Medieval Period Flashcards
What was Europe not called in the medieval and the Renaissance period
It was not called an empire, but a collection of kingdoms
What are the three names for the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages, the dark ages and the medieval period
When did the Middle Ages start and end
500 AD- 1500AD
What are the start and end dates when referring to the dark ages
500 AD - 1000 AD
What followed the fall of the Roman Empire
The Middle Ages
What was lost after the fall of the Roman Empire
A lot of the roman culture and knowledge, that included art, technology, history and engineering.
why was the Middle Ages sometimes called the dark ages
because historians do not have many facts o what happened during the Middle Ages
what was the government and society based around during the Middle Ages
the fuedal system
what did The Lord do
he lived in a manor house and all the peasants lived in small communities around the manor. The Lord owned the land and everything in it. he would keep peasants safe in return for their service. The Lord woul provide the king with soldiers or taxes
what was land granted for under the feudal system
it was granted for service. the king granted land to a baron for soldiers. peasants got land to grow crops.
what was the manor
it was the centre of life in the Middle Ages. was run by the local lord who lived in a castle or mansion. people would gather in the castle/mansion for celebrations or for protection.
what was in the small village that formed around the castle/ mansion
local church, farms, the blacksmith, mill, serfs houses
what was the order of the hierarchy
king bishop baron lord peasants/serfs
who was the king
top leader of the land. he divided the land amongst the barons. barons pledged loyalty and soldiers to the king.
what happened when the king died
his firstborn son wold inherit the throne.
what was it called when one family stayed in power for a long time
a dynasty
who was the bishop
the top church leader in the kingdom and managed an area called a diocese. the Catholic Church was very powerfull, which made the bishop powerful.
why was the Catholic Church powerful
the church received a tithe of 10% from everyone
who was the baron
they ruled large areas of land called fiefs and reported directly to the king. they divided up the land between lords. they maintained the army that was at the king’s service
what would happen if the barons did not have an army
they would pay the king tax. the tax was called shield money
who was The Lord
he ran a local manor. they were nights and could be called into battle at any moment by their baron. the lords owned everything on their land including easans, crops and village
who were the peasants
they were also known as serfs. they made up the majority of the people during the Middle Ages. they ha very rough lives
what were free peasants
they were peasants who could own their own business like carpeters, bakers and blacksmiths
what were other peasants like
they were like slaves. they owned nothing and were pledged to their local lord. they worked long days, 6 days a week and often didn’t have enough food to survive
who was the land worked by
peasants. 90% of the people worked the land as peasants
how long did serfs live
they worked hard and usually died before the age of 30
what was the divine right
the belief that kings were given the right to rule by God
what was life in the country like
most of the people lived in the country and worked as farmers. local lord lived in large house called a manor or a castle. local peasants worked land for lord. peasants worked hard the whole year. some peasants had gardens in which they grew vegetables and fruits and some kept a few animals such as cows and sheep
what kind of crops did serfs work all year to produce
barley, wheat and oats
what oaths did the barons and the lords swear to the king
oaths of homage and fealty
who held the court and decided punishments for crime
The Lord
what was life in the city like
it was very different from country life, but it wasn’t much easier. they were crowded and dirty. many people worked as craftsmen and were members of a guild. boys served as apprentices learning a craft.
what were some other jobs in the city
merchants, bakers, doctors, and lawyers
what were their homes like
most people lived in small houses with one or two rooms. everyone usually slept in the same room. in the country, the animals might have also lived inside. the house was usually dark, smokey from the fire, and overcrowded.
what did they wear
most peasants wore plain clothes made from heavy wool to keep warm in winter, the wealthy wore nicer clothes made from fine wool, velvet and silk.
