Middle Ages Flashcards
Vassal
The king’s followers
Peasant
A poor person who farmed the land
Serf
A peasant who belonged to the Lord and farmed his land
Freeman
A peasant that paid rent and tax but could travel as he pleased
Bailiff
Kept the lord’s accounts and law and order in the estate
Manor
A small village surrounded by land run by a Lord and farmed by peasants
Fallow
Every year one of the 3 fields would be kept empty to rest the soil
Motte and bailey castle
First castles every made and were built with wood
Keep
The main building in a castle where the Lord and his family lived
Battlement
At the top of the keep used as a lookout for enemies
Turret
Strong towers along the walls
Curtain wall
The outer wall of a castle
Portcullis
An iron grille in front of the castle gate
Latrines
Toilets in the corner of a castle
Forge
Where blacksmiths worked
Catapult
A machine used to fire boulders over castle walls
Ballista
A giant crossbow
Siege tower
Enclosed ladders
Solar
The warmest room in the manor belonging to the lady of the castle who did things like embroidery there
Tapestry
A rug with pictures on it
Trencher
A big piece of bread used as a plate
Hawking
Hunting with trained hawks
Jousting
When a knight fights another knight on a horse
Dowry
Money or gifts a womans family would give to the man she’s marrying
Page
The first stage to becoming a knight, he would learn how to ride a horse and use a sword
Squire
The second stage in becoming a knight, he helped the lord in battle
Dubbing
The ceremony when a squire became a knight
Chivalry
The code of honour knights swore to uphold
High Street
The main street of a town and often the only one that was paved with wooden planks or stones
Toll
The tax merchants had to pay in order to enter a town
Curfew
When everybody in the town had to put out their fires or pay a fine
Leprosy
A disease that if you got meant you would be banished from the town
Black Death
A plague that wiped out 1/3 of Europe’s population, vicims got swellings under their armpits, necks and groin
Charter
A legal document granted by the king that allowed the town to run it’s own affairs
Corporation
A council that ran the towns affairs
Guild
An organisation that every craftsperson had to belong to (there was one for every craft)
Craftsperson
Someone with a special skill or trade
Apprentice
Lived with a matser craftsmanfor 7 years to learn the trade
Journeyman
He travelled around and now gets paid for his work
Master
When a journeyman gets his own workshop
Masterpiece
A piece a journeyman produces in order to become a master
Parish
The Church was divided into parishes
Diocese
A bishop ran these and they wer bigger than a parish
Cathedral
A big church built by the bishop
Romanesque Church
A dark, gloomy church with thick columns, arches and small windows
Gothic Church
Has spires, towers, statues (gargoyles), big glass stained windows, flying buttresses and thin columns
Dormitory
Where the monks slept
Cloisters
Where the monks walked and prayed
Chapter house
Where they disscussed busibess of the monastery and elected an abbot
Infirmary
Hospital/sick room
Scriptorium
Where they copied manuscripts
Guest house
Where they gave food to the poor and travellers
Refectory
Where they ate
Feudal system
How society was organised and how land was owned
