The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages

1066-1485

William—Duke of NormandyInvades England in 1066 A.D.

Was cousin to King Edward of England—who died childless earlier that year; Harold, earl of Wessex had been crowned the following day.

Claimed that Edward had promised him the throne.

Sails the English Channel with a giant army in October 1066—Battle of Hastings (day-long battle).

Doesn’t want to conquer the Anglo-Saxons, just to govern them.

Combines the English (Anglo-Saxon) culture with the new government.

William gives land to all his Barons who had been loyal to him.

He makes a record of every piece of property—land, cattle, buildings—in a book called the “Domesday Book.”

Sets up an entirely new social system—Feudalism.

New Government

A political and military system based on religious concept of rank:

Feudalism

King

Lord

Vassal

Knight

Serf

All-powerful over-lord and landowner through “divine right”Noble who had the power to

grant land to vassals.Tenant who received land (fief) from a lord in exchange for military service and loyalty.

Armored warrior—vassals had to provide their lords with military service in the form of knights (the larger the fief the more knights).

Peasants who worked on and were bound to vassals’ lands.

Knights in Shining Armor

Heavily padded undergarment of leather

Mail shirtMail covered neck

elbows, and other joints

Armor—breast plate, plate arm, leg, and foot pieces

Gauntlets constructed of linked plates covered the hands

Some suits of armor weighed 120 pounds!

Contained up to 200 custom-fitted iron plates or more

Held together by rivets, leather straps, hinges, turning pins, buckles, and pegs

Carried a variety of weapons: lance, dagger, sword, battle-ax, and club-headed mace

Limited ventilation lead to heat stroke.

Suffocation

Heart failure

Drowning

Falling—couldn’t get up from on their back

Dangers:

Because the primary duty of a male (above a serf) was military service, boys began training at a very young age.

When training was completed, he was dubbed, or ceremonially tapped on his shoulder

(originally a hard blow to test the boy’s courage)

Knighthood was the feudal ideal of loyalty and it was based on a complex system of social codes—and breaking them would undermine the knight’s position.

Knighthood

A system of ideals and social codes governing the behavior of knights.i.e. never attacking an unarmed

opponent.

Took an oath of loyalty

“Courtly love” - ideal form of love, where a knight would adore a lady—nonsexually. (**NOT physical love)Wear his lady’s colors in battle and

be inspired by herShe remains pure and out of reach

Chivalry

“No voice, no choice”

Women had no political rights

The social standing of her husband or father determined the degree of respect she commanded

The only role of peasant women was childbearing, housework, and hard fieldwork

Women of higher stations would manage entire estates while husbands were at war or gone on business but when the men returned, it was back to normal

Medieval Women