1. Patterns of Medieval Life

2. Rome’s Three Heirs
Byzantine Empire
Islamic Empire
Western Christendom

3. Middle Ages Three cultural traditions: Greco-Roman Judeo-Christian
Germanic

4. Germanic Tribes Nomadic tribes, driven Westward by the Huns
Made unstable alliance with the Roman Empire
Visigoths raid Rome in 410, Vandals cause destruction in 455 (hence, “vandalize”)
Germanic commander Odoacer deposes Roman emperor in 476—bringing Empire to an end

6. Germanic Culture Not “civilized” like Greco-Roman culture
Nomadic, warrior culture
Based on chieftains
Fealty between warrior and chieftain is the basic relationship in society
Law is oral, not written
Religion: nature deities; however, many Germanic peoples convert to Christianity

7. Beowulf
3,000-line Anglo-Saxon epic originating c. 700, written down later (10th century)
Unrhymed verse
Kennings: two-term metaphors (e.g., “ring-giver,” “whale-path”)
Beowulf, a prince, has 3 adventures: the monster Grendel; Grendel’s mother; dragon

8. Germanic Art Earliest examples are portable
Later examples fuse with Christian culture
Lindisfarne Gospels, 7th-century England
Cruciform design
Combines “compositional order with a sense of labyrinthine movement” (Fiero 247)
Similarity to Islamic art: “complex rhythmically meandering surface designs” (Fiero 247)

12. Charlemagne Frankish king, Charles the Great, reigned 768-814
Created a Christian Empire modeled on Roman Empire
Pope Leo III crowned him “Emperor of the Romans” in Rome in 800

15. Carolingian Renaissance
Charlemagne sponsored a revival in architecture, learning and literacy
Benedictines play important role
Charlemagne established schools where monks and nuns copied Latin manuscripts, religious and other
Develop miniscule writing style (see Fiero 249)
Charlemagne himself was barely literate

16. Palatine Chapel, Aachen, Germany, 792-805 San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, 6th c.

17. http://employees. oneonta

19. Charlemagne (Equestrian) Marcus Aurelius

20. Lindau Gospels, c. 800

21. Feudal Society After Charlemagne, unity does not survive
Lack of administrative order and standing army
Vikings and Muslims pose threat
Empire divided among Charlemagne’s grandsons
Feudalism supplies alternative political order

23. Knight Wearing Hauberk (c. 1200)
A hauberk was a knee-length mail shirt that weighed about 14 kg (31 lbs). The sleeves extended to mid-way down the forearm. Hauberks were put on over the head, and were split at the front and the back to enable the knights to ride his horse. Hauberk were constructed from overlapping metal scales riveted to a garment made of leather or cloth.
A fragment of Norwegian tapestry at Baldishol Church showing a knight wearing a hauberk (c. 1200)

24. Feudalism Lord grants his vassal land (a fief)
In return, vassal gives lord military service
The exchange of oaths between lord and vassal was called investiture
Upper 10% of European society involved in feudal contract: nobles

25. Feudalism
Male nobles were knights (chevalier) Chivalry was the code of behavior dictating the actions of lords and vassals.
Nobles included both men and women; female aristocrats could inherit land

26. Song of Roland Chanson de geste (“song of heroic deeds”)
Peformed by jongleurs: Professional entertainers
Demonstrates Roland’s loyalty to Charlemagne and the code of chivalry
Demonstrates the warfare between Christians and Muslims

28. Norman Conquest Vikings=Norsemen=Northmen=Normans
In 1066, William of Normandy crossed English channel and defeated Anglo-Saxon Duke Harold at Battle of Hastings. Effects:
Feudalism came to England
French words incorporated into English

29. Bayeux Tapestry
11th century embroidery recording William’s conquest of England
231 feet long

33. Halley’s Comet on Bayeux Tapestry

34. Song of Roland & Bayeux Tapestry: Similarities
“epic in theme and robust in style”
“sweeping narratives whose episodes are irregular rather than uniform in length”
Stereotypical characters
Weapons and armor described
“heroic splendor” of feudal life
(Fiero )

35. Medieval Manor
Manorialism was the medieval economic system, just as feudalism was the political system
Lords and serfs (peasants, who equalled 90% of European population) were interdependent
Serfs needed protection; lords needed workers

37. Effects of Crusades,
“revival of trade between East and West enhanced European commercial life, encouraging the rise of towns ”
Lands centralized in absence of nobles on crusades
Contact with Byzantium reestablished, opening doors to Byzantine commerce and culture
(Fiero )

39. Lancelot vs. Song of Roland
“feminization of the chivalric ideal” in Lancelot
Roland motivated by glory and fealty
Lancelot motivated by romantic love
Roland wants to be remembered by his lord; Lancelot wants to be seen by Guinevere

40. Lancelot Crossing the Swordbridge and Guinevere in the Tower, c. 1300

42. Troubadours Men and women of the nobility
Wrote and performed poems about “courtly love, chivalry, religion, and politics” (263)