The Medival Times Flashcards
What is feudalism?
The system of land ownership where rulers divided land among their followers in return for loyalty and taxes
What is a fief?
A place of land given, in return the vassals give loyalty and taxes
What did a Lord first had to do when he got a piece of land?
He had to build a temporary castle very quickly, so he built a temporary castle called a motte and bailey
True or false: The Lord was very powerful
True - He owned huge amounts of land
When was the Lady usually married?
The Lady of the castle was usually married at a young age
What is a dowery?
A sum of money or land
These were paid to the groom when marriages were arranged
What were the Lords duties?
Maintain order in his lands, act as a judge and train soldiers
Why was the Lord often away from home?
He was in battle for the King
What did the Lord do in his leisure time?
He went hunting or hawking, and held tournaments (events for knights) featuring mock battles and jousting contests
What did men wear?
Men wore long tunics and trousers of fine wool
What were the Lady’s duties?
The Lady’s main duty was to bear the children’s as heirs
Where did the family live?
Upstairs in the Keep near the chapel and a warm sunny room called a solar
What did the Lady do in the solar room?
The Lady would weave, teach the children or play music
How did she run the household?
She instructed the servants, supervise the storage and preparation of food
What did women wear?
Women wore full-length dresses
What did the richest nobles wear and where did it come from?
They wore silk brought from Asia
How was the Lady’s clothes decorated?
Clothing that was embroidered or dyed in vivid colours showed off the weavers wealth
Where were feasts held and how was it decorated?
Feasts were held in the great hall, which had big fireplaces and tapestries on the walls
What food was served at the feasts?
Beef, pork, mutton, duck, deer, pheasant, or rabbit were served
Why couldn’t meat be kept fresh for long?
They had no refrigeration
What did people add/do to the meat and fish to disguise that it wasn’t fresh?
People salted, smoked or dried meat and fish, and used spices
Why were spices expensive?
They were transported from Asia
How did people eat without forks?
People often ate from large pieces of hard bread called trenchers
Who provided entertainment?
Musicians (minstrels) and jesters provided entertainment
Name the main features of a stone castle
- The Keep
- Battlements
- Curtain walls
- The Moat
- The Gate House
- Portcullis
- The Drawbridge
- Turrets
- Arrowslits
What were the curtain walls for?
They enclosed the castle and protected those inside
What was the Keep?
The Keep was the main part of the building inside the walls. It held the Lords apartments, the great hall and the chapel
Why were the windows narrow?
To keep in heat
What was directly below the Keep?
The dungeons - these were used to keep stored food cool and to hold prisoners
What were battlements?
Battlements ran along the top of the Keep. Soldiers would patrol along the walls day and night. Turrets were built at corners
What was the bailey ?
The enclosed area around the Keep. Here there were stables, workshops, kitchen, well (for water) and soldiers lodgings.
What is the drawbridge?
The drawbridge could be raised or lowered to control entry to the castle
What is the portcullis?
A metal grid
These were to control entry
What is the moat?
A deep ditch filled with water the surrounded the castle
If under attack, for how long could the castle hold out for
As the castle waited for a surrender (a siege) they could hold out for a long time if it had enough food stores and a well
When under attack, how did the defenders fight
They would fire arrows down from above, or pour boiling water or oil down on the attackers
What did attaching armies fight with
Catapults and siege towers
Where was gunpowder brought from
Europe
What were the 3 main types of soldiers
- Foot soldiers
- Archers
- Knights
Who were the knights
They were minor nobles who fought on horseback and swore and oath of chivalry
What did the knights wear and use in battle
- They wore full body armour (plate armour), chainmail, a shield and helmet.
- They used lances, swords, and maces in battle
What were the 2 ways for a man to become a knight
- If a foot soldier showed exceptional bravery in battle
- A 3 stage process followed by the sons of nobles
What were the 3 stages of becoming a knight
- Page
- Squire
- Knight
What happened in stage 1 of becoming a knight
- Age 7, the boy would be fostered
- He would learn to ride a horse, use a sword, sing and dance
- He was taught manners by the Lady of the castle
What happened in stage 2 of becoming a knight
- Age 14, the boy began to learn to fight on horseback
- He would accompany the Lord into battle, look after his horse and weapons, and helped the Lord dress for battle
What happened in stage 3 of becoming a knight
- Age 21, he became a knight
- He spent the night before the ceremony dubbing or Accolade in prayer in the chapel
- He dressed in white robe and full of armour
- He swore an oath of chivalry (to stay loyal to his Lord, protects the poor and weak, and be brave in battle
- The Lord would give a manor to the knight to run
- When not fighting in real wars, he would take part in tournaments
What were mock battles
Knights would fight with wooden weapons. Knights on horseback rode straight at each other and each tried to knock his rival off his horse using a lance
