1. Introduction to the Middle Ages 1066-1485

2. Medieval Period: AD
Decay of Roman Empire=beginning of Middle Ages
Roman empire split into two empires:
Western ruled from Rome
Eastern ruled from Constantinople.
Germanic tribes (Anglo-Saxons) began to invade and set up individual kingdoms throughout the Western empire, ending Roman rule.
Introduced the feudal system

3. William the Conqueror Invaded from Normandy in 1066
Changes England through:
A new language (French)
A new social system (Feudalism)

4. King receives Divine Right from GOD!
Feudal System
King receives Divine Right from GOD!
King
Lords
Knights
Peasants or Serfs
Grants land to…
Grant land to…
Provide money and knights to
Provide protection and military service to
Provide food and services on demand

5. Knights in Shining Armor
From mail shirts to a suit of armor

6. Knights in Shining Armor
Change came about as a result of the crossbow
Some armor suits weighed upwards of 120 pounds
Small slits in the helmets limited vision and ventilation
Heatstroke, suffocation, and
drowning
Upside-down turtles

7. Code of Chivalry Idealistic code of honor followed by knights Values:
Loyalty (to God, King/Lord, and country)
Brotherhood
Bravery
Duty and Honor
Virtue
Must follow rules of “courtly love” when looking for a wife

8. Courtly Love Combination of physical and spiritual desire
Object of love
Love is war
Cupid’s arrows
Object as fortress
Love is a sickness.

9. How to be a Courtly Man Be courteous and polite. Be mildly flirtatious
Put your beloved on a pedestal.
Show emotions through acts of strength and bravery.
Do not love someone from below your social class.

10. How to be a Courtly Woman
Remain coy and aloof
Resist advances
Follow courtly manners and behavior
Give tokens of affection

11. Role of Women No political rights Subservient to men Mostly uneducated
But…
Gained power through courtly love tradition
Could have power as a merchant, healer, Church leader (nun), or wife of an important man
Managed estates while husbands were at war
After marriage, her land became his land

12. Peasants Paid taxes (tithes) to church Obeyed lord who owned land
Followed Church leaders in everything
“nasty, brutish, and short” lives

13. Population Due to rise in commerce, population grew in cities
Growth in middle class
More merchants and artisans
More money for art and education
Less power for landowners!

14. Christianity
Many kingdoms adopted the Roman religion, Christianity (Roman Catholicism).
Adopted the language of the church: Latin
Romance languages descend from Latin and Germanic dialects.

15. The Power of the Church Centers of communities
Church officials were civic leaders
Heresy: having ideas different from church doctrine

16. The Crusades
Moors (Muslims) had the Middle East in a stronghold.
Leaders in Europe felt the need to protect the Holy Land and keep it under Christian rule.

17. Pope Urban’s Speech
Pope Urban II preached a sermon in France that inspired European knights to join a crusade to win back the Holy Lands.

18. The Crusades
Pros
Allowed crusaders to bring new spices, textiles and products back to Europe.
Inspired commerce
Created new social class: merchant class

19. The Crusades
Cons
Failed to maintain European rule over the Holy Land

20. Catholicism vs. Nationalism
Nationalist feelings began to fuel tension between various kingdoms and the Catholic church.
Heresy resulted in punishment

21. The Magna Carta: signed in 1215
Power to (some of) the people
Heralded a return to older, democratic tendencies in England
Became the basis of English constitutional law
Trial by jury

22. The Hundred Years’ War 1337-1453
England vs. France
King Edward III and King Henry V try to claim the French throne
Invention of the long bow
Green-clad yeoman take the place of knights in shining armor in battle

23. The Bubonic PLAGUE
1348
Highly contagious; spread by fleas from infected rats
Reduced population of Europe by one-third
Mostly poorest people
Caused a labor shortage
Peasants compete for wages
Get more money
Get more power!
Apocalyptic

24. Literature of the Middle Ages
Romances
Adventure stories of kings, knights, damsels
Quests and battles

25. Literature of the Middle Ages
Medieval Epics
Originated in the great halls of the Germanic tribes and focused on ideas such as loyalty and valor, which bound societies together.
Defined and expressed character of a people.

26. Literature of the Middle Ages
Medieval Epics
Based on historical events but prized adventure more than accuracy.
Were performed long before they were written down.

27. Literature of the Middle Ages
Medieval Epics
Exemplified feudal values:
Title and rank
Military prowess
Loyalty
Honor