The Rise of European Monarchy

Chapter 12, Section iv

Feudalism was a de-centralized form of government. As such, local nobles gained much of the power once held by centralized governments.

Around the 1100’s this started to change. Kings would once again wield supreme authority in Europe.

First, let’s see who lived where. After Rome left Britain, the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invaded and took over from the Celts.

When the Vikings threatened the Isles, King Alfred of Wessex (Alfred the Great) united the Angles and the Saxons

under his

banner and

defeated the Danes

(Vikings) in 886 AD.

This kingdom became known as “Angleland” or England. Alfred would rule from 871 to 899.

Alfred was interested in the revival of education. He founded schools and hired scholars to translate books from Latin to Anglo-Saxon.

He had his scholars write a history of England called the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. This revival of learning would influence England for years.

Unfortunately, the following Kings were weak. Finally, in 1066, three rivals would fight for control of England.

The primary combatants were Harold Godwinson (chosen by the local nobles) and William, Duke of Normandy (Northwestern France.)

William beat Harold at the Battle of Hastings and became the ruler of England and was called William the Conqueror.

Bayeux Tapestry: 1073-1083 AD

As King, William gave land for military service and conducted the first census since Rome left. This was called the Domesday (Doomsday) Book.

Entry for Dunwich, Suffolk,in the

Domesday Book.

[Image source: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/museum/item.asp?item_id=1]

Edric of Laxfield held Dunwich in the time of King Edward [before 1066] as one manor; now Robert Malet holds it. Then [there were] 2 carucates of land [one carucate equals 120 acres], [but] now one; the sea carried off the other. Always one plough in lordship. Then 12 bordars [peasants], now 2 and 24 Frenchmen [French settlers who were free men] with 40 acres of land, and they pay all customary dues to this manor. Then 120 burgesses [holders of land or a house], now 236; and 180 less two poor men. Then one church, now 3 and they pay £4 and 10 shillings. In total, the value is £50 and 60,000 herrings as a gift. In the time of King Edward it paid £10. Also Robert de Vaux holds one acre of land, value 8 pence. And Norman holds one acre, value 2 shillings and 8 pence and Godric one acre, value 8 pence, and he holds this from Robert Malet. Gilbert Blunt holds 80 men from the same Robert and pays £4 and 8,000 herrings.

[Source: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/museum/item.asp?item_id=1]

[Image source: http://english.osu.edu/areas/medieval/Images/plough.jpg]

Although William and his court were French speaking, England remained Anglo-Saxon. Over the next 300 years, Norman French and Anglo- Saxon would create an “English” culture.

Unlike Alfred’s descendants, William’s successors strengthened the monarchy.

Henry I: created a federal treasury and gave courts more authority. Henry II: established common law, including grand juries (to find suspects) and petit juries (guilt).

Henry II wanted to try clergy in royal courts. This created great tension between the state and the Church.

Four of Henry II’s knights (thinking they were working on Henry’s orders) killed the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas a’ Becket in his cathedral.

Henry II ruled England and parts of Western France. He married Eleanor of Aquitaine (once married to a French king)

Henry I’s line continued through Henry II and Eleanor’s son Richard I (the Lionhearted) and John. Richard I

Gay?

John was a poop-head, though. He raised taxes, lost land in France, and punished his enemies without a trial.

Alarmed at their loss of feudal rights (and local control), the nobles forced John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215.

The Magna Carta (Great Charter) placed limits on royal power and prevented the king from collecting taxes without the consent of the nobles.

The Magna Carta also guaranteed the right to a trial by jury, judgement of peers, and no unlawful seizure or exile.

John’s son, Henry III, saw an increase in population and a growth of towns. A new social class (the Middle Class) was emerging.

Henry III added burgesses (important townspeople) to Parliament (the Grand Council) along with nobility and clergy.

The Rise of the FrenchMonarchy:

After the Death of Charlemagne, Frankish lands disintegrated into small lands ruled by feudal lords.

OUCH!

In 987 AD, Hugh Capet seized the French throne from weaker nobles. Originally, he controlled only Paris and a small strip of land.

This was the Capetian Dynasty. It lasted more than 300 years because they established the concept of primogeniture.

Death to allwho oppose

me!

Queen Honor Baker

King Philip II (Philip Augustus) ruled France from 1180-1223.

•Doubled his lands

•Formed a semi-permanent army

•Weakened power of feudal lords

•Used marriage and war as weapons

Seal of Philip II

of France

Philip’s grandson, King Louis IX continued to build centralized control of the French government:

•Only the King can mint coins.

•Ban on private warfare.

•Royal courts dominant over feudal (local) courts.

The Fleur-de-Lys became the symbol of the French during this period. The three flower petals represent the Holy Trinity.

Louis IX controlled most of what we now know as France.

Aquitaine

Normandy

St. Louis, MO is named after this king. He led an ineffective crusade.

Louis IX

While monarchs in England and France were building strong central governments, Germany remained divided.

I fought in Germany and all I got was this T-shirt

In return for military service (this song again?), Pope John XII crowned King Otto I of Germany the first in a continuous line of Holy Roman Emperors.

The Pope had claimed the right to anoint and depose kings. But Otto I appointed and deposed several Popes. (Doh!!)

Unemployed Popes looking for work.

The conflicting

claims led to tension

between the HRE and the Pope

many times.

Medieval World History

The only compromise came at the Concordat of Worms (a town in Germany) when the Church and HRE agreed that the HRE could appoint bishops but the Pope could reject unworthy candidates.

You’reunworthy!heh, heh...

Europe now has all the parts necessary to emerge from the Middle Ages if they work at it.

Die,foreignscum!!

Europe

1. Strong, generally unified Church. 2. Centralized government. 3. Enough peace at home to travel (now that the Vikings are beaten.) 4. Increased farm production with the introduction of crop rotation. 5. Consistent laws. 6. Magna Carta. 7. Professional standing armies.

Compare Europe to the others now: China, Africa, India, Byzantium, Mezo-America.

How did Europe end up with all the advantages?

(Geography, demographics, good Church-state relations, de-centralized gov’t for a while)

Other events during this era:

•Leaning Tower of Pisa built

•Order of the Templars created.

•Paris university founded.

•The growth of the Holy Grail mythology.

The mythology of the Holy Grail grew out of a story called “Chanson de Roland”, a French heroic poem about a guy looking for a “grale/grail” (=stone).

What might be this lost stone from history?

The search was originally about the Ark of the Covenant (the vessel of God), but later the Grail became a cup that was used to catch the blood of Jesus at the cross.

Wolfram von Eschenbach wrote a book called Parzival in which the search for the Grail is popularized.

70 years later, Chretien de Troyes wrote “Lancelot”, a romantic tale of courtly love that included the Holy Grail story.

From these and other stories, the King Arthur legends are born. Was there a King Arthur? There was a king that the story is based on, but there was no Merlin, Lancelot, or Grail.