The Power of the Church and the Black Death Flashcards
Norman England was a very religious place. What was the name of the weekly service that everyone attended?
Mass.
What were ‘Doom paintings’, and why did they cover the walls of churches?
Doom paintings were images of hell which covered church walls and reminded people of their own mortality and the need to live a good, holy life.
Which buildings dominated cities, towns and villages in Medieval England?
Parish churches dominated villages and towns, and cathedrals were the most important buildings in cities.
How was the government of the Church organised?
The Pope in Rome was the head of the Church. He oversaw Archbishops. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York were the most important in England – they oversaw bishops who oversaw priests, monks and nuns.
What were pilgrimages and why did pilgrims undertake them?
Pilgrimages were a religious journey where pilgrims would travel to a holy shrine to worship. It was believed that going on a pilgrimage would speed up your passage into heaven and reduce the time spent in purgatory.
What was purgatory?
Purgatory was a place where your soul awaited God’s judgement after death before making the transition to heaven or hell.
How could the relationship between Church and state be described?
There was a huge cross-over between Church and state, and relations depended upon the character and motives of the monarch. William the Conqueror and Pope Alexander II worked together and got what they wanted.
How was the Church funded?
Everyone had to pay ten percent of what they produced as a tax to the Church, it was called a tithe. The Church also received funds from land rental: it was the biggest single landowner in England in 1086, holding a quarter of all the land.
What was the Black Death and when did it kill almost half the population of Europe?
The Black Death, or simply the Plague, was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 200 million people in Eurasia and peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351.
What were the 5 stages of the Black Death?
- Painful swellings called buboes appeared in the armpits or groin areas.
- Vomiting and fever
- Bleeding under the skin caused blotches
- Nervous system attacked - causing painful spasms
- Either the buboes burst and you were okay - or they didn’t and you died - most people died.
What spread the Black Death?
Fleas on rats transported by trade ships from the far East.
Why did the surviving peasants benefit in some ways?
They were more in demand for their labour so they received some new freedoms (e.g. to move around) and higher pay.
How did the powerful landowners try and limit the new earning power of the surviving peasants after the Black Death?
They introduced the Statute of Labourers in 1351 - this limited the freedom of movement and capped their pay.
