1. THE “REAL” MEDIEVAL TIMES: AN OVERVIEW Klein//E402

2. “How did it get started?”  1066-1485  Began after the Norman (French) Invasion  William the Conqueror takes the throne – 1 st Norman king of England  Feudalism - code of reciprocal obligations (legal, military)  French influence - lord = noble who owned land; granted it to vassals - vassal = repaid lords with military service - fief = land  Eventually declined with growth of towns

3. Important Concepts  Chivalry – knightly code of virtues  Honor, generosity, bravery, respect toward women, help the weak, fairness to one’s enemies  Courtly love: knight pledges himself to a virtuous woman (often one who is married) – he performs brave deeds for her while she remains chaste/unattainable  Guilds – groupings of people engaging in a similar trade or skill  Meant to control the flow and price of goods  Rules for advancement from apprentice to “master”

4. “What about Medieval Literature?”  Started off written in Latin (clergy), then French (educated class)  English primarily spoken  Much was anonymously “written” – recycled stories  Miracle Plays – episodes from the lives of saints Morality Plays – main character is confronted with issues that prompt him to lead a godly life

5. “What about Medieval Literature?”  Romance – heroic prose/verse narrative detailing the hero’s adventure  Noble hero  Code of chivalry  Challenge & quest  Supernatural elements  Courtly love, damsel in distress  Villain  Pattern of 3s  Fairy tale-esque

6. “What about Medieval Literature?”  Arthurian legend (along with Geoffrey Chaucer & the Robin Hood legend) established English as a literary language  Sir Gawain & the Green Knight Written in Chaucer’s time, around 1400 A.D. Lost, then found and published in 1839 Considered the best of English Medieval Romances (except for Chaucer) Uses alliteration

7. “What else is happening during this time?”  The Crusades (11 th – 13 th Cent. A.D.)  Original goal to recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims  The Magna Carta (1215 A.D.)  Stemmed from disputes with King John over kings’ rights  Granted many rights to the common people and limited the power of the king  Established trial-by-jury and protection against unjust imprisonment (habeus corpus)

8. “What else is happening during this time?”  The Black Death (14 th Cent. A.D.) aka “bubonic plague”  pandemic = epidemic across large region  24 million died within 1 st 5-year period  fever, aching joints, nausea, vomiting, headaches  most died within seven days