BEXT 0S2CSLP 06 - PBworksceipdunasfeudaleurope.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/89854190/feudal.pdf · Feudal Europe Objectives 1 Understand the main characteristics of feudalism. 2 Explain

Feudal Europe

Objectives

1 Understand the main characteristics of feudalism.

2 Explain what life was like in a fief.

3 Learn about the defining features of feudal economy and society.

4 Recognise the influence of the Church in medieval society and explain what the Crusadesand pilgrimages were.

5 Value the role of the medieval Church in the conservation and transmission of knowledge.

6 Distinguish the main features of Romanesque architecture and art.

7 Obtain historical information from the analysis of different sources.

Contents

Concepts� The feudal system.

� Daily life in the fief.

� Economy and society in feudal Europe.

� Religion in the Middle Ages.

� Culture, Romanesque architecture and art.

Procedures� Read and comment on texts with a historical content.

� Interpret maps, drawings and / or photos related to the unit content.

� Understand listening comprehension tasks related to the unit content.

� Summarise information and represent it in a mind map.

Attitudes� Show interest in learning about the history of Europe.

� Value the artistic and cultural heritage of the feudal age.

� Respect the cultural legacy transmitted by the Church.

� Show interest in learning about the way of life in feudal Europe.

P R O G R A M M E O F S T U D Y

111Feudal Europe

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Assessment criteria

1 Describe the main features of the feudal system. Understand the concept of vassalage and the dependent relationships between a lord and his vassals.

2 Explain what a fief is. Distinguish the way of life of lords from the way of life of peasants.

3 Describe the main economic activities in feudal Europe. Understand the concept ofestate-based society and differentiate the privileged estates from the non-privileged.

4 Explain the main features of medieval monastic life. Understand the different manifestationsof medieval religious sentiment: crusades and pilgrimages.

5 Understand the role of the Church in medieval culture.

6 Describe the main features of Romanesque architecture and art.

7 Analyse and comment on texts, maps, and / or images related to the contents of the unit.

UNIT 6112


Feudal Europe 113

B A S I C C O M P E T E N C E S

ASSESSMENTCRITERIACOMPETENCES ACTIVITIES

1.1. Communicate simple messages, verbally and in writing.

1.2. Speak, listen and participate in dialogue and debate in an organised and clear manner.

1.5. Use specific vocabulary from each subject area to enrich one’s language.

1.13. Find information in different media (print and digital) and use it in projects related todifferent subject areas.

1.14. Process information from oral and written sources.

2.4. Develop the ability to empathise in order to understand human actions in the past or present.

2.5. Appreciate and make use of dialogue as a necessary means of resolving problems. Take part in debates and group discussions to express one’s own ideas and listen to andrespect the opinions of others.

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

1, 3, 4, 5, 7

1, 3, 4, 6, 7

3, 7

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

1, 3, 4, 5, 7

1, 3, 4, 5, 7

22RA: 2, 6, 13

22RA: 6, 13

5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 31RA: 7, 10, 11

22RA: 6, 13

4, 6, 19, 21, 23, 29, 30, 31, 32RA: 3, 7, 8, 10

22

2, 13, 14, 15, 16, 25, 26, 27RA: 1, 2, 5, 12

4.1. Be familiar with and appreciate relevant artistic works because they are characteristic ofparticular styles and artists or because they are part of the cultural heritage.

4.2. Develop skills for recognising and understanding the technical elements necessary foranalysing important works of art.

6, 7

6, 7

29, 30, 31RA: 9, 10

28, 29, 32RA: 10

5.2. Establish criteria for selecting information from different sources objectively.

5.4. Understand and interpret icons, symbols and other ways of representing information,especially those relating to maps and images.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

1, 2, 3, 6, 7

2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23,24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32RA: 1, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12

5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 17, 19, 28, 29, 31, 32RA: 5, 10, 11

5. Data processing and digital competence

6.1. Be aware of the quantitative and spatial aspects of reality. 1 1

6. Mathematical competence

7.3. Develop strategies for thinking, organising, memorising, and retrieving information, such assummaries, diagrams and mind maps.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 RA: 8Unit summary

7. Learning to learn

8.2. Take part in debates, and undertake individual and group work activities which involvethinking, analysing, planning, carrying out and reviewing the work and drawing conclusions.

1, 3, 4, 5, 7 22RA: 6, 13

8. Autonomy and personal initiative

4. Cultural and artistic competence

RA: Revision activities*All the subcompetences detailed in this section are developed using English as the common language, which will allow pupils to communicate with an increasing degree of skill in the foreign language.

