Medieval History Chapter 6 – Flashcards
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feudalism
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a social, political, and government system of lords and vassals.
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Charles Martel
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Expanded the practice of granting land in return for military service.
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What were the roots of feudalism (both Roman and German)?
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As Rome fell, nobles took land and then gave sections of it in exchange for defending the land. The German warriors took an oath of loyalty to a chief, and in return the chief supplied them with food, armor, and weapons.
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stirrup
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it enabled knights to ride and fight at the same time. It allowed knights to wear armor while wielding larger weapons.
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vassal
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someone who serves a lord
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lord
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the owner of the land
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liege lord
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someone who grants a vassal land
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What was the ranking order of nobles?
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god, king, greater nobles (dukes), lesser nobles (marquis, count/earl, viscount, baron), then knights
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investiture
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mutual exchange of promises between a lord and his vassal, sanctified by a solemn ritual.
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What does a vassal pledge to his lord?
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the vassal pledges homage, promised to protect the lord's land and people.
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fief
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an estate given to a vassal by a liege lord
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What does a lord promise in return to his vassal?
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a fief; promised to protect him; hear his complaints in open court; ensure that he and his dependents received justice
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What were the rights of a feudal lord?
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acted as a lord unless a higher lord called him, he could wage war, coin money, make alliances, and collect tolls - or anything else he was powerful enough to do while still being able to serve his liege lord
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shield money
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knights could pay, to not have to fight
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What are some examples of feudal obligations?
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military service, hold court, dispense justice, and serve at the castle, pay ransom.
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What was the most widespread activity among feudal nobles?
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war
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coat of arms
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a family's symbol; this was painted on a knight's shield to allow knights on the battlefield to distinguish between friend and foe
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heraldry
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the collection of symbolism in coats of arms as passed down through the generations
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What was a knight armed with?
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a lance, a two-edged sword, a dagger, a club, mace or battle axe
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What steps did the Church take to reduce feudal warfare?
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peace of god, and truce of god.
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castles
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defensible houses of feudal lords
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moat
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a wide deep ditch filled mostly with water that surrounds and protects a castle
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What was the layout of a castle?
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central courtyard with workshops (for armaments) and kitchen, stables, storehouses (for food and weapons), dungeons for prisoners. Innermost defensible structure was a stone tower (called a keep or donjon) - where family lived; great hall was most used room - where knights who defended castle could all stay
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What did the nobility eat? the peasants?
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fish, fowl, wild game, white bread, and wine. The peasants ate porridge, cabbage, turnips, dark bread, and beer
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What was the focus of education in the early middle ages?
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training for warfare (or for noblewomen - how to run a house)
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Describe the education for a young noble man.
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- at age 7, they would be sent to another lord's castle where they would serve as a page for the lord, and the lady would teach him Christian values, manners, singing, dancing - at age 14, the boy became a squire to the lord, serving him in the castle and on the battlefield, learning to use weapons and ride - at age 21, he would be knighted
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What were jousts and what was the point?
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training for knights, two men would charge at each other on horseback, with blunted lances.
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What rights did noblewomen have?
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none - but she ran her husband's estate when he was absent. noblewomen supervised servants, did needlework, tracked food supplies, and knew simple medicine
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Christine de Pisan
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a outstanding woman scholar - wrote about how women could achieve responsibility and independence when running her husband's affairs when he was away
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chivalry
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a code that governs the behavior of knights, blending Christian virtues with bravery, loyalty, and courage; included idealizing women and placing them on a pedestal
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What is the disconnect between chivalry and actuality for women?
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chivalry had men praising them for their beauty, goodness, and other virtues, but in truth their lives were filled with hardship: dangers of frequent childbirth, disease, and warfare
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What were the chivalrous thoughts on love?
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everyone should be allowed to love; play hard-to-get; everyone should swoon in the sight of their beloved; new love makes an old one go away; etc.
