The Middle Ages

10661485

Norman England
In 1066 William of Normandy, France, became king of England. Latin and French replaced English as the languages of learning and of the court.

Feudalism
The Normans brought feudalism to England. Feudalism was based on a religious concept of rank, with God as the supreme overlord
King: ruled by divine right Feudal Lords: powerful landowners Vassals: did work or military service for feudal lords in exchange for land Serfs: servants to lords and vassals; bound to their masters land

determined a persons rank, duties, and loyalties

Knights in Shining Armor

Knights made up the Middle Ages military.

Training began in boyhood.

A knights equipmenthorse, weapons, armorwas expensive, so most knights came from wealthy, noble families.
Gianni Dagli Orti/CORBIS

Knights defended their lords interests and fought for the king during war.
Fifteenth Century Manuscript Illumination of a Knight in Armor from the Codex Capodilista

Dangers of Knights and Armor

- Armor weighed approximately 100 lbs - Took 3 people to dress a knight in armor - Overheating and heart failure were common

- Limited mobility and sight

Chivalry
Chivalry was a code of behavior for knights.

Knights had to
observe certain rules of warfare be loyal to their lord, even if it meant death

defend the Christian faith, even if it meant death

help any person in need act with good manners toward women of rank

Courtly Love
Courtly love was a part of chivalry that encouraged nobles and knights to improve themselves by choosing a lady to fight in honor of. A knight seldom adored his own wife. The adored lady remained pure and out of the knights reachhe served her and gave her gifts.

Women in the Middle Ages

Women had no political standing and depended on the men in their family for their rank. Noblewomen
had children and supervised the household and servants were under the command of their fathers, brothers, and husbands

Peasant women
had many children, worked the fields, and kept house were under the command of their fathers, brothers, and husbands

The Roman Church in the Middle Ages

was extremely powerful and controlled most of the kings and queens in Europe was the center of learning All courts and law were handled through the church

- Corruption occurs after the

death of Thomas aBeckett - Becket is murdered because
British Library, London

the king is angry at him for

siding with the church. He is murdered at Canterbury
Miniature of John Lydgate and the Canterbury pilgrims leaving Canterbury, from a volume of Lydgates poems (early 16th century). MS Royal 18 D II, fol. 148.

The Crusades (10951270)

The Crusades were a series of wars between the Christians and Turkish Muslims in the Middle East. Crusaders brought back to England new knowledge of Eastern mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and crafts.

The Hundred Years War (13371453)

The Hundred Years War was between England and France. It ended the time of knights
Yeomen (small landowners) with longbows (much like Robin Hood) were the main fighters for England The longbow could shoot over castle walls and started to make castles unnecessary

2003-2004 clipart.com

Plague
The Black Death, or bubonic plague, struck England in 1348. The plague *killed one third of Englands people, causing a labor shortage and giving the lower classes more bargaining power

contributed to the end of feudalism as serfs gained their freedom from lord and land

The End