society and culture in medieval europe robin burke gam 206
TRANSCRIPT
Society and Culture in Medieval Europe
Robin BurkeGAM 206
Outlineo Game analysis
o left over from Monday
o Medieval Europeo Social structureo Worldviewo Spaino Games
Basic Conceptso Games can be understood on
multiple levelso true of other art forms
o Formalo games are structures of ruleso typically involve strategic
complexity, uncertainty, and / or hidden information
o Experientialo games provide a play experience
o Culturalo games may reflect or comment on
the culture in which they emerge
Thunderstormo four diceo object
o to be the last player whose house is not struck by lightning
o ruleso player rolls all available diceo if no ones are rolled
o player adds to "house" drawingo if house is already complete, it is struck by lightning and
player is outo if at least one 1 is rolled
o all of the dice with ones are removed from playo play passes the next playero if all dice are ones
o all four dice are back in play
o houseo seven elements
Levels of Analysiso Formal
o Uncertaintyo odds of rolling a one
o Feedbacko when a one is rolled, the odds decrease
for the next player
o Experienceo Narrative structure
o tension as dice become fewero relaxation when all are back in play
o Culturalo ??
Medieval Society and Culture
o Social structureo who were these people?
o Worldviewo how did they view the world
and why?
o Spaino Games
o Chess
1099
Feudalismo "Feudalism"
o the most common term for describing the Medieval social structure
o but really has a narrow meaningothe relationship between the
greater and lesser nobility
Social Actorso Nobility
o owners of land
o Serfs / Peasantso worked the land
o Clergyo did the work of the Church
o Bourgeiosieo literally "town dweller"o middle class
Nobilityo Hereditary Class
o in some cases it was illegal not to marry another noble
o certainly frowned upono sometimes a non-noble could be
granted a title and brought into this class
o Land Ownerso land was inheritedo also bestowed by a lordo in exchange for service
o usually military service
o "fief"
The Theoryo The Liege Lord
o granted use of property
o The Vassalo had the rights to the propertyo in exchange for serviceo swore allegiance
o Not Servitudeo lord and vassal were social equals
o Subinfeudationo vassal could further subdivide
propertyo become lord to others
In Practiceo Nobles steadily gained
powero depended on the personalities
of monarchso nobles could change
allegiances
o Concessions were often madeo to secure loyaltyo allowing monetary payment
instead of military service
Serfso Not slaves
o could not be bought and soldo were owed obligations by the
lordoprimarily protection
o Not freeo associated with the lando could not leave the manor
without permissiono owed rent, usually in-kind
Clergyo Catholic Church
o the most powerful institution in the Medieval period
o Kings sought the church's blessingo precedent
oCharles I (Charlemange) crowned by Pope Leo in 900
o Every manor had a church
Monasticismo Religious communities
o specific vows of service to the church
o Typical vowso poverty
o no property
o chastityo no sexual activity
o obedienceo to higher ranking members
o stabilityo remain within the monastery
o Many orders founded in the Middle Ages
Monasterieso The major institutions of learning and
literacyo primary study: theologyo books laboriously (but beautifully) copied
by hando universities begin in 11th and 12th
centuries
o Self-sufficiencyo had land to produce their own food,
clothes, etc.o eventually began to develop technologies
o windmills, water-powered grain mills, etc.
o Many became wealthyo dying nobles would give gifts to buy the
prayers of the monks
Bourgeoisieo The manorial system was
agrariano focused on land ownership and
agricultural production
o Cities slowly began to reappear in the 11th-14th centurieso Italians led the way
o Venice, Milan, Florence
o Major functiono tradeo exchanging commodities between
regions
Manufacturingo Cities also were centers of
manufacturingo weavingo woodworkingo glass making
o Guildso organizations of craftsmeno maintained standardso trained apprentices
Jewso Jews were not permitted to
own lando welcomed by many townso became merchants and
craftspeople
o But the Church prohibited moneylendingo Jews filled this niche
Crusadeso A number of armed ventures
into the Middle Easto starting in 1099o ultimately unsuccessful in
making Jerusalem a Christian city
o last attempt 1271o Two consequences
o rising anti-Semitismo Jews expelled from France in 1249
o closer contact with Islamic civilizations
Islamic Worldo Mohammed dies in 632o By the 8th century
o the Islamic empire was hugeo North Africa to Pakistano included all of present-day
Spain
o Baghdado center of scholarshipo center of vast trading networks
othroughout Asia and Africa
Islamic Contacto The Crusades made
stronger contacto Imports
o works of antiquityo works on science, medicine
and mathematicso games!
