This time period began with the Battle of Hastings in 1066 when William of Normandy defeated Harold, the earl of Wessex on this battlefield

The Middle Ages 1066-1485

The Bayeaux Tapestry

The Bayeaux Tapestry is really an embroidery but the word tapestry has stuck. The Bayeaux  Tapestry is now on permanent public display in the city of Bayeaux in Normandy, France. It tells the story of the Battle of Hastings; why William felt he had to invade, the preparations made for the crossing and the battle itself. Tapestries were not rare in the time of William but the size of this particular tapestry is an indication that it was important. The story it tells was to have a huge impact on Medieval England. This is how we know so much information about the battle and the events leading to it.

The Domesday Book Once William became King one of his greatest

administrative feats was an inventory of nearly every piece of property in England, including land, cattle, buildings, etc. This title suggests a comparison between William’s judgment of his subjects’ financial worth and God’s judgment of their moral worth. For the first time people could be taxed based upon what they own.

This is a picture of the actual book still able to be viewed!!

Feudalism

What is Feudalism?

It is more than simply a social system, feudalism was also caste system, a property system, and a military system. Ultimately it was based on a religious concept of hierarchy, with God as the supreme overlord.

Let’s take a look at the feudal hierarchy…..

Feudal  Hierarchy

King The King depended on their Barons to provide knights

and soldiers in time of war.

Baron The Barons were the most powerful and wealthy

noblemen, they received their fiefs directly from the King,

Feudal  Hierarchy-cont

Bishops The Bishop had as much power as a Baron. They ruled

over all areas of the church including the priest ,convents and monasteries. The collection of taxes made Bishops extremely rich.

Lords The Lords (knights) ruled over the fiefs or manors.

They rented their land to peasants who worked for them. The trained knights  were bound by oath to serve the nobles who had granted them their fiefs. 

Feudal  Hierarchy-cont

Peasants The peasants were at the bottom of the feudal tree. They

were the workers who farmed the land to provide food for everyone. Sometimes they were given a piece of land to farm in return for their labor on the lord’s land.

Knighthood The term “knight” technically refers to a professional soldier of the

Middle Ages. Knights were not necessarily nobles, nor were nobles necessarily

knights. Knighthood is not hereditary such as a family title such as “Duke” It emerges in the 11th century, and its members are nobles (members

of the great land-owning families) as well as small land-holders, free men, craftsmen, etc (in Spain, caballeros villanos were common until the 14th c.). It must be understood that, even in the feudal era, the boundaries of knighthood were quite fluid. Anyone who, by luck or effort, managed to obtain the training and equipment to be a knight, could eventually enter that class.

Knighthood-cont The origins of orders of knighthood are in the Crusades. In the Latin Orient, a new institution emerged, in which knights

(professional soldiers) associated themselves under a strict, quasi-monastic rule of life, for the purpose of protecting pilgrims and defending Christian conquests in the Holy Land.

The development of gunpowder and increasingly more powerful archery meant that the use of massive cavalry charges to break enemy lines and carry swift victory could not be relied upon, and the dominance of cavalry came to an end as did Knighthood by profession

Knighthood and Armor Knight's armor went through many changes. In the 12th

century, the knights used an armor called mail. Mail was very little chains linked together to make one big suit of armor. These suits took on average about five years to make. These suits also took a lot of money to make. When all this work was done it weighed about twenty to thirty pounds and that was only the chest, arms, and back. When they were in battle the mall guarded arrows but not good strong blows with a mace. The armorers took that in consideration and made plate armor. But they only put plate armor in the sensitive parts that could not take as many hard blows.

Knighthood and Armor This is an example of a knight in chain mail armor.

Knighthood and Armor Here we see a fully plate armored knight:

Knighthood and Armor This is an example of a medieval sword that was used in

battle:

Code of Chivalry What is chivalry?

Chivalry is a system of ideals and social codes governing the behavior of knights and gentlewomen.

Let’s talk a look at the codes as the knights followed them….

Code of ChivalryI. Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and

shalt observe all its directions.

II. Thou shalt defend the Church.

III. Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.

IV. Thou shalt love the country in the which thou wast born.

V. Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.

VI. Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.

Code of ChivalryI. Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if

they be not contrary to the laws of God.

II. Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.

III. Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.

IV. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

Code of Chivalry The idea and revering and acting in the name of a lady

would make a knight braver and better was central to one aspect of Chivalry, Courtly Love.

What is Courtly Love? Properly applied, the phrase l'amour courtois identified an extravagantly

artificial and stylized relationship--a forbidden affair that was characterized by five main attributes. In essence, the relationship was

Aristocratic. As its name implies, courtly love was practiced by noble lords and ladies; its proper milieu was the royal palace or court.

