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GCSE History - Normans > 3.24 Monasticism > Flashcards

3.24 Monasticism Flashcards

1
Q

What is a Monastery?

A

A church with living quarters and other domestic buildings attached.

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2
Q

What does Monasticism mean?

A

It refers to the life where a person turns their back on their old life to dedicate themselves to a spiritual one, i.e. God.

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3
Q

What were the four vows taken by Monks?

A
  • Poverty
  • Chastity
  • Obedience
  • Stability
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4
Q

What was the vow of poverty?

A

Give up all wealth and personal possessions when they join a monastery.

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5
Q

What was the vow of chastity?

A

Abstaining from sex and other physical pleasures like eating sweat food and drinking alcohol.

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6
Q

What was the vow of obedience?

A

Obey teachings of God through the Bible, their abbots/abbess and rules of order.

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7
Q

What was the vow of stability?

A

Never leave monastic community and for some this means not leaving the monastery.

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8
Q

What were the typical activities of a monk in daily life? (3)

A
  • Benedictines were instructed to eat two simple meals a day and were not allowed to eat expensive food such as meat.
  • The monks were also told that they should not spend their time talking to each other.
  • There were eight services a day in which the monks would be praying and chanting religious song - the first service was at 2 am and the last one at 6 pm.
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9
Q

What hardships did monks experience? (10)

A
  • Isolation
  • Scratchy habits - lack of freedom for clothes
  • No personal possessions
  • Physical labour due to self-sufficient monasteries
  • Sleeping schedule
  • Lack of food
  • Long periods of silence
  • Shaving heads of covering head/hair
  • Cold => no fires
  • Overall lack of comfort
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10
Q

What does it mean to live an ascetic life (many monks lived this way)?

A

It means to live life away from all of the materialistic elements and distractions of society. Also to abstain from pleasures of life, committing to hardships and self-discipline.

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11
Q

Why did people, particularly monks, choose to live an ascetic life? (2)

A
  • Some chose to live this was because they want to connect and devote themselves to God and believe this is the best way to live life in the eyes of God.
  • Could also be to escape other hardships of life, i.e. youngest son who inherited nothing.
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12
Q

What was the role of monasteries in the wider community?

A
  • Self-sufficient
  • Infirmary => part of duty to care for the sick
  • Offered accommodation to pilgrims
  • Some kept chronicles (records of time) e.g. the Orderic Vitalis, or William of Malmesbury
  • Main source of education
  • Took responsibility of helping poorest in society and gave alms
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13
Q

What does it mean that monasteries were self-sufficient?

A

Monasteries had to provide for themselves and grow their own food => Laybrothers were employed to help with this.

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14
Q

Why were monasteries the main source of education?

A

Education in monasteries was usually paid for so was only open to the sons of rich families, although sometimes those in poorer families would be educated in return for working in the monastery.

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15
Q

What were the main reasons for wanting reforms to monasticism? (6)

A
  • Growing secular influence
  • Dropping standards
  • Penance
  • Influence of the Cluniacs
  • Growing wealth
  • Decline in numbers
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16
Q

How was growing secular influence an issue in monasteries?

A

Monasteries depended on local lords for land/ money, giving them too much influence over them.

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17
Q

How was dropping standards an issue in monasteries?

A

Standards in AS monasteries had dropped - many monks were not observing all the services.

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18
Q

How was growing decline in numbers an issue in monasteries?

A

Decline in monasteries throughout the 10th century, largely caused by Viking raids.

19
Q

How was growing wealth an issue in monasteries?

A

Many monasteries were very wealthy - monks lived in luxury (against Benedictine Rules of Poverty).

20
Q

Who were the Cluniacs?

A
  • Benedictine monks followed the rules of St Benedict who had lived in the 6th Century.
  • Different interpretations of St Benedict’s teachings led to the development of ‘splinter’ orders in Norman England.
  • Cluniac monasteries had a strict interpretation of St Benedict’s rules.
21
Q

When and where was the first Cluniac Monastery built?

A

The first was built at Cluny in France in 910.

22
Q

How many Cluniac monasteries were there in England by 1077?

A

There were 24 Cluniac monasteries in England by 1077.

23
Q

What reforms did Lanfranc introduce regarding monasticism?

A

In 1077 he introduced a new constitution which provided strict rules for monks. He also reformed the liturgy.

24
Q

Why did Lanfranc want monasteries to follow the new constitution?