1. Linguistic competence (*)

2. Social and civic competence


UNIT 6114

V O C A B U L A R Y

L A N G U A G E S T R U C T U R E S

Section Nouns Verbs Adjectives

1. The feudal system

abbot, bishop, crusade, estate,fealty, feudalism, fief, lord,Magyar, monarch, peasant,rank, religious order, vassal,Viking

bind, disintegrate, swear feudal, foreign

2. Daily life in the fief

arable land, bench,blacksmith, castle, chest, keep,demesne, embroidery,furniture, great hall, hearth,jousting, serf, stool, strawmattress, tapestry, tenements,timber, trestle table

exploit, farm fallow, rudimentary, scarce, self-sufficient

3. Economyacorn, bee-keeping, cereal,fair, pulses, scythe, sicklewatermill, windmill

dig, meet, reap, regenerate,smoke, turn over

4. Society

clergy, count, duke, estate ofthe realm, marquis, monastery,nobility, religious order, tax,tithe

belong to, commit a crime,possess

hierarchical, privileged,regular, secular

5. Religion

Benedictine, chapter-house,Cistercian, cloister, crusade,dormitory, divine office, guestquarters, manuscript, monk,pilgrim, pilgrimage, prayer,refectory, scriptorium, sin,tomb

copy, eat, illustrate, read, sleep,study, talk, walk

ancient, holy, lay, military

6. Culture, architecture and art

aisle, ambulatory, apse,archivolt, buttress, chancel,Evangelist, fresco, Latin-crossplan, nave, Pantocrator,pilgrim route, tempera,tympanum

carve, depict, twist didactic, free-standing,illiterate, inexpressive, rigid,Romanesque, static

� Present simple questions: Do you think the figures are realistic?

� Present continuous: What are the peasants working on the land doing?

� There was / were: There were several buildings around the courtyard…

� Past simple regular verbs: The lord lived in a castle.

� Past simple irregular verbs: They kept chickens, ducks and other kinds of poultry.

� Past simple questions: Did the players usually get hurt?

� Past passive: The estate was divided into two parts.

� Linkers: Although he was vassal to nobody, he lost some of his power to the feudal lords.

� Defining relative clauses: The room where the monks studied, read, copied and illustrated sacredmanuscripts.


Feudal Europe 115

U N I T S U M M A R Y

R � ReinforcementE � Extension

5.1. The Churchpage 112

5.2. The crusadespage 114

5.3. Pilgrimagespage 114

3. Economypage 110

6. Culture, architecture and artpage 116

Unit summarypage 122

6.1. Culturepage 116

6.2. Architecture and artpage 116

4. Societypage 111

Photocopiable resources 1(R), 2 (E)

2. Daily life in the fiefpage 106

Photocopiable resources 3 (R)

5. Religionpage 112

Revision activitiespage 120

Assessment (R)

1. The feudal systempage 104


1. The feudal system

Page 103

TRANSCRIPT

In this unit we’ll analyse how people lived in Western Europe during the feudal age. First,we’ll define the concept of feudalism and look at its economic and social characteristics.Then, we’ll study the role of the Church during this period. Finally, we will learn about themain forms of cultural expression at the beginning of the Middle Ages, especiallyRomanesque architecture and art.

Page 105

� Between which centuries did feudalism develop in Western Europe?

a) 6th and 10th

b) 10th and 12th

c) 10th and 13th

d) 5th and 19th

Between the 10th and 13th centuries.

� Peter is a journalist who has travelled back in time to a Viking village in the 9thcentury. Listen to his interview with Dragar the Viking and choose the correct options.

TRANSCRIPT

Peter: So, Dragar. I’d like to ask you some questions about your life as a Viking. First ofall, what clothes do Vikings usually wear?

Dragar: Really warm ones. It is very cold most of the time. The women wear longdresses and the men wear trousers and tunics.

Peter: Do all of you have long red beards?

Dragar: Only the Vikings with red hair. And none of the women and children! We growour beards long to keep warm and to look fierce and aggressive to frighten ourenemies.

Peter: Do you wear jewels?

Dragar: Oh yes, lots of them. Men and women wear rings and bracelets. And we usuallykeep our clothes in place with jewelled belts and brooches.

Peter: Do you believe in God?

Dragar: We believe in many gods, not just one. The most important god is Odin. He ispowerful, mysterious and very intelligent. Odin can change into a bird or anotheranimal. Everyone is afraid of him.

Peter: What happens when a person dies?

Dragar: That depends on how important the person was. Most people are buried in ahole in the ground. But some brave warriors are burned on a pile of wood, called a pyre.

Peter: What is Walhalla?

Dragar: Walhalla is similar to your heaven. It is where a warrior goes when he dies in abattle. At night he can eat and drink with the gods.

Peter: What do you do for fun?

Dragar: All sort of different things: we like wrestling and swordfights. We also likeplaying board games, like chess, and telling very long stories called sagas about godsand heroes, great adventures, distant lands and strange people, like you, for example.

Peter: Well thank you very much for your time. It was nice meeting you.

Dragar: You’re welcome. Have a good trip back home.J. CHISHOLM and S. REID

Who were the Vikings?Usborne Publishing (Adapted)

a) Viking women wear dresses .

b) Viking men have long beards to frighten their enemies .

c) Men and women wear jewels .

