Medieval England Mr Glanz. Timeline showing historical eras Scale : One line = 200 years Prehistory (Before 3000 BC) 3000 BC Ancient Times (3000 BC –

Medieval England

Mr Glanz

Timeline showing historical eras Scale : One line = 200 years

Prehistory (Before 3000 BC)

3000 BC

Ancient Times (3000 BC – AD500)

2000 BC

1000 BC

AD 0

Romans conquer Britain (AD 43)

Romans leave Britain (AD 410)

Low Middle Ages or Dark Ages (AD 500 – AD 1000)

AD 1000 High Middle Ages (AD 1000 – AD 1500)

The Renaissance begins (Around AD 1350)

The Renaissance ends (Around AD 1550)

The Industrial Revolution begins (England-AD 1750)

AD 2000 Modern Times (After AD 1550)

TIMELINE OF ENGLAND AD 0 – 1066

The Middle Ages

- The Middle Ages (Medieval period) are the 1000 years of European history that followed the breakdown of the western Roman Empire. In these ten centuries there were many changes so they have been divided into three sections:

• The Eariy Middle Ages (Dark Ages)

• The High Middle Ages

• The Late Middle Ages

• For the larger part of this time most people of Europe were very religious and the church was very powerful.

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The Middle Ages• The Dark Ages (476-1000 AD) One of the reasons for

the breakdown of the Roman Empire was the constant invasions from barbarian tribes. The barbarian tribesmen settled in Western Europe and brought new ideas such as local control over areas by lords.

• Constant fighting against invaders continued along with other wars as individuals tried to set up and hold kingdoms. This period is sometimes called the Dark Ages. Despite barbarian raids, the Catholic Church kept culture alive by continuing to write books and teach Latin. King Charlemagne, feudalism and the manorial system established some order and led to the next period.

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What is a barbarian?

- The Roman empire referred to tribes such as the Vikings, Huns, Vandals, Goths, Visigoths and Ostrogoths who lived outside European borders as barbarians

- Romans believed their speech sounded like the bleating of sheep

- Attila the Hun is the most powerful barbarian of all

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LIFE IN THE MIDDLE AGES

When Were The Middle Ages?– The term was first used about

300 years ago.– The Middle ages is considered

as “filling the gap between two more important civilizations”:

• the “Ancient” (Greek & Roman era, ending with the fall of the Roman Empire in AD 565) and

• the “Modern”(Beginning with the capture of Constantinople [Istanbul] by the Muslims in 1453)

When Were The Middle Ages?

– Thus, it was a period of about 1,000 years

– It is often considered to have been a period of little change, though a good many developments did occur in law & administration, chivalry, art and architecture, modern language, new farming methods, organization of workers, and such.

Home & Family Life

– The cottages of most peasants were very small, single-roomed huts, expected to last only about 30 years.

– Inside was dark, damp, draughty & smoky; Farm animals shared the space with the family.

– Winds whistled through shutters.

– Smoke from the open fire helped keep flies away but made eyes sting & throats sore.

– Rats & mice scuttled in the rafters overhead.

Furniture

– Furniture was very simple & uncomfortable:

• a trestle table• hard wooden stools• prickly straw mattresses &

rough woolen blankets• food was stored in barrels

on a raised platform• the fireplace was a circle of

stones on the earth floor.

The Family

– Whether rich or poor, family was important:

• they were relied on for food, work, shelter

• In Northern Europe families were ‘nuclear’

• In Southern Europe they were ‘extended’ families

• Marriages took place in front of the church door and were followed by family parties

• Not to marry was considered a “disaster”.

Women in the Middle Ages

• With the times, came a devotion to religion. The most respected roles were those of nuns.

• Queens and Princesses often became nuns to please their family and God.

• When the Vikings raided in 9thC monasteries were destroyed, and when rebuilt were separate for men and women.

• Queens were seen as sly and cunning. Kings had many wives and to try to remain in power many tried to ensure their sons became King.

Women in the Middle Ages

• Women found guilty of major crimes were killed.

• Treason (crime against Lord or King) resulted in being burnt at the stake. This also meant crimes against her husband (as he was seen as her Lord).

• Motherhood was the role for many women. Without birth control they sometimes gave birth to as many children as 17. Half these children were likely to die from disease, illness or accidents. Many died in childbirth.

Women in the Middle Ages

• Peasant women had a number of chores – cooking, cleaning, washing, motherhood, growing vegetables, milking the cows, raising livestock, sewing, and helping men in the fields.

• Women in towns often learnt a trade, training seven years to learn their profession. Some even became a barber, blacksmith or armourer.

Castles and Manor houses

– They were designed for the wealthy.

– The first castles were built for war; after c.1200 they became more comfortable.

