Medieval Times Flashcards
2 sources we can use to learn about the Medieval Times
~Ruins of buildings, monasteries and castles
~Works of Art, e.g. Bayeux Tapestry
~Books and letters
What system was used to organise medieval society? Explain
Feudal System
~Kings- provided land (fief) for Lords
~Lords- provided Kings with knights for army and gave land to knights
~Knights- provided protection for serfs
~Peasants (serfs)- worked the land for knights
What was crop rotation? What are the benefits of this?
Crop rotation was the process of rotating crops to different fields each year to allow them to replenish the nutrients in the soil.
3 stages in becoming a medieval knight
~Page: Age 7, sent to live with the family of a lord, learnt to ride a horse and use a sword. He helped the lady, learnt manners and served the lord and lady
~Squire: Age 14, Began to learn to fight on horseback, accompanied lord into battles, took care of his horse and weapons and helped dress the lord
~Knight: Ages 21, swore an oath of chivalry to the lord and the lord knighted him. Lord gave the knight a manor to run
Definition of a knight
minor nobles who fought on horseback and swore an oath of chivalry
What were the 3 stages to become a master craftsmen?
~Apprentice: Age 12, lived in the workshop of a master craftsmen, recieved no pay and harsh treatment
~Journeyman: Age 19, was allowed to travel for work and experience and received pay
~Master Craftsmen: Eventually applied to be a master craftsmen and had to create a masterpiece, if the masterpiece was accepted by a master craftsmen he could open his own shop
What were the 2 types of peasants?
Freemen and serfs
Describe a serf’s home
~Small, single room with wattle and daub walls
~Earth floor and thatched roof
~Dark and smoky inside from the fire
~Grew vegetables and kept animals outside
~Animals were kept inside at night for warmth and safety
Describe a serf’s clothes
~Men wore tunics and leggings
~Women wore long dresses and a head scarf
~Leather shoes
~Handmade clothes made from wool or linen and dyed with berry juice
Describe a serf’s diet
~ate what they could grow
~Bread, cheese and pottage (vegetable and oat soup)
~Drank ale as it was safer than dirty water
~Rarely ate meat, possibly only Christmas and Easter
Describe the serf’s entitlements
(i didnt know what to call it leave me alone)
~Worked 6 days a week (free day Sunday)
~Farmed the lords land
~Recieved a plot of land to farm and build on in return
~Could not leave the manor or marry without the lords permission
~Paid taxes to the lord and a tithe to the priest
How did a serf become a freeman?
If a serf escaped and stayed free for a year and a day, he became a freeman
Describe a freeman’s entitlements
~Pay rent to lord and a tithe to the priest
~Did not have to work the land for free
~Could leave and marry as they wished
What was the oath of chivalry?
It was an oath sworn to a lord by a Knight, to be loyal to the lord, protect the poor and weak and to be brave in battle
What were the 2 types of castles?
~Motte and Bailey: temporary castle whilst the big one was being built
~Stone castle
Describe the features of a stone castle
~Moat: deep ditch filled with water surrounding the castle
~Drawbridge: raised and lowered to control entry to the castle
~Portcullis: Metal grid that could be lowered onto the gate
~Turret & Battlements: On the curtain wall, guarded by knights day and night
~Bailey: Enclosed area where stables, workshops and soldiers lodgings were
~Keep: Main building with the lords apartments, great hall and chapel
Why were monasteries important for medieval life?
~Provided education to children
~Provided help with poor and sick
~Offered shelter to travellers
~Copied books in scriptorium
List the features in a monastery and what they were
~Church: Where monks prayed
~Refectory: where monks ate
~Dormitory: large room where monks slept
~Cloisters: covered walkways for prayer
~Chapter house: where monks gathered for readings
~Almonry: where almoner gave aid to the poor
~Infirmary: infirmarian looked after the ill
~Hostel: where travellers and beggars were looked after
CCCHIRDA
Describe the diet of a lord or lady
~Farm animals or what the lord caught when hunting, e.g. deer, pheasant, rabbit, beef, pork
~Salted, smoked or dried meat and fish to prevent it from going off
~Spices from Asia
Describe the clothing of a lord or lady
~Men wore tunics and trousers of fine wool or linen
~Women wore full-length dresses
~Clothes were embroidered or dyed with vivid colours to show a families wealth
What was the Black Death?
~Severe and deadly disease that spread through Europe
~Killed over 1/3 of Europe’s population
~Spread by fleas on rats
~Extremely contagious
Name the symptoms of the Black Death
~Oozing swellings all over the body
~Darkly discoloured skin
~Lungs filled with phlegm
What was the impact of the Black Death
~Doctors questioned their medicinal practices due to the failure of finding a cure. This lead to significant changes in the Renaissance
~Many serfs left their manors to live in towns and replace those who had died
~Serfs could demand better treatment, less taxes and more land from their lords as there were less people to work the land
-More than 1/3 of Europes population dead
Describe medicine in the Medieval times
~Based on Ancient Greek writings
~Hippocrates (Father of Medicine) believed the body was made from 4 humours and if a person was sick, it was due to an imbalance between the humours
~4 humours: Blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm
~Imbalance of humours were treated by bleeding, cupping, leaching and amputation
~Herbal medicine was common
When was the Medieval times?
AD 500 to 1500
