1. The Middle Ages Life in the Middle Ages 4 elements governing life
Feudalism
- de-centralized government
- no dominant political institution
- set of rules governing relationships  involved upper class only

2. Kingdom of Yip the Great
The Middle Ages
Feudal Contract
My liege lord, I, _______________, do willingly enter into homage and faith and become your sworn man, and to you and your heirs will I faithfully bear body, chattels, and earthly worship, and I will keep faith and loyalty to you against all others.
In addition, I swear I will perform the following services:
Signed this ___ day in the month of_______ in the year of our Lord, ________
X________________________________
I, ________________, do promise to you, as my vassal and liegeman, that I and my heirs will guarantee to you and your heirs the lands you hold of me, against all others, that you may hold said lands in peace.
Kingdom of Yip the Great

4. The Middle Ages Political system
involved lord (grants land and provides protection), vassal (receives land and offers services), and fief (land itself)
feudal contract
spelled out obligations of all parties
for eternity
designed to provide framework for governing
relationships often complex – owe obligations to conflicting parties
vassals become more powerful than lords/kings

5. The Middle Ages
I, Thiebault, count palatine of Troyes, make known to those present and to come that I have given in fee to Jocelyn d'Avalon and his heirs the manor which is called Gillencourt, which is of the castellanerie of La Ferte sur Aube; and whatever the same Jocelyn shall be able to acquire in the same manor I have granted to him and his heirs in augmentation of that fief I have granted, moreover, to him that in no free manor of mine will I retain men who are of this gift. The same Jocelyn, moreover, on account of this has become my liege man, saving however, his allegiance to Gerard d'Arcy, and to the lord duke of Burgundy, and to Peter, count of Auxerre. Done at Chouaude, by my own witness, in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord 1200 in the month of January. Given by the hand of Walter, my chancellor; note of Milo.

6. The Middle Ages 2. Manorialism
Economic and social system of the Middle Ages
governed how people lived and made a living
includes everybody – kings, nobility, priests, peasants, serfs
serf – tied to land, limited to no freedom – work for lord of manor 3-4 days, work for themselves 2-3 days

7. The Middle Ages provides protection and some certainty for serfs
self-sufficiency
manorialism (along with feudalism) would slowly be replaced as organizing structure of Middle Ages as towns grew and new farming techniques developed  no longer need as much intensive labor

8. The Middle Ages 3. Chivalry – code of conduct governing nobility
had to be brave
protect the weak
fight fairly
loyal to friends, keep word, treat conquered foes fairly
courteous to women
- generally treated only nobles fairly
To become knight
page  learn manner & begin training w/weapons
squire  knight’s asst take care of horse, weapons & clothing

9. The Middle Ages 4. Church (again)
Hierarchy – priests (sacraments), bishops (diocese), archbishop (several dioceses), pope & curia (advisers to pope)
key to salvation for people
had power to excommunicate (deprive membership in church)
Problems in the Medieval Church
- Lay investiture – appointment of clergy by secular authority
- Worldly lives of priests
-Simony - payment for positions in the church
- Heresy - beliefs against church teachings  led to creation of Inquisition to root out thinking that threatened unity of Church

10. The Middle Ages Growth of Nations England
early Middle Ages  ruled by Saxon kings
related to Viking invaders
Edward the Confessor ( )  no heirs; leaves England to both Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy
Harold of Wessex (1066)
no compromise
last Saxon king
Battle of Hastings (Oct., 1066)

11. The Middle Ages Three factors going against Harold Rebellion & fatigue
papal support for William
omens
last time England was successfully invaded by foreign power!!
William the Conqueror ( )
excellent administrator
Domesday Book
brings French culture to “backwaters” England
controls English nobility

12. The Middle Ages Three sons (& one daughter) Robert, William, & Henry
Robert  Normandy, William II ( )  England
Henry  nothing
Robert goes on Crusade
William II goes hunting (dies)
Henry I ( ); Robert also “gives” Normandy to Henry (how kind!)
excellent administrator of both holdings
one legitimate son (and one legitimate daughter)

13. The Middle Ages
son William dies tragically; leaving Matilda as only legitimate heir
barons do not accept Matilda
choose Stephen I ( )  Matilda’s cousin – grandson of William the Conqueror through daughter
– The Anarchy (or “When Christ & his Saints Slept”
Matilda’s son – Henry II ( ) becomes heir after death of Stephen’s son
ends civil war

14. The Middle Ages Henry II
Married to Eleanor of Aquitaine (11 yrs older)
made Henry most powerful man in Europe – England, Anjou, Brittany, Maine, Normandy, and now Aquitaine!
ends civil war
effective administrator
laws – jury system, circuit judges, common law
Eleanor of Aquitaine
married to 2 kings (Louis VII of France & Henry II) mother to 2 kings (Richard I & John I)
courtly love, chivalry
adventure

15. The Middle Ages Problems fight w/ Thomas Becket and church
murder of Becket causes loss of prestige
fight w/ family Eleanor & Richard
Eleanor incites open rebellion by son Richard against Henry
dies after being defeated by Richard

16. The Middle Ages Richard I (1189-1199) – the Lion-Hearted
favorite of Eleanor
spendthrift  wars
Third Crusade
insignificant king but important in English folklore
succeeded by brother –John I ( )
Runnymeade
Magna Carta
John’s grandson  Edward I ( )
parliament
powerful monarch

17. The Middle Ages France Last Carolingian king -987
Hugh Capet appointed king of France  weak monarch controlling small area
Capetian line of kings grow strong over next 3 centuries – centered around Paris
Marriage creating alliances among French families
rivalry with Richard I & John I  taking land from England
encouraging commerce & trade
Philip Augustus II (son of Louis VII)
Philip the Fair  Parlement of Paris & Estates General

18. The Middle Ages Spain controlled by Umayyads (Muslim) Germany & Italy
both unable to achieve independence due to fighting amongst princes, Holy Roman Emperors, & popes
Europe –