Middle Ages Flashcards
Basis of wealth and power in a feudal society
Land/ fief
What did the King do with his land?
He adopted feudalism by dividing his land and allocating his subjects to nobles
What is is the use of feudalism?
It enabled the king to govern his subjects more effectively and gained the loyalty and support of the nobles
All social classes including its subdivisions
- The Church (Pope, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests/ Monks/ Nuns)
- King
- Nobles (Duke, Earl, Count, Baron, Knight)
- Peasants (vassal, serf)
What was the duty of each class to the class(es) above? What do they get in reture?
Duty: show loyalty and provide service
In return: receive protection/ rewards/ land
Main duty of pope
Has the power to appoint priests and punish everyone with religious means
Main duty of the King
Rule the kingdom
Main duty of serfs
Grow crops and construct buildings
Main duty of priests
Preach and spread God’s words
Main duty of nobles
Pay tribute to the King annually, responsible to fight in battles for the King
Why does the appointment of priests have to be done by the church?
It was a religious matter, and if the Church did do it, its power would be weakened
“Weapons” of the Pope and their punishments
- Excommunication: excluding someone from all religious services and the Church -> punishment: doomed to go to hell
- Accusing someone of heresy: an opinion that disagrees with the Church’s teaching -> punishment: burned alive
Why was the Pope so powerful?
- Its wealth (economic power)
- Religious control
- Knowledge of the Churchmen
- Political influence of the Church
Why did the Pope have economic power?
- He was the biggest landowner in Europe
- Commoners had to give 1/10 of their crops to the Church (tithe)
Why did the Pope have religious control?
People believed that only the Church could help them to go to heaven and save them from Hell
How does the knowledge of the Churchmen correlate to the Pope/ Catholic Church’s power?
The Churchmen were the only people who could read and write -> provider of education -> strong cultural influence
Why did the Church have political influence?
The Church gave advice to Kings and nobles
Attitude and life of the high churchmen
They became less serious about their work and only cared about enjoying life -> corruption of the Church (e.g. selling indulgences)
How did the Church interfere on the development of science
Science was deterred because people dared not challenge beliefs
What was the daily life of a monk made up of?
Prayers, religious studies, copying manuscripts and manual labour (mostly about serving God)
Disadvantages of monastic life
- Disciplined and strict with tight and repetitive schedule
- Only focused on religion and lacked other life experiences (e.g. marriage)
Advantages of monastic life
- Can dedicate their lives to serving God
- Some younger sons from noble families might see this as an alternative to reach a powerful position (land could only be inherited by the eldest son)
- Valuable contribution to passing on knowledge by providing education, copying manuscripts and managing libraries
- Helping the poor and sick
Who owned a manor? What did the people in the manor call him? Where did he live?
A noble; “lord”; manor house or caste
Where was the church located in a manor? What did this show about its importance?
Central location in the middle of the manor, because the Church was the centre of life of the people
Did the manor have much contact with the outside world? Why?
None to limited contact because they were self-sufficient
What did the lord do in the manor?
Protect and organise the manor
What did the priest do in the manor?
Look after the souls (spiritual life) of the poepl
What did the peasants do in the manor?
Grow crops, raise animals, make everything the manor needed
What was the use of the third field in the three-field system? Why?
It was given a rest (fallow) and used for feeding livestock (grazing). Since the land would get exhausted for being used every year, it needed rest time to allow the nutrients in the soil to replenish.
Why were the three big fields further divided into small strips?
Each family was given some strips in each field, getting land for wheat, barley and fallow each year -> everyone had some good land and some poor land -> fairness
Reasons that the three-field system is efficient
- crop rotation allowed soil to replenish nutrients and maintain soil fertility -> fields could be used for a long time, prevent soil depletion -> able to grow crops to support the population
- fair distribution of some good land and bad land
Reasons that the three-field system is inefficient
- 1/3 of the land was wasted
- people spent lots of time going from one of their strips to another
Why do different sources lead to different conclusions?
Sources were written by different people and historians with different perspectives + tried to show different aspects of life of medieval peasants. Historians used information selectively and used the evidence which could substantiate their own views.