Ritualistic. Couples engaged in a courtly relationship conventionally exchanged gifts and tokens of their affair. The lady was wooed according to elaborate conventions of etiquette (cf. "courtship" and "courtesy") and was the constant recipient of songs, poems, bouquets, sweet favors, and ceremonial gestures. For all these gentle and painstaking attentions on the part of her lover, she need only return a short hint of approval, a mere shadow of affection. After all, she was the exalted domina--the commanding "mistress" of the affair; he was but her servus--a lowly but faithful servant.

What is Courtly Love? Literary. Before it established itself as a popular real-life activity,

courtly love first gained attention as a subject and theme in imaginative literature. Ardent knights, that is to say, and their passionately adored ladies were already popular figures in song and fable before they began spawning a host of real-life imitators in the palace halls and boudoirs of medieval Europe. (Note: Even the word "romance"--from Old French romanz--began life as the name for a narrative poem about chivalric heroes. Only later was the term applied to the distinctive  love relationship commonly featured in such poems.)

What is Courtly Love? Secret. Courtly lovers were pledged to strict secrecy. The foundation

for their affair--indeed the source of its special aura and electricity--was that the rest of the world (except for a few confidantes or go-betweens) was excluded. In effect, the lovers composed a universe unto themselves--a special world with its own places (e.g., the secret rendezvous), rules, codes, and commandments.

Adulterous. "Fine love"--almost by definition--was extramarital. Indeed one of its principle attractions was that it offered an escape from the dull routines and boring confinements of noble marriage (which was typically little more than a political or economic alliance for the purpose of producing royal offspring). The troubadours themselves scoffed at marriage, regarding it as a glorified religious swindle. In its place they exalted their own ideal of a disciplined and decorous carnal relationship whose ultimate objective was not crude physical satisfaction, but a sublime and sensual intimacy.

Chivalry and Courtly Love Chivalry brought about an idealized attitude toward

women, but it did little to improve their actual positions.

A women’s perceived value remained to the value of the lands she brought to a marriage. But chivalry did give rise to a new form of literature, the romance.

English Romance Genre The best example of this can be seen in Sir Gawain and the Green

Knight by an anonymous author.

Emergence of a Middle Class The development of the city classes- lower, middle, and upper-middle,

is evident in the works of Geoffrey Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales.

Ballads sung in the alehouses and firesides expressed the point of view of the emerging merchant class

Canterbury Tales Written by Geoffrey Chaucer

The story revolves around a group of people who are making a Spring Pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas a Becket

The value of this work comes in the development of the characters and their descriptions

At the right is a pilgrimage scene from a stained glass window in

Canterbury Cathedral.

The Crusades (1095-1270)

The Crusades (1095-1270) This is a series of wars raged by European Christians against the

Muslims to win back the holy land of Jerusalem

Although the Europeans failed to hold the holy land, they benefited enormously from contact with the higher civilization found in the middle east

The Martyrdom of Thomas a Becket

Thomas Becket, had risen to power as Prime Minister under Henry II. Becket often took the Pope’s side when Henry was trying to gain the upper hand.

Henry’s enraged comment “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” caused four of his knights to take his words literally and murder Becket in his own cathedral.

But wait, there’s more to the story…..

The Magna Carta This document, signed in 1215 at Runnymede, gave the nobles of

England power over both the Pope and the King. It was effectively the end of King John’s reign

The importance of the Magna Carta lies more in its symbolism than in its words. As a result, many modern rights have been based on the Magna Carta that were unknown in the 13th century, including habeas corpus and the principle of no taxation without representation. Neither of these concepts existed in the original Magna Carta of 1215 but both became accepted as English law during the early 17th century.

The Hundred Years’ War 1336-1565

Causes: The Battle for Flanders:

Flanders had grown to be an industrial center of Northern Europe.The French tried to regain control of the city, but the English needed its fine cloth in exchange for English fleece. The English had adopted the French custom and exchanged beer for wine in the 1200’s. The problem was that England could not grow grapes and needed to trade the Flander’s cloth indirectly for wine.

The Hundred Years’ War 1336-1565 The struggle for control of France:

The English King controlled much of France which came with the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine, heiress of the region, to Henry II.

The Scottish Alliance: The Battle for the Channel and the North Sea An Aggressive Spirit in England:

Though France was by far the wealthiest country, England’s people readily followed their young King

 

The Hundred Years’ War 1336-1565 The Dynastic Conflict

The last son of King Philip IV (The Fair) died in 1328, and the direct  male line of the Capetians finally ended after almost 350 years. Philip had had  a daughter, however. This daughter, Isabelle, had married King Edward II of  England, and King Edward III was their son. He was therefore Philip's grandson  and successor in a direct line through Philip's daughter. The French could not  tolerate the idea that Edward might become King of France, and French lawyers  brought up some old Frankish laws, the so-called Salic Law which  stated that property (including the throne) could not descend through a female.  The French then gave the crown to Philip of Valois, a nephew of Philip IV.  Nevertheless, Edward III had a valid claim to the throne of France if he wished  to pursue it.

