“Christendom I”Post Classical Western Europe

By: Janet Pareja for AP World History, 2015

I. Early Middle Ages500 – 1000 CE

Rome had fallen

Lack of Power / Protection / Order…

• Germanic tribes & Magyars expanding

• Caliphate

• Byzantines

• Demons

• Vikings

Canada, New England, Greenland, Iceland….

“In this year fierce, foreboding omens came over the land of the Northumbrians, and the wretched people shook; there were excessive whirlwinds, lightning, and fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky. These signs were followed by great famine, and … on 6th ides of January, the ravaging of wretched heathen people destroyed God's church at Lindisfarne.”

16 mph100 warriors Silent under sail / oarsWolfpacksSea-safe, estuaries, landingSolarsteinn – “sunstone” to navigate /

presence of whales, birds.

80’ x 16’ … 25 mph32 - 100 warriors Silent under sail / oarsFlexible Hull high speed & maneuverabilityMore stable at higher seedWool sails – Elastic, durable, water repellentSea-safe, estuaries, landing at shore

Solarsteinn – “sunstone” to navigate / presence of whales, birds.

Beautifully crafted, Silent, Fast, Shallow-keeled and Flexible: … the highest technology produced in Europe In the Middle Ages!

http://www.history.com/shows/vikings/videos/viking-ships

Viking “Beserkers”

Epic fighters without armor

Day of birth and death chosen for you already…

Valhalla Die a good death in BattleShield Maidens Valkyries chose… RagnarokOdin

Norsemen – Northmen - Normans

”Dark Ages:” 500 -1000

• “Barbarian” Invasions:• Magyars, Huns, Goths,

• Muslims, Mongols…

• VIKINGS!!

• DEMONS!

Fading Impact of Rome:• Institutions, Rule of Law• Roads, Cities• Literature, Learning• Trade

FRANKS• Many different groups of European “barbarians”

• Clovis (481-511)– Frankish chieftain

– Started Carolingian Dynasty

– Military conquest united all Franks

– Converted to Christianity• Strengthened tie to popes

• Pleased Christian wife

• Only clergy were literate…

Charles Martel (732)

• Halted expansion of Al Andaluz

Charlemagne (768 – 814)

• Started to build a European Christian Empire:– Conquered Spain, Bavaria –

Brought Christianity.

– “Protector of the Pope” • N. Italy – Drove Lombards out of

papal lands.

– Ruled from HORSEBACK!

– Educational Reform – he was illiterate

Service to the King

• Counts (comte) – Counties

– General in each county

• MISSI DOMENICI

– Envoys for the Ruler,

Hand chosen.

– 1 Year appointment

– Traveled in County in pairs

– Personal Character

– Isolated from local

interests so impartial

• Administer justice: court

• Remind religious duty

• Keep records; spies repeated to Principal

• Be the Presence of the King

• Accept Oath of Fealty

Holy Roman Emperor?!• Surprise! Crowned

Christmas Day, 800• Leo III• Why do scholars say he

would not have agreed to accept crown? – There was already an

Emperor of Eastern Rome

– Made him responsible to / for the pope

– Crowning by pope tradition of ruler crowned by cleric/pope.

“Holy Roman Empire”

• Voltaire: “Not holy, not Roman, and not an Empire.”

• Just a “dream” of empire and unity, really…

• Similar to the World of Islam– not an “Empire”

• Meant that Popes LEGITIMIZED/supported /advised Kings… but to what extent???

Other early REGIONAL Medieval Rulers

• Alfred of England (871-899)– Unified England

– Converted to Christianity

• Otto I of Saxony (Germany) – Defeated Magyars

– Extended kingdom into Saxony

– 962 CE – Holy Roman Emperor

– German princes after that!

Monasteries

THE Dominant feature in social & cultural life

Spread ChristianityTeachingRole ModelsSocial ServicesHerbalism, Medicine

ProtectionOrderExpanded AgricultureScriptoria & librariesTrained new monks

Vows: Poverty, Chastity, Obedience

• Benedict of Nursia (480-587)

– Scholastica, for nuns.

• DISCIPLINE & PURPOSE

• Monastic Rules

– NO extreme asceticism

– Absolute direction of Superior

– Manual labor, Prayer, Service to local community, spread of Christianity.

Christianity: 500 – 1000

– Replaced Roman written rule of law, record-keeping, bureaucracy, centralized rule.

– Pope “governed” the “empire” of “Christendom”

– Invaluable connection to Rome legitimacy.

• Latin, and latin-basedlanguages.

– Only educated people were clerics bureaucracy, records.

Pope Gregory I

(The Great)

(590 – 604)

• Monk… may have invented Gregorian Chant • Soldier Pope - Physically

defended Rome from Lombards• “Bishop of Rome = Ultimate

authority in Church”• Sacrament of Penance

– People to confess to priest for absolution

• Missionary campaigns – England. – Converted king of England. By 900,

England had become Catholic. – Successors continued expansion…

Crusades, 1097• Height of Pope’s

Power

• Legitimized Conquest by theHoly Roman Empire

• “Re-take” the Holy Land:WHY?? Reasons & Excuses

• Pope Urban II at dedication ofClermont Cathedral

4. Medieval Power and

Leadership resided in

BOTH

Church and Manor…

Political, Social and Religious organization over lapped.

