The Middle Ages Video (question 2 expansion) Historians divide the Middle Ages (aka Medieval Ages) into 3 parts. Each part has a dominant personality or feature that help us identify the period: Early Period – c. 472 – 900 CHARLEMAGNE unites kingdoms c.800 out of the chaotic ashes of post-Roman Europe High Middle Ages – c. 900 – 1250 CRUSADES are the dominant feature in a time of religious wars Late Middle Ages – c. 1250 – 1492 BLACK DEATH is dominant feature, global cooling causes bad crops, wars for land, bad times

The Middle Ages = Dangerous Times The strong empires of Rome and Greece that protected trade routes and encouraged science and freedom were gone. Gone is the central gov’t and organization of society Rome provided – nobody to protect or collect tax to repair infrastructre Chaos, violence, fear, superstition, hunger, disease dominate until 800 when Frankish Charlemagne provides unity and peace

The Middle Ages = Dangerous Times Education died out, people just survive Only the Christian Church kept education alive in monasteries Hand copied books Promoted reading and writing among monks Masses are illiterate, relying on monks and church officials to interpret Bible and life Ignorance and superstition dominate worldview Church/religion becomes defining feature of life in the Middle Ages = ‘CHRISTENDOM’

Invaders Attack Western Europe Muslim invaders seized Sicily, raided Italy, sacked Rome then retreated to Spain (ruled Spain for 700 years) Magyars from the east (based in Hungary) maul Germany and Italy Vikings from the north (Norsemen/Northmen) Norwegians/Danes go west, Swedes go east and south)

The Vikings - Northmen Germanic people that lived in Scandinavia Worships warlike gods Seafarers that attacked with terrifying speed Known for warships Weighed up to 20 tons Could sail in 3 feet of water

The Vikings Vikings were also traders, farmers, and explorers Journeyed far and wide Explorer Leif Ericson reached N. America in 1000 Around 1000, Vikings stopped their reign of terror Later accepted Christianity Warming trend in Europe made farming easier = less seafaring needed

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Magyars From the East Horsemen from modern day Hungary Invaded W. Europe in late 800’s Attacked isolated villages, overran Italy, took captives to sell as slaves

Muslims from the South Came from N. Africa through Spain and Italy Goals: conquer, settle in and plunder Europe Seafarers who attacked settlements on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts

Invaders and Raiders Genghis Khan Mongolian warrior A particular problem for the Russians. Mongols conquered Russia and ruled it for 400 years Russia has been behind the rest of Europe ever since

Results of Invasions People now looked to local rulers for security (not a central ruler) Widespread disorder Kings unable to provide protection People in constant danger

A New Social Order: Feudalism Feudalism: a system of governing and landholding based on rights and obligations emerged in Europe In exchange for military service, a lord (landowner) would provide a fief (land) to a vassal (person receiving the land) Depended on control of land

The Manor System Manor: the lord’s estate & the basic economic arrangement during the Middle Ages Depended on a set of rights and obligations between a lord and his serfs Provided housing, farmland, protection from bandits Tended the lord’s lands, cared for the animals, maintained the estate LORD SERF

No Strong Central Govt. So how will we be protected? Lack of central government for protection leads to rise of Feudalism

What is Feudalism? Feudalism: “loosely organized system of government in which local lords governed their own lands but owed military service and other support to a greater lord.”

Feudalism (political system) So who is in charge? The kings had plenty of land; but he could not control it all So he gave land to lords in exchange for protection, loyalty and $. Lords then gave their land to knights in exchange for protection, loyalty and $. Knights let serfs (peasants) work the land and he would protect them. Serfs got food and shelter. Thus, each person had rights and responsibilities vassals (higher lords)

Peasants Knights Grants land to Nobles Grants land to Grants land to responsibilities rights Provide money and knights King Grants land to Provide protection, military service, tax/money Nobles Grants land to Knights Provide labour, food, tax, services Grants land to Peasants Note: it takes 40 serfs to support one knight!!

The Life of a Serf Women shared in the work Kids ran free until big enough to carry stuff, then worked like a mini adult from 8 or 9 yrs. Owed duties to the lord At least a few days per week A portion of their grain Rarely traveled more than 5 km. from the manor Produced nearly everything they and their lord needed for daily life eg. Cloth, food (bread, vegetables, meat, milk, eggs, fish), tools, furniture, etc.

The Life of a Serf Taxed on all the grain ground in the lord’s mill Baking bread elsewhere was a crime Paid a tax on marriage Weddings could only occur with the lord’s permission Owed the village priest a tithe (church tax) = to 1/10 of their income Lived in crowded cottages with only 1 or 2 rooms Slept on dirt floors in beds made of straw Ate mostly vegetables, bread, grain, cheese and soup Life = work as soon as you were old enough Illness and malnutrition were common

Common Pasture (or "Green")

Life on the Manor Usually covered a few square miles of land Consisted of: Lord’s manor house Church Workshops 15 to 30 families lived in the village on a manor Surrounded by fields, pastures, woodlands Streams sometimes ran through the manor Produced crops, milk, cheese, fuel, cloth, leather goods, lumber

Life on the Manor A typical manor settlement shows peasants (serfs) growing specialty crops and sheep for wool, which would be sold by the Lord of the Manor. In exchange for their labour, the serfs were permitted to live on the land with the Lord’s protection. They could also keep a small percentage of what they grew. The Lord also provided a mill, a church and access to markets. Serfs could not leave nor marry without the Lord’s permission. The quality of a serf’s life depended largely on the character of the Lord of the Manor.