The Norman Church Flashcards
Definition for Simony?
When positions in the church were sold
Definition for Nepotism?
When positions in the church were given to friends or family
What was Pluralism?
When members of the clergy held more than one position
What was the Tithe?
A 10% tax paid to church
What was the church like before 1066?
Largest landowner in England
Many clergy members broke traditional vow of celibacy by marrying and having sex
Simony, Nepotism and Pluralism happened
Tithe had to be paid to church from public
Why did William the conqueror want to change the church?
He was strong catholic with support of Pope (pressure to improve church) To show God favoured the new regime Permanent reminder of norman conquest He thought church was hypocritical Show his power
When did Lanfranc become archbishop of canterbury?
1070
What were Lanfranc’s 6 church reforms?
Establishing synods Moving Cathedrals to large towns and cities A new church hierarchy Parishes and parish priests Ending marriage amongst clergy Church and law courts
What was a synod?
Church council
Description of Lanfranc’s establishing church council reforms?
Church councils to spread their message of reform
Why were church councils introduced under Lanfranc’s reform?
To help the bishop improve authority over their diocese
Description of Lanfranc’s moving cathedrals to large towns reform?
As bishops controlled a diocese where the place their cathedral was built so Normans made 1/3 of bishops move to important places
Why was moving cathedrals introduced under Lanfranc’s reforms?
To help centralise the church under one leader
Description of Lanfranc’s new church hierarchy?
Pope Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons Deans Priests - More centralised system - Made system more focused on the pope as saxons had nothing to do with Pope - Less corrupt: Bishops chose who was under them
Why did Lanfranc introduce a new church hierarchy?
Got Pope in it
Bishops could hold more power
Increased stability within the church
Everyone knows their place
Description of Lanfranc’s reform of introducing parishes?
Parish church numbers increased meaning churches grew
Why did Lanfranc introduce parish’s and priests?
More churches to keep an eye out over public
More people could be involved within the church
Description of Lanfranc’s reform of ending marriage amongst clergy?
To stop priests marrying so they could devote their lives and love to God
Why did Lanfranc introduce the reform of ending marriage?
To follow traditional church rules
Description of Lanfranc’s reform of introducing church courts as well as Law courts
Churchmen were tried in bishops court not in secular courts
Lanfranc wanted spiritual offences like blaspheming, not attending church, adultery and incest to be punishable
Church court replaced death by hanging with pilgrimages or getting person to publicly confess
Key differences between church and cathedral?
Bishop is in charge of cathedral whereas priest is in charge of a church
Cathedral houses bishop of city and is chief church of diocese
Why were anglo saxon churches different?
As they were built to serve not intimidate
What was a benedictine monk?
Follow the rules of St Benedict. They take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
What was a cluniac monk?
Type of monk brought to England from France under Normans. Follow benedictine rules with some differences e.g… no physical labour, copied manuscripts
What was monastic life like before 1066?
Monks should care for the sick and for the travellers
Eight prayer services a day
Monks clothes were called a HABIT, it was part of their vow to poverty (simple)
They were vegetarian
Why were monk reforms needed?
Because of instability caused by Viking raids, poverty and over-reliance on local lords
Clergy were worried about secular influence
How did Normans revive monasteries?
10 of 19 cathedrals had a monastery attached
New rules for Monks, monastic orders - Cluniace.
Between 1066-1135 how much did numbers of monks and nuns increase by?
1000-4000/5000
Who did Cluniac monasteries answer directly to?
Abbot of Cluny
Pope
What was the first Cluniac monastery in England?
Lewes priory
What did Cluniac monasteries do?
Made new rules, moved away from anglo saxon benedictine monasteries
How did the leadership of the monasteries change under the Normans?
Abbots weren’t treated as poorly as bishops.
Abbots were slowly replaced by Normans from Anglo Saxon.
In 1075 how many abbots were anglo saxon and by when was there less and how many were left?
1075: 13/21 abbots were anglo saxon
1086: 3 anglo saxons were left
What were failures of the reforms?
Some protested, 3 dead and 18 monks injured
What did Lanfranc reform regarding monks lives?
He laid out a structure for domestic life in monastery to make monks lives more strict so they’d be seen to be more pious so church as a whole to be more respected
Why was William II(Rufus) disliked by the church?
Because he was gay and was more interested in making money from the church
What made Cluniac monasteries different to other Benedictine monasteries in Norman England?
Cluniac took their orders directly from Rome rather than the local Lord, Cluniac were stricter than Benedictine but Cluniac didn’t have physical labour unlike Benedictine
What was the purpose of education provided by churches and monasteries?
To train boys to work in the church: they studied Latin, psalms and services, music, law, astronomy and maths which would help with running the church
Why did monasteries need changing when Normans invaded?
As there was too much secular influences on monasteries, many Benedictine monks didn’t follow rules strictly eg. they weren’t vegetarians
How much land did the church own in 1086?
25%
How did the role of the parish priest change under Lanfranc?
They became more important
How much did village churches increase between 1070 and 1170?
They doubled
What else did monasteries do besides provide a religious educations?
Farming, brewing beer,caring for the sick, providing accommodation for travellers(especially pilgrims), teaching, coping important manuscripts, writing histories
What did Lanfranc do to reform monasteries?
Introduced new constitutions, reformed the liturgy to be more like Europe, set up hierarchy with Pope at the top, introduced stricter rules for daily life
How much did church goes pay in tithes?
10% of their profit/what they produced
Why did William of St Calais and William II(Rufus) fall out?
William of St Calais agreed to help with rebellion if Rufus needed it but when he did, Calais changed his mind. Calais was put on trial in a secular court even though it should’ve been a church court. Calais lost his bishopric
Norman style of architecture used to build cathedrals?
Romanesque
By 1135 how many Cluniac monasteries were there?
24
When were Cluniac monasteries first founded in England?
1077
Why was William of St Calais’ trial significant?
Showed Rufus was prepared to challenge the church (by ignoring church courts), however Rufus did eventually make st Calais the bishop of Durham
How did Normans revive monasteries?
Monks/nuns increased from 1000 to 5000
Religious houses grew from 60 to 250
10/19 cathedrals had monasteries attached
William built battle abbey
What happened when monks tried to resist Lanfranc’s reforms to monasteries?
They faced violence, 3 monks were killed by Knights in Glastonbury when they refused to sing a new chant
Who did Rufus decide should be Archbishop of Canterbury?
Anselm
Who would be given a Norman education?
Boys were given education by monasteries and churches, they were expected to know psalms and services by heart
Why did Rufus not appoint a new archbishop after lanfranc’s death in 1089?
He wanted the money and power that went with the crown
How many Saxon bishops were there by 1070?
2
Who was Stigand and how did he damage the reputation of the church?
The Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury before Lanfranc, he was corrupt and against reforms of the church
What did Anselm complain about?
He anted land and want the King to recognise the power of the pope. He complained about the lack of morality under Rufus’s reign.
Why did Rufus appoint Anselm as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093?
As Rufus had an illness which made him think he might die and he was worried it was a punishment from God for poorly running the church
What taxes and fees did peasants have to pay to the church under anglo Saxons?
Tithes, Easter dues and surplice fees (for births, marriages and deaths)
What did Rufus stop Anselm from doing?
Travelling to Rome to be approved by the Pope
Why was Latin such an important language in the Middle Ages?
Latin was language of church and of government and language of trade
