Unit 07 Test Flashcards
Charlemagne
King of the Franks and first Holy Roman Emperor.
Treaty of Verdun
Treaty signed by Charlemagne’s three grandsons. Split the Frankish Empire into three which led to the weakening and collapse of the Empire.
Fief
A grant of land given to a vassal in exchange for loyalty
Vassal
An individual who pledges loyalty and service in exchange for land and/or protection.
Feudalism
The economic, political, and social system that dominated Europe during the Middle Ages.
Manorialism
The economic system of feudalism. Relied primarily on the exchange of loyalty and services for land and/or protection.
Manor
A large, rural estate that acted as the heart of the feudal system.
Head money/Tallage/Merchet
Taxes that peasants were expected to pay to their lord under the system of Feudalism.
Chivalry
The medieval knight’s code of ideal behavior, including bravery, loyalty, and respect for women
Pope
The leader of the Catholic church.
Salvation
Entrance into heaven
Heresy
Going against the decisions or beliefs of the church.
Tithe
A 10% tax that was paid to the Catholic church by every person in Europe.
Clergy
Leaders of the Catholic church.
Excommunication
Kicking someone out of the Catholic Church.
Sacraments
Actions that the Catholic church expects individuals to participate in throughout their life in order to gain salvation (exp: baptism, confession, marriage, etc.)
Roles within the Feudal system
Kings = Provide land to nobles
Nobles = Provide land to peasants and knights, provide loyalty/protection/taxes to King
Knights = Provides protection to nobles and peasants
Peasants = Provides labor and food for knights, nobles, and kings
Daily Life in the Feudal System
Kings = Ruled and provided leadership. Lived in castles, which provided a much many more luxuries than the average person was afforded.
Lords/Nobles = Noble men oversaw and governed their manor. Noble women ran the house and attended social gatherings. Lived in larger and nicer homes or sometimes even castles.
Knights = Primarily acted as soldiers but also were expected to take part in certain social and religious ceremonies. Adhered to the code of chivalry, which required them to live a life of honor and service.
Peasants = Acted as laborers and farmers. Life revolved around work and the payment of taxes to their lord/noble. Peasant women were expected to take part in farming/labor while also raising children and taking care of the house.
Sources of power for the Catholic Church
Wealth - The church owned 1/3 of all land in Western Europe while also collected tithes from people throughout the continent.
Education - The church was often the only source of education during the middle ages. This meant that they could dictated who got to learn (such as nobles or clergy) as well as what people were allowed to learn from (certain books were censored that might lead people to question the church).
Sense of community - Pretty much all socializing or interactions between people took place either on church property or revolved around important Catholic holidays/saints days.
Papal Authority - It was believed that the Catholic Church determined who could and could not get into heaven. Because of this, all Europeans feared excommunication from the church which they believed would deny them access to heaven.
Control of Salvation - People believed that in order to gain salvation, they had to abide by the teachings and demands of the Catholic Church. This included participation in sacraments.
Castles and their purpose
- Built on high ground or other strategic locations to help control resources, people, and trade.
- Primarily built for defensive purposes.
- Also acted as centers of government as well as centers for social events such as feasts.