oalquerqueoprobably chess
o eventually the "Black Plague"
Black Plagueo Arrives in 1347 at Genoao By 1350 all of Europeo Unbelievably devastating
o perhaps 1/3 of the population dead
o disproportionately affected the poor and urban
o successive waves every 10 or 20 years
o hundreds of villages completely abandoned
Afterwardso By 1400, Europe is changed
o faith in the Church is shakenopapal succession problemsoconflict between rules and the
Church
o the bonds of feudalism are loosening
o monarchs gain poweromercenary armiesogunpowder
o the idea of "nation" emergesovernacular language
Medieval Worldviewo This world was very different
from ourso Religion pervaded daily lifeo Feudalism ordered society
o classes were relatively rigid
o No real concept of progresso the cycle of seasonso stasis of society
o No scientific understanding of natureo causes of diseaseo soil fertility
Yeto There was widespread
superstitiono retention of pre-Christian
concepts and practiceso (not repressed until witch hunts
in the 16th century)
o Very large-scale "play" eventso festivals and carnivalso often bacchanaliano church and nobility were mocked
Cult of Deatho Medieval people had a complex
relationship with deatho Church
o taught that heaven was a rewardo death was not to be fearedo taught disdain for things of the "flesh"
o flagellantso macabre images were used to frighten
sinnerso bones of saints were believed to have holy
power
o Mingling of living and deado cemetaries were used for dances and
concertso sculptures were made of boneso prayers of living ensured heavenly ascension
of the dead
Chivalryo Knighthood became more
ceremonialo the failure of the Crusadeso the rise of mercenary armies
o Medieval romances begin to appearo the Song of Rolando the Knights of the Round Table
o Vernacular literatureo not written in Latino mostly meant to be sung
o troubadours
Chivalryo Celebrates platonic (non-
physical) loveo women as ideals for worship
o beautyo purity
o untouchableo ideally the wife of some higher nobleo linked to the Virgin Mary
o Art and music celebrated platonic activities of men and womeno including chess playing
Spaino Spain is gradually reconquered
from the "Moors"o from 900 to 1492o capture of Grenada in 1236
o Until Muslim controlo Jews, Muslims and Christians lived in
relative harmonyo first minted money since Roman
timeso first urban commercial economy
since Roman timeso first translations of Greek and
Arabic works
Spaino As the "reconquista" went on
o Christian rulers inherited areas with diverse populations
o Initially tolerance reigned
o But anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim sentiment increasedo by the 1200s Jews could not hold
public offices
o In 1492o Jews were forced to convert to
Christianity or leaveo Muslim similarly in 1502
Ferdinand and Isabellao Heirs of Aragon and Castille
o largest kingdoms in Spaino Marriage in 1469
o created a unified Spanish kingdom
o Launched the expeditions of Columbus
o Launched the Spanish Inquisitiono in part to police the sincerity of
converted Muslims and Jewso became a political tool as well
Gameso The Islamic empire
o very diverseo not particularly colonialist
odid not impose their culture
o Many games of different cultures were knowno some were even written about
in detailo Including chess
Chess – India o Most likely dates to India
around 600 ADo maybe a lost earlier ancestor of
both Chinese and Indian versionso Chaturanga
o The pieces are organized like the Indian army of the timeo king, minister, elephant, horse,
chairiot, footsoldiero there was a 4-player version
o A game of nobilityo some notion that it taught military
strategy
Chess – Middle Easto Emerges in Persia
o Chatrango And then in the Islamic world
o Shatranjo some of the modern names appearo shah = king
o shah kmat = "the king is dead"o instead of general, vizier
o the sultan's advisero rukh = chariot
o Is well known in Baghdad by the time of the Crusadeso scholars are writing books
containing chess problems
Chess – Europe o First appears in Europe around
900 ADo Quickly becomes popular
o popular enough the Church has to declare it sinful
o Italy and Spain were the most important centers of chess scholarshipo Italy closest to the Muslim world
o jumping off point for the Crusades
o Spaino part of the Islamic world up to 1492
Chess – East Asiao Distinct versions of Chess
appears around 800 ADo xiang-qi
o Played on the points of the boardo Includes a special "castle" in
which the king must stayo Other asian variants developed
along these lineso Shogio Changgi
o All of these available in the Game Lab