Vocab Unit 6 The Middle Ages

Middle Ages: also known as the Medieval Period lasted from 500 –1500 A.D.

Dark Ages: A period of several hundred years during the early Middle Ages ( A.D.) when fear, confusion, & chaos spread among the people of Western Europe. People worked the land for protection while trade, education, & the growth of towns declined.

Barbarians: invaders who destroyed the Roman Empire and its well organized political, economic, & social system. Include, the Huns, Angels, Saxons, Vandals, Lombards, Magyars, Vikings, Moors, Visgoths

Vikings: Barbarian tribe from Scandinavia also called the Northmen or Norsemen. Viking means “from the Sea”.

Moors: Arabs who practiced Islam that conquered Spain & North Africa.

Clovis: King of the Franks who conquered Gaul an converted to Christianity.

Anglo-Saxons: a member of any of the West Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) that settled in Britain from the 5th century ad and were dominant until the Norman conquest

Hundred Years’ War: A conflict that pitted the kings and kingdoms of France and England against each other from 1337 to Two causes of the conflict include the status of the dukedom of Aquitaine and after the death of Charles IV, his closest relatives, the king of England, claimed the French crown.

Joan of Arc: A French girl from medieval France who believed that God had chosen her to lead France to victory in its long-running war with England. With no military training, she convinced Prince Charles to allow her to lead a French army. She would eventually be captured and tried for witchcraft and heresy and burned at the stake in 1431, at the age of 19.

Feudalism: arrangement between lord, vassal and serf for ownership of land, military service and protection during the Middle Ages.

Noble: a member of the wealthy landowning class, also called lord.

Lord a well-to-do noble who owned a large estate; a lord usually lived in a castle.

Fief: land given by a lord to a vassal in return for military and other services. Advertisement for a fief for sale in 1752 France

Manor: a large piece of land owned by a lord during the Middle Ages, also called an estate.

Vassal: a noble who was given land by a lord in return for military assistance and other services to the lord.

Serf: poor people who worked for lords during the Middle Ages. They worked long hours, were poorly fed and clothed, and were not allowed to leave the manor. They were bound to the land in exchange for protection from their lord.

Knight: a noble who held a high military rank. These men were trained in warfare from a young age. They had to follow the code of chivalry at all times. There were 3 stages of training: 1. Paige 2. Squire 3. Knighthood

Chivalry: A knight’s code: the qualities of a good knight, including bravery, politeness, respect for women, protection of the weak, and fairness to the enemy.

Troubadour: wandering poets who usually wrote about love for a beautiful lady of noble birth, warfare, and battle heroes.

Holy Land: the birthplace of Christianity, the region in the Middle East called Palestine, in particular the city of Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

Crusades: a series of expeditions called by the Pope to reclaim the Holy Land from the Muslims Turks between 1096 and These voyages failed to reclaim the land, but succeeded in increasing trade between Europe and the East.

Charlemagne: King of the Franks who united most of Western Europe during the early Middle Ages and laid the foundations for modern France and Germany. In 800 he became the first Holy Roman Emperor, the first recognized emperor in Western Europe since the fall of the Rome

Manorialism: The economic relationship between the lord and the people who work for him (giving and receiving goods and services)

Monastic System: A religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work.

Romanesque Architecture: Style that is known for using Roman elements, especially its massive quality, rounded arches, thick walls, sturdy columns, and large towers - circa 6th- 10th century beginning.

Gothic Architecture: This style develops circa 12th century AD, know for its very detailed and beautiful design, pointed arches, ribbed vaulting, and flying buttresses.

Heresy: any belief or practice that goes against the official position of the church

Excommunication: an institutional act of religious severe religious disapproval used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community

Pope Urban II: was pope from 12 March 1088 to his death in 1099 and is best known for initiating the First Crusade (1096–99)

Richard I: King of England He was known as Richard the Lionheart because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior. He was a central commander in the 3 rd Crusade

Saladin: a Muslim military and political leader who as sultan led Islamic forces during the Crusades. He paved the way for Islamic re-conquest of Jerusalem, lost to in battle against Richard I in the 3 rd Crusade, and negotiated a truce with Richard I to allowed for continued Muslim control of Jerusalem.

Battle of Hastings: Battle in 1066 between the Norman- French army of Duke William II of Normandy and an English army. This led to the Norman control of England.

William the Conqueror: His rule began as the Duke of Normandy in In 1060 after a long struggle for power and his hold on Normandy was secure, he launched the conquest of England in He would eventually become the 1 st Norman King of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087.

Bubonic Plaque: An infectious disease transmitted by fleas. It is characterized by fever, chills, and the formation of swellings. Also known as the Black Plague or Black Death.

Magna Carta: A document granting rights to both the Church in England and the Nobility signed by King John in This is considered to be the beginnings of British democracy