An Introduction To The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages: The Myth We think of knights in shining armor, lavish banquets, wandering minstrels, kings, queens, bishops, monks, pilgrims, and glorious pageantry. In film and in literature, medieval life seems heroic, entertaining, and romantic.

The Middle Ages: The Reality In reality, life in the Middle Ages, a period that extended from approximately the 5th century to the 15th century in Western Europe, could also be harsh, uncertain, and dangerous.

The Lord of the Manor For safety and defense, people in the Middle Ages formed small communities around a central lord or master.

The Manor Most people lived on a manor, which consisted of the castle (or manor house), the church, the village, and the surrounding farm land.

Self-Sufficiency Each manor was largely self-sufficient, growing or producing all of the basic items needed for food, clothing, and shelter. To meet these needs, the manor had buildings devoted to special purposes, such as: The mill for grinding grain The bake house for making bread The blacksmith shop for creating metal goods.

Isolation These manors were isolated, with occasional visits from peddlers, pilgrims on their way to the Crusades, or soldiers from other fiefdoms.

Think For A Moment… Why would people in medieval Europe opt to shut themselves off from the rest of the world and live a manorial lifestyle rather than living in cities and larger civilizations like they had in the recent past? Remember our goal is always to analyze: the cause of events i.e. the cause for the middle ages the event itself the short and long term effects of the event

The Feudal System Under the feudal system, the king awarded land grants or fiefs to his most important nobles, barons, and bishops, in return for their contribution of soldiers for the king's armies.

A Few Key Terms Fief: to grant one land Lord: the individual who grants one land becomes the “lord” of the recipient Vassal: the individual who receives the fief

MEDIEVAL LIFE Cooperation and Mutual Obligations KING FEUDALISM: POLITICAL SYSTEM Decentralized, local government Dependent upon the relationship between members of the nobility Lord and his vassals administered justice and were the highest authority in their land MANORIALISM: ECONOMIC SYSTEM Agriculture the basis for wealth Lands divided up into self-sufficient manors Peasants (serfs) worked the land and paid rent In exchange for protection Trade the usual form of exchange KING LORDS/NOBLES (VASSALS TO KING) KNIGHTS (VASSALS TO LORDS) Loyalty and Service Food Protection Shelter Food Protection Shelter PEASANTS (SERFS) Pay Rent Farm the Land Homage Military Service

Nobles and Knights Nobles divided their land among the lesser nobility, who became their vassals. Eventually some nobility became so powerful that the kings had difficulty controlling them.

The Peasants At the lowest level of society were the peasants, also called serfs or villeins. The lord offered his peasants protection in exchange for living and working on his land. Every other class received land in exchange for service not peasants they only receive protection and a place to live/work.

Hard Work & High Taxes Peasants worked hard to cultivate the land and produce the goods that the lord and his manor needed. They ate what they produced. They were heavily taxed and were required to relinquish much of what they harvested.

Peasants Homes Many peasant families ate, slept, and spent time together in very small quarters, rarely more than one or two rooms. The houses had thatched roofs and were easily destroyed by harsh weather or fire.

Homes of the Wealthy The homes of the rich were more elaborate than the peasants' homes. Their floors were paved, as opposed to being strewn with rushes and herbs, and sometimes decorated with tiles. Tapestries were hung on the walls, providing not only decoration but also an extra layer of warmth.

Bound by law and custom… It is the custom in England, as with other countries, for the nobility to have great power over the common people, who are serfs. This means that they are bound by law and custom to plough the field of their masters, harvest the corn, gather it into barns, and thresh and winnow the grain; they must also mow and carry home the hay, cut and collect wood, and perform all manner of tasks of this kind. -- Jean Froissart, 1395 

Women: Household Chores Whether they were nobles or peasants, women held a difficult position in society. They were largely confined to household tasks such as cooking, baking bread, sewing, weaving, and spinning.

Hunting & Fighting However, a few also hunted for food and fought in battles, learning to use weapons to defend their homes and castles.

Other Occupations A few medieval women even held other occupations. There some women blacksmiths, merchants, and even medicine women.

Midwives, Farmers, & Artists Others were midwives, worked in the fields, or were engaged in creative endeavors such as writing, playing musical instruments, dancing, and painting.

References Adapted from the Annenberg Media/Learner.org website “The Middle Ages” http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/