Chapter 4 The Middle Ages Flashcards
How was land owned and society organised?
The Feudal System.
Who was at the top of the feudal system? What did he own?
The king. The king owned all the land but as they couldn’t farm all this land themselves so he gave land to nobles and important members of the clergy. He also kept a part of the land for himself.
Who were the vassals?
Vassals were either lords with titles such as earl or count. Others were members of the clergy such as bishops or abbots.
Who were the knights?
The vassals gave some of their land to the knights in return for their loyalty and the promise to fight in battle. Knights rode on horseback.
What two groups were the peasants made up of?
Serfs and freemen.
Who were the Serfs?
A person who belonged to the lord and farmed his land. He could not get married or leave the estate without the lords permission.
Who were the freemen?
A man who paid rent and tax to the lord for land but could travel as he pleased.
How much land did some serfs farm? What was this land called?
30 acres. The area of land a serf had to farm was called a villein.
What period was the Middle Ages? When did it start and end?
It lasted from AD 500 to AD 1500.
What were the Middle Ages also known as?
The Medieval period.
Why did people in the Middle Ages work for the lord in return for protection?
Travel and Trade became very hard as Bandits and Outlaws attacked people.
What is the order of the feudal system?
King
Nobles, Clergy (Vassals)
Knights
Freeman serfs (Peasants)
What is a demesne?
Percentage of the land that the king keeps for himself.
What was a manor?
A manor was a small village owned by the local lord or knight.
What was the manor house?
The manor house is where the lord lived. It was usually at the edge of the village.
What was in the center of the village?
The church was in the centre of the manor village. The priest lived in a house beside it. The priest lived in a house beside it. He said Mass for the peasants every Sunday.
What was the name of the tax the peasants payed to the church called?
The tithe
What is the commons?
The commons is where all the peasants animals grazed.
Why did the manor locate near forests and rivers?
For wood and water supplies
What was the alehouse?
The alehouse is where poor people drank beer.
What was a tavern?
Like an alehouse but sold wine.
What was the bailiffs house?
Where the bailiff lived. He was chosen by the lord and looked after law and order as well as tax on the lord’s estate.
How was the land of the manor divided?
It was divided into three big fields and the commons
What was the open field system?
In the system each year one of the three fields were left fallow with nothing growing in it. While crops were grown in the other fields. This meant the soil would be rested, and to be fertile again next year. Every year a different field was then left fallow.
How many rooms did a medieval house contain?
1 or 2
Who made the peasants clothes?
The peasants made their own clothes.
What were their clothes made from?
They were made from linen or wool
What did poor medieval women wear?
Long dresses usually made from wool, their headdress was called a wimple.
What were medieval shoes like?
They were made from leather and were pointed
What did they stuff the shoe’s long toes with?
Horse hair
When was it and what did peasants eat for breakfast?
Dawn. A lump of dark bread with ale
When was it and what did peasants eat for lunch?
11am. Dark bread, cheese and ale or cider
When was it and what did peasants eat for their main meal?
5pm. Pottage (vegetable soup mixed with oatmeal), bread, cheese and ale or cider.
What were some of the pastimes of medieval peasants?
Noughts ,Crosses, droughts, wrestling and chess.
Who looked after law and order?
The bailiff
Who did everyone in the land owe allegiance to?
The king
What were common crimes?
Poaching on the lords land and or getting drunk and starting fights.
What was a common punishment for small crimes?
Fines
What were the stocks?
The offenders legs and hands were locked between planks of wood. Passers by spat at them or threw things at them.
What was a pillory?
Like the stocks but held the head and hands.
What was a ducking stool used for?
It was used as a punishment for women who gossiped or nagged. They were tied to a chair and lowered into the water over and over.
What was the punishment for murder, arson or robbery?
Men were hanged but women were burnt at the stake
What was the most common punishment for witchcraft?
Being burnt at the stake.
What happened if an accused person didn’t present himself before the lord?
He was declared an outlaw and all their goods and property belonged to the king so they had to leave their home and live as an outcast.
Why did outcasts form together in bands? Name an example of a famous outlaw?
As the punishment was quite common. Robin Hood.
What did a lord use a castle for?
To defend himself and his people.
What were the first castles called?
Motte and bailey castle
Explain the construction of the motte and bailey?