what did men usually wear
they generally wore tunics, woolen stockings, breeches, and a cloak
what did woman usually wear
a long skirt called a kirtle, an apron, woolen stockings and a cloak
what did peasants eat
they didn’t have a lot of variety in their meals. they mostly ate bread and vegetable stew. they would sometimes flavor the stew with a bit of meat or bones. meat, cheese and eggs were saved for special occasions. leftover meat was smoked or salted to preserve it. the bread they eat was made out of wheat that had not been ground down a lot. this caused the bread to be very coarse and was often so rough that it damaged the serfs teeth
what did nobles eat
they ate a wide variety of food including meats and sweet puddings
did children go to school
very few people went to scholl. most peasants learned their jobs and how to survive from their parents. some children became apprentices.
did wealthy children go to school
they often learned through a tutor. there were also schools run by the church. the first universities also began during the Middle Ages
what would happen if a peasant was caught hunting on the lord’s land
they would be killed
what would doctors sometimes use to heal diseases
the doctor would sometimes put leaches on the person and bleed them
what did most people drink
they would mostly dink wine or ale. they did not drink as much water because the water was dirty and often made them sick
what were marriages like
they were often arranged, especially for nobles. noble girls would Mary at 12 and boys at 14
what were the two ways that a man could become a knight
they could earn the right on a battle field by showing bravery. he could be awarded this by the king, a lord or another knight. the second way was to become an apprentice to a knight and earn a title through hard work and training
why could some people not become knights
because they could not afford it. you had to have enough money for a horse, armor and weapons
what would happen when a boy decided that he wanted to become a knight
he would go and live in a household of a knight when he was 7.
what were the stages of becoming a knight
page - age 7
squire- age 15
knight - age 21
what did a page do
a page was basically a servant. he learned the proper way to behave, good maners, and began to train to fight
what did a squire do
a page would become a squire at the age of 15. the young man would take care of the knight’s horsese, clean his armor an weapons, and accompany the knight to the battle field. they had to be ready to fight
when did most squires become knights
at the age of 21
what did squires learn about from the night
about castle and siege warfare
where does the word squir come from
the french word meaning ‘ shield-bearer’
what would happen to wealthy knights
they had several pages and squires to assist them
what would knights do when not fighting war
they would need to hone their skills. they did this by holding tounaments and jousting
what were tournaments
they were fake battles between two groups of knights ( typically from different areas )
where would tournaments take place
on a large field and crowds would gather to watch.
what is a quintain
a long, blunt, wooden stick used in jousting
how did the tournaments work
at the sound the bugle each side would lower their lances and charge. the knights who hadn’t fallen off of their horses would charge again. they would continue to do this until one side had a winner
where the tournaments safe
no, the lances were blunted, but many were still injured.
what was the best knight from each side awarded
a prize
what was jousting
a very popular competition among knights during the Middle Ages. it was where two knights would charge each other and try to knock the other off their horse with a lance
what was the ideal knight
they must be humble,loyal, fair, christian, and have good manners. it was influenced by the church
what was the code of chivalry
to follow the church and defend it with his life to protect woman and the weak to serve and defend the king to be generous and onest to never lie to live by honor and glory to help widows and orphans
did all the knights follow this code
no, some did not, especially when it came to dealing with people of the lower classes
what was the centre of town life
the church
what played a major role in Europe during the Middle Ages
christianity and the Catholic Church
what did people do at the church
people attended weekly ceremonies. they were married, confirmed, and buried at the church. the church also confirmed kings on their thrones, giving them the divine right to rule
why did the church become rich and powerful
people had to pay a tithe of 1/10th of all their earnings. they also paid the church for many sacraments such as baptism, marriage, and communion. people also paid penances for their sins. leaders in the church became rich and powerful. eventually the church owned 1/ of the land in Western Europe
why did the church not have to pay the king any tax for their land
because they were seen as an independent
what happened to some of the nobles in regards to the church
they became leaders such as abbots or bishops in the church
what was an abbot
the head/leader of the monks
what were the bishops
they were head/ leader of the monks
what was the structure of the church
at the top was the pope. he was said to be infallible (with out sin)
below that were powerful men called cardinals. next were the bishops and the abbots. even bishops had a lot of power on the local level and often served on the council of the king
what did catholics believe
they believed that the only way to salvation was through Jesus and working
who were the protestants
they were a group of people in Western Europe that believed that the only way to salvation was through jesus (by faith through grace) they had no pope
what were cathedrals
cathedrals were very large churches. they were the most expensive and beautiful buildings built.