The Hundred Years’ War 1336-1565 The Battle of Crecy

This battle is important because the French lost miserably. The English had archers  using the longbow, a weapon with great penetrating power that could sometimes  kill armored knights, and often the horses on which they rode. The battle was a  disaster for the French. The English took up position on the crest of a hill,  and the French cavalry tried to ride up the slope to get at their opponents. The  long climb up soggy ground tired and slowed the French horses, giving the  English archers and foot soldiers ample opportunity to wreak havoc in the French  ranks. Those few French who reached the crest of the hill found themselves faced  with rude, but effective, barriers, and, as they tried to withdraw, they were  attacked by the small but fresh English force of mounted knights.

The Black Death (1348-1350) The Black Death was one of the worst natural disasters in

history. In 1347 A.D., a great plague swept over Europe,  ravaged  cities causing  widespread  hysteria  and death. One third of the population of Europe died. "The impact upon the future of England was greater than upon any other European country."

The Black Death (1348-1350) The primary culprits in transmitting this disease were

oriental rat fleas carried on the back of black rats.

The Black Death (1348-1350) How was the Black Death transmitted?

The three forms of the Black Death were transmitted two ways. The septicemic and bubonic plague were transmitted with direct contact with a flea, while the pneumonic plague was transmitted through airborne droplets of saliva coughed up by bubonic or septicemic infected humans.

The Black Death (1348-1350) The bubonic and septicemic plague were transmitted by the the bite of

an infected flea. Fleas, humans, and rats served as hosts for the disease. The bacteria (Yersinia pestis) multiplied inside the flea blocking the flea's stomach causing it to be very hungry. The flea would then start voraciously biting a host. Since the feeding tube to the stomach was blocked , the flea was unable to satisfy its hunger. As a result, it continued to feed in a frenzy. During the feeding process, infected blood carrying the plague bacteria , flowed into the human's wound. The plague bacteria now had a new host. The flea soon starved to death.

The Black Death (1348-1350) The pneumonic plague was transmitted differently than the other two

forms . It was transmitted through droplets sprayed from the lungs and mouth of an infected person. In the droplets were the bacteria that caused the plague.

The bacteria entered the lungs through the windpipe and started attacking the lungs and throat.

Let’s take a look at the plague cycle…

The Black Death (1348-1350) The bubonic plague was the most commonly seen form of the Black

Death. The mortality rate was 30-75%. The symptoms were enlarged and inflamed lymph nodes (around arm pits, neck and groin). The term 'bubonic' refers to the characteristic bubo or enlarged lymphatic gland. Victims were subject to headaches, nausea, aching joints, fever of 101-105 degrees, vomiting, and a general feeling of illness. Symptoms took from 1-7 days to appear.

The Black Death (1348-1350) This would have been a common site with 1/3 of the population dying

at this time…

The Black Death (1348-1350) The pneumonic plague was the second most commonly seen form of

the Black Death. The pneumonic and the septicemic plague were probably seen less then the bubonic plague because the victims often died before they could reach other places (this was caused by the inefficiency of transportation). The mortality rate for the pneumonic plague was 90-95% (if treated today the mortality rate would be 5-10%). The pneumonic plague infected the lungs. Symptoms included slimy sputum tinted with blood. Sputum is saliva mixed with mucus exerted from the respiratory system. As the disease progressed, the sputum became free flowing and bright red. Symptoms took 1-7 days to appear.

The Black Death (1348-1350) The septicemic plague was the most rare form of all. The mortality

was close to 100% (even today there is no treatment). Symptoms were a high fever and skin turning deep shades of purple due to DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation). According to Dr. Matt Luther, Vanderbilt University Medical Center "The plague often caused DIC in severe forms, and DIC can be fatal. The picture in the next slide demonstrates what DIC can look like. In its most deadly form DIC can cause a victims skin to turn dark purple. The black death got its name from the deep purple, almost black discoloration." Victims usually died the same day symptoms appeared. In some cities, as many as 800 people died every day.

The Black Death (1348-1350) The septicemic plague

The Black Death (1348-1350) How did this affect Europe? Children’s Rhymes:

Ring a-round the rosyPocket full of posiesAshes, ashes!We all fall down!

The Black Death (1348-1350) Ring around the rosy: rosary beads give you God's help. A pocket full of posies: used to stop the odor of rotting bodies which

was at one point thought to cause the plague, it was also used widely by doctors to protect them from the infected plague patients.

Ashes, ashes: the church burned the dead when burying them became to laborious.

We all fall down: dead.

This does not seem to be quite as happy when you are aware of the meaning, does it??

The Black Death (1348-1350) The fewer number of workers demanded higher wages and the long

term result was the freedom of the serf

The very social, economic, and political structure of Europe was forever altered. One tiny insect, a flea, toppled feudalism and changed the course of history in Europe.

Summation

Well, we have completed our overview of the world of Medieval England. In the next few weeks we will take a more in-depth look at many of the concepts that were introduced in this lecture….

I hope you have enjoyed this material- this concludes our lesson for today!