– The strongest part was the keep. The bailey was also well-defended by high walls and a gatehouse.

The village

– Village layouts varied:

• usually, peasant houses clustered around the church.

• fields, meadows and common land lay beyond.

• the biggest house belonged to the lord of the manor.

THE FIGHTERS lords & knights

THE PRAYERS bishops abbots,monks

priests nuns, friars

THE WORKERS free unfree serfs &

(Peasants) villains villains

And later: rich traders & artisans (Townspeople)

The Structure of Medieval Society

The Manor

– Each class had its part to play:• the lord - to protect & organize the manor.• the priest - to look after the souls of all on the manor.• the workers - to farm, to care for animals, make all that the manor

needed.

The Manor– The lord kept about one-third

of the land for his own use.– Originally farming used a two-

field system; one-half lay fallow as no fertilizers were used (very wasteful).

– Later, three great fields were farmed by the villagers (a great improvement).

• called open or three-field system; no fences or hedges.

• strips allocated to individuals were scattered to share the land fairly.

• all the peasants worked the fields together.

Working Life

Two aspects might be considered:– FARMING– TOWNS AND TRADE

Farming

– 80% of the population were farmers.

– even country craftspeople (carpenters, thatchers, blacksmiths, etc) helped farm at harvest time.

– Most peasants did not own their land: The king owned all land, but, in return for help in wartime, he gave large estates (manors) to nobles. In turn, nobles gave land to knights who went to war on their behalf. Peasants either paid rent or had to work for up to 100 days each year to gain the right to their own plots.

Farming

– Medieval farmers tried to grow all their own food.

– Farming was slow & difficult ; transporting of grain was expensive.

– vegetables & fruit - cherries, quinces, etc - were grown; Peas & beans were grown for winter food.

Farming

– Meadow grass was grown to dry for hay - a valuable winter stock fodder.

– Chicken, pigs and bees were kept.

– Grain was threshed by hand; ground by wind mills or water mills.

– Grapes were crushed by stomping them in large vats.

The Workers: 1. Rural

– There were different types of farm-workers:

• freemen - without duties to the lord but had to pay rent.

• serfs or villeins - had their own farming strips but had to work for the lord, they paid taxes; they could not leave the manor.

• cottars - owned no strips but had a small plot; they worked for other peasants.

• slaves - ended by 12th century; slaves became serfs.

The Workers: 2. In towns

– There were many types of jobs for townspeople:

• Merchants, blacksmiths, carpenters, leather-workers, stone-masons, weavers, dyers, goldsmiths, spinners, butchers, bakers, brewers, cart wrights, etc.

– People of the same craft usually worked in the same street, eg. the street of the dyers.

Guilds

– Organizations of craftsmen and merchants that helped & protected members; also made sure goods produced were of a high standard.

– Each craft had its own guild and many built guildhalls.– All craftsman had to belong to the guild.– Cheats were punished publicly.– Guilds controlled conditions of work - hours of work, wages, number of

apprentices, advertising.– Members were looked after when ill, in debt, daughter’s dowry, funeral

expenses, etc.

Town & Trade

– Early towns grew around castles & fortified monasteries.

– Most towns were small - about 2000 people.

– Towns that gained their freedom from the nobleman or king were given a charter, the town called a borough and the people burghers; Royal charters gave the right to self-govern.

– Towns were walled for protection; gates locked at night.

– Houses were close together; upper floors overhung the street; streets were narrow & cobbled with a centre drain

Government– The king, nobles & church

leaders were at the top of society. They were extremely rich & very powerful.

– The king made laws with advice from a parliament (an assembly of nobles knights & leading citizens).

– The church made its own laws and the pope appointed cardinals and bishops to administer church business throughout Europe.

Religion & Scholarship

– The church was very powerful -it influenced every stage of a person’s life.

– Monasteries and nunneries (convents) were the centers of learning and publication.

– Towards the end of the Middle Ages there was much criticism of the behavior & teaching of church officers; Monasteries and convents declined in significance.

– Scholars demanded the right to study the Bible themselves.

Religion & Scholarship

• As they were able to read and write the clergy educated some peasants using pictures and stories. This put priests in very powerful positions.

• Only children with wealthy parents could go to school.

• People had little understanding of science and made sense of their world by following their religious beliefs unquestioningly.

• People believed if they lives honest lives they’d go to heaven.

Religion & Scholarship

• The Church was rich and powerful, as people had to give one tenth of produce to the Church. This tax was known as a “tithe”.

• Wealthy nobles left land, property or money to the Church hoping to gain favour with God.

Religion & Scholarship

– Universities and schools gradually replaced monasteries - and had a common curriculum:

philosophy, grammar, linguistics, logic, mathematics, music, astronomy.

