Chapter 6 - The Middle Ages

Question 1

What was the feudal system, and how did it work?

Answer 1

1. King was most important person: owned all land in country, made the law
2. Gave a fief (area of land) to rich people (nobles/lords) who agreed to supply king with soldiers + horses for his army
3. In turn, nobles gave away some land to professional soldiers called knights (full time, fought for nobles + kings)
4. Peasants were at bottom of system - worked land for nobles + knights who in turn offered them protection
5. Peasants paid rent, + most were ‘tied to the land’ - forbidden to leave village to work elsewhere without permission of noble/knight

Question 2

Describe the first type of castle in the Middle Ages

Answer 2

Motte + Bailey Castles

1. Built from wood at first, often on top of hills which gave them good view of surrounding area, making it difficult for enemy to launch surprise attack
2. These hills were sometimes artificially made from piles of rocks + soil - this type of hill is called a motte
3. At the bottom the the hill there was a courtyard called a Boleyn surrounded by a wooden fence
4. A deep ditch called a moat was dug around the outside of the fence - moats were often filled its water from a nearby river to stop attackers climbing over fence
5. But m+b castles weren’t very strong, could easily be destroyed by fire

Question 3

Describe the later castles of the Middle Ages

Answer 3

Stone Castles

1. Mainly built for defence, at first paid little attention to comfort
2. Keep (large square tower) was where lord + family lived
3. Castles were cold + damp, windows had no glass at first + were small so arrows etc. couldn’t be fired into keep - this kept put much daylight, made dark + damp
4. Large fires lit for heat, walls decorated with large wool hangings + rugs on floor helped brighten up interior
5. No flushing toilets, people sat on wooden seats called a garderobe from which waste fell down chute into moat
6. Many different rooms in keep: private rooms of lord + family situated on top floor (considered safest)
7. Great hall most important room in keep, where lord + family ate meals + entertained guests - also sometimes used as court to rule those who had broken law
8. Most keeps had dungeon - cold, dark place usually below keep, used as prison + place to store food

Question 4

How were medieval castles defended?

Answer 4

1. Medieval stone castles designed to be strong + easy to defend
2. Stone wall with number of turrets surrounded castle, archers could fire arrows on enemy from gaps in wall called battlements
3. Boiling oil + quicklime could also be poured from top of castle walls onto attackers below
4. Drawbridge over most could be quickly drawn up + steel gate called portcullis lowered across gate
5. Some large castles had fortified gatehouse called barbican

Question 5

How were medieval castles attacked?

Answer 5

1. Extremely dangerous - if enemy had plenty of time then siege was safest way of ensuring victory, but some castles were stocked with food + it could take some time to starve out those inside
2. Battering rams used to try break through castle gate, + large rocks hurled from catapults called mangonels in effort to break castle walls
3. Rope ladders + special towers known as siege towers used to scale castle walls
4. Sometimes tunnels dug beneath foundations of wall in effort to force collapse (bowl of water test)

Question 6

What were the main duties of the lord?

Answer 6

1. To ensure rents were paid + his knights remained loyal + ready to defend his lands
2. Estate steward carried out most of these tasks on behalf of the lord - issued orders to bailiffs who were responsible for collecting rents + fines
3. Also acted as a judge - settled local disputes, handed out punishments + fines to those who broke the law/disobeyed his rules

Question 7

Describe the banquets held by the lord

Answer 7

1. Held in the great hall to entertain visiting lords/the king of the land
2. Great choice of food, especially for those who sat at top table with lord + lady - e.g. exotic dishes like peacock + swan (lord + nobles ate well, usually meat + veg)
3. Bad smell of meat (may have been stored + salted for quite a while) disguised by adding spices - may have also sometimes been dyed to make more appetising
4. Other guests sat at long tables - the more important the closer to the top table
5. Only those at top table had food served on platters other guests used trenches (large slabs of stale bread)

Question 8

Describe one of the pastimes of the lord?

Answer 8

1. Hunting was one of his most popular pastimes, + also a way of providing food for the castle
2. Hunted deer, wild boar + foxes on horseback
3. Sometimes also carried out on foot/by using birds of prey e.g. eagles, falcons, hawks

Question 9

How was the lady usually married?

Answer 9

1. Rarely out of love, usually because of pact between father + neighbouring lord
2. Marriages sometimes arranged between children, girls often married by 14

Question 10

What were the main duties of the lady?

