Changes in Medieval Society

A Medieval Town “…Jam-packed wooden houses, each a potential tinderbox, sought extra room through upper stories jutting out over the street. The streets themselves were mere alleys, 6 to 10 ft. across. Sewers were open and sanitation scant. The stroller had to dodge slops (human wastes) from above and swilling pigs below; scabrous (covered with scabs or rough patches of skin) beggars jostled him. Except when he raised his eyes to the Gothic grace of town belfry or church spire, signs of filth and disease assailed him everywhere.” Why were medieval towns prone to disastrous fires? What danger from above did passerby face? Why do you think people chose to live in towns despite the filth? The passage describes the scene that assailed one’s eyes. What other sense would have been assailed?

Other Stuff While Church reform, cathedral building, and Crusades were taking place….. Advances in: ▫Agriculture ▫Trade and finances ▫Population growth and growht of towns ▫Cultural interaction with Muslim and Byzantine worlds

Changes in Agriculture From 800 to 1200 the climate warms, opening more land to farming Changes in technology result in more food production

Switch to Horsepower Harnessed horses replace oxen in pulling plows and wagons Horses plow three times as much a day, increasing food supply

Watermills and Windmills Most important device for harnessing power before the steam engine Watermills were used to grind grains for flour, make cloth, sawmills to cut wood ▫Located by streams If didn’t have access to rivers, they used windmills ▫Windmills used to pump water & cut wood

The Three-Field System Around 800 three-field system used-plant two fields, let one rest This produces more food and leads to population increase

The Guilds Guild-organization of people in the same occupation ▫Merchant guilds begin first; they keep prices up, provide security ▫Skilled artisans, men and women, form craft guilds

Training Apprentice: trained 2-7 years; parents paid for training; lived with master and his family; not allowed to marry Journeyman or Day Worker: Worked for a master for pay; worked 6 days a week; needed to produce a masterpiece to become a master; had to be accepted by the guild to be a master Master: Owned his own shop; worked with other masters to protect their trade

European Women at Work This manuscript painting shows women and men cooperating in the baking of bread, long a staple of European diets.

Guild Services Guilds set standards for quality, prices, wages, working conditions Guilds supervise training of new members of their craft Built almshouses for victims of misfortune Provided dowries for poor girls Took turns policing the streets The wealth of guilds influences government and economy

Commercial Revolution Fairs and Trade Europe sees Commercial Revolution-changes in business and trade Trade fairs are held several times a year in towns Trade routes open to Asia, North Africa, and Byzantine ports

Trade Cloth was most important trade item. ▫Others: bacon, salt, honey, cheese, wine, leather, dyes, knives, and ropes No longer was everything produced on a self- sufficient manor.

Business and Banking Merchants develop credit to avoid carrying large sums of money and made trading easier. ▫Also take out loans to purchase goods, and banking grows Usury - lending money at interest ▫Church did not like this Jews become moneylenders with lack of Christians Church later relaxed its rule on usury and Christians entered the banking business.

Cities Make a Comeback Growing Urban Population Europe’s pop. rises from 30 million to 42 million Paris-60,000 by 1200 Most towns - 1,500 to 2,500 people

Change is Not Good for Everyone Towns are uncomfortable ▫Crowded, dirty, full of fire hazards, filled with animals and their waste ▫No sewers Houses were built of wood with thatched roofs Serfs can become free by living in a town for a year and a day

Merchants take over Feudal lords tax and govern towns, causing resentment Burghers ▫Merchant-class town dwellers who take control of towns and cities

What’s in a Name?? 1.Patronymic (from the first name of father). Examples: Peters - son of Peter (English, German) Peterson - son of Peter (Swedish) Petersen - son of Peter (Danish) O'Reilly - grandson of Reilly (Ireland) 2.Lives near locality or place. Examples: KirkPatrick - Church (kirk) of St. Patrick Cliff - steep hill Fairholm - the fair island Ashley - field surrounded by ash trees 3.Occupation or social status. Examples: Cooper - barrel maker Wagner or Waggoner - wagon maker Knight - knighthood Smith - blacksmith 4.Nicknames describing person or personality. Examples: Reid - red, ruddy complexion or red hair Stout - Body size Small - Body size Armstrong - strong arms Sharpe - sharp, smart

Learning Also Makes a Comeback The Muslim Connection Christian scholars read translations of Greek works made by Muslims Crusaders return with Muslim knowledge of navigation, ships, and weapons

Scholars Groups of scholars gather and develop universities. Vernacular—everyday language Dante Alighieri— The Divine Comedy, which is about… Geoffrey Chaucer—The Canterbury Tales, which is about…

European University Life in the Middle Ages This 14 th century manuscript painting shows a classroom scene from the University of Bologna in Italy. Note the sleeping and disruptive students. Some things never change.

Europe’s First Universities University of Bologna, Italy ▫Attracted students from all of Europe ▫Most were administrators for kings & princes University of Paris Oxford and Cambridge ▫In the 12th century, after they were expelled from the University of Paris because of a war between France and England, some English students and tutors settled at Oxford, and others at Cambridge. From this beginning evolved the two universities. They were the only ones in England until 1836, when the University of London was chartered.

Aquinas and Medieval Philosophy St. Thomas Aquinas He is a scholastic-university man; debates issues to increase knowledge Accepted the existence of God on faith, but believed it was subject to logical proof. He taught that governments, as well as the individuals they served, were morally responsible for acting in accordance with divine law.

Fill in the blanks 1. The first ____________was a group of merchants who worked to improve the economic and social conditions of its members. Guild 2. Merchants and craftspeople who lived in the towns and who demanded privileges such as freedom from tolls and the right to govern their town were called___________. Burghers

3. ____________were documents given by a bank to an individual allowing that person to withdraw an amount of money from that bank or one of its branches. Letters of credit 4. The ______________allowed villages to grow more food by organizing land into three fields instead of two. Three-field system

5. In the 1100s, poets began to use the everyday language of their homeland, or the_______________. Vernacular 6. Scholars who met together at universities were known as schoolmen, or_____________. Scholastics

7. The expansion of trade and business as agriculture was expanding is called the __________________. Commercial Revolution 8. In many European countries, you _______________ could also label your profession. surname

9. A scholar in the 1200s named ________said that logic could prove many religious truths. Thomas Aquinas 10. A day worker, known as a _______ had to complete several steps in order to become a master in his craft. journeyman

11. __________wrote the Canterbury Tales which describes a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket, around 1387 in English Chaucer 12. _________wrote The Divine Comedy. Dante 13. When the harness was improved, _____could be successfully used for plowing and for pulling wagons. Horses