Medieval Religion Flashcards
What did almost everyone believe in, in the Middle Ages?
God
People in the medieval Britain followed…?
Roman Catholic Christianity
Who was the pope?
They believed that the Pope, who lived in Rome, had been given authority by God to be the supreme head of the Church on earth. The Pope led all the people who worked for the Church – including bishops, priests and monks.
What did people use religion for?
People used religion to explain things. At a time when there was limited scientific knowledge about how the world worked, people looked to God for answers. Bad harvests, nasty illnesses and unfortunate accidents were viewed as punishments from God for sins that had been committed. But if you tried to lead a good life and went to church regularly, heaven was the reward that made up for the suffering on earth.
The church…?
The biggest building in a village or town would probably be the church, unless there was a castle or cathedral. Churches were very noisy because they were used as meeting spaces. People didn’t want to spend too much time in their tiny homes, with smoky fires and smelly animals! Children’s games, plays and summer fairs were sometimes held in the churchyard. A church would have been a lively place, full of laughter, conversation and activity.
The priest…?
Most churches were run by the local priest, a man specially trained to perform religious duties. The priest would be able to speak and read Latin because the Bible was written, and church services were held, in this language. He played a very important role in medieval society, and was part of most people’s lives from their birth to their death. He was an adviser and a local leader. During confession the priest would listen while villagers told him of the sinful things they had done. At services he would tell villagers that they would go to heaven if they were good but to hell if they were bad.
What are doom painting?
There were pictures, statues, stained glass and paintings to remind people of this. Huge doom paintings showed angels welcoming good people into heaven and devils pulling murderers into pots of boiling oil in hell.
