the Kings of Britain • Also wrote The Prophecies of Merlin & Life of Merlin Chrétien de Troyes, French poet -12th century • love story of Lancelot for Guinevere Historical Arthur • Romano-British leader fighting against the invading Anglo-Saxons - 5th century and early 6th century • Celtic sagas and poetry tell of a warrior named The Power of the Medieval Church Bishops and abbots played a large part in the feudal system. The church controlled about 1/3 of the land in Western Europe. Tried to curb feudal warfare only 40 days a year for combat. Curb heresies crusades; Inquisition Tithe 1/10 tax on your assets given to the church. Peter’s Pence 1 penny per person [paid by the peasants]. A Medieval Monk’s Day A Medieval Monastery: The Scriptorium Illuminated Manuscripts Romanesque Architectural Style Rounded Arches. Barrel vaults. Thick walls. Darker, simplistic interiors. Small windows, usually at the top of the wall. Charlemagne: 742 to 814 • King of the Franks and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire 742 - 814 Charlemagne’s Empire Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky. —Charlemagne By the Sword and the Cross Charlemagne (Charles the Great) was born on April 2, 742, in Northern Europe. "By the sword and the cross," he became master of Western Europe. Through his enlightened leadership the roots of learning and order were restored to Medieval Europe Europe in Turmoil In 768, when Charlemagne was 26, he and his brother Carloman inherited the kingdom of the Franks. In 771 Carloman died, and Charlemagne became sole ruler of the kingdom. At that time the Franks were falling back into barbarian ways, neglecting their education and religion. The Saxons of northern Europe were still pagans. In the south, the Roman Catholic church was asserting its power to recover land confiscated by the Lombard kingdom of Italy. Europe was in turmoil. Charlemagne Brings Order to Europe Charlemagne was determined to strengthen his realm and to bring order to Europe. In 772 he launched a 30-year military campaign to accomplish this objective. By 800 Charlemagne was the undisputed ruler of Western Europe. His vast realm encompassed what are now France, Switzerland, Belgium, and The Netherlands. It included half of present-day Italy and Germany, and parts of Austria and Spain. By establishing a central government over Western Europe, Charlemagne restored much of the unity of the old Roman Empire and paved the way for the development of modern Europe. Charlemagne’s Coronation On Christmas Day in 800, while Charlemagne knelt in prayer in Saint Peter's in Rome, Pope Leo III placed a golden crown on the bowed head of the king. Charlemagne is said to have been surprised by the coronation, declaring that he would not have come into the church had he known the pope's plan. However, some historians say the pope would not have dared to act without Charlemagne's knowledge. Carolinian Renaissance Charlemagne learned to read Latin and some Greek but apparently did not master writing. At meals, instead of having jesters perform, he listened to visiting scholars read from learned works. Charlemagne believed that government should be for the benefit of the governed. He was a tireless reformer who tried to improve his people's lives. He set up money standards to encourage commerce, urged better farming methods and worked to spread education and Christianity. Charlemagne’s Empire Collapses: Treaty of Verdun, 843 Regional States • After Charlemagne, his successor Carolingians had no effective means of defending against Magyars, Muslims, Vikings, and other invaders • In response, European nobles sought to protect their lands and maintain order in their own territories • Political authority in early medieval Europe thus devolved into competing local and regional jurisdictions with a decentralized political order – “Feudalism” Viking long ship The Carolingian Renaissance Carolingian Miniscule The Rise of European Monarchies: England Carcassonne: A Medieval Castle Parts of a Medieval Castle Castles