Life in Medieval

Times

Life in Medieval

Times

What do you know about Medieval times/Middle Ages?Movies

Stories

Restaurant

Robin hood, King Arthur, Excalibur

The beginning…

• Period begins in 1066 - Battle of Hastings --marks the

Norman invasion of England

• Normans came from France and conquered England, changing England forever– Brought centralized rule,

establishing feudalism

– changed English language by introducing new words influenced by French

Feudalism

• Feudalism -- the country was not governed by the king but by individual lords– ruled their own estates– dispensed their own

justice– made their own money– and demanded military

service from knights/vassals.

KING

VASSAL/LORDS

(KNIGHTS)

SERFS/PEASANTS, FREEMEN

LOYALTY ANDSERVICE LAND

LOYALTY ANDMILITARY SERVICE

LAND ANDPROTECTION

LABOR PROTECTION

Feudal Ties and Obligations

• Feudal Ties.

• a relationship of obligation and mutual service between vassals/knight and lords.

• A vassal held his land as a grant from a lord.

• A Vassal's Obligations.

• required to attend the lord at his court

• help administer justice

• must fight in battle when called

• must feed and house the lord and his company when they traveled across his land.

• A Lord's Obligations.

• obliged to protect the vassal

• give military aid

• guard vassal’s children

How People Lived – Manor lifeConsisted of a manor house,

one or more villages, and up to several thousand acres of land divided into meadow, pasture, forest, and cultivated fields.

The fields were further divided into strips; 1/3 for the lord of the manor, less for the church, and the remainder for the peasants and serfs.

At least half the work week was spent on the land belonging to the lord and the church.

The rest of the time the villagers were free to work their own land.

Peasants• The Peasant's Life.

– Villages consisted of from 10-60 families living in rough huts on dirt floors, with no chimneys or windows.

– Often, one end of the hut was given over to storing livestock. Furnishings were sparse

– The peasant diet was mainly porridge, cheese, black bread, and a few home-grown vegetables.

– had a hard life– they did not work on

Sundays or on the saints' days

– they could go to nearby fairs and markets

Serfs• The Serf's Life.

– a serf was bound to a lord for life. – could not own property

• needed the lord's permission to marry

– could not leave the land without the lord's permission unless he chose to run away.

• If he ran to a town and managed to stay there for a year and a day, he was a free man.

– However, the serf did have rights. • He could not be displaced if the

manor changed hands. • He could not be required to fight• was entitled to the protection of

the lord

Clothing• Clothing varied according to the social standing• Peasants’ clothing was very simple• Clothing of nobility was more ornate and fitted. • Knights wore sleeveless "surcoats" covered

with a coat of arms.

• Men– tighter fitting tunics – men also wore undershirts and briefs

covered by a sleeveless jacket and an additional tunic.

– Stockings completed the ensemble. • Women

– Wore "kirtles", which were tunics worn to their ankles.

• often worn over a shirt. – the more affluent women wore more

luxurious clothing – Women, especially those who were

married, wore tight-fitting caps and nets over their hair, hair was wound in a "bun" on their heads.

– Other women wore veils over their hair, which was left either hanging loosely, or braided tightly.

FoodFoods and diets depended on the class of the individual.

• Lords ate

– Meat

– Milled flour and meal made from grain (nice bread)

– Dairy (cheese, butter)

• Peasants ate

– Simpler foods

– Bread made from barley and rye (rough crunchy bread)

– Ales made from barley

– Pottage

– Got proteins from peas and beans

– Raw vegetables were considered unhealthy and rarely eaten

• Medieval diets

– lacked vitamins A, C and D

– were not high in calories

Medieval ChurchThe church was the main focus of community life.

• Priest was appointed by the lord

– kept up the church

– provided hospitality to travelers.

– The priest officiated at church services, weddings, baptisms, funerals, and visited the ill.

– Earned income for parish lands, fees for services, and tithe money.

• Friars

– first appeared in the 13th century.

– They were clergy not attached to any particular parish, and indeed had no visible means of support.

– They rejected the monastic ideal of seclusion

• went to live among townspeople

• survived by begging.

• Monks

– These were highly educated and lived in monasteries.

– They Took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

– Their life was one of work and prayer.

7 Deadly Sins

The Crusades

Military campaigns fought mainly against Muslims (1095-1291)

The goal was to recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims

--”Holy War”

War• The Hundred Years' War

– a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453.

– It was fought primarily over claims by the English kings to the French throne

– Joan of Arc --A French peasant girl. She led the French army to several important victories, claiming divine guidance. She was captured by the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court and burned at the stake when she was nineteen years old. Twenty-four years later, the church reviewed the decision of the court, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr

• The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487)

– series of civil wars fought over the throne of England between the House of Lancaster (Red) and the House of York (White).

Science

Scientific methodAlgebra, Calculus, TrigonometryModern SurgeryAlchemy (turning common metals

into gold or silver)ChemistryNavigation – compassBombsPhysiognomy – peoples faces can

indicate trustworthiness, social dominance, and aggression

Theory of Humors – Balance of 4 basic fluids in the human body indicate health and personality

Look for these aspects of medieval culture inTHE CANTERBURY TALES by Geoffrey Chaucer

Major Accomplishments: