AP World History POD #9 – Medieval Europe

1. AP World History POD #9 – Medieval Europe Those Who Work, Fight & Pray

2. Class Discussion Questions McKay – “Those Who Work”, pp. 296-311 McKay – “Those Who Fight”, pp. 311-318 McKay – “Those Who Pray”, pp. 318-325

3. What were the basic functions and obligations of the peasant class? • The peasants provided labor for the clergy and nobles. In exchange they received prayers from the clergy and physical protection from the nobles • The relationship between the peasants, nobles, and clergy was one of interdependence – however, mutual interdependence was far from equitable • Approximately 90% of the population during the 12th and 13th centuries • This was the largest and most productive social class in medieval Europe • While some peasants worked continuously on the land others supplemented their work in the field with side occupations (i.e. – brewers, carpenter, etc. – cottage industry)

4. What was the difference between a serf, slave, and free person? • Very little distinction made between these groups • Both lacked the freedom and power to do as they wished • Both were subject to arbitrary decisions by the local lord • Only the slave could be bought and sold as property • Serfs had to perform mandatory labor service for the local lord • A free person had to pay rent for their land and was free to move and live as he wished • Manumission – serfs would secure their freedom by a payment made by a third party as they could not directly purchase their freedom - also serfs willing to settle barren wasteland and reclaim it to productive agricultural yield could gain freedom

5. What was life like on the manor? • Large estates of the nobility – home to both free and un-free labor • Basic unit of medieval rural organization • Center of life • Provincial lifestyle • Self-sufficient • Clemesne (home farm) – land cultivated for the local lord • Land was set aside for pasture and grazing – common land

6. What agricultural methods were employed during this time? • “Open Field System” – land was not divided and separated from neighboring manors by a hedge row or fence • Three Field System (crop rotation) – winter crop – summer crop – fallow • Crop rotation was based on local soil and climate conditions • Animal fertilizers were used to increase productivity • Animals (horse and oxen) were used to reduce the amount of manual labor needed • Average yield – approximately 5 bushel yield / 1 bushel seed (3 to 1 needed to sustain life) • The local townspeople were dependent on the local field for food

7. What were the basic functions and obligations of the noble class? • Those who fight = Nobility / A small but influential part of the population • Despite various attempts at revolution this group held real political and social power in Europe until the 19th Century • Raise and command troops (power of sword) • Hold court, disperse justice, coin money (power of the purse) • Conduct foreign relations • Political, military, and judicial lord of the people on his land

8. What was noble privilege? • Nobles had to have noble parents • Special legal status • Free in person and possessions • Immunity from outside authority • Limited by military obligations to greater nobles

9. What were the stages of education for the professional knight? • Paige (Age 7) – moved into the castle of another noble to begin preparations for knighthood (apprenticeship)_ • Squire (Age 14) – become the training partner and assistant to the knight • Knight (Age 21) – ceremony of knighthood / began a life of military service • Knights entered the Crusades or Tournaments where they could show off their skills

10. What motivated and influenced the professional knight? • God, Glory, Honor (King / Lady) • Protected the weak, the poor, and the church • Code of Chivalry – devised by the Church to curb crude and brutal behavior • Loyalty and bravery were key characteristics

11. How was adulthood defined in this time period? How did this create problems for European society? • A male member of the nobility became an adult when he came into possession of property upon his father’s death • Primogeniture – instituted to hold family property together • Knights often led a wild lifestyle while waiting for their inheritance • These disruptive knights made it easy for the king to support the call to Crusade

12. How did medieval society deal with unwanted children? • Parents could not provide for the child • Illegitimacy • Children taken in by the monasteries a oblates and trained to be clergy members • Much of the church ranks came to be filled by these oblates

13. What influence did the Church have on the peasant’s life? • Social, political, and economic unit of village life • Parish priests oversaw these activities • Parish priest under jurisdiction of the bishop, but educated and appointed by the manorial lord • Income of the parish priest was supplemented by the tithe on the parishioners (this could be paid in kind) • Center of Christian religion was mass • Mass was in Latin • Sermon was in vernacular • The Sacraments – Baptism, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Orders, Anointment of the Sick

14. What were the basic functions and obligations of the clergy? • Those who pray = Clergy • Prayer performed by the clergy was considered to be an important social service • By the 13th century the older Cistercian and Benedictine religious orders had to compete with the newer Franciscans and Dominicans • As a result of this a larger number of monks were drawn from the middle class – this was a change from the aristocratic upbringing of earlier monks • Many noble women joined the clerical ranks – here women could become powerful influential members of society

15. What problems did the medieval monastery face? • Luxury and Decadence – many monasteries lived a luxurious and extravagant lifestyle – eventually, they could not afford to pay their bills and spent their cash reserves • Lay Brothers – were given lifetime contracts with no provisions for oversight to manage the monastery – this was a very inefficient system and one that bankrupted the monasteries • These economic problems led to the relaxation of the Benedictine Rule in many monasteries – this led to the establishment of a new atmosphere that better resembled that of a secular college offering comfort and security • It should be noted that prior to the economic hardships faced by the monasteries they often times served as major financial and lending institutions in Europe / This was done despite church laws against usury or the lending of money at interest

16. What were the proposed solutions to these problems? • Option #1 (Saint-Denis) - Place the monastic manors under the jurisdiction of monks, rather than hiring bailiffs who would grow as middlemen / Award annual rather than lifetime contracts/ Supervise all revenue and cut costs in the monastery • Option #2 (Cluny) – Borrowing / The abbey spent hoarded reserves of cash and fell into debt • Borrowing was the option most often chosen

17. How did medieval society deal with unwanted children? • Parents could not provide for the child • Illegitimacy • Children taken in by the monasteries a oblates and trained to be clergy members • Much of the church ranks came to be filled by these oblates