Culture of the Middle Ages

1. Culture of the Middle Ages Ms. L Strong Preston High School

2. What were the Middle Ages? • 500-1500 A.D.- Began after the fall of Rome • No central power or government during the time • Named the “Middle Ages” because it was the middle time in between the Roman Empire and Renaissance • Life was difficult because of poverty, and most of the population was impoverished • The closest thing to a form of government was manorialism, or rule over peasants by a lord (FEUDALISM!)

3. Faith in the Middle Ages-The Catholic Church • Imposed taxes and had its own land and laws • Accepted gifts and donations: that was how people got into Heaven • Excommunicated (banned from the church) non-believers • Started to translate the Bible – This led to want for education and knowledge • This thirst for intelligence also influenced literature • The pope was infallible (incapable of error) and had power over all religious and political matters • The priests drank, gambled, and kept mistresses

4. Background on Islamic Religion • Practiced in mainly Spain, Middle East, and North Africa • There was little contact between Christians and Muslims • Islam was founded by Muhammad in the 7th century • It is a monotheistic religion based off the teachings of the Quran and the 5 Pillars of Islam

5. Islam During the Middle Ages • Almost all of the people of Spain were Muslim, but the rest of Europe was Christian • Both Christians and Muslims viewed the other badly, and they did not often encounter each other • Despite the cultural divide, Muslims added to the knowledge in science and technology • Islamic scribes translated Roman and Greek texts, contributing to the want for knowledge

6. Background on Knights • Duty: to learn how to fight and serve their Lord • Expected to guard the castle and support his lord in Middle Age warfare • Must train as a page, then a squire before becoming a knight • Trained for many years • They practiced their skills in tournaments of jousting • At the end of Knighthood ceremony, they would take the title of SIR

7. Chivalry • Chivalry was the knightly system of the Middle Ages • The chivalric orders were first used against non-Christian states • It was a moral system that introduced ideal qualities such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women • Ideas of chivalry were written in poems, BALLADS/MADRIGALS, writings, and literary works • Myths such as Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table show the medieval code of chivalry

8. Chivalry-The Knight’s Code • Chivalry was used for knights in combat and in overall life • When knights were sworn in, they had to agree to the code • The Knights’ Code of Chivalry emphasized things like faith, justice, temperance, truth, hope, valor • The Knights’ Code was also related to defending God, showing the lack of separation between church and state

9. Literature • Literature flourished during the middle ages! • There was a lack of paper, so calf’s skin and parchment were typical • The books and illustrations were done by hand by monks • Romance novels and epic battles were written and described along with fiction and poetry • The spread of literature was also influenced by troubadours

10. Troubadours • A troubadour was a traveling musician • They spread news and entertained nobles • The stories they sung were about chivalry and romance, or battles and recent news • Troubadours assisted in the spread of literature, except instead of written stories they were spoken, then later on written down

11. Jongleurs • Jongleurs were assistants to the troubadours • They juggled, danced, and did acrobatics along with the singing and instrument playing • They also performed acts of stupidity which eventually led to jesters • The man on the left is the jongleur because he is acting oddly with additional flutes in his mouth