A

Some existing English monasteries were already following the rules but the rest were made to do so in order to make them more consistent with monasteries in other parts of Europe.

25
Q

Were Lanfranc’s monastic reforms accepted? (3)

A
  • Some monasteries were reluctant to change and harsh measures were taken to make them comply.
  • 1083, the Abbot of Glastonbury sent knights to force his monks to accept a new chant.
  • Resulted in 3 deaths.
26
Q

How was compliance ensured for Lanfranc’s monastic reforms?

A
  • English Church leaders were gradually replaced with Norman ones.
  • By 1086, only 3 abbots in England = AS.
27
Q

How did Normans try to revive monasticism?

A
  • By increasing the number of monasteries in England
  • By introducing new monastic orders
28
Q

What were the successes of trying to increase the number of monasteries in England?

A

By 1135, number of monks increased to around 5000, more than 250 religious houses and 24 Cluniac monasteries.

29
Q

What were the failures of trying to increase the number of monasteries in England?

A

Monasteries needed a patron to give money and land => leading to secular influence.

30
Q

What were the successes of trying to introduce new monastic orders?

A

Most monasteries became Cluniacs (Norman) => subset of Benedictine Order.

31
Q

What were the failures of trying to introduce new monastic orders?

A

Cluny Abbey, among others, became very wealthy due to things like farming, leading to people criticising the order.

32
Q

What were the successes of trying to reform monasteries and improve standards in monastic life? (3)

A
  • Lanfranc introduced new set of constitutions in 1077.
  • Reformed liturgy, defined role of abbot, set up clear hierarchy, laid out structure for domestic life and created strict rules about creating saints.
  • Monasteries were more like those in Europe - more uniform practice.
33
Q

What were the failures of trying to reform monasteries and improve standards in monastic life? (3)

A
  • Some people protested.
  • Example = in 1083 Abbot of Glastonbury sent knights to remove rebellions for new chants. Resulted in 3 deaths and 18 injured.
  • Lots of monks left monasteries because they weren’t willing to conform to new rules.
34
Q

What were the successes of trying to improve education? (5)

A
  • By 1100 all cathedrals and many larger churches had schools.
  • Church schools focused on Latin, Music and Verse, Astronomy, Mathematics and Law.
  • Introduction of university education => Oxford started teaching 1096.
  • Education largely focused on training to become monks and nuns.
  • Most educated => nobility.
35
Q

What were the failures of trying to improve education? (4)

A
  • Mainly rich boys who went to school with few exceptions.
  • Some peasant boys received basic education in exchange for work.
  • Some very rich girls got a very basic education => rare.
  • Not until 1382, with Winchester College, that some schools became independent of the Church.
36
Q

What were the successes of trying to transform the language?

A

Latin became the language of the Government and the Church.

37
Q

What were the failures of trying to transform the language?

A

In every day language peasants still mainly spoke English. They usually had French speaking Lords though, so some French vocabulary did combine with English language.

38
Q

What is the strongest evidence that the Normans did revive monasticism? (3)

A
  • The increase in number of monasteries from about 1000 to 5000 by 1135.
  • Also now around 250 religious houses from 60.
  • Now 24 Cluniac monasteries in England.
39
Q

What is the strongest evidence that the Normans did not revive monasticism?

A

Language - most everyday people didn’t speak Latin.

40
Q

What was Lanfranc’s most significant reform? Why?

A

The introduction of new monastic orders, as most monasteries in England became part of the Cluniac order - conforming to European monasteries.

41
Q

What were the main changes brought about in education by the Normans?

A

The introduction of University of Oxford (1096), as this was the first university in England. Followed by many others.

42
Q

What was the greatest impact of the Normans on language in England? (3)

A
  • Latin becoming the official language of the government and the Church.
  • This meant that all Church records were written in Latin/ translated to Latin.
  • 1/4 of all English words were influenced by/ derived from Norman-French.
43
Q

How successful were the Normans in meeting their aims for monastic reforms?

A

Quite successful

44
Q

Why were the Normans quite successful in meeting their aims for monastic reforms? (7)

A
  • They introduced new policies
  • Latin as government and Church language
  • Lanfranc’s new constitution in 1077
  • Most monasteries in England became Cluniac
  • More monasteries in general
  • Achieved goals of making monasteries more pious, and following strict guidelines
  • Changed English monasteries to be more conformed with European monasteries

GCSE History - Normans (26 decks)

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