The lord would get his peasants to erect a small hill called a motte.
On the top of the motte they would build a wooden fort.
Below there was a large enclosure called a bailey.
If the enemy attacked they would go up into the motte.
What were motte and bailey castles replaced by? When?
When the lord had control of the local countryside he replaced the motte and bailey with a stone castle.
What was the keep?
The keep was the main building in the castle. This is where the lord and lady lived.
What were the battlements?
The battlements were at the top of the keep. All day long soldiers kept watch on the battlements looking out for enemies. They were designed so a soldier could fire an arrow than hide behind cover.
What were the curtain walls?
Outer walls of the castle which surrounded the entire castle.
What were turrets?
Turrets were strong towers along the walls.
When was the drawbridge raised?
The drawbridge was raised at night or when an enemy approached.
What was a portcullis?
A portcullis was an iron grille that could be lowered in front of the gate.
What were the ramparts?
The ramparts ran along the top of all the walls. They were wide enough for soldiers to walk along.
What was the moat?
The moat was a ditch around the castle walls filled with water often part of a nearby river and stream.
What was the open space in front of the keep called? (Give 3.)
The Bailey, the courtyard and the bawn.
What were the latrines?
The latrines were the toilets of the castle. They were usually in the corner of one of the towers of the keep.
What were the stables?
Where the knights horses were kept.
What were pigeons used for?
Pigeons were used for food and to carry messages
Why was the kitchen outdoors in the courtyard?
It was safer to have the kitchen here then in the castle where it could cause a fire.
Who worked in the forge? What did they do?
The forge is where the blacksmith worked. He made shoes for the horses and weapons for the soldiers.
Why was the well important?
For a fresh water supply.
Describe the stairs in the keep?
The stairs were narrow and spiraled to the right to give an advantage to the person fighting down the stairs.
What was on the top floor of the keep?
The lords private apartments, the solar and the chapel
What was on the middle floor of the keep?
On the middle floor of the keep was the minstrels gallery and the great hall
What was on the lower floor of the keep?
Storerooms for food and drink as well as dungeons where soldiers captured in war were kept.
What was the solar?
The room which the lady of the castle used for work such as embroidery.
When did life in the castle start?
Dawn
When was Mass held? What was the oratory?
Dawn in the chapel next to the lord’s private apartments . Additional prayers were made by Individuals after mass in the oratory.
After breakfast to what matter would the lord attend?
The lord would attend to business matters in relation to his land. Reports would be heard regarding estate crops harvests and supplies. Finances Rents, taxes ,customs and dues. Complaints and disputes of tenants would also be settled, permission to marry etc. Political discussions and decisions. They would also spend time on weapon practice. Later in the Middle Ages time was spent on the arts poetry, music etc.
Describe briefly the daily life in the castle?
Mass at dawn in the chapel
Breakfast
Business matters attended to by the lord
Weapon Practice
Mid Morning prayer and meal
Ladies would undertake needlework while the lord would go hunting.
Evening prayer and then supper in the hall
After supper there would be castle entertainments
The time for bed was dictated by the lord
Bedtime prayers
While the lord was attending business matters what did the lady do?
While the lord was attending business matters the lady would spend time overseeing important household chores.
After the mid-morning prayer and meal what did the lord and lady do?
The lord would go hunting, hawking or inspect the estate.
While the lady would undertake needlework, embroidery etc.
What kinds of castle entertainment was there?
Music, dancing, masques, jugglers, acrobats, jesters, plays etc.
What might happen on special occasions?
Feasts and Banquets might be held on special occasions along with the display of knight’s skills in the form of tournaments such as jousting and mock duels.
Why was the keep cold?
There was no glass only shutters
What were tapestries?
Tapestries were carpets with pictures on the walls and curtains.
What went on in the great hall?
The great hall took up the entire second floor. This is where everyone ate. Large fires provide heating. In this room the lord gave orders to his soldiers and collected rents and taxes from the peasants. Criminals were brought there to be tried.
How were the lord’s sons educated?
A priest acted as schoolmaster to the lord’s son until they were only seven years old. Good manners and fighting skills were thought more important than reading or writing skills
What was the main diet of rich people in the Middle Ages? What could just one meal include?
Meat. Duck, rabbit, hare, pork, boar, lamb and birds.
When were there meals? What were they?