Introduction to unit

S T U D E N T ’ S B O O K A N S W E R K E Y

116 UNIT 6


What was the act ofhomage?

What obligations didthe vassal have to thelord?

What obligations didthe lord have to vassal?

Could a person be alord and a vassal at thesame time?

Could clerics becomefeudal lords?

What was a fief?

He had to protect him and providehim with the means to make a living.

Yes. Bishops and abbots could.

Yes. A person could be the vassal of alord from a higher social class andlord of another person from a lowersocial class.

He had to provide him with troops tofight with and also give him advice.

A ceremony in which the vassal andlord sealed their commitment to eachother.

It usually consisted of farmlands.

d) Odin is a powerful god .

e) When a brave warrior dies, he is burnt on a big fire .

f) For entertainment, Vikings enjoy playing chess and telling stories .

� Find the mistakes in these sentences and correct them in your exercise book.

a) Feudalism was a political, economic and social system that existed in medievalAmerica.

Feudalism wasn’t a political, economic and social system that existed in medievalAmerica. It existed in medieval Europe.

b) Feudalism was a system in which a slave was tied to a free person.

Feudalism wasn’t a system in which a slave was tied to a free person. Infeudalism a free person was dependent on another free person.

� Copy and match the questions in the left column to the answers on the right in yourexercise book.

� What was the act of homage? � A ceremony in which the vassal and lord sealedtheir commitment to each other.

� What obligations did the vassal have to the lord? � He had to provide him withtroops to fight with and also give him advice.

� What obligations did the lord have to vassal? � He had to protect him andprovide him with the means to make a living.

� Could a person be a lord and a vassal at the same time? � Yes. A person couldbe the vassal of a lord from a higher social class and lord of another person froma lower social class.

� Could clerics become feudal lords? � Yes. Bishops and abbots could.

� What was a fief? � It usually consisted of farmlands.

� Describe the illustration in section 1 of a king and his vassals, using these words: king,crown, kneeling, hands, sitting, throne.

117Feudal Europe

Miniature of a king with his vassals


STUDENT’S OWN ANSWER. Suggested answer: in the picture we can see a king sitting onhis throne. The king is wearing a crown. In front of the king, there are five people(vassals). Four of them are kneeling. One of them has placed his hands between the king’s hands.

� Choose the sentence that best defines the role of kings in the feudal system.

a) The kings’ power over the feudal lords increased significantly.

b) The kings lost some of their power to the feudal lords.

The kings lost some of their power to the feudal lords.

� Read and complete the text in your exercise book, using these words: emperor,Christianity, Peninsula, kingdoms, monarchs, Germany.

Read the text in activity 7 again, look at the map below and answer the questions.

a) Name the kingdoms that appear on the map.

Danish Kingdom, Anglo-Saxon Empire, Kingdom of France, Kingdom ofBurgundy, Kingdom of León, Kingdom of Navarra. There are two empires: the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire.

b) Which Christian kingdoms were there on the Iberian Peninsula?

The Kingdom of León, the Kingdom of Navarra and the Catalán Counties werelocated on the Iberian Peninsula.

c) What was the name of the territory occupying the southern part of the IberianPeninsula?

Al-Andalus.

d) Consult an atlas and name three modern countries that were part of the HolyRoman Empire.

STUDENT’S OWN ANSWER. Suggested answer: Germany, Hungary, Austria.

118 UNIT 6

Feudal Europe was divided into many different kingdoms , such as the Kingdom ofFrance. All these kingdoms shared the same religion: Christianity . For this reason, weoften refer to this group of kingdoms as Christendom.

Some monarchs wanted to restore the former Carolingian Empire. At the end of the10th century, Otto I of Germany persuaded the pope to crown him emperor of theHoly Roman Empire, which occupied a large part of central Europe and the ItalianPeninsula .

A T L A N T I C

O C E A N

Mediterranean Sea

NorthSea

CENTRAL AND WESTERN EUROPEIN THE 10TH CENTURY

HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

BYZANTINE EMPIRE

KINGDOMOF FRANCE

ANGLO-SAXONEMPIRE

DANISHKINGDOM

KINGDOMOF BURGUNDYKINGDOM

OF LEÓN

KINGDOMOF NAVARRA

AL-ANDALUS

CATALAN

COUNTIESPAPAL

STATES

N

600 km0

1 :44 070 000

SOURCE: VARIOUS AUTHORS, Atlas histórico y geográfico universitario, UNED(Translated and adapted)


2. Daily life in the fief Page 109

Look at the picture of the fief in section 2 and identify which of the following items donot belong in the illustration.

a) Farming land and pastures

b) Forest

c) The lord’s castle

d) Peasants’ dwellings

e) Church

f) University

g) Windmill

h) Watermill

University and watermill.

