Wife Of Bath A04 Flashcards
The Medieval World View- The Physical Universe
- Geocentric
- powered by the primum mobile (Prime Mover)- controlled by God.
- hierarchy for all living and non living things in the universe
- Human life was divided into two and was lived for eternal salvation-
- The first life was brief and insignificant in which humans sinned.
- The second life is the ‘after life’ where the soul would either suffer or be joyful.
- Abnormality and nonconformity was considered the work of the devil.
The Medieval World View- The Ptolemaic system
- Earth is stationary and at the centre of the universe
- The sun, moon, planets and stars travel along a perfect circular path.
- attached to crystalline spheres.
- As the sun, moon, stars and planets do not follow a circular path, this ‘imperfection’ is explained assuming the irregular movements were a mixture of regular circular motions.
The Medieval World View-The Great Chain of Being
- ‘Divine order’.
- specific rank that presents their importance and ‘Spiritual’ nature.
- The more spirit = the more power possessed.
- Within the human hierarchy- Kings and Queens had the upmost power, leading to the concept of divine rights of kings.
- Any break in this order promised consequences, often physical illness or natural disaster.
Medieval society- The Three estates
-Organised into three estates:
1)The Church- Those who pray. E.g. the Prioress, the Monk, the Friar, the Pardoner, the Summoner.
The Parson is the only religious figure on the pilgrimage presented positively
2)The Nobility- Those who fight. E.g. The Knight and his son, the Squire.
3)The Labourers- Those who work. E.g. The Ploughman, the Weaver and the Tapestry- Maker
None of the Labourers tell their story – Social hierarchy, do not have a voice.
Medieval Society- The Black Death
- 1348-1350
- Killed 1.5 million out of an estimated 4 million
- Asia in 1348
- Lack of medical knowledge meant there was no cure
- isolate households who were infected
- Was airborne- spread by coughs and sneezes
Medieval Society- The peasants revolt
-June 1381
-Captured the tower of London
-Leader: Wat Tyler
-The Poll tax was withdrawn.
-As the peasants were needed- started to charge more.
Reasons for protesting-
-35 years after the Black Death they were worried employers would take away the extra privileges offered due to the deficit of workers
-Had to work for free on church land for up to two days a week- unable to care for their own families
-Poll Tax- pay for the war against France
Medieval Society- Language
- Church = Latin was the most taught and used
-Venacular languages- French, Italian, Spanish, English
From 1300’s onwards used in textbooks and literature
-Allowed lower class individuals who spoke in ‘common tongue’ to learn.
Medieval Society- The Church
- permeated into everyday life.
- life itself was a pilgrimage.
- Last Judgement, a real and frightening prospect for Chaucer’s contemporaries.
- The 14th century was a frightening age- unmistakable signs of God’s- 1348- ‘Black Death’- 1348-9- No remedies, killed 1.5million. Led to widespread social disruption as the countryside was depopulated and few active people were left to cultivate the fields and provide food for those who survived.
- 19th century- outbreaks of cholera = indications of God’s anger. The plague was seen as a sign of divine displeasure, in an age when ignorance, suspicion and credulity were predominant.
- church = reminder of death and judgement- paintings, services and sermons.
- Over the doorway there would be a representation of Christ’s judgement, heaven and hell.
- dependent upon the Parish Priest for religious teachings.
- patron of the arts- stained glass windows, gargoyles and carvings.
Medieval Beliefs: The 7 deadly sins
-Sins were divided into Mortal (major) or Venial(minor).
-Comprised of Latin terms-
Superbia (pride)
Avaritia (greed)
Luxuria (Extravagance)
Invidia (Envy)
Gula (gluttony)
Ira (wrath)
Acedia (sloth)
-Mortal sins-
Strip away grace
Condemns the sinner to damnation
However, would be forgiven if they confess
-Venial sins-
Would be forgiven with frequent worship
Medieval Beliefs: attitudes to women
-Patriarchal society and antifeminist literature- Mid-thirteenth- century Laws and Customs of England:
“Women differ from men in many respects for their position is inferior to that of men”.
-Pagan classical tradition influences- Aristotle and Galen argued for the inferiority of women.
-Christian tradition- Eve, the woman responsible for the downfall of all humanity.
-Did contribute to the economy, denied of economic, ecclesiastical, legal and political rights.
-Sons would inherit- daughters only inheriting in the absence of sons.
-Unmarried women and widows would have property rights equal to men.
-Defined in terms of their relationships to men: unmarried, married or widowed. Female alternative of ‘The Three Estates’.
-Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe- documented examples of women exercising freedom and power
Medieval Beliefs: The four humours
- Originally an Ancient Greek medical belief
- The imbalance of the bodily fluids causes illness
- Related to the Earths Elements- belief that they determined the illnesses.
