PART 3 Monastic life

Question 1

what was the order of st benedict

Answer 1

• st benedict born in Nursia Italy wrote a set of rules for monks and nuns to live by known as the order of st benedict
• 4 vows

Question 2

benedictine vows (4)

Answer 2

• Vow of poverty- give up all wealth and personal possessions before joining the monastery
• Vow of chastity- abstaining from sex and physical pleasures eg sweet food
• Vow of obedience - obey teachings from God and rules of abbot or abscess
• Vow of stability- never leave the community and sometimes even never leave abbey grounds

Question 3

work done by monks

Answer 3

• life meant to be harsh uncomfortable and sometimes even painful
• isolated from everyday life and the corruption of it so had to be self-sufficient and sometimes employed lay brothers
• often complete divine work including tending to sick and giving alms to the poor
• copied books as there was no printing press until late 1400s - 1500

Question 4

day in the life of a monk

Answer 4

• awake at 00:00 fro matins (1st prayers)

- night prayer at 21:00 (compline)

Question 5

problems with anglo Saxon monasteries

Answer 5

• monasteries had been in decline for years due to Vikings who were pagans - also poverty and reliance on local lords
• monasteries were expensive to build and relied on land from local Lords who often wanted control of monastery in return
• monasteries in England were corrupt and often had expensive jewels which disobeyed the rules of st benedict
• William did not have spare money as he needed to protect from Viking invaders

Question 6

William wanted control of monasteries for (4)

Answer 6

• money
• further control of lands
• reduce Anglo Saxon power
• show people that Normans were religious as many believed that it was religious countries that prospered

Question 7

what were monasteries divided up into

Answer 7

abbeys
nunneries
priories