1. The Medieval Period 1066-1500

2.  A period in European history marked by the fall of the Western Roman Empire and lasting until the beginning of the Renaissance. (roughly 500 – 1500 AD)  Divided into three periods: Early, High, and Late  “Medieval” is an adjective used to describe things associated with the Middle Ages.  Some scholars, especially those during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, viewed the Middle Ages as the Dark Ages, a time when civilization was mired in superstition and ignorance

3.  The idea of estates, or orders, was encouraged during the Age, but this ordering was breaking down.  Clergy  Latin chiefly spoken, those who pray, purpose was to save everyone’s soul  Nobles  French chiefly spoken (after Norman Invasion), those who fight, purpose was to protect—allow for all to work in peace—and provide justice  Commoners  English spoken, those who work, purpose was to feed and clothe all above them

4. Latin -- church, schools French -- court, castle English -- commoners The White Tower in London… part of William’s legacy Chartres Cathedral

5.  The economic system of much of the Middle Ages (800-1100)  Commoners (peasants) lived on a feudal manor. The lord of the manor gave his vassals (the peasants) land to farm.  In return, the vassals received protection from roving bandits. Yet they were taxed and had to surrender a portion of their crops to the lord.  Feudalism is important as it created ties of obedience and fostered a sense of loyalty between the vassals and their lord.

6.  A product of feudalism, chivalry was an idealized system of manners and morals  The Medieval knight was bound to the chivalric code to be loyal to…  God  his lord  his lady  Chivalric ideals include...  benevolence (acts of kindness)  brotherly love  politeness

7.  Provided guidance through well known commandments:  Seven Deadly Sins  Pride (vanity)  Greed  Wrath (anger)  Envy  Gluttony  Sloth (laziness)  Lust

8.  Chastity  Temperance  Charity  Diligence  Forgiveness  Kindness  Humility

9.  The medieval philosophy that fate is capricious (constantly changing). One minute you could be up and then the next minute you’re down.  Believed to be turned by the goddess Fortuna (Fate). Notice again the mixture of pagan and Christian beliefs.

10.  The pervading philosophy of the Middle Ages. Also known as the “Geocentric Model”, meaning that the universe is centered on the earth.  People of the Medieval period loved order! Remember the Three Estates, the Seven Deadly Sins—a place for everyone and everyone in that place.

13.  spreads along trade routes  kills much of the population  the plague outbreaks occur through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance  People believed it was the wrath of God.  Paradoxically, the Plague provides for continued growth in cities  Afterwards, hundreds of new jobs available  Many debts “died off” with creditors  also contributed to society’s culture

15.  Latin was the language of the Roman Catholic Church, which dominated Europe  The Church was the only source of education  Thus, Latin was a common language for Medieval writings.

16.  Catholic clerics were the intellectual center of society in the Middle Ages, and it is their literature that was produced in the greatest quantity.  A notable amount of Medieval literature is anonymous. Medieval authors often tended to re-tell and embellish stories they heard or read rather than invent new stories.

17.  An allegory is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal.  Much of Medieval literature relied on allegory to convey the morals the author had in mind while writing--representations of abstract qualities, events, and institutions are thick in much of the literature of this time.

18.  This relationship was modeled on the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege lord.  The knight serves his courtly lady with the same obedience and loyalty which he owes to his liege lord.  She is in complete control; he owes her obedience and submission

19. The knight's love for the lady inspires him to do great deeds, in order to be worthy of her love or to win her favor.

20.  “Courtly love" was not between husband and wife because it was an idealized sort of relationship that could not exist within the context of "real life" Medieval marriages.  In the Middle Ages, marriages amongst the nobility were typically based on practical and dynastic concerns rather than on love.

21.  Chivalry is the code of conduct observed by a knight. It is a set of principles they live by.  Attributes of Chivalry: honor, courtly love, protecting others who cannot protect themselves

22.  A quest is a hero’s journey towards a goal. The objects of quests require great exertion on the part of the hero, and the overcoming of many obstacles.  The hero's must obtain something, or someone, by the quest and with this object return home.