Answer 10

1. In charge of domestic duties, but in charge of running castle when lord was away
2. Ensured there was enough food in the storeroom to last a number of months, + oversaw the food salting (necessary for preservation)
3. Also largely responsible for upbringing of children - weren’t always hers as fosterage was common (7+)
4. Ladies in waiting helped with these duties (usually relatives/other noble women)

Question 11

Describe the pastimes and clothes of the lady

Answer 11

1. Rarely hunted on horseback, but often took part in hawking
2. Falcons etc. specially trained to fly from wrist to kill + bring back other birds/small animals like rabbits
3. Would also play musical instruments/games such as chess/do embroidery
4. Wore long expensive silk dresses, and strange looking headdresses which completely covered hair

Question 12

Who were men-at-arms, and why were they necessary?

Answer 12

1. Fighters who were always ready to come to the lords aid at short notice, such as archers, watchmen, foot soldiers + knights (horseback, most trained + skilled)
2. Because lord had to be prepared for war at any time - castles had to be guarded against attack 24/7

Question 13

Describe the first stage of knight training

Answer 13

1. Could take up to 15 years to become fully trained knight - only boys from noble families allowed privilege
2. Started preparation around 6-7, sent away to become page at lord’s castle
3. Pages learned good manners, how to read + write + were expected to act as servants to lord + lady
4. Also learned basic fighting skills using wooden swords + shields

Question 14

Describe the second stage of knight training

Answer 14

1. Moved on to second stage from page at 14
2. Became a squire
3. Squire accompanied fully trained knight - learned to fight with real weapons, responsible for looking after knights horse + armour

Question 15

When and how was somebody finally knighted?

Answer 15

1. If squire proved he was skilful + brave warrior after 7 years with knight
2. Knighting of a squire don’t during ceremony called accolade
3. Spent night before ceremony in church, praying he would be good knight + wouldn’t fail in duty to serve lord/king
4. On morning of ceremony, dressed in white tunic (purity), red robe (willingness to shed blood) + black jacket (acceptance he may die in battle)
5. Then knelt before lord for dubbing (involved lord tapping knight on head + shoulders with sword)
6. Lord would then present new knight with a sword
7. On occasion a squire/other men-at-arms could be knighted on battlefield as reward for act of bravery

Question 16

What did knights wear?

Answer 16

1. Heavy armour for protection when going into battle
2. At first armour was chain mail, but as more deadly weapons used knights began to wear plate armour (type of metal suit)
3. Also wore helmet + gauntlets (metal gloves) to protect head + hands

Question 17

How did knights keep fit + practice skills between wars?

Answer 17

1. Taking part in competitions called tournaments
2. Sometimes took part in mock battles called mêlées (free for all)
3. Jousting was most popular contest of the tournaments
4. Two knights charged at each other on horses on either side of fence called tilt
5. Aim was to unseat rival by knocking them off their horse with a lance
6. Defeated knight usually had to give winner horse + all armour

Question 18

What were knights expected to show off the battlefield?

Answer 18

1. Good manners - known as chivalry

2. According to code of chivalry, were supposed to be loyal, brave, generous + courteous to women

Question 19

Describe where most people lived during the Middle Ages

Answer 19

1. Around 70% of people lived in countryside, most in small villages owned by local lord (lord of the manor)
2. Lord usually rented most of land to peasants in village, apart from his own private farm (demesne)
3. Manors sometimes called grange

Question 20

Describe a village during the Middle Ages

Answer 20

1. Most included 20-30 huts where the peasants lived, church, + Manor House where lord lived
2. Land in the village divided into 3 large fields - worked on an open field system
3. This meant each field was divided into 1 acre strips, separated by narrow grassy paths, + peasants were given separate strips of land in each field (to ensure good + bad land was equally divided)
4. Also wasted time as peasants fields could be quite far from one another
5. As part of open field system, crops rotated each year
6. 1 field left fallow to rest soil - awful waste of land
7. Strips dividing fields were also awful waste of land - if 1 peasant failed to weed his strip of land, strips on either side became overgrown too
8. Every village had small patch of common land where peasants could graze animals
9. Some peasants were freemen + could leave village, but most serfs + needed lords permission to travel
10. Serf could become freeman by escaping + remaining at large for year + a day

Question 21

What did the peasants have to do for the lord in exchange for living on and farming his land? What did they have to ask permission for, and what did they have to give the church?