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dead to honor
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when a knight failed to live by the code of chivalry, his shield was hung upside-down publicly, his armor and weapons taken, and he was brought to a church in a coffin for a mock funeral - a funeral for his honor
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manorialism
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an economic system in which the owner of the manor agreed to protect the people living on his land in exchange for their work in the fields and other services
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serfs
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people who were bound to the land and to the service of the lord of the manor.
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Describe the houses of a village.
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small, one-room cottages built of packed earth and with thatched roofs; smoke from heat/cooking fires left through a hole in the roof; floors were earth; windows (if there were any) had no glass; furniture: a plank table, stools, a bed
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demesne
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the lord's fields
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three-field system
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peasants had three strips of land: one planted in the autumn with wheat or rye, one in the spring with oats or barley, and one was left fallow (unplanted)
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What kinds of animals lived on a manor?
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geese, sheep, goats. There was not enough food to support oxen and horses.
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How did peasants preserve food for use from harvest to harvest?
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veg and fruits stored in root cellar, pickled; meat was smoked or salted; wine and beer were made from fruits and grains
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What kinds of goods had to be produced on a manor?
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everything
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What kinds of entertainment did peasants enjoy on holy days?
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wrestling matches, archery contests, dog fights, dances, wandering poets and minstrels
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Describe the world of peasants in the early middle ages as recorded in "The Peasant's Life."
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too many kids, not enough money, not enough food, poor housing conditions
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customary taxes
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additional taxes that lords charged in order to pay for the wedding of their eldest daughter or the knighting of their eldest son
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What were the two trials?
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trial by fire and trial by water
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page
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stage 1 of knight training (from age 7-14).
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squire
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stage 2 of knight training (from age 14-21).
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tournaments
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involved teams of knights who engaged in mock fights with blunted lances
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villein
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with slaves and serfs, these tenant farmers worked on manor lands
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arable land
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land that was good for farming on
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linsey-woolsey
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a rough cloth made from linen and wool that served to make the basic clothing of peasants
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Who benefited from manorialism as an economic system?
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wealthy, landowning nobility
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Describe the three-field system. What are its advantages?
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The three-field system involves rotating the crops grown on different fields throughout the year. It served to ensure there was always something growing and something being harvested, and it ensured that the land was not stripped of its nutrients since there were varied crops grown and also a period with nothing growing.
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What are some of the skills a good serf would need?
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hardworking, able to fix anything, able to make a little go a long way
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"Trial by fire"
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an accused was asked to hold a hot poker or walk across coals. If the wounds healed, the person was innocent because God saved them
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"Trial by water"
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an accused was thrown into a pool of water. If they sank and drowned, they were innocent because the water had accepted them. If they floated, they were guilty.
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burgers
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German word for townspeople
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bourgeois
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French word for townspeople
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burgesses
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English word for townspeople
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What were some good places for towns to grow?
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any strategic location - a river crossing or a site associated with a holy person. Also a place where there is a school that might draw people in from far away.
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If life in towns was so dangerous and dirty, why did people flock to them?
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serfs could earn their freedom living there for a year and a day. Also, there were opportunities for advancement since you could learn/work a trade or become a merchant
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What sorts of things would expect to see in a typical town marketplace?
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wares of merchants and artisans, visitors, gossiping locals, the local well
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How did a serf become free?
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living in a town for a year and a day
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What was the largest single building in a town?
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the church
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bulwark
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defensive wall of the town
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boulevard
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the streets that were built in the 18th and 19th centuries where the town walls were torn down
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shambles
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the street where the animals were slaughtered
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Peace of God
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Church announced that the sacraments would be withheld from anyone who pillaged churches, monasteries, or other holy places; also, sacraments denied to those who killed women, children, or elderly people not in combat
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Truce of God
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Forbade fighting between sunset of Wednesday evening and Monday morning - fighting could only occur Monday-Wednesday; forbade fighting during holy seasons (Advent, Lent) at the risk of excommunication
