The Middle Ages

The Feudal System When William became the King of England, he made the Feudal System The feudal system was based on three important principles: - land - loyalty - religion

A Hierarchical System In the Feudal System, there were four major social hierarchies: The king Greater Nobles (Barons) Lesser Nobles / Minor Nobles Freeholders and Serfs (peasants)

Roles in the society Ex: Each social class had certain rights and privileges(Pathways textbook, p. 46) Ex:

The king: William The king has absolute power Anyone who disobeyed the king was punished harshly This society was called a monarchy The king gave nobles land and protection in exchange for loyalty military service and political consultation

William the Conqueror

Nobles The great nobles, also called barons, were very high in society and exercised a lot of power, also called barons, were powerful members of society with significant power They were vassals to the king and so followed his will. They also upheld their faith to the church which included helping to ensure tythes were paid by their subordinates

Nobles/Barons Nobles (or Barons) were responsible to manage their land, called a Manor They lived in the Manor house The lord of the manor, or baron, managed the money for the serfs who worked the land Nobles also showed loyalty to the king by fighting in his name in times of war and by helping to consult on political matters

Lesser Nobles

Lesser Nobles Lesser Nobles also held positions of management and acted as knights during times of war They were vassals to more powerful Nobles and as such managed land on behalf of the Noble they served Lesser Nobles also had land rights and would profit from the harvest and taxes collected

The Commoners: Freeholders and Serfs Commoners were had few rights and lacked any power They represented 90% of the population Freeholders paid a rent for the land they harvested Serfs held no power and were considered property of the manor

Commoners Freeholders and Serfs

The Feudal Contract The most powerful social class in this system include : king, barons, nobles Each class had rights and privledges. Power was held by rights to manage and profit from the land Barons,nobles and peasants gave loyalty to the king and the king, in turn, provided land, protection, and legal counsel

Feudal System in detail:

Life and Culture in the Medieval World

The Manor The manor was a type of medieval community The nobles and the lord of the manor lived in a large castle The peasants (freeholders and serfs) lived in small houses

A Medieval Manor

Life in the Manor The mansions were self-sufficient communities; that is, everything needed was there in the mansion and surrounding village Farmers produced food by growing crops and raising animals The church provided a Christian education to the village The king and the knights protected the manor in times of war http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NASCj4 YcHDQ

The Manor: A self-sufficient community

The Manor Village Each manor had a church, blacksmith, bakery, tannery, well, common pasture, orchard, fields, housing and the main manor house The manor house was placed by a river, which provided fresh water for people and animals The village required proximity to a forested area, as wood was used in buildings and mostly as a heat source for warmth and for cooking The fields and gardens of the manor were for the crops, but some lands (called "domains") were the exclusive property of the lords. These prime lands of the lords ensured their wealth

Can you identify parts of the manor?

Was Manor life a good life. For the Noble. For the Freeholder Was Manor life a good life? For the Noble? For the Freeholder? For the serf?

Life in the Manor: The roles of: Serfs Freeholders Women Men Children

Serfs and Freeholders Uneducated Had the right to leave the village when they wanted They rented a portion of the land from a lord They had no obligation to work the land of a lord and were not part of a Feudal Contract Serfs: Uneducated Not free to come and go as they wanted 2-3 days of each week was owed to work the Lord’s lands They were required to give a portion of their own harvest to the Lord They ate from and sold the remainder of their crop They were unable to become land owners

The Roles of Women -cultivated the garden -managed (fed, protected, bred) the farm animals for milk, eggs, butchering -responsible for weaving and sewing clothing -distilled beer -prepared meals -preserved food for winter -made the daily bread -raised the children -managed the firewood and the fire for warmth and cooking

Roles of Men Farming: ploughing, planting, weeding, harvesting

Nobles The Lord and Lady of the Manor: Had servants to help tend to their needs Possessed rare and expensive items (eg hawks for hunting, horses, furniture, big house) Could hunt for sport Hired troubadours to entertain them with music, comedy and theatre Owed payments and service in battle to the Baron of the lands Were required to marry and have children in order to keep the land

Children No school, children worked as soon as they were able Help with work on the farm, especially harvesting and sowing the land and with the endless household chores

The Legal System

Medeival Law To solve problems, people in the Middle Ages held "legal trials" more or less similar to our trials todayMais la raison pour le procès ou «tribunal» était parfois bizarre Ex: If rats had stolen food, they were hunted and tried in a court for their crime!