�� Look at the illustration of the fief again and answer the questions.

a) What are the castle walls and towers like? What are they built of?

STUDENT’S OWN ANSWER. Suggested answer: the castle has a wall around it withbattlements interspersed with circular towers and a square castle keep (homagetower). In the space between the wall and the castle keep there is a courtyard.

The castle walls and the towers look as if they are built of stone.

b) Where are the well and the castle stables?

They are in the courtyard.

c) What do you think the person working in a small building near the homage toweris doing?

He is a blacksmith. He is beating a metallic object on an anvil.

d) How many floors does the homage tower have? What are the rooms like on eachfloor? What are the people in the rooms doing?

It has three floors. STUDENT’S OWN ANSWER. Suggested answer:

On the ground floor is the kitchen, on the first floor the great hall and on thethird floor the main bedroom. In the kitchen, we can see several cooking potsover a fire. Opposite them is a table. There are hams hanging from the ceiling.The floor is covered in straw. In the great hall there is a trestle table with food onit. The diners are sitting on wooden benches. Perpendicular to the table there is arectangular raised table, which is covered in a white tablecloth. There is alsofood on this table. The diners at this high table are sitting on high-backed chairs.In the bedroom there is a big bed with a canopy, a wooden chest and some lowwooden stools. The walls are covered with pieces of fabric.

The people on the ground floor are cooking. On the first floor they are attendinga banquet. The diners are seated and some servants are waiting on them. On thesecond floor there are two women carding and spinning wool.

e) What kinds of livestock can you see?

Sheep, horses, cattle and poultry.

f) What are the peasants working on the land doing?

They are ploughing and preparing the land for sowing.

g) What is the mill like? Look for information and explain how it worked.

STUDENT’S OWN ANSWER. Suggested answer: the mill has a high wooden tower with agabled roof. The tower is raised off the ground and is supported by a woodenstructure. The mill has four arms set in the shape of a cross. When the wind blowsthe arms of the windmill, it moves the cog mechanism which in turn is connectedto two pieces of stone, which also revolve and crush (grind) the grain placedbetween them.

� Which of these pastimes did the feudal lords enjoy?

a) Hunting in the forest

b) Ploughing the land

c) Writing poetry

d) Playing chess

e) Listening to music

119Feudal Europe


f) Looking after the hens

Hunting in the forest, writing poetry, playing chess and listening to music.

�� Check the meaning of these words: man, woman, children, mattress, wood, straw,adobe, walls, cows, trestle table, ham, beams. Then look at the drawing of the peasanthouse in section 2 and describe it, using the same words.

Man: hombre, woman: mujer, children: niños, mattress: jergón (colchón), wood:madera, straw: paja, adobe: adobe, walls: paredes, cows: vacas, trestle table: mesa decaballete, ham: jamón, beams: vigas.

STUDENT’S OWN ANSWER. Suggested answer: the peasant house is very simple. The wallsare made of adobe and wood and the roof of wood and straw. There is only oneroom. A woman is standing by the fire in the centre of the room. There is very littlefurniture: a chest and a trestle table. A ham is hanging from the beams to stop themice eating it. Next to the room there is a stable, where there are three cows and aman. Above the stable there is a wooden platform where two children are sleepingon a straw matress.

�� Listen to someone describing the lord’s eating habits. Which foods do theymention: cheese, meat, chicken, fish, turkey, wine, milk, water, vegetables, fruit, spices,garlic, ham, honey?

TRANSCRIPT

The food that the lords ate was more varied than the food the peasants ate: the lordsate meat, fish, fruit such as apples and pears, and honey. The meat wasn’t always veryfresh and to hide the bad taste they added onion, garlic and spices.

Meals took place in the great hall of the castle. The lord and his family ate at a hightable, placed on a wooden platform. The main meal began at around 10 am and couldlast for 3 or 4 hours. To eat, they used knives and spoons but they didn’t use forks orplates. The food was served on top of pieces of stale bread called trenchers. When themeal was finished, the bread was given to the poor or to the pigs. Dishes could be veryelaborate, for example, stuffed turkey or roast swan. Most people drank hot, spicedwine. The water was often undrinkable, so sometimes they added honey or liquorice toit in order to hide the bad taste.

Meat, fish, turkey, wine, water, fruit, spices, garlic, honey.

120 UNIT 6

Peasant house


�� Listen again and choose the correct option.

a) The lords had a better diet than the peasants.

b) The meat had a bad taste.

c) The meals could last for several hours .

d) They didn’t use forks and plates.

e) The food was served on bread .

f) Dishes were very elaborate .

g) They usually drank wine .

h) The water was not usually clean .

�� Quickly read the text below about football and choose the best title: Football – adangerous sport; Medieval football; The birth of football.