– What was learnt & where depended on family and class:

• differed for nobles & peasants; boys & girls.

• generally learnt the skills, manners, rules of good behavior from parents though nobles employed tutors & merchant children may have attended a local school.

Law and Order: Crime and Punishment

• There were no paid police in the Middle Ages. Constables were appointed for a year, but it was unpaid and they weren’t popular, so they didn’t perform their job well.

• Religion formed the basis of laws with the Ten Commandments. Breaking religious laws was a serious offence.

• Kings created laws to safeguard their roles; Lords imposed laws over their manors and servants.

• They were no lawyers. Accused had to represent themselves. They’d be guilty until proven innocent.

Determining Guilt

• Ordeal By Combat• Ordeal By Fire• Ordeal By Water

Punishments

• Punishments for serious crimes were immediate, harsh and public.

• Serious punishments would include being hung, drawn and quartered; beheading; limbs removed; buried alive; brandings; or burnt at the stake (over 90000 accused witches died this way).

• Minor criminals were held in pillories; stocks; whipped; imprisoned; given the Ducking Stool or scold’s bridle. Others were simply told to leave town; fined; or asked to swear on the bible they would not repeat the offence.

Discovery & Invention

Printed books began to replace hand-written books Water- and wind-mills were being used Guns & explosives were being developed Experiments were taking place in science & medicine Attempts were being made to simplify & quicken weaving

Hygiene

• Hygiene wasn’t understood. Showers didn’t exist and bathing was rare.

• Running water wasn’t common in villages, and there were no toilet systems.

• Roads were unplanned and became sewers of filth. Scraps were thrown out windows. There was no dump or rubbish collection.

• Heavy rain washed the filth into the rivers, the same rivers used for bathing and obtaining drinking water.

Medicine

• The common treatment for illness was prayer.

• Medicine was harsh – leeches, blood letting & operations involved to anaesthetic or sanitation.

• The Black Death / Bubonic Plague reached England in 1348, killing four out of seven people. Whole villages were killed & survivors often were able to pick their jobs and ask for more money.

Medicine

• Infected fleas were carried by rats into almost every home. It was under control by 1351, though still occurred at regular intervals. The Great Fire of London in the 17th Century finally destroyed all the filth and decimated the city.

Entertainment

• Medieval drama began in the 11thC when Priests added short scenes to Easter and Xmas services.

• Music was played in church, at kings and nobles had harps and lutes playing as they dined.

Entertainment

• Feasts – They lasted 4-5hrs and peasants were invited by the lord of the manor. • Lords/Nobles sat on a platform above, peasants on benches below.• Food was eaten from wooden bowls or pottery, by fingers or from spoons or the tip of a knife.

No table manners.• Peasants only one set of clothes.• Men wore loose tops and twine bound pants (to prevent rats climbing under their clothes.• Women wore dark frocks.

Entertainment

• Fairs – Holy Days, Christmas, Easter, Midsummer’s Eve & the Harvest Home were all Special occasions.

• Gambling was common; merchants came from all over Europe to sell goods; almost anything was for sale.

• People would be entertained by dancing bears, jugglers, acrobats and musicians.

Entertainment

• Art – stone carvings & paintings of religious figures were the most common

• Cruel entertainment included bull baiting & rooster fights• Mockery was a sport – laughing or mocking about criminals, gossips or

the mentally and physically impaired.

Sport

• Indoor – Cards, draughts, dice throwing, chess or backgammon.• Outdoor – Football, golf, hawking, jousting and hunting.• Children had toys like hobby horses, hoops, dolls, & spinning tops. They

played with marbles, played handball and games like “blind man's bluff”.

Structure of Feudal Society

KING

LORDS & BISHOPS

MINOR BARONS & KNIGHTS

PEASANTS

Villeins (Peasants) and Serfs

Lords, bishops, abbots, monks, priests, nuns & friars

King & Queen

Noblemen & warriors

Servants &

Serfs

People in Medieval Times

KING - ruled large areas of the land

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People in Medieval Times

LORDS & BISHOPS

Lords- to protect & organise the manor (small communities)

Bishops- Leaders of the church, they would supervise the church’s priests, monks & nuns

Frairs- were traveling preachers who lived by begging

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People in Medieval Times

MINOR BARONS & KNIGHTS

Noblemen- trusted men that helped the lord e.g. sent knights into battle to protect the land of the lord for the king

Knight- were warriors who fought on horseback to protect the king’s land from invasion

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People in Medieval Times

PEASANTS

Servants- were peasants who worked in the lord’s manor house doing cooking, cleaning, laundry and chores

Serfs-lived in manors and were to farm, to care for animals and need the manors needs. They were unable to leave or marry without the lord’s permission. To be free serfs had to save their money and buy their freedom

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