The Middle Ages: Myth and Reality

The Middle Ages: The Myth  We think of knights in shining armor, lavish banquets, wandering minstrels, kings & queens, monks, 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 5 th century to the 15th century in Western Europe, was generally harsh, uncertain, and dangerous.

So, What is the Middle Ages?  The Middle Ages or Medieval Period is the middle period of the three divisions of Western history: 1. Antiquity 2. Medieval period 3. Modern period  The beginning of the Middle Ages are marked by the fall of the Western Roman Empire.  Because of the decline in academy, culture and economy many refer to this period as “The Dark Ages”

So how can we make sense of the Middle Ages?  The Middle Ages is characterized by unique political, social and economic systems  These systems are: Feudal System-Pol & Social Manorialism-Econ

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.

Nobles and Vassals  Nobles then divided their land among the lesser nobility, who became their vassals.  Question: To whom would the nobles divide their lands with and why?

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.

A Year in the Life of a Medieval Peasant

Key Terms  Feudal system: a political system in Medieval Europe in which land was granted to citizens in exchange for service or labor  Fief: a land grant  Vassal: recipient of land grant in exchange for service  Lord: one who grants land i.e. landlord or overlord

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.

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

MEDIEVAL LIFE Cooperation and Mutual Obligations KING LORDS (VASSALS TO KING) KNIGHTS (VASSALS TO LORDS) Fief and Peasants Military Aid Food Protection Shelter PEASANTS (SERFS) Pay Rent Fief and Peasants Food Protection Shelter Farm the Land Homage Military Service Loyalty FEUDALISM: POLITICAL & SOCIAL 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  Barter the usual form of exchange

The Catholic Church  The Catholic Church was the only church in Europe during the Middle Ages, and it had its own laws and large income.  Church leaders such as bishops and archbishops sat on the king's council and played leading roles in government.

The Magna Carta  In 1215, the English barons formed an alliance that forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. It limited the king's powers of taxation and required trials by jury. It was the first time that an English monarch was subject to the law.

Bishops  Bishops, who were often wealthy and came from noble families, ruled over groups of parishes called dioceses.  Many were part of the feudal system and in exchange for a fief and peasants they provided duty and military aid to a lord.

Question:  The Magna Carta restricted the power of the king but who/what restricted the power of the church and members of clergy/nobility?

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, they also hunted for food and fought in battles, learning to use weapons to defend their homes and castles.

Homes  Most medieval homes were cold, damp, and dark. Sometimes it was warmer and lighter outside the home than within its walls.

Windows  For security purposes, windows, when they were present, were very small openings with wooden shutters that were closed at night or in bad weather. The small size of the windows allowed those inside to see out, but kept outsiders from looking in.

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.

Medieval Village

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.

Health & Hygiene  As the populations of medieval towns and cities increased, hygienic conditions worsened, leading to a vast array of health problems.

Medicine  Medical knowledge was limited and, despite the efforts of medical practitioners and public and religious institutions to institute regulations, medieval Europe did not have an adequate health care system.  Antibiotics weren't invented until the 1800s and it was almost impossible to cure diseases without them.

Businessmen  They became savvy businessmen and learned to deal with Italian moneylenders and bankers.  The English, Belgians, Germans, and Dutch took their coal, timber, wood, iron, copper, and lead to the south and came back with luxury items such as wine and olive oil.

Tradesmen  With the advent of trade and commerce, feudal life declined. As the tradesmen became wealthier, they resented having to give their profits to their lords.

Boroughs  Arrangements were made for the townspeople to pay a fixed annual sum to the lord or king and gain independence for their town as a "borough" with the power to govern itself.  The marketplace became the focus of many towns.

Town Governments  As the townspeople became "free" citizens, powerful families, particularly in Italy, struggled to gain control of the communes or boroughs. Town councils were formed.

References  Adapted from the Annenberg Media/Learner.org website “The Middle Ages”