Football was a common form of peasant entertainment. Medieval football was anextremely rough sport that often resulted in the players being badly injured. Unfortunately,no rules from feudal times survive today. However, the evidence suggests that it was asimple game in which each team tried to bring the ball to a predetermined goal, with localcustom determining whether the ball could be held or touched.

J. L. SINGMAN

Daily life in medieval EuropeGreenwood Press (Adapted)

The best title is: Medieval football

�� Read the text above again and answer the questions with yes or no.

a) Did peasants often play football?

Yes, it was a common sport.

b) Did the players usually get hurt?

Yes, they did.

c) Do we know the rules of medieval football?

No, we don’t.

d) Did they have to get the ball in the goal?

Yes, they did.

e) In some places, were they allowed to touch the ball?

Yes, it depended on local custom.

�� Look at the illustration of a joust and answer the questions.

a) How many knights are taking part?

Two knights.

b) What are they using as weapons?

They are using lances and shields.

121Feudal Europe


c) What is happening to the knight on the left? Why?

He is falling from the force of the other knight’s lance.

d) Who is watching the jousting?

Five ladies.

Page 115

�� Translate the following crops and then decide which of them were typical of feudalagriculture: wheat, flowers, barley, oats, tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, corn, beans, rye,vines.

Wheat: trigo, flowers: flores, barley: cebada, oats: avena, tomatoes: tomates, lentils:lentejas, chickpeas: garbanzos, corn: maíz, beans: judías, rye: centeno, vines: vid.

The crops typical of feudal agriculture were wheat, barley, oats, lentils, chickpeas,rye and vines.

�� Look at the illustration and answer the questions.

a) How many people are there in the picture?

Two people.

b) What are they doing? How are they dressed?

One of them is ploughing while the other is sitting watching him. The peasantwho is ploughing is wearing a kind of short hooded tunic over a long-sleevedshirt, socks and shoes; the seated man is wearing a short cape with a hood andtrousers.

c) What is the plough like? What animals are pulling it?

It is very simple. It consists of two wooden pieces. The curved piece is introducedinto the soil to turn it over and make the furrows. Oxen are pulling the plough.

d) Apart from the plough, what other tools were characteristic of medievalagriculture?

Hoes for digging, sickles and scythes for reaping the harvest, etc.

e) How did they fertilise soil in the Middle Ages?

With animal excrement.

f) Explain to your classmates what two-year crop rotation consisted of.

Each year, the arable land was divided into two halves. One half was planted withcrops, while the other half was left fallow (nothing was grown on it) so that thesoil could regenerate.

�� What kinds of livestock did they have in feudal Europe? What products did they obtainfrom them?

Pigs, sheep, cows, oxen, poultry, bees and horses. They obtained meat from the pigs;milk and wool from sheep; meat, milk and hides from cows, eggs and meat frompoultry and wax and honey from bees. The horses were used in wars and oxen wereused to pull carts and ploughs.

122 UNIT 6

3. Economy

4. Society

5. Religion


� What were the differences between a free peasant and a serf in the Middle Ages?

The free peasant could leave the fief when he wanted to but the serf couldn’t.

�� Find information about the lives of serfs in the Middle Ages. Imagine you are a serf. Tellyour partner about your life. What do you do every day? Is your life hard? How do youfeel?

Example: I have to work six days a week for the lord.

STUDENT’S OWN ANSWER.

�� In your exercise book, match the names of the places in a monastery in the left columnwith the activities on the right.

� Chapter-house � Having meetings

� Scriptorium � Studying, reading, copying manuscripts

� Refectory � Eating at long tables

�� Listen to the introduction about monastic life and answer the questions.

TRANSCRIPT

In the monastery monks were not allowed to speak at any time in the church, monastickitchen, dormitory and refectory. But conversation was allowed in the cloister in themorning after the chapter meeting and in the afternoon after the midday meal.

To facilitate essential communication when speech was prohibited, monks developedthe use of sign language.

J. L. SINGMAN


a) When were the monks allowed to speak?

In the morning after the chapter meeting and in the afternoon after the middaymeal.

b) How did they communicate?

They used sign language when they couldn’t speak.

�� Listen, read and make the signs to your partner.

� For the sign for bread, make a circle with both thumbs and index fingers, since bread is usually round.

� For a general sign for fish, imitate the motion of the fish’s tail in the water with yourhand.

� For the sign for honey, stick out your tongue a bit and apply your fingers to it as if youwere going to lick them.

� For the sign for water, place all your fingers together and move them sideways.J. L. SINGMAN



123Feudal Europe

Chapter-house

Scriptorium

Refectory

Studying, reading, copyingmanuscripts

Eating at long tables

Having meetings


6. Culture, architectureand art

�� Look at the illustration, read the text and answer the questions.

The Order of the Temple had a lot of social and political influence and considerablewealth. At the end of the Middle Ages, the Templar knights were accused of many crimes. Asa result, the pope abolished the order and the king of France executed many of its members.The legend tells that when the leader of the order was burning at the stake, he said to theking and pope: ‘I will see you before God’s court before the end of the year.’ One monthafterwards the pope died and several months later, the king too.

