1. The
Middle Ages
“The dArk Ages”
#26
World History Ch 13 &

2. Europe in the 6
Century AD
th

3. Changes in W. Europe due
to Germanic Invasions
• Disruption of Trade /Economic Centers
• Downfall of Cities
- abandoned
- dwindling population moved to
the countryside
• Decline of Learning
- besides clergy /few were educated
• Loss of Common Language
- Cultural Unity is Destroyed

5. FeudAlisM
• System of Govt. / Military that began after
the fall of the Franks from power
• Small kingdoms developed / ex. 350 counties
• In order to maintain control a relationship
between kings and lesser nobles was
needed
• This was the Feudal Contract
Two Important Aspects:
1. Land Grants from Lords
2. Exchanged for Protection
& Loyalty

6. (Serfs)
Peasants who
worked the
land

7. The Road to
KNIGHT
Knighthood
Age 21
SQUIRE
Age 14
PAGE
Age 7

8. Knight in Full Armor - Jousting

9. Chivalry
A Code of Honor and Behavior

10. Knights Ruled the Battlefield
From Charlemagne to the Hundred Years War

11. Age of Knights Ends with
Development of the Welsh
• Up to six feet long
Longbow
- Cheap to make
- Easy to Carry
- Quick to Fire
12-15 shots per min
• Deadly from 200yd
“The Middle Finger”
- Capture/Fr. Cut M.F.
Bodkin
- Battle of Agincourt
(Eng. Showed Finger)

12. Feudalism
political, economic & social system
based on loyalty and military service

13. Key words/Concepts
• Lords – nobles who make a grant of land
(kings / barons / counts, etc)
• Vassals – nobles who received the land
(knights could be included here)
• Fief – the land that was granted (hereditary)
- Could be Both a
lord & vassal
- couldn’t divide the
fief within the family
- Law of Primogeniture
(eldest son)
- Obligations were only
for lord above & vassal below

14. The Manor System
within Feudalism
• Economic System of the Dark Ages
(agricultural based)
• Large fief’s might have several manors
- stewards ran them if lords were away
• Centered around the Manor (estate)
- manor house(castle), pastures, fields
village, church, mill, forests,etc.
• Manors were Self-Sufficient –very little
trade during this period

15. Social Structure
1. Nobility – Kings/Lords/Knights
– inherited
2. Clergy – each manor had a priest
3. Free Men (Few) – had certain
valuable skills – Blacksmith,etc.
- rented land from nobility
4. Serfs – peasants bound to the land

16. Serfs lived a hard life
• Forced to work land they were born
on
- farmed the Domain (1/3 of Land)
for the lord: 1 or 2 days of week
- farmed land assigned to them(2/3)
paid taxes on what was produced
In exchange for protection in the Castle
• Denied Marriage or leaving land
w/out consent of the lord
• Standard of living was very low

17. Manor in the Middle Ages examples

20. The Medieval Manor
/ p.362

21. Life on the Medieval
Manor
Serfs at work
on the manor

22. Castles were the best
example of Power in the
Medieval World

23. Medieval Castle – In
France

24. Akershus Castle in Oslo

25. View from the Top

26. Trebuchet

27. Small model

28. Making a trebuchet
• Nova – 5 min Film / Two types of
Trebuchets are shot at a stone wall
-- accurate from about ¼ mile -shot up to 500 pd. boulders
The Trebuchet ruled the Medieval
battlefield for more than 200 years
• The Cannon Ultimately Ended the
Age of the Castle & Feudalism

29. The Roman Catholic Church
Ch 13.4

30. A Medieval
Monastery
-Spread the word of God-Keep alive the memories of the past-

31. Illuminated
Manuscripts

32. A Medieval Monk’s
Day

33. The Medieval Catholic
 filled the power vacuum left from the
Churchworld.
collapse of the classical
 monasticism:
 St. Benedict – Benedictine Rule of
poverty, chastity, and obedience.
(giving up free will) – No Speaking, etc
 provided schools for the children of
the upper class.(later Middle Ages)
 inns, hospitals, refuge in times of war.
 libraries & scriptoria to copy books
and illuminate manuscripts.
 monks  missionaries to the
barbarians. [St. Patrick, St. Boniface]

34. The Power of the
 bishops and abbots played a large part in
Medieval
the feudal system. Church
 the church controlled about 1/3 of the
land in Western Europe.
 tried to curb feudal warfare  only 40
days a year for combat.
 curb heresies  crusades; Inquisition
 tithe  1/10 tax on your assets given to
the church.
 Peter’s Pence  1 penny per person
[paid by the peasants].