Answer 21

1. Give lord some of crops they grow + work on his farm three days a week
2. Cut cartload of wood for him annually
3. Must pay for use of water mill + seek permission if want to leave village/get married
4. Had to give 10% of crops to parish priest for upkeep of church (tithe)

Question 22

What did serfs do throughout the year?

Answer 22

1. In spring, plant strips of land + sow seeds of oats, peas + beans for coming harvest - hard keeping fields weed free
2. In good weather cut grass + make hay to see livestock through winter
3. In autumn any animals that can’t be fed during winter killed + meat preserved by salting + storing away for coming months

Question 23

What did the wives of serfs usually do? What clothes did serfs wear?

Answer 23

1. Grew vegetables in small patch beside house
2. Made butter + cheese from cows milk
3. Makes clothes for family by spinning wool into rough thread
4. Male serfs wore cloth tunic, leather boots, + felt hat
5. Women wore woollen dress + simple (linen cloth wrapped around head + neck)

Question 24

Describe the home of a serf. What did they eat?

Answer 24

1. One-room thatched wattle + daub cottage built around wooden frame
2. No glass in windows, hole in roof for chimney
3. Piece of sacking hung from roof to divide family + animals (share home)
4. Floors are bare, furniture is y’a le and couple of stools
5. Meals cooked on open fire in centre of floor
6. Mainly ate bread, porridge + pottage (vegetable stew); drank beer
7. ,eat only eaten on special occasions (e.g. Christmas)

Question 25

Describe the festivals celebrated by serfs

Answer 25

1. At Christmas have 12 day holiday
2. Cottages decorated with holly + mistletoe
3. On Christmas Day lord usually invites all peasants to feast in Manor House
4. Celebrations last until another feast on January 6, then back to normal
5. Another large festival held on May 1
6. Every villager dresses in green, young boy + girl dressed as king + queen
7. In evening everyone gathers around tree which is cut down + placed in centre of village (maypole) - party + dance around it

Question 26

What happened to peasants who broke the law?

Answer 26

1. Tried at the Manor House
2. If failed to pay fine imposed by court, animal taken away + placed in enclosure called pound until fine is paid
3. Pound also used for keeping stray animals

Question 27

What pastimes did peasants have?

Answer 27

1. Life tough, but little time for pastimes on Sundays + holidays
2. Wrestling + cockfighting popular sports
3. Once a year fair is held on village green where merchants come to buy + sell goods

Question 28

How did medieval towns form? What was the relationship of the people there to the lord? How was it defended?

Answer 28

1. Often grew close to castles
2. Those living in town paid rent to lord of castle but were free to travel, didn’t work for lord + could choose own way to make a living
3. Heavily defended like castles; large wall with battlements + towers surrounded town from where archers could fire on attacking force
4. Large entrance gates defended by sentries at all times - closed at night, travellers had to wait until dawn to enter

Question 29

How were medieval towns controlled?

Answer 29

1. Controlled by local lord at first
2. In time powerful merchants paid lord to hand power over to town council under control of mayor
3. Charter (list of rules for the town) would then be drawn up
4. Anyone entering town to sell goods had to pay toll

Question 30

What were some general downsides of medieval towns?

Answer 30

1. They were crowded, busy, smelly + noisy
2. No sewage system, rubbish + waste left to pile up in drain in centre of road
3. Contents of chamber pots thrown out window onto street below
4. Disease rampant, streets + houses infested with rats

Question 31

Who were the two most important types of people in medieval towns? Describe them and the roles they played

Answer 31

1. Merchants + craftsmen
2. Merchants became rich from selling goods + trade
3. Built fine homes as became richer - most had timber frames + walls covered with thick plaster
4. Many different types of craftsmen, e.g. ironmongers, bakers, carpenters + butchers
5. Lived in houses which were also their workshops
6. Some of houses had shops to from where sold goods
7. Tended to stick together, e.g. all bakers on one street - streets often named after them

Question 32

What were the stages of becoming a craftsman? Describe them

Answer 32

1. Apprentice - young boys who wished to learn a trade sent as apprentice to master craftman’s shop
   - Spent number of years learning skills of trade, lived in attic of masters house, ate with master + family
2. Journeyman - after about 7 years of training
   - this meant free to do day’s paid work for anyone
   - needed to prove skill was high enough if wanted to become master
3. This was achieved by making a masterpiece (example of his work)
4. If the other master craftsmen in the town considered it to be of excellent standard, was free to open one shop if had enough money

Question 33

When and what did craftsmen eat?