La tribuna de La Rioja2 January 2008 (Translated and adapted)

a) Describe the knight in the foreground. What is he wearing? What order does hebelong to?

He is riding a white horse. He is wearing armour and a white robe. He has a shieldwith a red cross on it. He belongs to the Order of the Temple.

b) Why did the pope abolish the Order of the Temple?

Because they had a lot of power and wealth.

c) What prediction was made by the leader of the order? Did it come true?

He predicted that the king and pope would die before the end of the year. Yes,the prediction came true.

Page 119

�� The name of the rose is a novel by Umberto Eco, which takes place in a medievalmonastery. Listen to this extract and answer the questions.

TRANSCRIPT

When we reached the top of the stairs, we went through the east tower into thescriptorium. I was amazed by what I saw there. This floor was not divided in two like theone below, and therefore it appeared immense to me. The ceilings were curved and nottoo high (lower than in a church), supported by thick pillars, and the space below wasfull of the most beautiful light, because there were three enormous windows openedon each of the longer sides […]. The abundance of windows meant that the great roomwas cheered by a constant diffused light, even on a winter afternoon. […]

Antiquarians, librarians and scholars were seated, each at their own desk, and therewas a desk under each of the windows. […]

The brightest places were reserved for the antiquarians, the most expert illuminators,and the copyists. Each desk had everything required for illuminating and copying: inks,fine quills which some monks were sharpening with thin knives, pumice stone forsmoothing the parchment, rulers for drawing the lines that the writing would follow.Next to each scribe, was the manuscript to be copied.

U. ECO

The name of the roseWarner Books (Adapted)

124 UNIT 6

Templar knights


a) In which part of the monastery does the scene described take place?

It takes place in the scriptorium.

b) Is the room light or dark? Why?

It is very light because of the three enormous windows.

c) Who is in the room? Where are they sitting?

Antiquarians, librarians and scholars are in the room. They are each sitting attheir own desk.

d) What are the scribes doing?

They are copying manuscripts.

e) Check the meaning of these utensils mentioned in the extract: parchment, knives,quills, rulers, pumice stone, inks.

Parchment: pergamino, knives: cuchillos, quills: plumas, rulers: reglas, pumicestone: piedra pómez, inks: tintas.

f) Copy and complete the spaces with some of the words from e) above.

�� Look at the drawing of the Church of St. Étienne in section 6.2. Copy and complete thedescription with these words: arches, barrel, buttresses, pillars, nave, apses.

125Feudal Europe

Each desk had everything required for illuminating and copying: inks , fine quills ,which some monks were sharpening with thin knives , pumice stone for smoothingthe parchment, rulers for drawing the lines that the writing would follow.

The Church of St. Étienne has two aisles and a nave . The nave is covered with abarrel vault. The nave is separated from the aisles by semicircular arches , which

are supported by pillars with columns. In the church’s chancel, there are several apses . The pressure from the vault is counteracted by buttresses on the outside

of the walls.

Church of St. Étienne (France)

Nave

Archivolts Aisle

Apse

Chancel

Pillars

Buttress

Semicircular arch


�� Look at the drawings and identify the three architectural features that belong to theRomanesque style.

a) c)

b) d)

a), b) and d)

�� Name each of the Romanesque architectural features in activity 29. Define each one inyour exercise book.

a) Barrel vault: a simple semi-cylindrical vault, resembling a tunnel.

b) Semicircular arch: an arch in the shape of a semicircle.

d) Groin vault: a vault formed by the intersection at right angles of two barrelvaults.

� Look at this Romanesque capital and answer the questions.

a) What does the capital show? How does the artist make the figures fit the shape ofthe capital?

On the side facing us, there are four men with green leaves in their hands,accompanied by two winged figures who are, perhaps, angels or archangels.

The artist has twisted the positions of the figures and shortened their bodies tomake them fit the shape of the capital.

b) Do you think the figures are realistic? Why / why not?

No, the figures aren’t realistic because they don’t have the true proportions ofthe human body and their faces are not expressive.

126 UNIT 6


�� Look at this Romanesque painting and answer the questions.

a) What does the painting show?

The Virgin with Child surrounded by the Three Wise Men.

b) What are the predominant colours? Does the painting have depth or is it flat?

The predominant colours are red and blue. The painting is flat.

c) What are the facial expressions of the figures like? Are the figures static ordynamic?

The faces are serious and don’t show any type of emotion. The figures are static.

� Listen to someone talking about medieval women and choose the correct option.

TRANSCRIPT

Legally, medieval women were treated like children. They were not allowed to take partin many important activities open to men and they always had to be obedient to men.Women could not go to university. They could not join to the army, the navy or work forthe government. They could not be judges, serve on juries or be witness to officialdocuments.

