1. The Middle Ages
Ms. Elam and Mr. Stikes

2. SSWH7 The student will analyze European medieval society with regard to culture, politics, society, and economics.
a. Explain the manorial system and feudalism; include the status of peasants and feudal monarchies & the importance of Charlemagne.

3. SECTION 1: Explain the manorial system and feudalism; include:
The status of peasants and feudal monarchies
The importance of Charlemagne

4. Definitions
Manorial System: economic system based on large estates called manors
Feudalism: system of government based on personal obligations between a monarch and a vassal
Vassal: individual who swears loyalty and obedience to a superior lord

5. Origins of Feudalism
Kings were unable to defend their land from attack
Nobles and others had to find ways to defend themselves
How?

6. Knights Knight: Highly trained, usually mounted soldier
Expensive to maintain
Loyalty = land
Land given to knight for service was called a fief
Anyone accepting fief was called a vassal
Person from whom he accepted fief was his lord
Historians call system of exchanging land for service the feudal system, or feudalism

7. Feudal Obligations Oath of Fealty: Financial Obligations
Promise by knight to be loyal to his lord
Financial Obligations
Knight would pay ransom if lord was captured
Knight would give money to lord on important days (births, marriages, etc.)

8. Feudal Obligations Obligations of the Lord
Lord had to treat knights fairly, not demanding too much time, money
Had to protect knight if attacked by enemies
Had to act as judge in disputes between knights

9. Feudal Obligations

10. Feudalism: The Complex System
Person could be both lord, vassal
Some knights with large fiefs gave small pieces of land to other knights, created many levels of obligations
One knight could serve many lords; no prohibition against knight accepting fiefs from more than one noble
Almost everyone in system served more than one lord

11. Is this an oversimplification?

12. “Fealty” to King
Theoretically, everyone supposed to be loyal to the king
In practice, not everyone loyal
Some powerful nobles as strong as kings they were supposed to serve, ignored duties as vassals
Feudal rules specific to time, place; could change over time; England’s rules not same as France’s rules

13. Lords, Peasants, and Serfs
The Manorial System
The feudal system was a political and social system. A related system governed medieval economics. This system was called the manorial system because it was built around large estates called manors.
Manors owned by wealthy lords, knights
Peasants farmed manor fields
Were given protection, plots of land to cultivate for selves
Lords, Peasants, and Serfs
Most peasants on farm were serfs, tied to manor
Not slaves, could not be sold away from manor
But could not leave, marry without lord’s permission
Serfdom
Manors had some free people who rented land from lord
Others included landowning peasants, skilled workers like blacksmiths, millers
Also had a priest for spiritual needs
Free People

14. Manorial System Manor: main house of a noble or lord
Much of the land around the manor was occupied by fields for crops & pastures for animals

15. Agriculture & the Manor
Middle Ages farmers learned that leaving a field empty for a year improved soil quality
In time, practice developed into three-field crop rotation system
One field planted in spring for fall harvest
Another field planted in winter for spring harvest
Third field remained unplanted for year

16. A typical manor also included church, mill, blacksmith
Question to think about:
Why do you think the manor house and the village were often separated?
Each manor included fortified house for noble family, village for peasants, serfs
A typical manor also included church, mill, blacksmith
Goal of the Manor: to be self-sufficient
Small Village
Note the three plantings
DID YOU KNOW: One field was always left fallow, or unplanted, in order to replenish nutrients that helped the crops grow

17. Daily Life in the Middle Ages
For the nobility:
Early castles built for defense not comfort
Few windows, stuffy in summer, cold in winter, dark always
Nobles had to share space with others, including soldiers, servants
Private rooms very rare
Main room: the “Hall”
large room for dining, entertaining

18. Daily Life in the Middle Ages
For the nobility:
In early castles, noble family bedrooms separated from main area by sheets
Later castles had separate bedrooms
Latrines located near bedrooms
Wooden bathtub outside in warm weather, inside near fireplace in winter

19. Outline of a Medieval Castle
Closed In
Outline of a Medieval Castle
Open Air

20. Daily Life in the Middle Ages
For the peasants:
“Despite discomforts, life in a castle was preferable to life in a village. The typical village family lived in a small wooden one-room house. The roof was made of straw, the floor of dirt, and the furniture of rough wood. Open holes in the walls served as windows.”1
“The family rose before dawn. Men went to work in the fields; women did chores. During harvest, the entire family worked in the field all day.” 1
1) Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Chapter 13 ppt “The Early Middle Ages”

21. Daily Life in the Middle Ages
For the peasants:
One room homes
Slept on mats on floor with animals
Cook on open fire in middle of home
No chimney, smoke had no escape
Typical meal: Brown bread, cheese, vegetables, occasionally meat

22. Brief Political History
Franks:
Merovingians (A.D. 400’s-751)
Merowig: mythical founder of Merovingians
Clovis (c ):
United the Franks under one ruler
First Germanic ruler to convert to Christianity
Mayor of the Palace: “maior domus” (“lord of the house”) position of power within Merovingian dynasty [basically chief of staff]

23. Clovis
Charles Martel

24. Brief Political History
Franks:
Merovingians (A.D. 400’s-751)
Charles Martel (c ): (Martel = “the hammer”)
Makes Mayor of Palace hereditary
Battle of Tours (A.D. 732)
Pepin III “the Short” (A.D ):
End of Merovingians
Elected king of Franks, first Carolingian king
Father of Charlemagne

25. Charlemagne (r. 768-814) Charlemagne means “Charles the Great”
Latin: Carolus Magnus shortened
King of the Franks
Sought to rebuild the Roman Empire
Crowned Emperor in 800 by Pope
Christmas day, by Pope Leo III
Renamed empire the “Holy Roman Empire”

26. Charlemagne’s Empire

27. Charlemagne (r. 768-814) “Carolingian Renaissance?”
Roman v. German influences
Education
Rise of Universities?
Palace Aachen
Alcuin (7 Liberal Arts?)
Medieval Latin
Architecture & Art
Aachen
Illuminated manuscripts

28. Cathedral at Aachen

29. 7 Liberal Arts Trivium Quadrivium Grammer Logic Rhetoric Arithmetic
Geometry
Music
Astronomy
Higher level of education
Taught first

30. Charlemagne (r. 768-814) Missi dominici (singular: missus dominicus)
Always Paired: One church official, one government official
Mission: To “administer the law fully and justly in the case of the holy churches of God and of the poor, of wards and widows and of the whole people.”*
* - “General Capitulary of the Missi" Spring 802