Middle Ages (Medieval) England and literature

1. Middle Ages (Medieval)England and literature 1066-1485 AD

2. Life after the Anglo-Saxon period • Alfred the Great-an Anglo-Saxon • Defended England against the Danish Vikings who finally retreated • Beginning of the English Monarchy • Aethelred II, Harthacnut, Edward the Confessor • William the Conqueror-king from Normandy who invaded and conquered England in 1066AD • England did not have a central government • England needed political, social, and economic structure

3. Feudalism • A political, social, and economic system • Land ownership in exchange for service and loyalty • Basis of which upper nobility class maintained control over the lower classes

4. Feudalism Pyramid -Kings owned ALL the land -Kept 20% for his own purposes -Granted the rest to the Church and the Lords -In return for land, provided the King with more money and knights KING POWERFUL NOBLES (LORDS or BARONS) -In return for land, provided protection and military services for the lords -Nobles and Lords granted land to Knights LESSER NOBLES (KNIGHTS or VASSALS) -In return for land, provided food, services, labor -Knights granted land to the peasants SERFS AND FREEMEN

5. Catholicism • The only recognized form of religion was Christianity in the form of Catholicism • Lives of the people were dominated by religion • Catholic Church had its own laws, lands, and taxes • Opposition to the Catholic Church would result in excommunication

6. Lives of monastery The Pope Bishop Arch Bishop Arch Deacon Abbot Prior Dean Monks Nuns • Lives of Monks: -Vow of poverty, chastity, obedience -5am-6pm attended religious services • Lives of Nuns: -Vow of poverty, chastity, obedience -many were placed in nunnery by families -church received a dowry from the parents of a nun

7. Greed and corruption in church: pardoners • Pardoner- commoner who worked for the church • Duties: • Sell indulgences • Sell relics • Preach • Indulgences-lessen the punishment or “penance” for one’s sins • would eliminate the “debt” of ones sins and lessen the chances of being stuck in purgatory (afterlife) • Relics-holy relic is something that belonged to or was touched by Jesus or a saint • bone fragment or a tiny piece of the cross

8. The seven deadly sins 5. Envy 1. Pride 2. Lust 6. Wrath 3. Gluttony 7. Sloth 4. Avarice

9. Knighthood and chivalry • Duty: to fight and so serve their liege Lord according to the Code of Chivalry • Years of training • PageSquire KNIGHT • Cody of Chivalry: moral system which went beyond rules of combat and introduced the concept of chivalrous conduct • bravery, courtesy, honor and great gallantry toward women

10. Courtly love • Romance, rules, and art of Medieval Courtly Love allowed knights and ladies to show their admiration regardless of their marital state • Common occurrence for a married lady to give a token to a knight of her choice to be worn during a Medieval tournament

11. Women in the middle ages • Common women • Totally dominated by the male members of their family • Noblewomen • The education concentrated on the practical as opposed to academic • Manners and etiquette • high ranking young women would take on the role of ladies-in-waiting and were taught French • Young noble women would also be taught the principles of the courtly love • Cult of the Virgin

12. Bubonic plaque • Black Death • Killed 33% to 50% of Europe’s population (25 million) • Disease was carried in fleas on rats • Rats followed Mongolian armies from Asia to Constantinople and on to ships bound for the Mediterranean Sea • From there they traveled across trade routes to England (and western Europe) • Spread through cities

13. Geoffrey Chaucer • Wrote The Canterbury Tales in years 1387-1400 • One of the greatest literary works in the English language • Diplomatic travel experience that inspired him

14. Middle English Language • Closer to English today • Spelling has not been formalized in a systematic way