Medieval History

*MA: Middle Ages

Periodization:
1. Early Middle Ages: 500-1000 (the Fall of Rome) (Dark Ages in Euro)
2. High Middle Ages: 1000-1250
3. Late Middle Ages: 1250-1500 (the plague/black death)
a. Religion very important during the MA (related)
Feudalism:
● Political + social syst based on granting land → exchange loyalty, military assistance +
services.
● King → Nobles → Knights → Peasants
● Developed, result of invasions in West Europe
○ Kings, nobles, way to protect their lands.
○ Vikings → politic marriages → takeover
○ Story: Harold Hardrada (viking, related previous king), Harold Godwinson (Anglo
Saxon, related king → in Engl → king), William the Bastard (Norman, illegitamate,
protection Engl). (The Vikings attacked France → got beaten but they received
land in Normandy in exchange for protection against other invaders that are
vikings)
■ William → invade Engl → Harold Godwinson bring army → William → back
to France bc wind
■ Hardrada sailed → North Engl → Godwinson vs. Hardrada → Godwinson
won
■ Godwinson → army on the mountain → advantage (battle of Hastings, 1066)
● Rumour: William dead → went downhill → X advantage
● William won
● Lords divid their lands into estates (Fiefs)
● Fiefs given to Vassals in return for loyalty + milit support → If vassals X happy →
Overthrow you
● Nobles → Vassals to King, Knights → Vassals to Nobles → Peasnts → Vassals to knights
● More land given → Vassals more power.
The Middle Ages or Medieval Period (500 CE-1500 CE)
● Fall of Western → Barbarian invasions (internal conflicts)
● Rise of new kingdoms → X united → X able to protect themselves from Barbarian
invasions.
○ Need for localize protection
○ Low quality armies → soldiers = peasants (X professionals)
● Rise of Feudalism in Europe
What is a knight?
● Almost all nobles → knights
● Training began at 7 yrs old → guidance of lady of the manor
● Became squires at age 14 + trained by knights (assistant to another knight)
 ● Those deemed worthy were “dubbed” knights
● At 21 they became a full fledged knight
● Knights received large fiefs from their lords which they assign to their peasants
● Knights were obligated to fight for their lords which they assign to their peasants
Roles of knights:
● Mounted warriors → protected lord’s lands
● Given land for their services
● The strongest forces in battles
● Used as shock forces in battles
● Knights became the predominant force on the battlefield with the invention of leather
saddles and stirrups
● Knights were part of the upper class and therefore could afford good training and
weapons
Weapons of Knights:
1. Sword (slashing and piercing)
2. Shield (defend, push army)
3. Lance (long spear to charge an enemy, used on horseback)
4. Armor (chain mail and plate armor → plate armour> chain mail)
Chivalry:
● Code of ethics followed by knights
● Honesty, fairness in battle, loyal, proper treatment of women (Honor, courage, Bravery,
Gentlemanly conduct)
● Knights were expected to fight for a particular lady
Peasants + Serfs:
● Serfs: Peasants who lived + worked on the lord’s manor
● X allowed to leave (manor) or marry without lord’s perm
● Allowed to farm on the manor in return for work
● Lords were required to prot the serfs
Coat of Arms
● Each family (nobles + knights and kings) has a clan → the coat of arms.
● A surcoat or tabard embroidered with heraldic devices, worn by medieval knights over
their armor
● Signified qualities of each grp + often contained things specail and found in to that area
Manorial System:
● An econ system in the MA → built around large estates called manors
● Included a village + land surrounding it
● You are allowed to live on the owner’s land → X pay you + you must give you some of the
food you made to stay in the land
● Manors were self sufficient (u sustain urself by urself)
○ Most things needed for life → produced on manors
Blacksmith:
● Build armors, swords and pickaxe
○ Use the anvil
Bailey:
● Normans need quickly-build castles (days) → use earth + wood → build Motte and Bailey
castles in 2 weeks
● During William the conqueror’s reign → 60 castles built all over Engl - remains still be
seen
Task: Build a Castle
1. On a valley → high ground → cool temperature
2. Near a river, surrounded by a lake → cool temperature
3. Near trees → Camouflage
4. Lands that have fertile → grow crops easily → food (bread)
Ideal position to build a castle:
● Habitation: Need to prot locals and use their labor
● Woodland: Wood supplies → weapons, fences, fuel for fires…
● High mountains: Protection from the weather difficult for enemies to reach you; hard to
see over and build open
● Low hills: Sam prot from weather, faulty easy to see enemy approaching, water will drain
down into a basin
● Marshy Ground: Difficult to build on - poor foundations, can be a source of illness

Advantages Disadvantages

Site A Near the sea → Water sources and Too far from the city → very hard to support
trades the city when needed → lack of
 reinforcements (food, wood, weapons..)
High ground → easy to attack +
difficult for enemies to reach you + X near the forest → X fences, fuel for fires,
easy to see enemy approaching fences…

Near the enemy attacking route → Near the Vikings attacking route → hard to
able to ambush or defend before they defend.
go to the city

Site B Enemies → hard to enter and attack Difficult to build on - poor foundations, can
the castle be a source of illness

Hard to travel to the city → crossing

swamps are very hard → Hard to find
resources/food + reinforcements

Site C Close to the city → resources to Near swamps → illness, hard to travel
sustain → easy to defend the city
when attacked

Near a forest → Wood supplies →

weapons, fences, fuel for fires…

Near water resources → river → hard

for enemies to enter

Highground → easy to attack +

difficult for enemies to reach you +
easy to see enemy approaching

Site D Near the city → resources to sustain → Far from where the enemies are attacking
easy to defend the city when attacked
X highground → hard to defend against the
Near water resources → river → hard enemies
 for enemies to enter
Behind the city → Hard to defend the city bc
will need to travel far to defend the city.

Site E Forest → wood supplies → fences, fuel Very hard to travel → stuck in trees
for fires
Far from the vikings route → hard to defend
Far from the vikings route → only against viking invasions
need to defend the other enemies
route

Pretty near the city + close to the

enemies attacking route → ambush

The Church:
+ In the Middle Ages the Catholic Church became very organized and powerful and was
always a central part of people’s life
+ The church had ranks similar to feudalism to organize clear.
+ Pope
+ Arch-bishops (own other bishops in counties)
+ Bishops (in counties)
+ Priests
+ Monks