Norman church and monasticism

Question 1

Importance of the church in peoples lives

Answer 1

• Law Church courts heard cases for crimes
• A major landowner and tax collector (tithes)
• To teach people to live a good life
• produced books.
• Priests: Central figures in the community

Question 2

Williams problem with the church

Answer 2

Pluralism - Clergy holding multiple jobs
Simony - Selling jobs in the church
Nepotism - Appointing unqualified family members into positions of power
Marriage - Church law said clergy should be celibate. But in reality many priests were married and had children

Question 3

Reforms of the church

Answer 3

Bishops - Were replaced with Norman Bishops. Lanfranc (Norman) was made Archbishop of Canterbury in 1070
Architecture - Churches now in Romanesque style. New cathedrals in key locations e.g. Salisbury
Organisation - Clear structure, split into dioceses
Priests - Most remained in their jobs, many still stayed married.

Question 4

Norman Kings and church relationship

Answer 4

The Papacy - Relation with the pope gets worse under William I and continues under William II
Reward - William I and II both used the church to promote people, which the pope disagreed with
Wealth - Both Willian I and II used the church to increase their wealth
Anselm - When Lanfranc died in 1089, William II did not appoint a replacement Archbishop. He eventually appointed Anselm in 1093, who wanted more freedom for the clergy
Penance - In 1070 the Pope (Alexander) ordered William to pay penance for the violence of his invasion. William did respond by building Battle Abbey.

Question 5

Primacy Debate

Answer 5

A dispute between the Archbishop of Canterbury (Lanfranc) and Archbishop of York (Thomas of Bayeux) over whether York or Canterbury had superiority
Both go to the Pope in 1071 to plead their case
Pope refused to get involved and an English synod (meeting of clergy) decided that Canterbury was the leading archbishopric

Question 6

Beginning of Monastic Life

Answer 6

One of the first monasteries built by the Normans was Canterbury Priory, whose monks followed the strict rule of St. Benedict, and were known as Benedictines.
Lanfranc established the importance of Canterbury by declaring that all future Archbishops of Canterbury should be elected by the monks of its Priory.

Question 7

Monk vows

Answer 7

vow of poverty
vow of chastity
vow of obedience
vow of stability

Question 8

Monastic Reform

Answer 8

Building of abbeys and monasteries
Abbots and abbesses brought over ensure rules of St Benedict were being properly enforce
The Cluniac Order introduced in 1077. Interprets Benedictine rules more strictly. 36 Cluniac monasteries by end of 11th century
William and his knights gave money to abbeys/monasteries for the violent invasion
sending daughters who could not be married off and younger sons who would not inherit to become monks

Question 9

Role of Monastries

Answer 9

Books were handwritten , often in monasteries in a room called the ‘scriptorium’
Monasteries were an educational provider
Monks kept historical records

Question 10

Language of Monastries

Answer 10

William changes language of government from English to Latin
Norman French was spoken by the nobility, whereas the peasants still spoke English

Question 11

Monastic learning

Answer 11

Education - designed to train children to be priests or monks, they learned a range of subjects
Latin
Arithmetic
Astronomy
Law (for Church courts)