Answer 33

1. Two good meals a day; dinner at midday + supper at 5 in winter + 7 in summer
2. Breakfast was just bread + weak beer, so most v. hungry by dinner
3. Wooden platters used instead of plates, most ate with fingers rather than cutlery
4. Roast joint brought up from kitchen for dinner, master cut piece for himself then passed along table to each of workers
5. Ate apples, cheese + spiced cakes at supper
6. Drank ale/meat from pewter tankards with meals

Question 34

What were guilds? What did they do? Give some examples of guild rules

Answer 34

1. Craftsmen formed guild to maintain high standards of goods - each trade had own guild which laid out rules
   e. g.
   - no one allowed to start work before sunrise
   - all workshops had to close after dinner on Sunday
   - workshops had to remain closed on Sundays/feast days
2. Prices were fixed to stop underselling
3. Guilds also settled disputes between craftsmen + their apprentices/journeymen
4. Craftsmen paid yearly fee to guild
5. This money used to pay for care of sick colleagues/towards up,eep of families of deceased members
6. Each guild had own patron saint
7. On that saints feast day craftsmen would shut shops + march through town
8. Party would be held in guildhall in centre of town

Question 35

How were laws set in medieval times? What were some common punishments for specific crimes? What duty did townspeople have in relation to this?

Answer 35

1. No common law, laws set by lord of manor/mayor + his council in towns + cities
2. Criminals rarely kept in prison for long - thieves + murderers would receive quick trial + were immediately hanged if found guilty
3. For lesser crimes punishment was usually public humiliation
4. Gossipers may have faced dunking in local river/pond on dunking chair, or have been forced to wear a scold bridle (steel mask that prevented talking)
5. Butcher who sold rotten meat/baker that sold stale bread could have been for raced to spend day in pillory/stocks to face public ridicule + have rotten fruit + veg thrown at them
6. Could also sometimes be dragged through streets on type of wooden sleigh called hurdle with rotten food tied around necks
7. Everyone in town had duty to raise hue + cry if saw crime being committed

Question 36

What happened at night in medieval towns?

Answer 36

1. Curfew bell rang out, and after this all good townspeople were expected to stay in their houses for the night
2. Gates of the town locked, anyone found outside house would be challenged by a night watchman

Question 37

What role did the church play in the Middle Ages?

Answer 37

1. Most people in Europe believed in God + followed teachings of pope + bishops
2. Pope was most powerful ruler in Western Europe
3. Nominated bishops to rule area known as diocese - they ordered building of large cathedrals in each diocese as symbol of power + glory of church
4. Many so ornate took 100s of years to build

Question 38

What were the two main types of cathedral architecture in the Middle Ages?

Answer 38

1. Romanesque

2. Gothic

Question 39

Describe the Romanesque architecture style

Answer 39

1. This was the first type of architecture in the Middle Ages
2. These churches had rounded arches over doors + windows + between thick columns in the church

Question 40

Describe the gothic architecture style

Answer 40

1. Came after the Romanesque style
2. Had pointed arches over doors + windows
3. Within church there were think columns + narrow aisle known as the nave
4. Also had rose window (large round stained glass window)
5. Roof of building was supported on the outside with arches called flying buttresses

Question 41

What did friars do?

Answer 41

They were monks who chose to travel from town to town spreading the word of God rather than live in monasteries

Question 42

How did a man become a monk?

Answer 42

1. First had to spend year in monastery as novice learning rules + discipline of monastic way of life
2. After those became monk by taking vow he would obey rules of monastery

Question 43

Give some of the rules St Benedict had written for the monks to follow

Answer 43

1. Had to spend much of the day praying to God
2. Must serve God by ordinary work such as working in the fields, caring for the sick + poor, cooking, washing + cleaning
3. Must also serve God by self-disciplined - must give up everything they own, obey the abbot + follow a life of poverty + chastity

Question 44

What did monks usually wear? What did their hair typically look like?