23.  Heroism  from both Germanic and Christian traditions, sometimes mingled  Divine decent or accomplished  Presentations of idealized behavior  literature as moral lesson  loyalty to king  chivalry  use of kennings (especially in Beowulf )  A figurative, usually compound expression used in place of a name or noun. Example, storm of swords is a kenning for battle.

24.  Romance  Knights/Chivalry  A narrative in prose or verse that tells of the adventures and heroic exploits of chivalric heroes  exploits of knights  often a supernatural element involved  Christian message  concern with salvation and the world to come  no interest in social change  until the late 14th century  Chaucer signals new thinking, up-ending social order

25. Fact, Fiction, Literature, and Pop Culture

26.  Most scholars believe that a King named Arthur did defeat the Saxons in the 5 th or 6 th century. This is outlined in one of the oldest accounts of English History Geoffrey of Monmouth's fanciful and imaginative 12th- century Historia Regum Britanniae  There are ruins of a castle in Cornwall that many believe to belong to Arthur  Not much else is known, accounts of Arthur seem to be mysteriously missing from all Anglo-Saxon chronicles and other such history books.

27.  Another school of thought believes that Arthur had no historical existence; the Arthur of legend is a composite; tales of the real Arthur's exploits may have been confused and merged with that of other war leaders of the time

28.  The Welsh historian Nennius first mentioned Arthur by name in the 9th-century Historia Brittonum ( History of the Britons )  A full account of his life appears in the Historia Regum Britanniae (1136?; History of the Kings of Britain ) by Welsh writer Geoffrey of Monmouth  The quest for the Holy Grail makes up an important segment of the Arthurian cycle, appearing first in works by Chrétien de Troyes  He wrote in Champagne, France, during the last half of the twelfth century

29.  The Vulgate Cycle, a series of tales written in French from 1215 to 1235, devotes thousands of pages to the Arthurian story  In English, one of the most important Arthurian achievements is Le morte d'Arthur (1469-1470; The Death of Arthur ) by Sir Thomas Malory  American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, in The Mists of Avalon (1982)  She explores the Arthurian world from the point of view of the female characters, paying attention to the relationships the women have with one another

30.  Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a comedic parody of the traditional King Arthur legend. Later adapted into a musical called Spamalot, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical of the 2004-2005 season

31.  First Knight, with Sean Connery (Arthur), Richard Gere (Lancelot), Julia Ormond (Guinevere)  King Arthur, 2004, claiming (despite historical inaccuracies) to be more historically accurate

32.  Disney’s the Sword in the Stone 1963  Camelot 2011  Merlin 2008

33. 33  Arthur: legendary king of the Britons; expelled foreigners from Britain, brought peace to the country, established a kingdom based on justice and morality  Held court at his castle at Camelot and instituted an order known as the knights of the Round Table  Son of King Uther Pendragon and the lady Ygraine; Merlin gives him to a man named Hector to be raised with Hector's son, Kay  Marries lady Guinevere, but she and Lancelot, one of Arthur's favored knights, eventually fall in love, and their relationship divides Camelot  Grievously wounded by his illegitimate son Mordred

34. 34 Lancelot  The greatest and most trusted of Arthur's knights, and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories  Arthur's eventual downfall is also brought about in part by Lancelot, whose affair with Arthur's wife Guinevere destroys the unity of Arthur's court  Once Arthur discovers Lancelot and Guinevere's love affair, his own system of justice requires that he condemn his wife to death  Lancelot rescues her, but initiates a war between his forces and those of Arthur and the knight Gawain

35.  Arthur and Guinevere are married  Lancelot is Arthur’s Loyal Knight  Lancelot and Guinevere are having affair  Gawain doesn’t like Lancelot  Arthur is Gawain’s Uncle  Mordred is Arthur’s son  Mordred hates Arthur