The Middle Ages

1. The Middle Ages 1066 A.D- 1485 A.D.

2. William the Conqueror • His biological father was Edward the Confessor’s cousin. Although William was an illegitimate child, he was still in the running for King of England. • Edward supposedly promised the throne to William, and when Edward crowned Harold Godwinson, William took his army across the English channel to wage war against England.

3. William the Conqueror, con’t. • Although William was one tough cookie in battle, he wanted to work with the Anglo-Saxon culture rather than decimate it. • The language was a combination of Old English and French. • He also created the “Doomsday Book” which was an inventory of land, cattle, and buildings in order to more easily assess taxes. • He also developed the feudal system.

4. Feudalism • Feudalism is a caste system, or a system that creates a hierarchy in society. • God was at the top, followed by the king, his barons and bishops, and peasants (serfs). • This system was also a sort of exchange for favors. Protection could be offered in exchange for something like working the land.

5. Religion • The Catholic religion was the primary one during the Middle Ages. • The church leaders were often part of the government. • The Benedictine monks were prevalent at this time. • Pilgrimages to religious places were also the “in” thing to do.

6. Knights • A knight was a soldier who wore metal armor. • They tended to have wealth because it would obviously be quite expensive to be a knight.

7. Knights, con’t. • When knights committed to service in the military they received a fief (property or something they could have control over). • It is a system rooted in loyalty and social codes. It contains a great deal of honor.

8. Knights, con’t • There were a few ways to become a knight… • 1. If you were the son of a noble, then as young boy you would be sent to a neighbor for training as a page. Training would include fighting in battle, how to sing and dance, and learning Latin and French. The page would then be promoted to a squire, who would serve a knight. • 2. You could also become a knight by behaving bravely in battle.

9. Women • A woman was expected to serve the men and had no say in political matters. • The respect she garnered from others depended on the respect her husband or father had earned. • Although women often managed the land when their husbands went off to battle, they had to relinquish control once their husbands returned.

10. Chivalry • This was a social code adhered to by knights and gentlewomen. Such rules “included taking an oath of loyalty to the overlord and observing certain rules of warfare, such as never attacking an unarmed opponent. In addition, adoring a particular lady (not necessarily one’s wife) was seen as a means of self-improvement.”

11. Love and romance • Courtly love was a nonsexual form of love that included a knight wearing his lady’s colors in battle or glorifying her with words, her never acting on his advances. • Chivalry brought the idea of romance to the forefront, but it didn’t really help the women’s position, as who she married was determined by who she married. • Romance did come forth as a form of literature.

12. The Crusades 1095-1270 • The Crusades were also known as holy wars that pitted Christians against Muslims. • The European Christians were rallied by the Pope who said that Jerusalem shouldn’t be occupied by the Muslims because Jerusalem was considered holy ground. • The Crusades lasted 200 years. • A Children’s Crusade was organized in 1212.

13. Thomas á Becket • Thomas became a powerful prime minister in England. • He was appointed the archbishop of Canterbury, which meant he was the head of England’s Catholic Church. • The king (Henry II), expected Thomas to side with him over the church and get the church to do the king’s bidding.

14. Thomas á Becket, con’t • Thomas tended to side with the king, which prompted the king to say, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” • Four of the king’s knights took his words to heart and killed Becket in his church. • People were pretty ticked off by Becket’s murder; so much so that they wanted Becket to be declared a martyr in the church. • His church became a sight for many pilgrimages, such as the one that took place in The Canterbury Tales.

15. The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) • Edward III and Henry V had very weak claims to England’s throne. • They started a series of little battles that spanned over a hundred years. • No one really won by the end.

16. The Black Death • The bubonic plague swept through England from 1348-1349. • The disease was spread by rats and infected the country quite rapidly. • The population was cut by a third, which allowed the lower class more power because there were fewer of them left to do the bidding of the upper class.

17. Geoffrey Chaucer • During Chaucer’s time the language of scholars was that of Latin and French. He changed that by writing his poetry in English, which made the language far more wide spread. • His most well-known work is The Canterbury Tales. In this work, twenty-four people set out on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. They decide to have a story telling contest to pass the time.

18. http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon22.html • http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/feudal.html • http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/medknight.html