900 CE - Manorialism

• Manor

Each Manor a Self-sufficient World

ECONOMY = AGRICULTURAL

• No cities, towns; RURALwith SELF-SUFFICIENT manors / estates / farms

• NO long distance trade or travel; not much regional trade or travel via rivers

• NO manufacturing, export.

Serfs, Villein

PEASANTS’ / SERFS’ Responsibility Reciprocal Lord Retainer Relationship

Promises: “Implied Social Contract”

Land/Fief/Demesne/Benefice from Lord to Vassal in exchange for service: agricultural, personal, military…

• Rights to land and its produce forever as long as loyal and served lord.

• Lord collected taxes/production.• Peasants/serfs served Lord’s family “first.”• Peasants /serfs provided foot soldiers and

products for warfare.• Peasants / serfs were “good Christians:” went

to Church, received the sacraments, were obedient, moral, truthful, hardworking and looked forward to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Serfdom = Foundation of Manorialism

• NOT CHATTEL; Tied to the land

• Effect of Increased Population?– Foot soldiers– Rise of towns– Conquest for more resources

• Primogeniture– status / right inherited by

ELDEST MALE in LEGITIMATE succession.

– Lords, Vassals – all levels

Lords’ Responsibility• PROTECT peasants / serfs

• Bring ORDER through rules, courts, punishments

• RESOLVE DISPUTES between

peasants / serfs

• Public works projects to benefit all

• Provide and support CHRISTIANITY

• Provide jobs, housing, food as long as the peasant/serf lives, and for his family after him. No one would ever be kicked off the land – instead they left their job for their descendants.

New Agricultural TechnologyIncreased Production

• Increased land under production– Drained swamps, cut forests, removed boulders…

– Monks helped!

• New tools / techniques:– Horse Shoe

– Heavy iron plow

– Horse collar

– Wheel barrow

– Windmill

– Three Field System =

crop rotation

1/10 manor’s \produce for Church

Smith, Weaver,Miller, Baker, Greene, Cook, Farmer, Shoemaker, Wright…

Thomson, Anderson, Wilson, Johnson…

Support Christianity

Women’s Role in Society

Intellectual Pursuits

• Celtic Monks – Scriptoria

• Beowulf– 700-1000

– Earliest epic poem in English

– Set in Scandinavia

– Grendel the Dragon

Art & Architecture

• Monasteries, Churches

• Manor homes, castles, fortresses… cottages.

• Lettering – Book of Kells

Illuminated Manuscripts

Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts

• Commissioned by very wealthy, or the Church.Took much time to plan & to execute.

• Parchment – skin of old sheep or goats • Artwork usually related to text… • Monks, literate & illiterate transcribed texts• Scribe copied text; “Illuminators”- specialists who could

command high prices• Quills; Black Ink and Paints made from natural materials;

precious metals

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aDHJu9J10o

Most lavish Hebrew bible to survive From Southern Spain, Reconquista of 1492

Bahram Gur Hunting with AzadaFrom the Shahnama (Book of Kings), 1352Metroplitan Museum in New York

Gushtasp Slays the Dragon, from the Shahnama, Sultanate of Delhi, 1450Ink and opaque watercolor on paper.Dimensions: 12 5/8 x 9 13/16 in

Persian Miniatures within Secular Books - Delhi Sultanate

The Effect of Geography

and Environment on History

In the Early Post Classical World

1. Effects of Europe’s Location

Location = BARRIER to: - Trade- Conquest- Profit- Order

Technologies existed to Mitigate Limitations:- Agricultural Technologies- Travel Technologies - Industrial production for export- Financial institutions- Social Control through law,

culture, religion…

What kept Europe from advancementIn the early medieval period?

2. Effect of Environment on History

“The 536-537 Event” Thick, persistent dust veil / dry fog darkened skies. Less sunlight, lower temperatures, drought, food

shortages… Brought raids & migrations … 12-18 month period; affected area for 10 years. Europe, all the way to China and South America Supported by:

written records Dendrochronology (tree ring dating):

Decrease in growth rings world wide for 10 years, including

in Scandinavian pines, European oaks, and several North American species like bristlecone pine and foxtail; similar ring size decreases in Mongolia and Siberia.

Effect of Environment on History“…the sun became dark and its darkness lasted for one and a half years… Each day it shone for about four hours and still this light was only a feeble shadow… the fruits did not ripen and the wine tasted like sour grapes.”

- Michael the Syrian

“For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during this whole year, and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse…

- John of Ephesos

“…the sun began to be darkened by day and the moon by night, while ocean was tumultous with spray, from the 24th of March in this year till the 24th of June in thefollowing year…” - An anonymous Syrian chronicler

“First of all …a winter will come called Fimbulwinter. Then snow will drift from all directions.There will then be great frosts and keen winds. The sun will do not good. There will be three of these winters and no summer between. “

- From Snorri Sturluson’s Edda including this reference to the “great” or “mighty” winter that is a forewarning of Ragnarok, thedestruction of the world and all of its inhabitants.

536-537 Event

To What Extent Can we attribute Europe’s Slow Political, Economic, and Cultural

Development to Environmental Causes

during the Early Middle Ages?

A great idea for an Extended Essay ?