Bizarre and dangerous laws Ex: If a cow died, there was an investigation to find out if the cow was killed by someone To prove someone's innocence, they used two common practices: - trial by ordeal - trial by battle

Trial by Ordeal It was believed that if the person was innocent, God will protect her from harm The innocence of someone accused of a crime was tested by forcing him to: -swallow poison -remove an object of boiling water -marking on hot coals (hot coals !!) -carry a piece of burning iron If the person survived without a lot of injuries, he or she was declared innocent!

Trial by battle

Combat: to the death! Only Nobles accused of crimes endured trial by combat This process involved two nobles in a fight to the death The survivor was pronounced innocent A noble woman accused of a crime had the right to select a champion to fight on her behalf

Combat

Courts Trials were held in 1 of 3 courts: 1) Manor court (Trial by Jury) 2) Royal court or King’s court (Trial by Ordeal) 3) Ecclesiastical court (Church) All crimes were treated harshly and in a court to fit the crime

Manor Court Minor crimes and disputes were settled in the courtyard of the manor Ex: Someone stole someone else's horse or cow Ex: Assault Ex: public drunkenness Ex: minor thefts or other small crimes

Manor Court Most people from the mansion attended the trials The witnesses were important Fines were given to people who did not tell the truth The people of the village decided who won the trial (as a 'jury') A representative of the Lord, a steward, acted as a judge and delivered sentencing

Royal Court

Royal Court Royal courts dealt with serious crimes -murder, rape, treason, burglary -poaching game from royal forests -cutting trees there or even deadfall Royal courts used’common’ law, a term that referred to laws for the whole kingdom Those found guilty in this court could be punished with death Those executed had all property revoked, so the family of the accused would also pay for the crime

Church Courts

Church Courts Only the members of the Church were judged in this court (ex: priests, deacons, bishops, clerics and religious monks) The pope (representative of God) had absolute power An accused could not be sentenced to death and punishments were often "lighter" Sometimes an literacy test was given to the accused to prove that he or she was working for the Church (all members of the Church could read and write)

Discussion What are the differences between the 3 courts? Do you find the legal system of the Middle Ages fair or unfair? Explain Compare this system to our legal system today. Is trial by ordeal or trial by battle fair and ethical ways to prove someone's innocence or to punish someone who is guilty?

The Influence of Religion

Religion in Medieval Society Most European people during the Middle Ages practiced Christianity Christianity of the Middle Ages came from the Catholic Church (Catholicism) The society was based on Christian (Catholic) principles: Ex: If you were a good person in life, you would have success, be blessed by God and go to heaven. But if you were a bad person in life, you would be judged by God and go to Hell for eternity

Christianity in the Middle Ages All good or bad acts were attributed to the hand of God (Ex: sickness, drought, attack, etc.) Religious ceremonies and Saints were very important and symbolic for the medieval people (Which Saints are still honored today?)

The Catholic Church The Church had great power over people's lives because it was in charge of every important event! -marriages burials -the courts (ecclesiastical court) The Church collected the taxes (tythe) from thecitizens; 10% of each person's income (in cash or crops) Some priests became very rich with this system and did not distribute the income fairly

The Power of the Church

Religious Education Men and women who became monks and nuns in the Church dedicated their lives to prayer, religious study and abstenance

Discussion Give examples that show that the Church was at the center of people's lives in the Middle Ages Do you think that the Church has had a positive or negative influence on medieval society? Explain Why do you think people have chosen to live in monasteries and convents? If you lived in the Middle Ages, would you do it? Why or why not?

Economy and Technology The economy of the Middle Ages was based mainly on agriculture, fishing and hunting Craftsmen and merchants also played an important role in the trade

The Market The development of the villages gave rise to markets Farmers worked their crops and then the harvest to merchants who also sold fruits, grains, vegetables and meat to from surrounding farms

The Medieval Market In the market, craftsmen sold wood, stone and iron products (eg tools and technical equipment) Other merchants sold cakes, bread, herbs and spice, clothes and decorative objects

Technology Several inventions facilitated fieldwork and advanced agriculture and people's daily lives

Technological Advances Some examples of technological advances in the Middle Ages are: mill, plows, farmer's tools (shovels, spades and axes) and knights' armor (swords, shields etc.)

Questions Explain the economy of the Middle Ages. What were the main industries? What could we buy at the medieval market? What new technologies or inventions were found in the Middle Ages? Discuss the differences between medieval "technology" and today's technology.