A woman could not marry without her parents’ consent, could not usually ownproperty, run her own business without permission, have legal control of her childrenor get a divorce.

Rich women could not take trips or visit markets on their own, but had to beaccompanied by at least one servant. They were not expected to express their opinionsfreely or laugh loudly. They were supposed to speak quietly. They could not doanything their families might disapprove of, like wearing the latest fashions or readingunsuitable books.

Poor women were allowed out of their house alone to work in the fields or carry outjobs for someone.

F. MACDONALD

Women in medieval timesPeter Bedrick Books (Adapted)

a) Women:

� couldn’t study at university.

� couldn’t join the army.

� couldn’t act as witnesses in official documents.

� couldn’t choose their husband without the consent of their parents.

� couldn’t manage their own business.

127Feudal Europe

Revision activitiesPage 120


b) Rich women:

� couldn’t go into the street on their own.

� couldn’t laugh out loud.

� couldn’t freely express their thoughts.

c) Poor women

� could go into the street on their own.

� could work on the land.

� Listen again. Compare the life of women in the Middle Ages with the life ofwomen today.

Example: The life of women in Europe today is very different from in the Middle Ages. Nowwomen are allowed to join the army and many go to university.


� Define these terms in your exercise book. Then, test your partner.

a) Abbot

Monk who holds the highest position of authority in a monastery.

b) Serf

Peasant who was not free, tied to the land he worked on and not allowed toleave it without the lord’s permission.

c) Estate of the realm

Closed social group to which a person belonged by birth.

d) Religious order

Group of monks (or nuns) who live in a community according to the principles ofmonastic rules.

e) Crusades

Military expeditions organised by Christians between the 11th and 13thcenturies to reconquer the Holy Land, which had fallen into Muslim hands.

f) Pilgrimages

Journeys to a holy place.

� Are these sentences true or false? Correct the false ones in your exercise book.

a) Feudal lords were vassals of the peasants.

False. Lords were vassals of other lords or of the king.

b) Feudal lords could be nobles or ecclesiastics.

True.

c) Feudal society was divided into the privileged and the non-privileged.

True.

d) The houses of medieval peasants were built of stone and brick.

False. They were built of wood, adobe and straw.

e) To entertain themselves, feudal lords hunted and played chess.

True.

f) In feudal Europe, oxen were used to pull carts.

True.

g) Serfs didn’t have to pay taxes.

False. They had to pay taxes.

h) The crusades were very successful.

False. They didn’t achieve their objective: to recover the Holy Land.

i) Pilgrims travelled long distances to visit holy places.

True.

128 UNIT 6


� Look at the illustration of an act of homage, read the text and answer the questions.

First, the count asked the vassal if he was willing to become completely his man and thevassal replied ‘I am willing’; and with his hands placed between the hands of the count, theywere bound together by a kiss. Secondly, he who had done homage gave his fealty to arepresentative of the count in these words: ‘I promise on my faith that I will be faithful toCount William, and I will observe my homage to him completely against all persons, ingood faith and without deceit’. He took his oath on the relics of the saints.

Oath of fealty, 1127in M. PADRINO, Feudalism and village life

Gareth Stevens (Adapted)

a) Who are the two people in the picture?

The lord and the vassal.

b) Where is each person sitting?

The lord is sitting on a chair. The vassal is kneeling on the floor.

c) What are they doing?

They are carrying out an act of homage.

d) Match the underlined words in the text with the meanings below:

� nobleman � count

� loyal � faithful

� solemn promise � oath

� untruth � deceit

� tied � bound

� wanting to do something � willing

� In pairs, one of you is the vassal and the other the lord. Act out the act of homage.Then change roles and repeat the ceremony.


� What was agriculture like in the feudal age? Was trade important? Why / why not?

Agriculture was the principal economic activity. The most common crops werecereals and pulses. From the 10th century onwards, the cultivation of vinesincreased. Agricultural productivity was low because the tools (Roman woodenplough, hoes, sickles, scythes, etc.) and farming techniques (two-year crop rotation,dung as fertiliser, etc.) were very rudimentary.

Trade was not very important because the fiefs were self-sufficient andcommunications were cut off because of the frequent wars.

129Feudal Europe

Miniature showing an act of homage


UNIT 6130

Draw a diagram of the different social groups in feudal Europe in your exercise book.

STUDENT’S OWN ANSWER. Suggested answer:

Two of the following sentences are incorrect. Identify them and correct them in yourexercise book.

a) Romanesque paintings used fresco on walls and tempera on manuscripts.

b) The subjects of Romanesque painting and sculpture were principally religious.

c) The objective of Romanesque painting was to teach Christians the basic principlesof Islam.

This sentence is incorrect. The objective of Romanesque painting wasn’t to teachChristians the basic principles of Islam. It was to teach the Christians the basicprinciples of the Christian religion.

d) The figures in Romanesque sculpture are very expressive.

