Catch up work for Year 7 boys

1. Catch up work for Year 7 boys Please use the following slides to make your own notes / bullet points / mind map of what it is like to be a monk or nun. This will help you to complete part 1 of the assessment task on the sheet given out in class.

2. Copy out / print and stick in the monks daily timetable. What do they spend the most time doing? Would you like to follow their timetable every day of the year?

3. Religion was very important in the Middle Ages. There were many Monasteries and Nunneries across the country. These owned a lot of land. Each Monastery was in the charge of an Abbot, who was Lord over towns and villages for miles around. There were different kinds of monks and nuns (known as orders) and they had their own rules. Monks and nuns served God by cutting themselves off from everyday life. Friars did the opposite. They lived among ordinary people, preaching about Christianity. They often built Churches in town centres, and were well known for their generosity.

4. What did the Monks do? The Monks did a lot of good work: They looked after the sick, as there were no hospitals. They gave shelter to travellers and helped the poor They taught reading and writing

5. The Vows Monks had to take three vows before they entered a monastery: Poverty - all money owned by the monks went to the monastery Chastity - no monk could marry Obedience - commands of the Abbot had to be obeyed. “The head of our convent, sister Julia, is always buying new clothes and gold chains. She must have a lot of money” by Sister Mary, 1245 “As I arrived at the monastery I saw a group of women climbing over the wall. They were talking about a party they had been to with the monks.” by a monk from York, 1462

6. The Rules of St. Benedict This was the basic code for most monks in the Early Middle Ages: 1. No one should do what he wants…or argue with the Abbot. 2. The brothers shall take turns to wait on one another so that no one is excused from kitchen work. 3. As the prophet says “Seven times in the day do I Praise thee”, so we will have seven church services a day. 4. Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore, at fixed times, the brothers should be busy with manual work; and at other times with holy reading. 5. A mattress, woollen bedding and a pillow should be enough bedding. ? Despite the strictness of the monastery, why do you think so many people, especially the poor, wanted to become monks?

7. A Day in the Life of Brother John At Midnight the bell rang for the new day, and Brother John went to the Church to say prayers called Matins. The next service, Lauds, lasted until 2 or 3 am Brother John then went back to bed until daybreak. Then he went to Prime, followed by a light breakfast of bread and ale. At 8am, in the Chapter House, the monks were given their duties for the day from the Abbot. After Chapter, Brother John walked a while in the cloisters. At 10am came the most important service - High Mass, this was followed by dinner in the Refectory. No speaking was allowed, but the monks were read to from the Bible. After dinner it was time to work. Brother John was gardening, while other monks fished, built and wrote. Vespers - evening prayers were said before supper. At 8pm came the last service of the day - Compline, after which, Brother John went to bed.

8. Nuns Nuns lived very similar lives to monks. They lived in a Nunnery or Priory and the head nun was called an Abbess. Most Nuns were from wealthy families. Becoming a nun gave them a chance of a career, and was the only alternative to marriage. It was rare for peasant women to be nuns as they were needed to work in the fields. Rosary - This is a string of beads used for counting off a series of prayers.

9. Friars Franciscan friars arrived in England in the thirteenth century. They believed that the Monasteries were not doing their jobs properly. Friars travelled from village to village giving open-air services and helping people in need. They took great pride in being poor, but before long began to receive gifts and so built great houses which were similar to monasteries. St Francis of Assisi set up the Franciscan Friars, here are some of his rules: 1. Friars should not quarrel 2. Friars should pray daily… 3. Friars should not ride on horses unless they are sick 4. Friars must not own anything 5. Friars should pass an examination before going out to preach ? How do these rules differ from the monks’ rules?

10. Monks V Friars Monks Friars Singing Prayers in Latin Preaching a sermon in English Writing a page of a Latin book for the monastery library Setting up a local school to teach villagers to read Selling wool Helping the sick Keeping quiet and thinking Telling stories of places visited ? Look at the table above. Why do you think that Peasants preferred Friars to Monks? • What do you think was the main difference between the two? “Some friars drugged a man’s drink…They asked him if he would join their order. Then they stole his goods, tore off his clothes and dressed him in a friar’s habit…”by John Smith, 1356 ? Does this quote agree with your findings? • Do you think the writer supported Friars?