Kings, Nobles, Warfare, & Courtly Life Flashcards
how did rulers get positioned?
- inheritence/lineage
- election
- marriage
- conquest
- church/coronation
inheritence = belief that God favoured these families; standard for ppl to be succeeded by relatives
what was the Peace & Truce of God?
- bishops tried to enforce more peaceful living
- protected non-combatants & their property
- heavy spiritual punishment → fighting considered sinful
what is motte & bailey?
fortifications
motte = natural or manmade hill on which someone has built a tower
bailey = area at bottom of hill where normal living takes place
very hard to attack up a hill → not meant to be permanent
what were the benefits of stone castles?
- harder to take by siege
- better siege equipment (trebuchets & projecting balconies)
- form of visual propaganda
what were the different purposes of castles?
- defensive
- administrative
- residential
what was Feudalism?
knights formed reciprocal relationships with wealthier men; individual warriors (vassals) pledged loyalty & military assistance in return for financial support from lords
vassals had the right to revolt against lords not fulfilling their duties; some had loyatly to multiple lords
what were the transformations of war?
- private war inc. limited
- religious definitions of just war
- fewer wars but on a larger scale
- feudalism as a mens of recruitment dec.
- Christian banned from fighting
how did knights rise in status?
- often given roles in local gov’t
- part of lower aristocracy
- elite males trained in noble households
- militaristic society
what was chivalric literature?
- epics, lyric poems, & troubadours
- courtly romance
- church emphasis on consent & marital affection (12th c.)