Answer 44

1. Wore specially woollen tunic called habit + sandals on feet
2. Had crown of head shaven in tonsure (looked like bald patch on top of head)

Question 45

Describe the typical day of a monk

Answer 45

4am --> Matins (morning prayers)
6am --> Mass
7am --> Light breakfast
8am --> Work
10am --> Prayers
11am --> Work
2pm --> Dinner
3pm --> Work
5pm --> Vespers (evening prayers)
6pm --> Supper
7pm --> Retire to bed

Question 46

Describe some buildings in the monastery

Answer 46

1. Church
2. Chapter house (where daily meetings were held
3. Refectory (dining room) - talking was forbidden during meal times
4. Cloister in centre of monastery (walled, enclosed area where monks could walk + pray in silence)
5. Slept in long, narrow common room called dormitory (only abbot had own quarters)
6. Infirmary (hospital for the sick)
7. Scriptorium (Where manuscripts were copied)

Question 47

Describe how the infirmary in a monastery worked

Answer 47

1. Hospital for the sick
2. Herbs grown in garden + used to treat ill
3. Monk called infirmarian in charge of looking after sick
4. Kept careful record of which herbs worked, became expert at making medicines for different illnesses

Question 48

What did the almoner of the monastery do?

Answer 48

Looked after visitors to the monastery + was in charge of distributing food to the poor

Question 49

Describe what the scriptorium in a monastery was + what happened there

Answer 49

1. Part of a monk’s work was reading + copying books
2. Manuscripts copied in special room called scriptorium
3. Monks spent hours copying important manuscripts by hand + decorating them
4. Specially trained monk called illuminated often carried out this artwork

Question 50

How did the monks in a monastery get what they needed?

Answer 50

1. The monastery was self-sufficient, meaning the monks grew + made everything they needed
2. Cereals + vegetables grown in fields; bees kept for honey; cows, sheep + goats raised for milk +
3. Monks made own benches + chairs, baked own bread, brewed beer, + made wine

Question 51

What was the Black Death? How did it affect medieval society?

Answer 51

1. Terrible plague that arrived in Europe from Asia in 1347 (spread first from ships arriving at Italian trading ports)
2. Once caught, large black boils appeared on body
3. Spread by bloodsucking fleas that lived on rats, but nobody realised at time - so none of many recommended cures worked
4. Some saw it as punishment from god for sins
5. Spread quickly across Europe, had killed third of population within 6 years
6. Had terrible effect of medieval life - many craftsmen + merchants in towns died, + there was shortage of peasants in countryside
7. Peasants that survived were more in demand, sought better conditions
8. Wanted wage for working land, if local lord refused to pay moved on until found lord willing to offer better conditions
9. This gradually brought end to feudal system, led to freedom of serfs in many countries

Question 52

In the early Middle Ages, who affected Ireland? How were they defeated?

Answer 52

1. In 8th/9thcentury, Ireland, Britain + France attacked by Viking raiders from Scandinavia
2. Established settlements along east coast of Ireland (mainly Dublin, Wexford, Waterford), but failed to control large parts of country
3. Any plans of viking conquest in Ireland ended when defeated by Brian Boru (Ard Rí of Ireland)

Question 53

What did some successful vikings become known as? How?

Answer 53

1. Large group of vikings settled in part of France now called Normandy –> ‘north-men/normans’

Question 54

Who introduced the feudal system to Ireland and when?

Answer 54

The Normans, in the twelfth century

Question 55

What happened in 1066?

Answer 55

1. The Norman duke William the Conquerer invaded England + killed King Harold at Battle of Hastings
2. Then became king, introduced Norman way of living to England

Question 56

How did the normans come to, and eventually gain power over, Ireland?

Answer 56

1. Invaded 100+ years after Hastings at invitation of King of Leinster (Dermot Mac Murrough) who was forced to leave country after quarrel with High King (Rory Ó Connor)
2. Travelled to England for support of King Henry II (descendant of William the Conquerer)
3. Henry was interested in taking over Ireland, agreed to allow MM to recruit army to take back leadership of Leinster
4. Struck deal with Strongbow (Wales) - Strongbow could marry daughter, Aoife, in return for help (major disaster, took over Leinster + more)
5. 1169: first Norman armies arrived in Waterford under leadership of Strongbow - better trained than Irish, soon captured large parts of provinces
6. Henry became alarmed that some of nobles might establish own kingdoms, visited with large army in 1171
7. Norman leaders agreed to accept King Henry’s rule over Ireland, beginning of 800 years of tensions

Question 57

How did the normans influence Ireland?

Answer 57

1. Failed to take over whole of Ireland, in time married Irish women + became truly Irish, even adopting language
2. But did introduce many customs to Ireland, bringing decline in Celtic way of life
3. Feudal farming system spread to many parts of country
4. Normans lived in towns rather than isolated settlements like the Celts
5. Many castles + towns built under Norman direction, especially along southeast where influence was strongest
6. Extent of influence can be gauged by surnames: Fitz______, Power