Introduction to the

Middle Ages 1066-1485

Medieval Period: 1066-1485 AD

• Decay of Roman Empire=beginning of Middle Ages

• Roman empire split into two empires:– Western ruled from Rome – Eastern ruled from Constantinople.

• Germanic tribes (Anglo-Saxons) began to invade and set up individual kingdoms throughout the Western empire, ending Roman rule.– Introduced the feudal system

William the Conqueror

• Invaded from Normandy in 1066

• Changes England through:– A new language (French)– A new social system

(Feudalism)

Feudal System

King

Lords

Knights

Peasants or Serfs

Grants land to…

Grant land to…

Grant land to…

Provide money and knights to

Provide protection and military service to

Provide food and services on demand

King receives Divine Right from

GOD!

Knights in Shining Armor

• From mail shirts to a suit of armor

Knights in Shining Armor

• Change came about as a result of the crossbow

• Some armor suits weighed upwards of 120 pounds

• Small slits in the helmets limited vision and ventilation– Heatstroke, suffocation, and

drowning

Upside-down turtles

Code of Chivalry• Idealistic code of honor followed by knights• Values:

– Loyalty (to God, King/Lord, and country) – Brotherhood– Bravery– Duty and Honor– Virtue

• Must follow rules of “courtly love” when looking for a wife

Courtly Love• Combination of physical and spiritual

desire

• Object of love

• Love is war– Cupid’s arrows– Object as fortress

• Love is a sickness.

How to be a Courtly Man

• Be courteous and polite.• Be mildly flirtatious• Put your beloved on a

pedestal.• Show emotions through

acts of strength and bravery.

• Do not love someone from below your social class.

How to be a Courtly Woman

• Remain coy and aloof• Resist advances• Follow courtly

manners and behavior

• Give tokens of affection

Role of Women• No political rights• Subservient to men• Mostly uneducated• But…

– Gained power through courtly love tradition

– Could have power as a merchant, healer, Church leader (nun), or wife of an important man

– Managed estates while husbands were at war

– After marriage, her land became his land

Peasants• Paid taxes (tithes) to

church• Obeyed lord who

owned land• Followed Church

leaders in everything• “nasty, brutish, and

short” lives

Population

• Due to rise in commerce, population grew in cities

• Growth in middle class– More merchants and

artisans– More money for art

and education– Less power for

landowners!

Christianity

• Many kingdoms adopted the Roman religion, Christianity (Roman Catholicism).

• Adopted the language of the church: Latin– Romance languages descend from

Latin and Germanic dialects.

The Power of the Church

• Centers of communities

• Church officials were civic leaders

• Heresy: having ideas different from church doctrine

The Crusades1095-1270

• Moors (Muslims) had the Middle East in a stronghold.

• Leaders in Europe felt the need to protect the Holy Land and keep it under Christian rule.

Pope Urban’s Speech

• Pope Urban II preached a sermon in France that inspired European knights to join a crusade to win back the Holy Lands.

The Crusades

• Pros –Allowed crusaders to bring new spices,

textiles and products back to Europe.–Inspired commerce –Created new social class: merchant class

The Crusades• Cons

–Failed to maintain European rule over the Holy Land

Catholicism vs. Nationalism

• Nationalist feelings began to fuel tension between various kingdoms and the Catholic church.

• Heresy resulted in punishment

The Magna Carta:signed in 1215

• Power to (some of) the people

• Heralded a return to older, democratic tendencies in England

• Became the basis of English constitutional law– Trial by jury

The Hundred Years’ War1337-1453

• England vs. France– King Edward III and King

Henry V try to claim the French throne

• Invention of the long bow– Green-clad yeoman take

the place of knights in shining armor in battle

The Bubonic PLAGUE• 1348• Highly contagious; spread

by fleas from infected rats• Reduced population of

Europe by one-third– Mostly poorest people

• Caused a labor shortage– Peasants compete for wages– Get more money– Get more power!

• Apocalyptic

Literature of the Middle Ages

• Romances–Adventure

stories of kings, knights, damsels

–Quests and battles

Literature of the Middle Ages• Medieval Epics

– Originated in the great halls of the Germanic tribes and focused on ideas such as loyalty and valor, which bound societies together.

– Defined and expressed character of a people.

Literature of the Middle Ages

• Medieval Epics

– Based on historical events but prized adventure more than accuracy.

– Were performed long before they were written down.

Literature of the Middle Ages

• Medieval Epics

– Exemplified feudal values:• Title and rank• Military prowess• Loyalty• Honor