Advantages of being a peasant
- received protection
- sufficient food, free food during festivals
- had a shelter to stay
- freemen (vassals) at least had limited freedom
Disadvantages of being a peasant
- were treated as slaves, always got beaten
- had to pay various fines
- long working hours
- serfs had no freedom/ rights
- lived in cruck house -> poor living condition
- born a serf, forever a serf
Why did nobles and kings build castles?
For protection
5 features of a castle
- moat with a drawbridge
- Usually built on a hill/ steep hillside/ cliff
- Thick and tall walls
- Slits/ narrow windows -> difficult to be shot but allows the archery to guard the castle
- Guard towers for observing the surrounding
Advantages of living in a castle (location)
Hilltop: overlooking the surroundings for defence
Advantages of living in a castle (function)
- residence with many servants and facilities (e.g. the Great Hall for feasts, entertainment etc.)
- protection with many defensive features (e.g. moat and drawbridge, guard towers, keep)
Advantages of living in a castle (appearance)
Luxurious (most luxurious building except for cathedrals) with many decorations and facilities; spacious
Advantages of living in a castle (status)
Symbol of power and status
Disadvantages of living in a castle (location)
- isolated
- an obvious target for attack
Disadvantages of living in a castle (function)
Main function was for defence and protection rather than for comfort
Disadvantages of living in a castle (appearance)
- slit (for defensive purpose) -> dim and poor ventilation -> hot in the summer
- stone walls -> cold in winter
- lack of sewage system -> poor hygiene
Who could and usually would become knights?
Young men from noble families (usually the younger son(s), since land was inherited by the eldest son, the younger sons could seek fame and status by becoming a knight)
How could a young man become a knight?
- Knightly training
(2. Chivalry (code of conduct) - Putting on armour)
What did a knight promise to do for his lord? What would he receive in return?
Duty: swear loyalty to protect the lord
In return: fief/ land
Chivalry
- Be a good Christian (upholding Christian virtues, protect the Church)
- Be brave, honest and fair (fighting courageously and fairly, no tricks/ cheating, no hurting women and children)
- To fight for a good cause
Advantages of being a knight
- gain social status
- fief/ land
- well-protected by armour
- chivalry upholds moral standards
Disadvantages of being a knight
- dangerous
- armour too heavy (nearly 30 kg of 24 pieces of armour)
- chivalry is hard to follow
- long training
Training for becoming a knight
age 7: page -> learnt to ride a horse, played chess and war games
age 14: squire -> learnt to lance in jousts, followed their master in times of war
age 18-21 (adult): knighted in the Knighting Ceremony
How did towns emerge?
During the early Middle Ages, peddlers went from village to village to sell their goods -> they lived together and more and more people were drawn to their settlement -> wall was built around settlement which became a town
Meaning of townspeople
people who lived in towns
Functions of guilds
- established rules for each craft or trade
- checked the quality of goods
- fixed prices and wages
- ensured the profits of its members
-
protected its members against attack as they travelled (security)
(trade affairs)
Stages of working in a guild
Apprentices -> journeymen -> master
Examples of jobs in guilds
blacksmith, shoemaker, doctors, bakers
Functions of town’s government
- guarded the rights and privileges of their town against outsiders
- managed town affairs (e.g. security of town)
(town affairs)
Problems of town life
- poor hygiene
- constant threat of fire
- lack of town planning
- overcrowding/ limited living space
How can we see that there is poor hygiene in towns?
Improper waste disposal and the livestock in the street might easily spread diseases, resulting in poor sanitary conditions
Why is there a constant threat of fire in towns?
Wooden materials of buildings and crowded living environment make fire spread easily
How can we see that there is lack of town planning/ overcrowding/ limited living space?
Most people have to cram into sub-divided flats, even if they are relatively rich
Why did many people still opted for living in towns in the Middle Ages despite all the dangers and potential threats?
- more freedom and rights (e.g. choose profession, free from lords’ control)
- more goods, services, entertainment in towns (e.g. diff shops) -> better living standards
- interests were better protected, because there were guilds and town’s government to organise trades and town affairs respectively
3 major social groups in towns
merchants, craftsmen, labourers
How were towns organsied?
into guilds and town’s government
