Section 4 - The Middle Ages

Question 1

What was the feudal system?

Answer 1

How the ownership of land was organised.

Question 2

Describe the ownership of land under the feudal system.

Answer 2

1) The king owned all the land.
2) He gave land to his vassals (barons and bishops) at investiture ceremonies.
3) The barons and bishops then got vassals of their own by giving some of their fief to knights.
4) Peasants either were freemen and rented land from nobles or were serfs (essentially slaves)

Question 3

What was the first stage of a boy become a knight?

Answer 3

He was adopted by another noble family as a page. He learned manners, served the lady of the castle and served at the table.

Question 4

What was the second stage of a boy become a knight?

Answer 4

At the age of 14 he became a squire. He learned how to fight and ride. He accompanied the Lord of the castle into battle.

Question 5

What was the final stage of a boy become a knight?

Answer 5

At the age of 21 the squire became a knight at a dubbing ceremony. He took the oath of chivalry.

Question 6

What did Knights do for sport?

Answer 6

They competed in mock battles called jousts. The winner of the joust won a valuable prize.

Question 7

What was hawking?

Answer 7

When a knight used a specially trained bird to hunt down other birds.

Question 8

What was the name of a Knights horse?

Answer 8

A steed or charger.

Question 9

What weapons did Knights use?

Answer 9

Lances, maces and swords.

Question 10

A motte and bailey was the earliest type of medieval castle. What was a motte and bailey?

Answer 10

A motte was a man made earthen mound on which a wooden fort was built.
A bailey was an area which housed horses and soldiers.

Question 11

What people introduced stone castles to Ireland?

Answer 11

The Normans.

Question 12

What was a motte?

Answer 12

A deep ditch build around the castle.

Question 13

What is the name of the iron grid that was lowered to prevent the enemy for entering the castle?

Answer 13

The portcullis.

Question 14

What were battlements?

Answer 14

Battlements ran along the top of the castle’s walls. Soldiers stood guard there.

Question 15

What was the keep of the castle?

Answer 15

The heart of the castle where the Lord and his family lived.

Question 16

Name three machines that were used to lay siege to a castle.

Answer 16

1) Giant catapults
2) Giant ladders/Siege towers
3) Battering rams

Question 17

What was the land owned by a Lord known as?

Answer 17

A manor.

Question 18

What was the lord’s wife called?

Answer 18

The lady of the manor.

Question 19

What was the job of the lady of the manor?

Answer 19

To be a good wife and mother. She was at home most of the time supervising the servants, tending to the sick and running the castle when the Lord was away.

Question 20

Where did serfs live?

Answer 20

In small houses made of wattle and daub.

Question 21

Serfs got land from the Lord, in return the serf gave him some of their produce. Serfs also paid tithes, what is that?

Answer 21

A tax, they gave a tenth of the produce to the church.

Question 22

Wars were so common that the church had to ban fighting on certain days, what was this ban called?

Answer 22

The truce of God.

Question 23

Describe the streets of a medieval town.

Answer 23

They were narrow, dirty and dark. People often their rubbish out their window.

Question 24

What was a charter?

Answer 24

A document from the king or queen permitting a town to hold a fair.

Question 25

The punishment of criminals was often sever, give an example of this.

Answer 25

Thieves had their hands cut off and killers were publicly hanged.

Question 26

What was a curfew?

Answer 26

A time when people had to extinguish their fires.

Question 27

Give an example of a plague or disease experienced by the people of the Middle Ages.

Answer 27

The Black Plague of the 14th century. It was carried by fleas borne by rats killed almost 33% of all Europeans within 3 years.

Question 28

Craftsmen belonged to guilds. What did guilds do?

Answer 28

1) They set examinations to make sure craftsmen were skilled.
2) They made sure goods were of merchantable quality.
3) They gave financial aid to sick and old members of the guild.

Question 29

Name the three stages in becoming a craftsman.

Answer 29

1) Apprentice
2) Journeyman
3) Master

Question 30

At what age could a boy become an apprentice?

Answer 30

12

Question 31

After how many years could an apprentice become a journeyman?

Answer 31

7

Question 32

What advantage was there of being a journeyman over an apprentice?

Answer 32

A journeyman could travel around getting paid for his work.

Question 33

How did a journeyman become a master?

Answer 33

He passed an assessment of a guild where he created a masterpiece.

Question 34

Who brought medieval life to England?

Answer 34

The Normans, led by William the conqueror in 1066AD

Question 35

Why did the Normans succeed in overrunning England?

Answer 35

They had well trained Knights and very strong castles.

Question 36

Give 2 results of the Norman invasion.

Answer 36

1) The english language was introduced.

2) The feudal system was introduced.

Question 37

Give 2 differences between Romanesque and gothic architecture.

Answer 37

Romanesque had round arches and thick walls.

Gothic had pointed arches and thin walls supported by flying buttresses.

Question 38

Where did monks live?

Answer 38

In monasteries such as Clonmacnoise.

Question 39

What did monks do in monks do in monasteries?

Answer 39

The prayed for people and educated the young. They also offered sanctuary to people fleeing arrest by the bailiff.

Question 40

What name was given to the head of a monastery?

Answer 40

The abbot.

Question 41

What name was given to the monk in charge of food supplies?

Answer 41

The almoner.

Question 42

What did monks do in the cloister?

Answer 42

They walked and prayed.

Question 43

When were the medieval ages?

Answer 43

500AD to 1500AD