The Middle Ages1066-1485

OldLit Book pg.74 New Lit Book pg. 28

How and when did the Middle Ages start?

• The Battle of Hastings:– King Edward the Confessor dies; Harold (the last AS king) claims

the throne– Duke William of Normandy, Franch (illegitimate son of Edward’s

relative) also claims the throne– William defeats Harold on October 14, 1066: the Norman

Conquest• The Normans brought administration, emphasis on law, and

cultural unity• The conquest combined Norman and Anglo-Saxon cultural

elements – Old English (AS) + French (Normans) + Latin (Church) =

Middle English• The Domesday Book: a complete inventory of all land,

cattle, and buildings for the purpose of accurate taxes

Ouch.

Feudalism and Knighthood• The Normans brought in a new social hierarchy called feudalism.

It incorporated three systems:– Caste system (who was where, socially)– Property system (who owned what)– Religious system (who had what church power)

• God was overlord; monarchs derived their power/authority from God (“divine right”); a king was born a king because God chose that person to rule

• The primary duty of males above serf status was military service (knighthood):– Strict training (usually fostered in another lord’s home)– Once knighted, he gained the title of "sir" and full rights of his status

• Chivalry: a code of conduct/manners for knights derived from this system:– A knight’s first duty was to defend lord, king, and Christ– A knight would treat women respectfully– A knight was brave and honorable (ie, he did not attack an unarmed opponent)

• A drawback of the feudal system? Any system based around militarism and wealth meant that greed could easily lead to violence (corrupt vassals/lords)

The Feudal Pyramid POPULATIONPOWER

GOD

The POPE

The KING

NOBLES/VASSALS

KNIGHTS

MERCHANTS/TOWNSFOLK

SERFS

Women in Medieval Society

Did women in the Middle Ages have any rights? • No. They had no political rights (couldn’t be soldiers) • A woman’s status was determined by the men in her life

(father, brother, husband); she was subservient to them• A woman’s worth was measured by the value of land she

would bring to new husband• The lives of peasant women consisted of child bearing,

house work, field work, and usually death before age 40

Chivalry & Courtly Love• Some rules/benefits to chivalry involved

a knight adoring particular lady: Winning her favor meant self-improvement; acting in her name made a knight braver

• Courtly love– a knight adhered to a particular lady

(usually not his wife)– wore her colors in battle/tournaments,

glorified her in words. – However, the lady was always out of

reach, set above her admirer (built-in drama for story tellers).

– Courtly love was never physical.• Chivalry brought about an idealized

attitude towards women (romance literature)

King Arthur• Who was he?

– Son of the previous king raised in obscurity– Tutored by the wizard Merlin– Pulled a sword from the stone – Ruled the kingdom of Camelot– Knights of the Round Table known for great deeds

(quest for the the Holy Grail)

• Originally a Celtic/AS-era legend; advanced in the Middle Ages in songs, poems, and stories

• Embodies the ideals of English society in any time period (especially this one):– Strong, fair ruler– Promoter of bravery and equality– Advocate of chivalry and courtly love

• Kingdom fell apart because the rules of courtly love were violated (Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere)

Towns and Cities: Out from Under the Overlords

• Medieval society originally centered around the feudal castle, but as populations grew, people shifted to growing towns and cities

• This made the feudal system obsolete since towns/cities allowed people to be free and independent of a feudal lord in the isolated countryside

• The city classes:– Lower– Middle– Upper-middle– Merchant class

• The “people’s art”: Freedom from feudal lords led to free expression in the songs, ballads, plays of ordinary people

Big Events in the Middle Ages!The Crusades (1095-1270):• A series of holy wars waged between European

Christians and Middle Eastern Muslims over rights to Jerusalem and Holy Land

• Europeans benefitted from contact with the Middle East through mathematics, astronomy, architecture, crafts

• At this time, the Pope had absolute power over most European kings (the Catholic Church was the only Church).

Murder of Thomas Becket (1170):• Friend of King Henry II, who appointed him Archbishop

of Canterbury• Sometimes sided with the Pope over the King,

angering his friend• Murdered by some of the king’s knights (later made a

saint)• After Becket’s murder, king and state had less

authority/involvement with church affairs, so bishops became corrupt with free reign

Spread of the Plague

Big Events in the Middle Ages!The Magna Carta (1215):• Signed by King John• Heralded a return to older, democratic tendencies• Leaders were uncomfortable with too much central power• Ensured that all free men have rights of due process and trial by

their peers• Led to current laws like trial by jury and legislative taxation

The Black Death (1300s, recurring)• Known simply as The Plague• Spread by fleas from infected rats• 1/3 of all of England died • So many deaths created a labor shortage. Serfs’ status rose,

ending the feudal system

The End of the Middle Ages:• The collapse of feudal system• The rise of the Tudor Family (1485)• The Renaissance (to be continued….)

Look how happy King John is!