Dinner was at noon and supper was at 4pm. They only had two main meals (not including breakfast) as their meals were enormous.
Where did important people sit in the great hall? How did they eat? On what?
At a feast important people sat at the top tables in a dining hall. They cut meat with their knives and ate with their fingers. They ate on wooden plates or on big slices of bread called trenchers.
What did they drink?
Wine or Ale
What did rich men wear?
Long tunics
What did women wear? What was fashionable? What was it made from? What was the headdress called?
Women wore Long dresses. It was fashionable for them to trail on the floor. They were made from wool or sometimes silk. The headdress was also called a wimple.
What was hawking?
Hawking was where a hawk was trained to sit on a persons hand and hunt songbirds, ducks and small animals.
What entertainment happened at night?
At night people often listened to minstrels singing and watched jesters doing tricks.
Who arranged a noble women’s marriage?
Her parents
What was a dowry? Example.
Money or goods that a women’s family give to her husband when they get married so in return her husband would agree to support her for the rest of her life. E.g. It could be money, cattle or household utensils.
What did noblewomen learn to do with herbs?
Cure illness
Who was in charge of the castle when the lord was away?
His wife
What happened when an enemy approached a castle?
The local people rushed inside the walls for safety.
What was an attacker’s best hope of conquering the castle?
To either surprise the castle or with the help of an inside traitor. Otherwise they had to put the castle under siege. (Surround it)
What was a ballista?
A ballista was called a giant crossbow used to fire large arrows over the walls. Sometimes the arrows were dipped in tar and set alight.
What was a battering ram? What did it look like? How did it work?
A battering ram was used to pound on the gates of the castle. It was like a tree guarded by a wooden shed. Men inside the battering ram would move the tree in a swinging motion to batter the gate.
Why would the attacker have to fill in the moat?
They would fill in the moat so their siege towers and scaling ladders could be used against the walls.
How did an attacker undermine the wall?
A mine would be tunneled under the wall, The wooden supports holding up the mine would be burned when it was finished so that the wall above would collapse.
What could be used to throw rocks over the castle walls? What was used to set them alight?
Catapults were used to fire rocks over the castle walls. They were set alight with tar.
What happened to the defenders when a castle was captured?
Little mercy was given to the defenders of the castle.
How long could castles survive a siege?
Months even years
Why did many soldiers leave the besieging army over time?
The attackers had to fight boredom and hunger so many soldiers left the siege.
Why was the castle no longer used in war after the 1400s?
Gunpowder was invented and castles became easier to capture.
What was the main religion during the Middle Ages?
Christianity
What were the duties of the priest during the Middle Ages?
- Say mass for the people.
- Taught them about Christian faith.
- Gave them the sacraments. (Communion, confirmation, baptism etc.)
- Performed their funerals.
Who was the leader of the western church?
The pope
How was the church divided?
Into parishes and dioceses. Each priest had a parish and each dioceses a bishop. Each bishop built a large church called a cathedral in each diocese.
Who did people go to when they needed legal advice or documents read?
The local priest
In what style were the first stone churches built in?
Romanesque.
Why did towns and kings build big churches?
To honour God and show how big and powerful they were.
Describe what you might find in a Romanesque church?
Square tower
Round Arches
Thick Round columns
Dark interiors
What new style emerged in 1150?
The Gothic style
Describe a Gothic style chruch what would you see?
Spires Pointed Arches Slim columns Stained glass windows Stone statues over doors and windows Flying Buttresses
What were the advantages of flying buttresses?
They allowed architects to design churches with huge windows which they filled with brightly colored stained glass.
What were monasteries/convents? What is the difference?
Places where people could get away and pray. Monasteries=men/monks. Convents=women/nuns.
What is an order? Give 3 examples?
A group of monks. Benedictines, Cistercians and Poor Clares.
What did monasteries provide?
They provided an inn and a hospital, education for boys and sometimes girls and help to poor people.
Name the different parts of a medieval monastery?
The church The dormitory’s The cloisters The chapter house The infirmary The guest house The refectory
What was the church used for?
This is where the monks prayed at least seven times a day.
What were the dormitorys used for?
This is where the monks slept.
What were the cloisters?
Where the monks walked and prayed.
What was the chapter house?
The chapter house where the monks met to discuss the business of the monastery and elect the abbot.
