Medieval

Period
by: Hanz Christian G. Padios
BCAED 2-A
The fall of the Roman Empire marked the end of ancient
times in European history. The next millennium is called
the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 C.E.), started with the fall of
the Roman Empire in western Europe and ended when
the Renaissance and Age of Discovery period began. It
links the ancient and modern times. Later, a new way of
life was formed called medieval.

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Middle Ages are divided into Early Middle Ages (500 -
1050 C.E.), High Middle Ages (1050 - 1270 C.E.) and
End or Late Middle Ages (1270 - 1500 C.E.)
A new type of society was formed in the Middle Ages.
It had three roots: 1) the classical heritage from Rome,
2) the beliefs of the Catholic Church, and 3) the
customs of the Germanic tribes.

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The church became the most powerful institution in
the history of medieval Europe, royals and other
leaders aligned themselves with the church for
protection.
Christianity flourished in most of Europe. Catholicism
in the Latin West brought new life views to the people.
It was during this time when the Roman Empire was
fragmented into smaller political entities.

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The era during which the Knights Templar
brotherhood rose and fell—spanning the 12th
and 13th centuries—was marked by economic
growth and cultural flowering, both in Europe
and the Near East. But it was also largely
defined by ongoing conflict—namely the
Crusades, a series of religiously inspired
military expeditions by European Christians
to the Holy Land. There they fought Muslims
for control of sites both groups believed
sacred.

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 The Crusades were a series of wars during the Middle Ages
where the Christians of Europe tried to retake control of
Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims.
There were a number of Crusades that took place over
the course of 200 years starting in 1095:
The First Crusade (1095-1099): The First Crusade was
the most successful. Armies from Europe drove out the
Turks and took control of Jerusalem.
The Second Crusade (1147-1149): In 1146 the city of
Edessa was conquered by the Turks. The entire
population was killed or sold into slavery. Then a second
Crusade was launched, but was unsuccessful.
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The Third Crusade (1187-1192): In 1187 Saladin, the sultan of
Egypt, recaptured the city of Jerusalem from the Christians. A
third Crusade was launched led by Emperor Barbarossa of
Germany, King Philip Augustus of France, and King Richard the
Lionheart of England. Richard the Lionheart fought Saladin for
several years. In the end he could not conquer Jerusalem, but he
did win the right for pilgrims to visit the holy city once again.

The Fourth Crusade (1202-1204): The Fourth Crusade was

formed by Pope Innocent III with the hope of taking back the Holy
Land. However, the Crusaders got sidetracked and greedy and
ended up conquering and plundering Constantinople instead.

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Children's Crusade (1212): Started by a French child named
Stephen of Cloyes and a German kid named Nicholas, tens of
thousands of children gathered to march to the Holy Land. This
ended in total disaster. None of the children made it to the Holy
Land and many were never seen again. They were likely sold
into slavery.

Crusades Five through Nine (1217 - 1272): Over the next

several years there would be 5 more Crusades. None of them
would be very successful in terms of gaining control of the Holy
Land.

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In 1215, King John of England was forced to sign the Magna
Carta stating that the king was not above the law of the land
and protecting the rights of the people. Today, the Magna
Carta is considered one of the most important documents in
the history of democracy. The Magna Carta was not a short
document. There were actually 63 clauses in the document
outlining various laws that the barons wanted the King to
enforce. Some of the rights these clauses promised included:
 Protection of church rights
 Access to swift justice
 No new taxes without the Barons' agreement
 Limitations on feudal payments
 Protection from illegal imprisonment
 A council of 25 Barons who would insure that King John
followed the laws

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 A lot of things happen in the Medieval Period especially
during the 14th and 15th centuries which is atrocious .
Between 1347 and 1350, a mysterious disease known as the
“Black Death” (the Bubonic Plague from bacterium
yersinia pestis) killed some 20 million people in Europe—
30 percent of the continent’s population. There was no cure
for the disease and it was highly contagious. Much of the
infrastructure of Europe was gone when the Black Death
finally subsided. It's estimated that it took around 150 years
for Europe to rebuild

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The Hundred Years War was fought between
England and France and lasted from 1337 to
1453 (116 years). The war was a series of
battles with long periods of peace in between.
In 1428 the English began to invade southern
France. The French were inspired by Joan of
Arc's leadership and sacrifice. They continued
to fight back. They pushed the English army
out of France taking Bordeaux in 1453
signaling the end of the Hundred Years War.

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The Code of Chivalry

a set of behaviors toward knightly opponents,

whom one would treat on the battlefield with
respect and trust, not killing your fellow knight
but holding him for ransom in good condition.
Such noble behavior separated the knight from
common archers and mercenaries.

