The Early Middle Ages

1. The Early Middle Ages Feudalism, Chivalry, and the Catholic Church

2. Objectives • Essential Questions • How did feudal society develop in Europe during the Middle Ages? • How did the medieval manor function as a social and economic system? • Objective • The student will be demonstrate knowledge of Western Europe during the Middle Ages from about 500 to 1000 C.E. in terms of its impact on Western civilization by • Explaining the structure of feudal society and its economic, social, and political effects

3. Invasions after Charlemagne • Between 800 and 1000 invasions completely destroyed the Carolingian Empire • Vikings • Magyars • Muslims

4. Vikings • End of the Viking terror • Around 1000 C.E. the Vikings gradually accepted Christianity • Warming trend made farming easier in Scandinavia • From Scandinavia • Germanic people • Also called Norsemen • Characteristics • Worshipped war-like gods • Terrifying and violent • Attacked using ingenious long ships • Traders, farmers, and explorers • Believed to have reached North America 500 years before Columbus

5. Viking Longships

6. Magyars and Muslims • The Muslims • Came from the South, from Mediterranean region • Attempted to invade in 600 and 700s • Characteristics • Excellent sailors • Attacked mainly along settlements close to the sea • Both the Atlantic and Mediterranean • The Magyars • Nomadic people from Central Asia • Invaded Western Europe around 800 C.E. • Characteristics • Superb horseback riders • Invaded land to capture people to sell as slaves

7. Consequences of Invasions • Invasions caused widespread panic and disorder • Most Western Europeans lived in constant danger • Central authority was powerless • People turned to local rulers with their own armies for protection • Seeking protection, people entered into feudal agreements establishing a social, economic, and political order in the Middle Ages. • Landholding and protection were critical elements in a feudal system.

8. Feudalism • Collapse of local authority created need for a new system of local governments • Feudal contract: • Local ruler swore allegiance to monarchs in return for control over land and peasants

11. Kings/ Queens • Instead, Monarchs relied on feudal alliances with their nobles to guarantee the protection and unity of their kingdom and the collection of taxes. • In the Middle Ages, Monarchs did not rule large kingdoms. • Monarchs lacked wealth to maintain own armies for defense or to pay sheriffs. Judges, or other officials to govern for them and collect taxes.

12. Terms • Fief: • Plots of land given to nobles for service and loyalty • Often divided • Contained one or many manors • Vassal: • Nobles who accepted fiefs • Giver of land became vassal’s “lord”

14. Knights • Mounted warriors • Owed loyalty to lord • In return given food, shelter, weapons • Supposed to follow code of chivalry • Rules by which knight should live

15. Code of Chivalry To fear God and maintain His Church To serve the liege lord in valor and faith To protect the weak and defenseless To give assistance to widows and orphans To refrain from the meaningless giving of offence To live by honor and for glory To despise financial reward To fight for the welfare of all To obey those placed in authority To guard the honor of fellow knights To avoid unfairness, meanness and deceit To keep faith At all times to speak the truth To persevere to the end in any venture begun To respect the honor of women Never to refuse a challenge from an equal Never to turn the back upon a foe.

16. Chivalry • Tournaments • Mock battles • Combined combat training with recreation • Reality of warfare • Castle siege difficult • Defenders poured boiling water, hot oil, or molten lead on soldiers • Expert archers armed with crossbows that could pierce armor • Knights expected to display courage in battle and loyalty to their lord • By 1100s code of chivalry created • Knights had three masters • Earthly lord • Heavenly lord • Chosen lady

17. Chivalry • Glorification of knighthood • Epic poetry • Recounted a hero’s deeds and adventures • The Song of Roland one of the most famous • Defeat of Muslims by the Franks led by Roland • Love songs • Troubadours were poet-musicians who composed songs about the joys and sorrows of romantic love • Created entertainment at Castles

19. Serfs (Peasants) • Farmed land and tended livestock • Worked hard • Wealth of the lord came from labor of the peasants • Lived in harsh conditions • Not slaves • Bound to the land • Lords could not buy or sell • Could not lawfully leave the place where they were born

21. Manor Life • Harsh life • Peasants paid a high price for protection • Paid a tax on all grain ground in the lord’s mill • Paid a tax on marriage • Had to have lord’s consent first • Owed the village priest a tithe • Church tax, 1/10th of income • Role of Women • While knights placed noblewomen on a pedestal to be worshipped, the reality was that most women were still poor and powerless • Noblewomen could inherit and estate from her husband and ran the manor while husband was away • A Manor was a lord’s estate • Manor system was basic economic arrangement during the Middle Ages • Self-Contained • Covered only a few square miles • Consisted of the lord’s manor house, a church, and workshops • 15-30 families lived in the village on a manor • Fields, pastures, and forests surrounded the village • Self-sufficient • Serfs/peasants raised or produced everything needed for daily life • Only outside purchases were salt, iron, and unusual objects.

23. The Church • Unifying force • Provided security during the dangerous middle ages • Middle Ages named the “Age of Faith” • Sacraments (important religious ceremonies) part of everyday life • Weekly church attendance • Church justice • Created a system of justice called cannon law (law of the church) • Harshest punishments • Excommunication • interdict • With government weak, the church emerged as a powerful institution • Scope of Church authority • Two swords analogy • Pope wielded a spiritual sword • Emperor wielded a political sword • Each should bow to the other over political and religious matters • Church Structure • Distribution of power based on status • Different ranks of clergy (religious officials) • Pope • Bishops • Priests

24. The Holy Roman Empire • Empire covered modern-day Germany and parts of France and Italy • After the death of Charlemagne the strongest kingdom was the Holy Roman Empire • Led by Otto I • Crowned King of medieval Germany in 936 C.E. • Charlemagne was his hero • Formed close alliance with the church • Invaded Italy on Pope’s behalf in 962 C.E. • Pope crowned him Emperor

25. Concordat of Worms • Concordat of Worms • Compromise between the church and the emperor that the church alone could grant a bishop power BUT the emperor could veto the appointment if he did not approve • The church began to resent the control Kings had over the clergy • Especially lay investiture • A ceremony in which kings and nobles appointed church officials • The Pope banned the practice in 1075 C.E. • Led to argument between Pope and Emperor Henry IV • Pope excommunicated Henry • Henry traveled to Canossa, Italy to beg forgiveness

26. Frederick I • 1176 C.E. Battle of Legnano • Foot soldiers faced off against Frederick’s mounted knights • First time in history foot soldiers defeated mounted knights using crossbows. • 1152 C.E. Frederick “Barbarossa” became Holy Roman Emperor • Did not focus on building royal power in Germany but on invading cities of Italy • Angered Italian merchants and the Pope • Formed a league against him called the Lombard league

27. Objectives • Essential Questions • How did feudal society develop in Europe during the Middle Ages? • How did the medieval manor function as a social and economic system? • Objective • The student will be demonstrate knowledge of Western Europe during the Middle Ages from about 500 to 1000 C.E. in terms of its impact on Western civilization by • Explaining the structure of feudal society and its economic, social, and political effects