This sentence is incorrect. The figures in Romanesque sculpture aren’t veryexpressive. They are rigid and inexpressive.

�� Look at this Romanesque sculpture of the Pantocrator and answer the questions.

a) Who was the Pantocrator?

It was a representation of Christ as the ruler of the universe, seated and blessingwith one hand.

b) What character can you see in the centre of the sculpture? Describe hisappearance. What is he doing with his right hand?

In the centre of the image is Jesus Christ. He is dressed in a tunic and a toga andis wearing a crown on his head. He is sitting. In his left hand he is holding a book,while he blesses with his right hand.

c) Is the expression on his face serious or happy?

Serious.

Feudal society

Dukes,marquises,counts, etc.

Knights Bishops,abbots,

etc.

Monks,priests,

etc.

PeasantsNobility Clergy

Highernobility

Lowernobility

Higherclergy

Lowerclergy

Freepeasants

Serfs

Doorway of the Church of St. Trophime (Arles, France)


Feudal Europe 131

d) What creatures surround the central figure? Ask your teacher what these figuresrepresent.

An angel, a lion, an eagle and a bull. They are the symbolic representations of thefour Evangelists. The angel symbolises St. Matthew, the lion St. Mark, the eagleSt. John and the bull St. Luke.

e) Compare this sculpture to the Romanesque painting from the Church of SanClemente de Taüll, in section 6.2.

Example: Both works of art represent the Pantocrator. This one is a sculpture while theother is a painting. In both of them, the Pantocrator is .


� Look at the picture and answer the questions.

Representation of the Pantocrator (Church of San Clemente de Taüll, Spain)


UNIT 6132

a) Who do you think the people in the illustration are? Describe their appearance.

A lady and a knight. STUDENT’S OWN ANSWER. Suggested answer: the lady is wearing along tunic. She has long, curly hair. The knight is kneeling on the ground in frontof the lady. He is wearing a coat of armour and a tunic. Next to him is a horse.

b) What do you think they are doing?


c) Which social group in feudal Europe do you think they belong to? How do youknow?

They belong to the nobility. We can tell this from the clothes they are wearing.

�� Check the meaning of these words: knight, lance, sword, weapon, surrender, archery,wrestling. Then listen to the description and answer the questions

Knight: caballero, lance: lanza, sword: espada, weapon: arma, surrender: rendirse,archery: tiro con arco, wrestling: lucha libre.

TRANSCRIPT

Jousting tournaments were sporting contests between knights. They took place intimes of peace but really they served as training for war.

At the beginning, the knights fought in teams but afterwards they began to fight inpairs. The objective was to knock your opponent off his horse with a lance. When oneof the knights had fallen from his horse, the fight continued on foot with swords untilone of the opponents surrendered. The loser had to give the winner his weapons ortheir value in money.

Jousting was very dangerous. Although the ends of the lances were rounded and theswords were not sharp, deaths and injuries were very common.

As well as jousting competitions between knights, there were also wrestling andarchery competitions at the tournaments.

a) When did jousting tournaments take place?

They took place in times of peace.

b) What happened after one of the knights had fallen?

The fight continued on foot.

c) What did the loser have to give the winner?

He had to give him his weapons or their value in money.

d) Was jousting dangerous?

Yes, it was very dangerous. Death and injuries were common.

Talking points

�� Choose one of the following characters from the feudal age: feudal lord, wife of a lord,monk, knight. Tell your partner about a typical day in your life. Talk about where youlive, the clothes you wear, what you eat, how you pass the time, how you feel, etc. Ifyou like, make a video of yourself talking and show it to the class.

Example: I am the wife of Count Robert. My life is very comfortable, but quite boring.



Feudal Europe 133

In your exercise book, copy and complete the chart with the words shown below. Unit summaryPage 122

� political

� arable

� privileged

� Benedictines

� barrel

� trade

� vassals

� peasants

� estates of the realm

� serfs

� crusades

� lords

� agriculture

� arches

� didactic

The feudalsystem

Political, economic and social system in Western Europe between the 10th and 13th centuries

Ties between the vassals and lords and between lords and peasants

Daily life inthe fief

The fief consisted of large areas of arable land which was divided between the lord andthe peasants

Culture They created monastic and cathedral schools; the first universities were founded

Society Privileged estate: nobility (high and low), clergy (high and low)

Non-privileged estate: peasants (free and serfs), craftsmen, traders,etc.

Estates of the realm

It was organised into estates of the realm

Architectureand art

Architecture: semicircular arches and barrel vaults

Sculpture and painting: the purpose was didactic; figures wererigid and inexpressive

Romanesquearchitectureand art

Economy

Trade became less important

Agriculture was the main economic activity. Production was scarce

The rearing of pigs, cows, sheep and horses

ReligionThe first monasteries were founded (Benedictines, Cistercians, etc.)

The crusades took place and pilgrimages were encouraged. Military orders were created



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