Let's learn English!



Middle Age Feudal System Around 90 percent of the people worked the land as peasants. Peasants worked hard and died young. Most were dead before they reached 30 years old. The kings believed they were given the right to rule by God. This was called "divine right". Lords and Barons swore oaths of homage and fealty to their kings. The Lord held absolute power over the fief or manor including holding court and deciding punishments for crimes.Becoming a Knight Squires often learned about castle and siege warfare from their knight. They would need to know how to defend their own castle as well as how to attack an enemy's castle. The word "squire" comes from a French word meaning "shield-bearer." Wealthy knights would have had several pages and squires to assist them. Squires would practice jousting using a wooden dummy called a quintain. Not all squires were made knights through an elaborate ceremony. Some were awarded knighthood on the battlefield. Before the dubbing ceremony to become a knight, squires were required to spend the night alone in prayer.Castles Originally towers were built with square tops, but later were replaced by round towers that offered better defense and visibility. Many castles kept their ale in a room called the buttery. Siege engines were used to attack castles. They included the battering ram, catapult, siege towers, and the ballista. Often times attacking armies would wait outside and try to starve out the castle dwellers rather than attack them. This is called a siege. Many castles were built on a spring so they would have water during a siege.The steward managed all the affairs of the castle. Cats and dogs were kept in castles to help kill rats and keep them from eating the grain stores.Tournaments, Jousts, and the Code of Chivalry Sometimes a knight or group of knights would stake out a bridge and refuse to let other knights pass unless they fought. This was called "pas d'armes". Tournaments and jousts attracted crowds of people for entertainment. In many ways, the knights of the Middle Ages were like the sports stars of today. Tournaments, jousts, and pas d'armes were all part of a number of competitions called "hastiludes". Sometimes the winning knights won the losers' horses and armor. The losers then had to buy them back. Talented knights could become rich this way. The word "chivalry" comes from the Old French word "chevalerie" meaning "horseman". Daily Life in the Middle Ages The bread eaten by people of the Middle Ages was gritty from the millstones used to grind the grain. This caused the people's teeth wear down quickly. Peasants were not allowed to hunt on the lord's land. Punishment for killing a deer was sometimes death. Medicine was very primitive at the time. Sometimes doctors would "bleed" people by putting leeches on their skin. People mostly drank ale or wine. The water was bad and would make them sick. Marriages were often arranged, especially for nobles. Noble girls often married at 12 years old and boys at 14.ArtRomanesque Art The period of Romanesque Art started around 1000 AD and lasted to around 1300 with the beginning of the Gothic Art period. Art prior to that is called pre-Romanesque. Romanesque art was influenced by both the Romans and Byzantine Art. Its focus was on religion and Christianity. It included architectural details like stained glass art, large murals on walls and domed ceilings, and carvings on buildings and columns. It also included illuminated manuscript art and sculpture. Gothic Art Gothic art grew out of Romanesque art. Gothic artists began to use brighter colors, dimensions and perspective, and moved toward more realism. They also began to use more shadows and light in their art and tried out new subject matters beyond just religion including animals in mythic scenes. LiteratureThe majority of the literature produced during the Middle Ages was written by religious clerics and monks. Few other people knew how to read and write. Much of what they wrote was hymns, or songs, about God. Some also wrote philosophical documents about religion. One of the most popular books of the Middle Ages was the Golden Legend, by archbishop of Genoa Jacobus de Voragine. It told stories about the lives of the Saints during Medieval times. Some secular, meaning non-religious, books were written as well. Here a few of the more famous literary works from the Middle Ages: Beowulf - Unknown author. This Epic poem was written in England, but tells the story of the hero Beowulf in Scandinavia. The Canterbury Tales - by Geoffrey Chaucer. A series of tales that portray Chaucer's view of English society at the time. The Divine Comedy - by Dante Alighieri. Often considered one of the greatest works in world literature, this story describes Dante's view of the afterlife. The Decameron - by Giovanni Boccaccio. This book has a number of stories and describes life in 14th century Italy. The Travels of Marco Polo - by Marco Polo. This book tells the story of how Marco Polo traveled to the far east and China. Le Morte d'Arthur - by Sir Thomas Malory. This book tells the story of legendary King Arthur. Entertainment during the Middle Ages Monks often sung in Medieval churches. They would chant in a single key without any instruments. This type of singing was called plainsong. Sometimes a troubadour would have an assistant called a jongleur. The jongleur would often add in acrobatics and juggling to the show. Some of the most popular stories told were about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. People who dressed up and disguised themselves at festivals were called mummers. The medieval version of football was called gameball. There were no rules other than there were two teams, two goals, and one ball. May Day was a festival day to celebrate the arrival of summer. People would dance around maypoles and light huge bonfires. Some towns would crown one girl the Queen of the May.Kings and Court in the Middle Ages Many kings during the first part of the Middle Ages couldn't read or write. The kings had a special seal they would use to stamp official documents. The seal proved that the document was genuine and acted like the king's signature. During the Middle Ages kings were expected to lead their men into battle. In order to maintain control, kings often claimed they were given the right to rule by God. This made the approval of the church and the pope very important.Black Death The Black Death is the name for a terrible disease that spread throughout Europe from 1347 to 1350. There was no cure for the disease and it was highly contagious. It is estimated that somewhere between 75 million and 200 million people died of the plague. Some scientists think it was a bacteria called Yersinia pestis that caused the disease. The plague was not called the Black Death until many years later. Some think it was called this because of how the skin turned dark at the late stages of the disease, but it was more likely called "Black" to reflect the dark and horrible time in history. Some people thought that pockets of bad air released by earthquakes caused the plague. The epidemic returned to Europe several times, but wasn't as bad as the Black Death period.The CrusadesThe Crusades were a series of wars during the Middle Ages where the Christians of Europe tried to retake control of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims."Deus vult!", meaning "God wills it" was the battle cry of the Crusaders. It came from a speech the Pope gave while gathering support for the First Crusade. The symbol of the Crusaders was a red cross. Soldiers wore it on their clothing and armor. It was also used on flags and banners. Between the second and the third Crusades, the Teutonic Knights and the Templars were formed to help defend Christendom. These were famous groups of Holy Knights.Anglo-saxonsThe Saxons were a people from north Germany who migrated to the island of Britain around the 5th century. There were actually three main peoples: the Saxons, the Angles, and the Jutes. After these people moved to Britain they became known as the Anglo-Saxons. Eventually the name "Angles" became the "English" and their land became known as England.The Saxons got their name from their short sword called the scramasax.Alfred the Great is the only English king known as "the Great". Saxon lands were divided into Shires which were further divided into "hundreds". A peace officer of a Shire was called the Shire Reeve. This later became known as the "sheriff". A lot of what we know about the early Saxons was recorded by a monk named Venerable Bede. He is sometimes called the "Father of English History". ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download