The First Feudal Age (300-1000 AD)

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The First Feudal Age (300-1000 AD)

• -Key Concepts-

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The Kingdom of the Franks
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Germanic Culture

• Blending of Germanic and Roman culture
• The decline of town life and trade

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The Merovingian Dynasty

• The Franks least Romanized and most orthodox of
  the Germanic tribes
• --Clovis 1st Frankish King, Christian
• The struggles and ineffectiveness of the
  Merovingian kings
• The Mayor of the Palace
• Charles Martels defeat of the Muslims at Tours

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The Carolingian Dynasty and Charlemagne

• Pepin the Short, the first Carolingian king (751)
• --The Donation of Pepin
• Pepins son, Charles the Great, or Charlemagne
  (768-814)
• Charlemagnes military exploits
• Continued reciprocal relationship with the Pope

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Charlemagne (cont)

• Crowned Emperor of the Romans (Christmas Day,
  800)
• Charlemagnes palace city of Aachen
• Charlemagnes challenges in administering such a
  vast empire
• --missi dominici

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Charlemagne (cont)

• The Carolingian Renaissance
• --Alcuin of York
• The Disintegration of the Carolingian Empire
• The Treaty of Verdun (843)
• --Louis the German
• --Charles the Bald
• --Lothair

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II. The Dark Ages (9th and 10th Centuries)

• Agricultural Difficulties and Violence
• Population Decline
• Muslim and Magyar invaders
• Chief Threat Vikings
• Viking strategy of terror
• Effectiveness of Viking boats
• The extent of Viking raids

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IV. Feudalism and Vassalage
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A. Physical Protection

• The origins of feudalism
• The lord as the central figure of the feudal
  system
• The expense of medieval warfare
• Contractual nature of feudalism
• The local and emotional nature of feudalism

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A. Physical Protection (cont)

• The lords obligations to his vassal
• --fief
• The vassals obligations to his lord
• --scutage
• The complexity of feudal relationships
• -- subinfeudation
• --liege lord

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B. Life in a Medieval Castle

• Interior and furnishings of the castle
• Servants in the castle

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B. Life in a Medieval Castle (cont)

• Daily routine and dining
• The marriage of aristocratic women
• The life of aristocratic women
• The churchs view of women
• Women and sex
• The early life of young noblemen
• The ceremony of knighthood

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B. Life in a Medieval Castle (cont)

• The travels of the young knight
• Tournaments and Jousts
• Tension surrounding the life of a young knight
• The ideal of chivalry
• -- troubadours

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V. Manorialism
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A. Function

• Western Europe was much more rural than Eastern
  Europe
• Manorialism was the economic foundation of feudal
  society
• The open field system of medieval farming
• Origin and status of serfdom
• By 800 AD, nearly 60 of western Europe was
  enserfed

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A. Function (cont)

• Composition and administration of the manor
• Custom of the Manor
• Tax obligations of the serfs
• -- banalities
• Other limitations on the activities of the serfs

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B. Life in a Medieval Village

• Living conditions of the serfs
• Striking lack of privacy for family members
• Variety of dietary options for peasants
• The central role of bread in the peasant diet80
  of caloric content

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B. Life in a Medieval Village (cont)

• Types of meals eaten by villagers
• Beer the universal drink of northern Europe
• Accidents as a way of life in manorial villages
• The role of women and village clothing
• Medieval view of children

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B. Life in a Medieval Village (cont)

• Center of manorial life was the village church
• Village church services
• Life was short and frightening for village
  peasants
• Village life was strictly hierarchical
• Village life was also very communal
• Village life was always very local