The Middle Ages Flashcards
What is another name for the middle ages?
The Dark Ages
Outline the Feudal System
King | Vassals | Knights | Peasants
Who were the Vassals?
Lords, Barons, Earls, Bishops, Abbots
Describe the Feudal System in terms of land ownership
○King owned all the land in the Kingdom
○He kept ¼ of land for himself and gave est to vassals
○Vassals provided king with knights in return for the land
○Vassals kept ¼ of this land and gave the rest to the knights
○Knights kept ¼ of this land and in return fought for the vassals. Leased the rest of the land to peasants
○Peasants farmed the land in return for protection
○Paid rent and taxes
What were the two types of peasants?
Serfs
Freeman
Who lived in castles?
Kings and vassals
What were the two types of castles built during the Middle Ages?
A) Motte & Bailey Castles
B) Stone Castles
Describe Motte and Bailey Castles
○First type of castle built
○Mainly Wood
○Motte = large mound of earth with a wooden fort surrounded by a wooden fence
○Bailey = courtyard built on lower ground
○Surrounded by wooden fence and a moat
○Bailey contained servants quarters, stables and other buildings
What was the disadvantage of Motte an Bailey Castles?
Could easily catch fire
What were the features of a stone castle during the Middle Ages?
○Surrounded by an outer wall known as a curtain wall
○Lord and family live in the keep inside the castle
○Castles were cold and damp
○Slit windows with no glass
○No central heating or running water
○Walls and floor decorated with coloured wool hangings and rugs
○No flushing toilets
Name the rooms of a stone castle
Lord's quarters Great hall Kitchens Dungeon Chapel Spiral staircase Sentry Mistrel's gallery Solar
Lord’ quarters
Where the Lord and his family slept
Great hall
Most important room. Lord and his family ate here. Banquets were held here. Sometimes used as a court
Who were men-at-arms?
Archers, watchmen (sentries), footsoldiers and knights
What were the stages of becoming a knight?
- Page
- Squire
- Knight
Describe the stage of being a page
○A young boy aged 7 would start out as a page ○Sent to live in a Lord's castle ○Learned swordplay ○Served Lord and Lady ○Learned good manners
Describe the stage of being a squire
○Age 13-14 ○Acted as personal servant to knight ○Learned jousting ○Assisted knight in battle ○Learned to fight with real weapons
Describe the stage of being a knight
○Age 18-22
○Served lord as warriors
○Took part in tournaments
Describe the Dubbing Ceremony
○Squire was dubbed by the lord who trained him
○Ceremony called an accolade
○Squire spent the night before the ceremony in the church, praying
○On the morning of the ceremony, squire dressed in symbolic clothing
○Squire knelt before the lord for dubbing
○Lord tapped squire on head and shoulders with sword
○Lord presented knight with sword
○Took a vow of chivalry
What symbolic clothing did the squire wear on the day of his dubbing ceremony?
○White tunic as a sign of purity
○Red robe showing willingness to shed blood
○Black jacket as a sign of acceptance that he may die in battle
What tournaments did knights compete in?
Mock battles
Jousting
Where did knights live?
In a manor house
Serfs
Unfree peasants - tied to the land
Freeman
Peasant who had been given his freedom
Where did serfs live?
Lived in 2 roomed cottages that were dark and smokey with only a stool and a table. They slept on straw
What did serfs eat?
Diet consisted of porridge, bread, cheese and pottage. They rarely ate meat. They gathered nuts and berries from the woods
The land the serfs worked on was divided into three areas; what were these areas called?
- Farmland
- Commons
- Woods
Describe the three field crop rotation system ( a.k.a open field system
In one field wheat was grown and another field had barely and oats and the third was left fallow. The following year they would rotate
Describe medieval towns
○Built close to castles
○Very crowded
○Smelly and dirty as there was no sewage system and people threw the contents of chamber pots out onto the street
○Diseases
When was the Great Fire of London
1666
What were the two types of Medieval architecture?
Romanesque
Gothic
Describe Romanesque architecture
○Based on Roman architecture ○Chunky and blocky ○Rounded arches ○Thick columns ○Thick walls ○Small windows ○Dark interior
Describe Gothic architecture
○Pointed arches ○Rose an lancet stained glass windows ○Bright inside ○Spires ○Gargoyles ○Thinner columns/pillars ○Flying buttresses
Name three religious orders established during the middle ages
Augustinians, Benedictines and Cistercians
What was the Rule of St. Benedict?
- Pray regularly
- Serve God by doing ordinary work (farming) and helping the poor and sick
- Obey the abbot
In the medieval, what was the punishment for thieves and murderers?
They were hanged
In the medieval, what was the punishment for gossipers?
Dunking chair or scold bridle
In the medieval, what was the punishment for a butcher or baker who sold rotten meat or bread?
A day in pillory or stocks/ dragged through town on a hurdle with the rotten food tied around their neck