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The Great Schism (1378 to 1417), also called the
Western Schism , it was a dispute between three Popes
over the authority of the Church. Started with the
return of Papacy to Rome in 1377 and the ascension of
Gregory XI as pope, who died in 1378 and the
cardinals elected Urban VI as the new pope. Urban VI
had a violent temper which offended many cardinals
who removed themselves from Rome to Anagni and
elected Robert of Geneva as Pope Clement VII. At
Avignon, a third pope, Benedict XIII, was elected which
complicated the situation further. It was resolved after
the Council of Constance when Martin V was finally
chosen as the only Pope.

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The Wars of the Roses was a civil war
fought in England. It lasted for just over 30
years from 1455 to 1487, however, the
battles were mostly small and sometimes
were years apart. The Wars of the Roses was
fought between two rival families who both
laid claim to the throne of England: the
House of Lancaster and the House of York.
In 1487, the House of Tudor, Led by Henry
VII, defeats the House of York at the Battle
of Stoke Field. This brings the Wars of the
Roses to an end.
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Medieval Dance can be traced all the way back to the
beginning of the Medieval period.  It was a reserved
practice because of the heavy influence of the Church
during the time.  The Church did not approve of
dancing originally, but as time passed, the Church did
accept a few styles of dance and even implemented them
into their religious ceremonies.    

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 Instruments used while dancing was mainly drums
and background lute, accompanied by singing. Other
instruments also included bells, jingles, long drums,
nakers (or nakir: a small drum of Arabic origin), side
drums, tabors, tambourines and timpani (also known
as a kettle drum).    

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ƒ Many modern day dances are derived from these
Medieval dances.  Each country adapted and
performed these dances a bit differently which
changed the evolution of the dances and created a
variety of different styles performed all over the world.

ƒ Unfortunately, many documents containing the actual

steps of particular dances were lost in time, so one can
only assume how it was performed based on
the information found.

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 “
CIRCLE DANCES
were probably the oldest type and
perhaps the oldest medieval dance
formation ever known. This type of
medieval dance has been a part of
community life ever since people started
dancing, not just during the medieval
period. However, some of these dances
were not documented in history.

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 Circle Dances
The Carole Dance:  One of the earliest forms of Medieval
dance, credited to the Saxons.  It was performed as a Yule-
tide tradition and many modern day Christmas Carols have
come out of the music played to perform this dance.  The
popular dance can be presented in a variety of ways
including a chain, a processional or in a circle.
Sellingers Round:  Performed to a variation of the tune
"Sellingers Round" by Medieval Composer William Byrd, this
dance is performed in a circle with the women on their
partner's right.  Men and women alternate steps and turns.
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 Circle Dances
Official Branie:  Branie comes from the French
word brannier which means to shake.  The circle mainly
moves side to side with a variety of different steps and the
partners change periodically depending on the step.

Estampie:  The Estampie replaced the The Carole Dance,

or ring dancing.  Couples faced the public in lines and not
dancing in a formed circle. Also more instruments were
used, instead of singing.

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 Circle Dances

Saltarello:  The Saltarello name is derived from the

Italian verb “saltare” which means to jump.  It dates back to
the 1400s in Central Italy and is a very lively dance
consisting of a variety of different leaping steps. 

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 “
COURT DANCES
were dignified dance performances done
at a court. As recorded in historical
documents, these dances included
tiptoeing and jumping steps, as well as
several curtseys. The most common court
dances were the Basse Dance, Black
Alman, Black Nag, Rufty Tufty.

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 Court Dances
Basse Dance: This was the most popular court dance
and was performed by two partners using slow and low
movements. This dance resembles walking.

  Black Alman: This is a quite passive dance. The

movements are performed in procession and are mainly
done in entrance to a court.

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 Court Dances
Black Nag: A lively dance performed by three couples
using a verse and chorus style applied in country-dances.

Rufty Tufty: Two couples dancing, they make many

turns and inter connect with other couples as the
couples join the dance.    

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 “
LINE DANCES
was another type of medieval dance. Line
dances were choreographed dances with
repeated steps. Similar to the circle dance
where the dancers formed a circle, a line
dance was performed in one line or
several rows. Common lines dances were
La Spagna, The Morris Dance and The
Jig.

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 Line Dances
Prince William: This style of dance is a country dance
and involves making figure eight movements around bales of
hay.
La Spagna:  This line dance differs by starting using the
right foot instead of the left. The ladies are always on the
right side of their partner. Couples take each other’s right
hand and then turn to each other. They move away from
each other dropping their hands. They then move
towards each other again, turn to face the line again and
then join right hands again.    
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 Line Dances
The Morris Dance: The oldest form of dance that
remains unchanged in England. It is performed around a
maypole to a lively tune. Many of the performers have bells
sewed by their knees. The performers usually dressed as
characters from Old English Traditions.
The Jig: A term used to describe a variety of old
Medieval dances that consisted of jumping, leaping and
kicking. The dance is accompanied by a three-four time
meter in terms of music and was particularly popular in
Ireland.
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 “
COUNTRY DANCES
were considered folk dances and were
identified by a combination of circle and
line dancing. It also involved a lot of
clapping and spinning steps. The most
popular country dances during the
medieval period were The Egg Dance,
Quadrille, Pavan, Farandole and
Burgundian dance.

