Medieval Europe Flashcards
Renaissance
A historical period that originated in Italy in teh 14th century (1300’s)
Known for revival of Classic art, architecture, literature and learning
Where did the word renaissance come from?
From the french word renaître meaning to be born again
What does the rebirth refer to?
A period of creativity based on the rediscovery of ancient greek and roman ways of thinking and the other groups teh europeans came into contact with
What did western europe ignore
Many ideas that were found in documents for nearly 100 years
How did they start to discover new ideas of thinking
From the muslim and jewish scholars that has written these classical documents
Feudalism
A political-economic-social system of land ownership which was in place in most of Europe and in the medieval ages
Based on land, loyalty and duty
The feudal Hierarchy
- King
- Nobles
- Knights
- Commoners (peasants)
How does feudalism work
- King or queen gives land to high ranking nobles for their service (army)
- The noble divides their land to give to lower ranking nobles for their service
- The lower ranking nobles give a portion of their land to the knights
- Serfs give their tax (part of their crops) to the knights which goes back up the pyramid
- If the king or queen go to war they summon all their nobles and knights as their army
The king summons the nobles, nobles summon teh lower ranking nobles and so on creating an army
Life as a serf
Serfs weren’t allowed to leave the manor without the lords permission
For their loyalty nobles offered them protection from invaders
Serfs were not allowed to own weapons
Some (very few) peasants were freemen who rented land from the lord or worked for pay
Medieval women
Women were property of their fathers until married
After marriage they are property of their husbands
Expected to marry within their class and have children
Female serfs had slightly more freedom that noblewoman they could work alongside their husbands (most just had to survive)
What was the economy of the medieval period based on?
Agriculture
What were peasants houses made of?
Hay
Wood
Straw
Which building was made out of stone
Lords manor house
What was the church used for?
Prayer
Marriages
Keeping records
How were fields organized for crops?
Organized into longs strips to make plowing easier
The plows were difficult to turn
What was a glebe?
The land that each church owned
Tithe
Money or property given to the church as tax it would be 10% of your yearly income
Tithe barn
Where the church would collect the tithe (produce) from the farmers
What would the medieval people eat?
Based on their local climate and the plants and animals available to them
How were people choices dictated?
By their social status
Examples of foods the Serfs ate
Barley
Bread
Luxuries included:
Pork
Chicken
Cheese
Examples of foods the nobility ate
Wheat barley
Beef
Chicken
Pork
Wild game (deer, birds)
Where do towns revolve around?
Castles
Palaces
Monasteries
Describe how towns would look like?
Surrounded by stone walls
Crowded
Full of rats
Dirty
But they’re places that offer freedom and new opportunities
What was a guild?
A production of
Goods
Production services
Trade in the towns was organized by the guild
What did the guild do?
Controlled prices
Set quality standards
Decided if someone would be trained as an apprentice
Apprentice
Start at the age of 8 or 9 usually
Parents would pay for training
Trained 2-7 years
Was not allowed to marry during training
Required to obey master
Lived with master and his family
Progress to journeyman
Journeyman
Worked for master to earn salary
Work 6 days a week
Need to produce his finest work to become master
Had to be accepted by guild to become master
Master
Owned his own shop
Worked with other masters to protect their trade
Sometimes served in civic government
Gaining wealth
When acquired skills and wealth in some places you have the opportunity to «move up» in society
New middle class
They formed new middle class that and not existed before
Breaking the hierarchy
This drive a wedge between the commoners and the knights which caused major problems
Sumptuary laws
Laws that restricted what people of certain classes could buy
Why were sumptuary laws created?
Because people were very interested in displaying their wealth through their
Clothing
Cosmetics
Furniture
Decorations
Food
Who created the sumptuary laws?
The nobility
Monotheism
The belief in one god
What were the three major beliefs at the medieval period?
Christianity
Islam
Judaism
What were the origins of the three major beliefs at the medieval period?
Christianity: Jesus 1st century CE Jerusalem
Islam: Mohammed 7th century CE Saudi Arabia
Judaism: Abraham 15th century CE Israel
What are the top authority of the three major religions in the medieval period?
Christianity: Pope
Islam: Kaliph
Judaism: Rabbis
What were the holy books of the three major religions of teh medieval period?
Christianity: Bible
Islam: Quran
Judaism: Tanakh
What is the place of worship for the three major religions in teh medieval period?
Christianity: Church
Islam: Mosque
Judaism: Synagogue
Where was the largest population of the three major religions in the medieval period?
Christianity: Europe, Middle East, Euthopia
Islam: Northern Africa, Middle East, Spain, Central Asia
Judaism: Spain, Iraq, Poland
Medieval christians
Western Europe was very religious based on faith in the Roman Catholic Church
Life was very hard in medieval times: Sickness, war, constant threat
Hope for a better life after death
Believe they go to heaven after death
Both rich and poor gave tithe to the church hoping to be rewarded in teh afterlife
What was tithe mainly used for?
To expand influence and build thousands of churches across Europe
Medieval Islam
Centred mostly in Spain and Portugal
Libraries and Universities were built and islamic Spain was a center of medieval learning
Medieval Judaism
Lived in both islamic and christian europe at the time
Were a small minority
Discrimination against was harsh
They were banned from most professions and focused on academics, jewellers, physicians and money traders
Forced to live in ghettos
Removed from general population in cities
Who were the literate people in society?
The nobility and clergy
Why would the nobility and clergy not want the commoners to be literate?
Can only gain knowledge by what theyre told
Can’t think for themselves
Clergy
People mainly men who worked for the church
Why was travel rare?
Expensive
Difficult
Serfs we’re not allowed to leave the manor without the lords permission
Who were the groups that travel was limited to?
- People making religious pilgrimages
- Knights for military expeditions
- Merchants, Bankers, Messengers travelling for business purposes
- Performers
- Monarchs and high ranking nobility (King, Queens, Lords)
What was the center of the known world on the Psalter map?
Jerusalem
Because Jesus lived and died there so it’s a holy place too
How did Abraham Ortelius map change worldview?
There’s more than just Europe, Asia and Africa
Jerusalem isn’t the center Europe is the center
How did the Black plague start?
It’s originated in Central East Asia
Reached Europe in 1347 through infected fleas and rats that travelled on cargo ships across the Mediterranean Sea
Most fatal pandemic in human history with a death toll of over 25 million people
Bacteria of the Black plague
Called Yersinia Pestis
Common symptoms of the Black plague
Fever
Chills
Headache
Treatment of the Black plague
Modern antibiotics
No vaccine
What are the 3 forms of the plague?
- Bubonic
- Pneumonic
- Septicimic
What is the other word for the Black plague?
The Bubonic plague
What effects did the black plague have on society in Europe?
Serfs we’re released from the bonds to their land
Increased Urbanization
Commoners revolted against the nobility because of their frustrations and lack of help provided
Entire families and communities were wiped out
What effects did the black plague have on the economy?
Severe labour shortages
Nobles went bankrupt and had to rent or sell their land to serfs
Shortage of available goods and services resulting in economic downturn
What effects did the black plague have on beliefs and values?
Some lost faith in religion and gods ability to help them
Some became more religious thinking the plague was a punishment from god and they needed to cleanse themselves from sin
What effects did the black plague have on knowledge?
People had no knowledge of how diseases spread therefore couldn’t stop it
Most peoples perception of why it started were based on superstition, racism and misunderstanding of anatomy and biology
What effects did the black plague have on geography?
Merchants still travelled spreading the plague further into Europe
Starting from the Mediterranean Sea going further north into Europe