how long could construction on a cathedral take
up to 200 years
how were most cathedral laid out
in the shape of a cross with very tall walls and high ceilings . gothic
what was gothic architecture
it came about during the 12th century. it was a new architectural style. this style allowed the weight of the vaulted ceiling to rest on buttresses instead of the walls. this allowed the walls to be thinner and higher, and it allowed for big, tall windows
where was some of the greatest art in the Middle Ages
in cathedrals. stained glass windows, sculptures, architecture, and painted murals
what other religions were there in the Middle Ages
vikings worshiping Thor. Muslims in Spain, and Jews in Spain and Portugal
how did conversions of a country work
they generally went from the king down. once the king had been converted, his nobles and people would be converted.
what else were cathedrals and churches used for
they were used for a meeting place for large groups when a large location was needed. they also provided education and looked after the poor and the sick
why were castles built
to protect the lords and princes. and to defend the land. they could defend from attacks as well as prepare to launch attacks of their own from their castle.
what were castles made of originally
wood and timber
what were castle made from after wood and timber
wood and timber was replaced with stone to make the castle stronger
where were castles usually built
they were usually built at the top of a hill where they could see all the natural features on the land to help with defence
what are some of the similar features that most castles had
moat keep curtain wall arrow slits gatehouse battlements
what was the moat
the moat was a defensive ditch that was filled with water or sewerage. there was typically a drawbridge across it to get to the castle gate. attackers would not be able to get across because their armor was so heavy. sometimes they would pour oil on top and set it on fire
what was the keep
it was a large tower and the last place of defense. the king and queen would sleep here.
what was the curtain wall
it was the wall around the castle which had a walkway on it from which defenders could fire arrows down onto attackers
what were arrow slits
they were slits cut into the walls that allowed archers to shoot arrows at the attackers, but remain safe
what was the gatehouse/ gaurdhouse
it was built at the gate to help reinforce the castle defense at its weakest point
what were battlements
they were at the tops of castle walls. they were generally cut out from the walls allowing defenders to attack while still being protected by the wall
what are two famous castles
windsor castle
Tower of London
windsor castle
William the conquerer built this castle after he became ruler of england.
tower or London
a large white tower that as started by William the conquerer. over time the tower had served as a prison, treasure, armory, and royal palace
what was art in the Middle Ages different based on
it was different based on location in Europe as well as the period of time.
what are the three main categories that the art in the Middle Ages can be divided into
byzantine art, romanesque art, and gothic art.
what was most of the art in the Middle Ages
it was mostly religious art with catholic \subjects and themes
what is the end of the Middle Ages often signalled by
a great change in art
byzantine art
the main form of art during 500 - 1000 AD was byzantine art produced by artists from the eastern Roman Empire, also called byzantine. it was charachterised by its lack of realism. paintings were flat with no shadows and the subjects were generally very serious and somber. the subjects of the paintings were almost entirely religious. many paintings being of christ and the virgin Mary
romanesque art
started around 1000 AD and lasted to around 1300 . its focus was on religion and Christianity. it contained stain glass art, large murals on walls and domed ceilings, and carvings on buildings and columns
gothic art
it grew out of romanesque art. gothic artists began to use brighter colours, dimensions and perspective, and moved towards more realism. they began to use more shadows and light in their art and tried out new subject matters including animals and mythic scenes.
who was Donatello
he was an Italian sculpture known for his statues of david, Mary Magdalene, and Madonna
who was Benvenuto di Giuseppe
he was also called Cimabue. he was an Italian artist from Florence and was known for his paintings and mosaics.