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 Country Dances

Egg Dance: With a history much like that of The Carole

Dance, The Egg Dance is also one of the earliest form of
Saxon Medieval dance and is performed during a period of
Festival known as the Easter-tide festivities. Credited to an
early Easter game, the dance consists of people dancing
about with eggs on the ground and the goal is to damage as
few eggs as possible.

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 Country Dances
Scottish Dances:  Scottish dances are usually very lively
dances with plenty circular moves and gliding steps.
National Scottish dances consisted of the reel, strathpeys
and flings.
Ballet:  Ballet was became a popular dance in the late
1400’s. It was mostly used in European courts and was full
length shows with 5 acts, several entrees and each entrees
having a quadrille.

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 Country Dances
The Quadrille: A dance originally from Normandy, but
was popular all over Europe during the Medieval times. It is
performed as a square dance with five or more dancers for
four or more couples.

Pavan:  The Pavan is also a slow processional dance,

much the same as the Black Alman, but it is done in
double time and has its origin in Italy.

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 Country Dances
Farandole:  The farandole dance is also a line dance, but
is recognized by its snake like movements.

Burgundian dance:  Burgundian dance is a dance from

the late Middle Ages, usually played by a nobles. There were
no floor patterns for the dance, but it was typically danced
as a couple standing behind another.

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 MEDIEVAL DANCE AND COMMON PEOPLE

About 90 percent of families who lived in villages were

either peasants, farmers or village laborers. Most of these
people did not own several sets of clothing unlike the
nobles and royalty. Nevertheless, peasants still spent
their holidays in church festivals, some engaging in
medieval dances and social gatherings. However, they
only mingled strictly within the same social class.
Peasants had never joined or been seen around the
wealthy people’s social gatherings, especially when there
was royalty involved.
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 MEDIEVAL DANCES FOR ROYALS AND NOBILITY
Kings and Queens usually sent invitations to noblemen to
attend Royal Balls, where lavish banquets were held followed
by music and medieval dancing. Young nobles and royalties
greeted each other in the form of courtesy. They would dance
slowly in circle. Sometimes, people from the noble classes
would arrange some of these social events. They provided
funding for them and spent a great deal of money ensuring
that the events were successful attended and enjoyed by people
who belonged to the same class. These preparations involved
performances of travelling minstrels as well as medieval
dancing to the celebration.
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 MEDIEVAL DANCE MOVES

Most medieval dances had moves in common. The very

basic movements included single steps where the dancer
starts with the left foot, then taking one step forward to
bring the right foot forward meeting it single-back.
Meanwhile, a single-back step starts with the right foot,
taking one step backward then bringing the left foot back to
meet the right foot.
.

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 MEDIEVAL DANCE MOVES
Other popular moves in medieval dances were the Bransle
steps where the dancer steps in the specific direction and
brings the other foot together, and the Slip step where the
performer does a side-way skipping step. There are still
several other steps depending on the type of medieval
dance. Another thing the medieval dances had in common
were the bows and curtseys

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 MEDIEVAL DANCE MUSIC

Medieval dance music varied with the different kinds of

dances. The earlier medieval dances had musical
instruments and singing as music to the dances. Later on,
some only used music instrumental variations with the use
of jingles, bells, long and side drums, kettle drums, tabors
and tambourines. While others only had singing as music to
the dances.
.

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 MEDIEVAL DANCE NAMES

There were various dances during the medieval period.

Unfortunately, very little evidence were recorded except
those that were captured in paintings and other literary
works that survived over time. Some of the medieval dance
names such as Carole, Estampie and Saltarello had been
known since the middle ages and were handed from
generation to generation.

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 Medieval Dance of Death
The Medieval Dance of Death was a painting that showed
death in a long chain-dance. It was 30-meter width life-size
painting that depicted 24 human beings from different social
classes. They were dancing around in procession and were
calling people to dance. However, the painting also depicted
that those who were invited to dance declined to dance.
The painting was famous for several centuries and some
illustrated books were said to have been produced based
loosely on this painting. It was destroyed during World War
II and only a copy of the original medieval Dance of Death
painting was kept.
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Dancing has been a part of human history, even to the earliest days of
civilization. It has become an integral part of human expression all over
the world for various purposes and reasons, be it for worship,
celebrations, entertainment or cultural functions. During the medieval
period, these medieval dances became part of religious practice and
became very common among Christians especially during the 13th
century. Social events and gatherings, whether secular or religious were
often enlivened by dancing. However, the physical manifestation of
happiness, bliss and glee were not only revealed during these occasions
but has transcended to become part of every life, medieval or otherwise.

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RESOURCES:
https://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-history/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNCw2MOfnLQ
https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/middle-ages
https://
www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcr
ipts-and-maps/timeline-events-middle-ages
https://
sites.google.com/site/medievalhistoryfinalproject/home/medie
val-dance
https://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_timeline

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Thank You