Medieval Period Middle Ages 10661485

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Medieval Period (Middle Ages)1066-1485

• A knyght ther was, and that a worthy man
• That fro the tyme that he first bigan
• To riden out, he loved chivalrie,
• Trouth and honour, freedom and curteisie
• -Geoffrey Chaucer

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• Began with the Battle of Hastings
• King Edward promised the Duke of Normandy
  (William) the throne
• King Harold II received crown instead (Witan
  elected him)
• William (Duke of Normandy) was UPSET!
  (understatement)
• William came over to England and fought King
  Harold II for the throne. William I (also
  William the Conqueror) won! King of the mountain!
  Norman Conquest
• England was now FRENCH ruled- wee wee

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• French influenced
• -Language- Saxon words vs. French words
• oxen
  beef
• swine
  pork
• sheep/lamb
  mutton
• -Fashion
• -Traditions/Customs
• -Government-Feudalism (land ownership)
• -The Do(o)mesday Book (record of land livestock
  holdings) First Census.
• Norman Rule ended in 1154

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Feudalism

• The Normans brought feudalism to England.
  Feudalism
• was based on a religious concept of rank, with
  God as the supreme overlord
• was a social system, caste system, property
  system, and military system
• determined a personsrank, duties (job), and
  loyalties

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Society in the Cities-How is Feudalism different?

• Society in cities and towns looked very different
  from feudalism. People were divided in classes
  based on wealth lower, middle, and upper-middle.

• In cities and towns
• People can change rank by working hard and making
  more money.
• Wealth is generated by the merchant class.
• Art reflects the concerns of the middle class,
  who can now buy it.

• Under Feudalism
• Rank is received at birth and is hard to change.
• Wealth is concentrated in noble families.
• Art reflects the concerns of the noble class.

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Kingly Leadership

• Henry II (Plantaganet family)
• Ablest of all kings
• Created CONFLICT with the church due to increase
  of power the Roman Catholic church was receiving
• Church court established
• Money going to Rome not England
• -Appointed friend, Thomas a Becket the
  ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY (head of catholic
  Church of England)
• -Becket was assassinated (by the king???)

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• Richard I (Lionhearted) VERY Expensive-liked
  explorations
• John- raised TAXES resulting in
• Magna Carta (Great Charter)
• Began Constitutional Government in England
• Henry III-established Parliament (chose members)
• Edward I-brought about elections by freemen

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• Trade began to grow in England
• People organized into 2 GUILDS
• Merchant Guild-(White collar) Business owners
• Craft Guild-(blue collar) workers/laborers
• Closely populated towns-
• Black Plague (Bubonic Plague) 1348-1349
• Killed 1/3 of population in ONE year!
• Women were forced to enter the work force and
  learn the various skills-family names entered as
  Baxter (female baker), Webster (female weaver)

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• Next set of Kings All Shakespeare plays
• HOUSE OF LANCASTER
• Henry IV
• Henry V
• Henry VI (Crazy, bouts of madness)
• 100 Year War between England and brought the
  Yeoman (small landowner)-part of English
  military-into the system.
• Feudal system began to decline-labor was paid
  cash
• Caste system began to dissolve
• KingBaronsKnightsSerfs
• Knights ran the estates, lived in manors
  (mansions)

10

• Richard of York replaced Henry VI-temporarybut
  wouldnt give it back
• Started civil war in England
• WAR OF THE ROSES
• House of York-white rose
• House of Lancaster-red rose
• 1461-YORK victory put Richards son-Edward on
  throne

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• Edward IV ruled until death in 1483
• Eldest son, Edward V (still a boy) found
  murdered with younger brother in Tower of London
  (Tower Murders)
• UNCLE Richard became King Richard III
• 2 years later-King Henry VII (Tudor family)
  married Richards niece unifying both houses AND
  ended the War of the Roses and the end of the
  Medieval Period 1485. Elizabeth I was a result
  of the Tudor familyThe English Renaissance was
  about to begin!

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Other Important Stuff to Know

• Vernacular-language of the people was English
  (Middle English)
• Printing press was brought to England by William
  Caxton (from Gutenberg)
• Hot off the press with the first printing wasThe
  Canterbury Tales
• Father of English Philosophy
• Roger Bacon (not Oscar Myer)

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The Roman Church in the Middle Ages

• was extremely powerful and controlled most of the
  kings and queens in Europe
• gave all European nations a common belief system
• was the center of learning, publishing books and
  maintaining libraries
• considered Latin to be the language of the
  educated

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Middle English

• Germanic flavor disappeared-replaced with French
  and Latin
• Dialects formed (Chaucers East Midland dialect
  became basis for Modern English)
• Some language shifts from Anglo-Saxons
• Vassal replaced Thane
• Troubadour replaced Scop
• End e on words was pronounced as a separate
  syllable. Soote rhymes with soda. (ah sound)
• Oxford University was founded
• Folk Ballad Lyric Poetry became popular
• Arthurian legends were written down (Sir Thomas
  Malory)

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Literature of The Medieval Period

• End of old alliterative Anglo-Saxon world-it was
  replaced with 10 syllable meter IAMBIC PENTAMETER
  (stressed and then unstressed syllable) and
  rhyming couplets
• The Frame Story
• Miracle Plays, Mystery Plays, Morality Plays
• Folk Ballads
• The Medieval Romance/Arthurian Legends