35. The Middle Age ChurCh
Feudalism/Manor system – fragmented Europe
The Church was the glue (stability)
LATIN CHRISTIANDOM
• Religious Events Marked a Person’s Life
• Eventually the Church devised a uniform
path for all Christians to follow – 7 Sacraments
1. Baptism – enter church community
2. Holy Eucharist – communion
3. Confirmation – church membership
4. Penance – repentance of sins
5. Holy Orders – admitted to priesthood
6. Matrimony – marriage
7. Extreme Unction – anointing the sick/dying “last rights”

36. Beginning of Modern States
• Ch 14.3 & .4
•
•
•
•
England absorbs waves of Invaders
England’s evolving govt.
France / Capetian Dynasty
The Hundred Years’ War / Joan of Arc

37. Feudalism and the Mounted
Knight comes to England
-Battle of Hastings 1066
Angles & Saxons
Harold
Godwinson
William
of
Normandy

38. William the Conqueror:
Battle of Hastings, 1066
(Bayeaux Tapestry)

39. Modern States Emerge
1. England – After the Norman Conquest
Kings begin to unify but lose their power to
a Great Council of Nobles & The Church
2. France – Charlemagne's old land
Kings used a Council to control the Nobles
& Clergy
3. Holy Roman Empire – German & Italy(800 yrs)
Power struggle between the Emperors & the
Clergy – power is divided(no one side wins)

40. Evolution of England’s
Political System
 Henry I:
 William’s son.
 set up a court system.
 Exchequer  dept. of royal finances.

Henry II:
 established the principle of common law
throughout the kingdom.
 grand jury.
 trial by jury.

41. Magna Carta, 1215
 King John I
 Runnymeade
 “Great Charter”
 monarchs were not
above the law.
 kings had to
consult a council of
advisors.
 kings could not tax
arbitrarily.

42. The Beginnings of the British
Parliament
 Great Council:
 middle class merchants, townspeople
[burgesses in Eng., bourgeoisie in Fr.,
burghers in Ger.] were added at the
end of the 13c.
 eventually called Parliament.
 by 1400, two chambers evolved:
o House of Lords  nobles & clergy.
o House of Commons  knights and
burgesses.

43. The Rise of European
Monarchies:

45. The Beginnings
of
European
Transformation

46. Gothic
Architectural Style
 Pointed arches.
 High, narrow
vaults.
 Thinner walls.
 Flying buttresses.
 Elaborate, ornate,
airier interiors.
 Stained-glass windows.
“Flying” Buttresses

47. Oxford University

48. Medieval
Universities

49. Late Medieval Town
Dwellings

50. Medieval Guilds
Guild
Hall

Commercial Monopoly- (Trade Associations)
 Controlled membership
apprentice  journeyman  master craftsman
 Controlled quality of the product [masterpiece].
 Controlled prices

51. Medieval Guilds: A
Goldsmith’s Shop

52. Medieval Trade

53. Possible Three-Field System

54. Film – Knights & Armor
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Knights / William Marshall
Squires
Tournaments
Events - Running of the Rings
Joust
Quatrain
Castles
Coat of Arms / Order of the Garter
Chivalry (Chivalary)
King Arthur

55. Medieval Life & Times
http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/inde
Assignment:
1. From within selected Topic pick
two sub categories for your paper
Ex. – Medieval Clothing /Chain Mail & Hair Styles
2. Discuss or Define its purpose
3. Compare or Contrast to Modern Times
4. Short Presentation to Class