What was the infirmary?
Where the sick were nursed.
What was the library?
Where the monks studied and where some monks might have copied manuscripts in a part of the library called the scriptorium.
What was the guest house?
Where the monks gave food to poor people and travelers.
What was the refectory?
This is where the monks ate their meals.
How could a boy decide if he wanted to be a monk? What was he called during this time? What were solemn vows?
He could join a monastery, learn the rules and see if the life suited him. During this time he was called a novice. If a boy wanted to be a monk and the abbot thought he would be a good monk he would let him take solemn vows. Taking these vows would make the boy a monk.
What were the three solemn vows?
Promises of:
Poverty: He must not own anything.
Chastity: He must not marry.
Obedience: Must obey the abbot.
Explain the first four activities of a monks daily timetable?
The day began at 3am. The monk got up to sing matins morning prayers in the church. At 4am they returned to bed for a brief sleep. At 6am they said a silent prayer. At 7am they had breakfast like all meals in strict silence.
What happened in a medieval monastery after breakfast?
Work from 8 to 9:30 (could be in the field or library etc.)
At 10 am the main mass was held in the church.
From 11am to 2pm the monks worked again.
When was Dinner and what happened afterwards?
Dinner at 2pm Reading/free time at 2:30 Work again from 3pm till 5pm Evening prayers at 5pm (vespers) Supper at 6pm At 8pm night prayer and bed. (Compline)
How did monastery’s provide themselves with resources?
They provided everything themselves.
Who was the abbot?
The head of the monastery.
Who was the prior?
When the abbot was away he looked after the monastery.
Who was the almoner?
The almoner looked after the poor when they visited.
Who was the infirmarian?
The infirmarian looked after the sick and kept a record of the herbs used in the monastery.
Who was the librarian?
He looked after the library.
Who was the hosteller?
He looked after travellers.
What new type of monk appeared in 1200?
A friar.
What was the difference between friars and monks?
Monks lived monasteries in secluded places and for their help you had to travel to the monastery.
Friars lived in friaries built near towns. They travelled to nearby areas helping those in need.
Give an example of an order of friars?
Franciscans
Who brought the feudal system to Ireland? Who were they descended from?
The Normans. Vikings who had settled in an area of France called Normandy.
How did the Normans come to Ireland?
They were invited by the Gaelic king of Leinster Dermott McMurrough. Who wanted them to defeat the other Gaelic kings and make him high king of Ireland.
When did the Normans arrive in Ireland? When did king Henry the 2nd arrive in Ireland? What did Henry do when he arrived?
- 3 years later Henry the 2nd arrived. He had an army of over 4000 men. The Gaelic lord’s swore loyalty to Henry hoping he would protect them from the Normans but Henry declared himself lord of Ireland before leaving the Norman’s to do whatever they wanted.
Why did the Norman’s easily conquer Ireland?
Because they were better equipped. The Normans had knights on horseback with heavy armour, lances and swords and archers that showered the Celtic armies in thousands of arrows.
What did the Norman’s do when they conquered an area? What were these replaced by? Where were they built? Talk about another type of smaller castle.
They built a motte and bailey castle. Later they would replace these with stone castles. They usually built these at high places or near rivers. In the 1400s and 1500s the Normans and native Irish built smaller castles called tower houses.
How many castles did the Normans build? What did they set up near many castles?
The Normans built over 200 castles. Near many castles they set up manor farms.
What changes did the Normans bring to the Irish church?
They built many monasteries and cathedrals in the gothic style and they introduced the parish system.
What did the Norman’s set up in Ireland? Why were these important? Give examples.
Towns. They were important because people could trade in them. E.g. Tralee, Kildare, Athlone, Drogheda.
Give an example of two surnames brought to Ireland by the Normans?
Fitzgerald, Smith, Burke, Fleming, Plunkett, Walsh.
What language did the Normans bring to Ireland?
English
Explain the changes of law influenced by the Normans?
The first parliament was set up. The Brethon laws were disbanded. And contrary to the old Brethon laws the eldest son inherited all his fathers land/estate.
Describe differences between Gaelic farming and Norman farming?
The Gaelic farmers mainly tended herds of cattle.
The Normans brought new methods of farming, they tilled the land grew wheat, oats, barley and vegetables.
