Chapter Six - The Medieval Period - Terms Flashcards
What was a fief?
A area of land given by the king to a noble/Lord, who in return promised to fight for the king.
What was the feudal system?
The system of land ownership in the Middle Ages.
What was a motte?
The hill(sometimes man-made) on which a castle was built.
What was a Bailey?
The courtyard of a medieval castle.
What was the moat?
A deep ditch, sometimes filled with water, that was dug around the walls of a castle.
What was the keep?
A large square tower.
What was the portcullis?
A large iron gate that could be pulled over the entrance to a castle during an attack.
What was a turret?
A small tower built on a castle wall.
What was the Barbican?
A defensive gatehouse at the entrance of a castle.
What was fosterage?
A common medieval practice whereby the Lord and lady sent their children to other noble families to supervise their upbringing.
What was hawking?
A form of hunting whereby birds of prey were trained to hunt for small animals.
What was the manor?
The land owned by a Lord.
What was the demense?
The land the Lord kept to himself.
What was a page?
A boy in the first stages of training to be a knight. He was thought how to read and write, good manners, and basic fighting skills.
What was a squire?
A boy in the second stage of training to be a knight. He accompanied a full knight, was taught how to fight properly, and looked after the knight’s horse and his armour.
What was a tournament?
A contest between Knights. They were a way to keep fit between battles.
What was jousting?
A contest in which two Knights on horseback charged at each other with a lance, in an attempt to knock the other off.
What was chivalry?
The Knights code of conduct.
What was the open field system?
The system of land ownership in the Middle Ages.
What was a serf?
A peasant who was not allowed to leave the village without the lords permission.
What was the tithe?
Every year the serfs had to give one tenth of their crops to the parish priest for the upkeep of the church.
What was pottage?
A vegetable stew.
What was the charter?
The list of rules set up in a medieval town.
What was a toll?
Money that had to be paid in order to race in a medieval town.
What was the curfew?
The rule that all fires had to go out and everyone had to be in their homes by nightfall.
What was a guild?
An organisation for craftspeople which had strict rules.
What was pillory?
A form of punishment in the Middle Ages where an offenders head and hands where locked in a wooden frame.
What was a sanctuary?
A place of refuge from the law in the church’s grounds.
What was a cloister?
A place in the monastery where monks could walk and pray in silence.
Who was the abbot?
The monk in charge of the monastery.
What was the tonsure?
The way in which a monks head was shaved.
What was the chapter house?
The place where monks had daily meetings.
What was the refectory?
Where the monks ate their meals.
What did the infirmian do?
Look after the sick.
Who was the almoner?
The monk who looked after visitors and distributed food to the poor.
What jobs did the illuminator do?
He illustrated the manuscripts.
What was the Black Death?
A medieval plague.