who was the majority of the literature written by
by clerics and monks. few other people knew how to read and write. much of what they wrote where hymns, or songs about God. some also wrote philosophical documents about religion. some non-religious books were also written
what are some famous literary works form the Middle Ages
the Canterbury tales
the divine comedy
the book of Margery Kempe
the Canterbury tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer. a series of tales that portray Chaucer’s view on english society and time
the divine comedy
by Dante Alighieri. it is often considered one of the greatest works in world literature. describes Dante’s view on the afterlife
the book of Margery Kempe
by Margery Kempe. considered to be the first autobiography written in english
what are guilds
groups or associations of craftsmen. each guild focused on a specific trade such as the candlemaker’s guild or the tanners’s guild
why were guilds important
they allowed for skills to be passed down from generation to generation. it protected members of if they got sick or came into hard times, they controlled working conditions and hours of work. they would also prevent non-guild members from selling competitive products. some guild members were even excluded form paying high taxes to the king. they had a number of rules that kept the quality of work and pricing consistent
what were the Crusades
they were a series of wars during the Middle Ages between Europe and to Arabs.
what was the goal of the Christian Europeans
they were trying to retake control of jerusalem and the holy land from the muslims
who was pope Urban II
he initiated the first crusade
why did the jews want to control jerusalem
it was important because it was the site where the original temple to God was built by Solomon
why was jerusalem important to muslims
because it was where they believed Muhammad ascended into heaven.
why was jerusalem important to christians
because it was where christ was crucified and rose again.
who fought in the crusades
Europe ( mostly the Holy Roman Empire ) and the Arabs who had taken control of jerusalem.
how many soldiers were there from Europe in the first crusade
about 30 000. they were made up of knights, peasants and other commoners.
how did people see the army
some saw it as a way to get rich and try out their fighting skills, others saw as a way into heaven
how long did a number of crusades take place over
over 200 years
what was the crusaders battle cry
God wills it
what was the symbol for the crusaders
the Red Cross. soldiers wore it on their clothing and armor
what was the Black Death
it was a terrible disease that spread through Europe from 1347- 1350. there was no cure and it was highly contagious
how did the plague start
it likely started in Asia and traveled west on the Silk Road.
what was the disease carried by
fleas that lived on rats. historians believe that black rats living on european merchant ships caught the disease and brought it to Europe
how many people had the plague killed by the time it had run its course
one third of the people in europe and probably more.
how many people died in Paris, France per day
an estimates 800 people.
what dilemma did people face during the Black Death
they had too many bodies to burry. but since they didn’t know the disease was carried by rats, they didn’t realise that having a dirty city meant that more people would die. sometime entire towns or villiages were wiped out by the plague.
what did people do in response to the plague
they thought it was the end of the world, their doors and tried to hide in their houses. they also burned down entire villages at an attempt to stop the plague
what is the Black Death called today
the bubonic plague
what happens to people who get the plague today
very few people get the plague, and most of the people who do get it recover
how many years did it take for Europe to rebuild its infrastructure
about 150 years
how many people dies of the plague
between 75-200 million poeople
what did people believe the bubonic plague was
a punishment sent by God
why was it called the Black Death
some say that it is because your skin would turn dark when you were at the late stages of the disease, and others say it refers to the horrible time in history.
what were some theories on what the plague was caused by
they thought that it was pockets of bad air being released into the air during earthquakes. others blamed the jews for bringing the plague to kill the christians
was this the only time the epidemic occurred
no, it returned to Europe several times, but it was never as bad as the Black Death period
what are the order of events during the Middle Ages
- fall of the Roman Empire
- Charlemagne, king of franks, is crowned holy roman emperor
- start of the first crusades
- Marco Polo leaves to explore asia
- Black Death begins in Europe
- Johannes Gutenburg invents the printing press (signals start of renaissance)
- Leonardo Da Vinci
