1050 – Beowulf – Old English (Germanic language from Angles, Saxons and Jutes): influenced by Latin, Celtic, Scottish, Pictish, Danish, Norse 1066 – William the Conqueror takes England – major addition of French, more Latin, Greek 1300’s – Geoffrey Chaucer – Middle English

bellatores (“warriors” royalty, gentry) oratores (“pray-ers” religious, holy orders) laboratores (“workers” middle and lower class) Divisions of Medieval society:

KnightSquireYeoman Nun (Prioress) MonkFriarMerchant Oxford Cleric (Student) Sergeant at the Law Franklin Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver, Carpet-maker (these five are together) CookSkipperDoctor Wife of Bath ParsonPlowmanMillerMancipleReeveSummonerPardoner Host (Harry Bailey) Chaucer

London Canterbury Approximately 100 miles one way

Canterbury Cathedral

These are pictures of St. Thomas à Becket, who was martyred in He was assassinated by four knights of King Henry II and is interred in Canterbury Cathedral.

This is the tomb of St. Thomas à Becket in the crypt below Canterbury Cathedral.

Personality types from the Medieval Period sanguine – happy, friendly, fun-loving melancholic – creative, sad, moody choleric – dominant, angry, ambitious phlegmatic – calm, kind, unemotional

Whan that Aprill with his shourës sootë The droghte of March hath percëd to the rootë And bathëd every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendrëd is the flour