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The Medieval Romance

• Characteristics of
• Sense of the Supernatural conveyed (magic, fire
  breathing dragons, etc.)
• Glamorous portrayal of castle life
• Adventures ABOUND!!
• Features kings, knights, and damsels in distress
  (caste system alive and well)
• Chivalric ideals are illustrated/taught

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The Romance Hero

• Usually born under mysterious circumstances
• Grows up in obscurity
• Undergoes a childhood initiation involving a
  magic weapon
• In maturity-he fights to defeat evil and promote
  peace
• Aided by magic weapons and wise mentors
• Mysterious events surround his departure from
  this world-suggesting he may return when needed
  again

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Knights in Shining Armor

• Knights made up the Middle Ages military.
• Training began in boyhood and ended in vows of
  loyalty to a lord.(squire)
• A knights equipmenthorse, weapons, armorwas
  expensive, so most knights came from wealthy,
  noble families.
• Knights defended their lords interests,
  property, and family and responded to the kings
  call to arms in the event of war.

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CODE of CHIVALRY

• All knights must follow these RULES (not
  guidelines)
• LOYALTY to King and others
• Valor both on and off the battlefield
• Pledge services to a Lady-Courtly Love joust for
  ladys favor, rescue all maidens (even ugly ones)

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Courtly Love

• Courtly love was an aspect of chivalry that
  encouraged nobles and knights to improve
  themselves by adoring a particular lady.
• A knight seldom adored his own wife.
• The adored lady remained pure and out of the
  knights reachhe served and entertained her and
  gave her gifts.

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Code- Continued

• Speak the TRUTH! ALWAYS!!
• Be a good Christian
• Be Fair with the enemy (sound familiar?)

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Women in the Middle AgesWomen had no political
standing and depended on the men in their family
for their rank.1 penny for Wergild!

• Noblewomen
• bore children and supervised the household and
  servants
• managed the estate in their husbands absence
• were under the command of their fathers,
  brothers, and husbands

• Peasant women
• bore many children, worked the fields, and kept
  house
• were under the command of their fathers,
  brothers, and husbands

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The Arthurian LegendsStarring KING ARTHUR and
the Knights of the Round Table

• Stories were first TOLD in verse in France,
  Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal
• King Arthur may have been created from a Celtic
  leader named Ambrosius Aurelianus (fought
  Anglo-Saxons)
• King Arthur character was used as a standard for
  judging warriors in 600 A.D.
• Le Morte DArthur (death of Arthur) was written
  by Sir Thomas Malory. He put the stories in
  prose form in a book.

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The Tale of King Arthur
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How it all began

• A long, long, time ago
• King Uther Pendragon wanted Igrayne (WIFE of the
  Duke of Cornwall) BADLY!!!!!!
• Merlin and Uther made a pact Uther is disguised
  like the Duke, but resulting baby goes to Merlin
• 2 years later King Uther dies (Arthur should
  receive the crownbut nobody knows about him)
• Meeting of the lords decided they needed a king
• A sword was found in an anvil Whosoever pulleth
  this sword from this stone shall be King
  hereafter
• No one could pull the sword (darn it!)

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• Lords decided on a New Years Day tournament
• Sir Ector, son Kay and Arthur (adopted child) go
  to the tournament for Kay to compete
• Kay forgot his sword (like some people forget
  their HOMEWORK!!) Very serious!!
• Arthur runs back to inn for it, but inn is locked
  up
• Arthur sees the sword in the stone and innocent
  of its meaning pulls it out!
• He becomes the kingbut many do not accept him as
  their king and plan a revolt

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• Eventually he is accepted because he has been
  given the sword Excalibur (not sword in stone)
  from the Lady of the Lake.
• Arthur falls in love with Gwynevere and they
  marry
• Merlin advises King Arthur to kill all babies
  born on May Day. (
• Arthur establishes the Knights of the Round table
  (only best knights chosen as members)
• Builds kingdom of Camelot
• Sir Lancelot (the best and most loved knight) has
  an affair with Gwynevere
• They are caught! (sentenced to death)

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• Lancelot escapes and saves Gwynevere from death
  and runs off to France.
• King Arthur must chase after them (to save face)
• While gone his illegitimate son, Mordred, takes
  over the throne (and wont give it back when
  Arthur returns)
• They go to battle

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• They agree to meet for a truce
• While meeting a knight sees a snake (asp) in the
  bush and raises his sword to kill it
• This battle sign signals war
• They fight
• Everyone is killed except Arthur, Mordred and two
  of Arthurs knights
• King Arthur kills Mordred

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• Mordred kills King Arthur
• King Arthur has sword thrown back into the lake
  (Lady of the Lake takes it)
• He is carried away on a barge full of ladies
  wearing black hoods

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And inscribed on Arthurs tomb

• HIC IACET ARTHURUS, REX QUONDAM REXQUE FUTURUS
• What does this mean?

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• Here lies Arthur, who was once king and king
  will be again

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• Gwynevere retires to an abbey
• Later she dies
• Lancelot buries her and later dies of a broken
  heart
• Sir Bedivere becomes a hermit (not hermit crab)

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• And so ends the tales of King Arthur and his
  knights of the round table!
• ....
• (Rumor has it he is currently hanging out with
  Elvis. They were both seen leaving the building)