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Medieval Europe

Medieval Europe. Development of Feudalism. Introduction. Early Middle Ages: 476 to 1000 CE The High Middle Ages: 1000 to 1300 The Late Middle Ages: 1300 to 1450. The Early Middle Ages. Began with the fall of Rome Life was dangerous and difficult

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Medieval Europe

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  1. Medieval Europe Development of Feudalism

  2. Introduction • Early Middle Ages: 476 to 1000 CE • The High Middle Ages: 1000 to 1300 • The Late Middle Ages: 1300 to 1450

  3. The Early Middle Ages • Began with the fall of Rome • Life was dangerous and difficult • People needed protection from invading barbarians and kingdoms • People worked hard just to survive and have enough food

  4. Feudalism • The economic and political system during the Early Middle Ages

  5. Hierarchy

  6. Western Europe During the Middle Ages • Franks: a powerful group because they developed a new system of warfare • Depended on troops of heavily armed warriors who fought on horseback • Ruler needed the service and loyalty of many knights • Knights were rewarded with land and privileges

  7. Clovis • Married a Christian woman, Clotilda • Eventually baptized into the Roman Catholic Church, a Christian church headed by the pope in Rome • His followers became Christians • Led the Franks in wars that widened the boundaries of the Frankish kingdom

  8. Charlemagne (Charles the Great) • Most important leader of the Franks • Ruled for over 40 years, from 768-814 • Unified nearly all the Christian lands of Europe into a single empire • With the help of Pope Leo III, he built his empire • Leo, in turn, got support from someone who had an army • Pope Leo crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman emperor in 800 CE

  9. Charlemagne’s empire quickly fell after his death in 184 • Weak rulers who followed him could not defend the empire against new waves of invasions • These kings followed Charlemagne’s example of rewarding knights with land and privileges in return for military service

  10. A Need for Order and Protection • The Muslims came from the Near East and northern Africa into what is now Spain • The Magyars, a central Asian people, came from the east • The Vikings came down from present-day Norway and Denmark • Western Europeans developed a system we call feudalism to defend and protect themselves

  11. Feudalism: Establishing Order • a stable social order • People were bound to one another by promises of loyalty • All land in the kingdom belonged to the monarch • Great deal of land belong to the church

  12. Manors • Large estates held by a lord • Most lords and wealthier knights lived on manors • Included a castle or manor house, one or more villages, and the surrounding farmland • Located in the country far from towns, so peasants had to produce everything the people on the manor needed

  13. Monarchs During Feudal Times • Were feudal lords • Expected to keep order and to provide protection for their vassals • Believed in the divine right of kings • The idea that God had given them the right to rule • Power of the monarchs varied • Relied on their vassals, especially nobles, to provide enough knights and soldiers • Some lords grew very powerful and governed their fiefs as independent states

  14. William, Duke of Normandy • Came to power in England after: • the king died without an heir • William believed he had the right to the English throne • Harold, his cousin, was crowned • William and his army invaded England • Defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings • Nickname William the Conqueror • Brought feudal instittutions from Europe with him. • Brought order to England • By the High Middle Ages, around 1000 C.E., much of Europe was stable because of feudalism

  15. Lords and Ladies During Feudal Times • Highest-ranking class in medieval society • Most lived on manors • Some had several manors which the lords stayed at for a few months at a time with their families

  16. Manor Houses • Many of the people on a manor lived with the lord’s family in the main house (manor house) • Built of wood or stone • Surrounded by gardens and outbuildings (such as stables) • Protected by high walls and sometimes a moat • Center of the community • Villagers entered its walls for protection if there was trouble

  17. Castles • Kings and queens, high-ranking nobles, and wealthy lords lived in castles • Main function was to serve as a home • Also one of the most important forms of military technology • Had moats, strong walls, and gates to protect those who live inside • Its large size and central locations were strong visual reminders of the hierarchy within the kingdom and the strict barriers between classes

  18. A Lord’s Daily Life • Responsible for managing and defending his land and the people who worked it • Appointed officials to make sure villagers carried out their duties • Acted as judges in manor courts • Had the power to fine and punish those who broke the law • Some held posts in the king’s government • During war, lords fought for their own higher-ranking lords, or supplied them with a well-trained fight force

  19. Daily Life of Ladies • Responsible for raising and training their children and sometimes the children of other noble families • Oversaw their household or households • Entertainment provided by musicians and jesters (“fools” who performed amusing jokes and stunts)

  20. Recreation for Lords and Ladies • Hunting and hawking (hunting with birds) • Feasting and dancing • Board games such as chess • Reading • Ladies did fine embroidery, or decorative sewing

  21. Manor Homes and Castles • Lit by candles only • Warmed by open fires • Could be gloomy and cold • Little or no privacy • Fleas and lice infected all medieval buildings • People bathed only once a week • Clothes not washed daily • Diseases affected everyone • War was a constant danger

  22. Knights • Mounted soldiers • Had to have some wealth because a full suit of armor and a horse cost a small fortune • Usually vassals of more powerful lords

  23. So You Want to be a Knight

  24. Responsibilities of a Knight • It was a way of life • Lived by a strong code of behavior called chivalry (included bravery, loyalty, and respect for women) • Expected to be loyal to their church and their lord • Expected to be just and fair • Expected to protect the helpless • Performed acts of gallantry (respect to women)

  25. Daily Life of Knights • Participated in jousts and tournaments • Fought wearing heavy suits of armor • 11th century: armor was made of metal ring linked together • 14th century: plate armor was more common and offered better protection

  26. Peasants • Supported the entire feudal structure by working the land • Their labor allowed lords and knights to spend their time preparing for war or fighting • Legally classified as free or unfree • Free peasants: rented land to farm and owed only their rent money to the lord • Unfree peasants (serfs): farmed the lord’s fields and could not leave; they received a small plot of land of their own to farm

  27. Daily Life of Peasants • Revolved around work • Raised crops • Tended livestock (animals) • Every manor had carpenters, shoemakers, smiths (metalworkers), and other skilled workers • Women worked the fields when needed • Women also cared for their children and homes

  28. Serfs owed the lord numerous taxes • “Head money”: paid a fix amount per person every year • Tallage: lord could demand this tax whenever he needed money • Merchet: this fee was paid by a woman, her father, or her husband when she married

  29. Required to grind their grain at the lord’s mill (which was the only mill in the village) • The miller kept portions of the grain for himself and the lord who could keep any amount he wanted • Serfs hated this practice and some hid small hand mills in their houses

  30. Peasant Homes • Small houses of 1 or 2 rooms • Made of woven strips of wood covered with straw or mud • Had little furniture or possessions • Hearth fire in the middle of the main room, but usually no chimney so it was dark and smoky inside • An entire family might eat and sleep in one room that sometimes also housed their farm animals

  31. A Peasant’s Diet • Vegetables, meat such as pork, and dark, coarse bread made of wheat mixed with rye or oatmeal • In the winter, they ate meat and fish that had been preserved in salt • Herbs were used for flavor and to lessen the taste of the salt or to disguise the taste of meat that was no longer fresh

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