Culture of the High Middle Ages

1. Culture of the High Middle Ages

2. Chartres Cathedral Symbolizes the Age of Faith

3. The builders rarely saw the completed Cathedral

4. Dramatic changes occurred in the way peasants worked the land Soil was rich & deep but required a heavier plow Peasants were better fed since better harvests produced more food River Valleys in Western Europe were good for farming

5. Heavier plow needed for the rich deep soil of the Western River Valley area Innovations increased food production Heavy plow being used with an oxen

6. Horse collar Twice as much land could be plowed in a day using a horse rather than oxen Innovations increased food production

7. The horse played a vital role

8. Three Field System More land is available for planting increasing the production of food Peasants have a healthier diet and a longer life span One field will lay fallow or not planted Fallow field allows the ground to retain and renew its nutrients Innovations increased food production

9. Environment Changed • In England, France and Germany forests were cleared to provide more land for farming • Peasants built huge seawalls to drain more land for farming • Building of towns

10. Results of the increase in food production in Western Europe • A surplus of food to trade • An increase in the population • The rise of towns • Decline in feudalism

12. Medieval Walled Towns The town was called a burgh. The town dwellers were know as burghers

13. Bourgeoisie – French for Middle Class

14. Jews were not allowed to own land They were usually segregated in the city but were required to help defend the walls in their area during an attack Jews and the Middle Ages Symbol designating the women is Jewish

15. The Church insisted that merchants and craftsmen charge a just price – a reasonable profit The church believed a large profit was sinful Literate Jews became moneylenders or early bankers They were active in long-distance trade Many myths developed about Jews causing them to be attacked & abused The Church prohibits usury – the charging of interest

16. Persecution of the Jews Jews were survivors and their dietary laws often kept them from getting ill. Unfortunately, they often became the scapegoat and were accused of starting plagues and causing other disasters which led to their persecution.

17. The Cathedral was the most important building in a Medieval town. Pilgrims visited the Cathedral to honor relics Relics – items believed to belong to Jesus or the saints The Town Cathedral Reliquary of St. Stephen

18. Reliquaries house the relics

19. Reliquary of St. Catherine

20. Peasants came to sell their goods to the towns people during the local fairs. The great fairs provided customers with goods such as cloth, fur, iron, dyes, honey, oil, butter, fruit, wine, etc. Some goods were from far away places. No longer was everything produced on the manor Fairs also provide entertainment. Medieval Fairs - Chartres

21. An association of people who worked in the same occupation. Merchants formed the first guilds Merchant guilds controlled all the trade in a town Guilds

22. Guild members erected guild halls where they met to make rules and arrange the details of their businesses Members of the merchant guild controlled all the trade in their town. Example: Only a member of the local merchants guild could sell Flemish wool in their town Medieval Guild Halls

23. Merchant Guilds, such as the Hanseatic League also controlled towns & trade routes

24. Skilled artisans also banned together to create craft guilds Both husbands and wives worked in the family business Craft guilds also trained new workers Craft Guilds

25. Since most people could not read, craftsmen used signs to advertise their specialty

26. Baker Barber

27. Cobbler - Shoemaker Tailor

28. Each guild had their own standards of quality dealing with the size, weight, and price of an item Guild members who sold substandard goods could be punished by the guild Each guild had a monopoly or exclusive control of their product How the Guild functions

29. Neck violin for feuding women Bakers Baptism for selling under weight bread

30. Guilds fixed the price on everything they sold There was no competition between guild members The “just price” of an item was based on the cost of labor and materials plus a reasonable profit The Church viewed making a large profit as a sin. The Church insists on Just Price

31. Dues functioned as an insurance policy Funeral expenses were paid Support of the family continued Social organization Political leaders of the town Guild benefits for the Master Craftsman

32. Apprentice – person learning a craft, who also lives with the master craftsman. Parents usually paid a fee to the master to train their child An apprenticeship lasted for 3 to 12 years, without pay except for room and board Apprentices were not rapidly promoted Training new workers

33. Journeyman • After the period of apprenticeship you became a journeyman • A journeyman is paid a daily wage • A journeyman can become a master if his “masterpiece” meets guild standards • If accepted, he can train apprentices, hire journeyman, and open a shop • As time went on, it became increasingly difficult to become a master.

34. A serf was considered free if they lived in a town for a year and a day “Town air makes you free” Feudal lords ruthlessly taxed towns on their lands Nobles charged fees for everything – fairs, using bridges, holding courts of law Growth of Towns

35. Burghers worked together to free themselves from the lord or bishop on whose land the town stood Sometimes the fought for their independence They also bought their independence since burghers had cash They received a charter with the lord’s seal which listed the towns special privileges and tax exemptions Towns gain independence

36. Medieval Walled Towns By 1200, towns were growing in population and gaining liberties. Towns were independent of the feudal system.

37. The new educational institution that developed during this period Most students came from the Middle Class Classes were held in rented rooms Books were handwritten and expensive Women could not attend the University Medieval University

38. Notice how small the students are portrayed Medieval students after a drinking binge

39. Universities

40. Latin continued to be the language of the educated Latin was also used in law and by the church Vernacular is the term used to describe the common language of the people Language of the educated and the commoners

41. Revival of learning made Europeans more interested in the works of ancient scholars Growth of trade brought Europeans into contact with Muslims and Byzantines who still had access to the ancient authors Scholars rediscover Greek writings Aristotle

42. Greeks were pagans Their knowledge was based on human reason rather than the Bible Could Aristotle’s logical approach to truth be used and still keep faith with the Bible? Scholar, Thomas Aquinas found there was no conflict between faith and reason The problem with the ancient writings Thomas Aquinas, author of Summa Theologiae (21 volumes) He was a Dominican monk who taught at the University of Paris

43. Heroic poems sung to a lute in the vernacular or common spoken language Song of Roland in France King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table Tristan and Isolde Beowulf Chansons de geste (songs of deeds)show how ideals of noble society were changing

44. Beowulf

45. Cheval & Chevalier – horse & horse riding lord Knight must fight bravely in defense of: His earthly lord His heavenly lord His chosen lady He should aid the poor and defend the weak Chivalry – the Knights code of behavior

46. Page – age 7 to 14 Sent to another castle Waited on hosts while learning manners and playing at being a Knight Squire – 14 – 24 or so A Knights assistant Cared for horse & armor Knighting A solemn ceremony Steps to Knighthood French page 14th century

47. A knight and his squire

48. A night of solemn vigil before becoming a knight

49. Tournamentsmock battles for glory

50. 14th Century armor