England in the Middle Ages

1. England in the Middle Ages 1066- 1485

2. Daily Life • Life in the Middle ages was dictated by wealth, power, status, and the feudal system. • Entertainment included feasts, banquets, jousts and tournaments, Mystery Plays, fairs, games and sports, hunting, hawking, animal entertainment using dogs, bears and monkeys. • Jesters were very popular during this time. • Both upper and lower classes enjoyed games and events. • Clothing was based upon your status. • Dominated and influenced upon the Kings and Queens.

3. The Feudal System • Power and rank played a very important role. • At the top was the King and royal family. • The nobleman and lords- their life centered around their castle or fighting for the king. • Knights- served their lords and their King. • Noblewoman- oversaw their household and ran the castle if her husband was out. • Next there were peasants. They worked on the lord’s land and did very hard work.

4. Knights • They were sons of noblemen who would go to live in the castle to learn how to become a knight. • Their duties were to learn how to fight and to serve their Lord according to the Code of Chivalry. • The Code of Chivalry dictated that a Knight should be brave and fearless in battle but would also exhibit cultured Knightly qualities showing themselves to be devout, loyal, courteous, and generous. • Knights were expected to guard the castle and support their Lord in war. • The steps towards achieving a knighthood started with training as a page, then as a squire, also referred to as esquire. • A Middle Ages Knights Armor was a complex series of garments, chain mail and iron plate.

5. Weapons • The weapons, weaponry, armor and horse of the Knight were extremely expensive. • There were… -Polearms -Battle Axes-Crossbows -Spears -Batons -Swords -Shields - other siege weapons

6. Castles • Siege warfare and the development of medieval weapons demanded that a castle was built considering the possibilities of both attack and defense. • More popular and well known castles include the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. • A castle would often be built on a high cliff or hill, on an island, or in the center of a swamp. • This was because during the middle ages there weren’t cannons or gunpowder so they would hurl heavy stones or iron. Being built high up or in a swamp, it was harder for an opponent to attack.

7. Knights Templar and the Crusades • The crusades saw the emergence of religious knights including the Knights Templar, the Teutonic knights and the Hospitallers. • When a man joined the Knights Templar he took an oath of poverty and his wealth and lands were donated to the Knights Templar order. • The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars launched by the Christian states of Europe against the Saracens (muslims) • Crusades were great military expeditions undertaken by the Christian nations of Europe for the purpose of rescuing the holy places of Palestine from the hands of the Mohammedans

8. Food • Lower classes drank ale or cider; where upper class drank different kinds of wines. • The first cook book in England was produced in 1390. • The crusaders brought back new cooking styles. During their travels they were introduced to new spices and new foods.

9. Famous People • Marco Polo • Joan of Arc • Robin Hood

10. Work Cited Alchin, L.K.. "Middle Ages Knights." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-knights.htm>. Alchin, L.K.. "Middle Age Castles." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-castles.htm>. Alchin, L.K.. "Development of Castles in the Middle Ages." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/development-of-castles-in-the-middle-ages.htm>. Alchin, L.K.. "Entertainment in the Middle Ages." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/entertainment-middle-ages.htm>. Alchin, L.K.. "Daily Life in the Middle Ages." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/daily-life-in-the-middle-ages.htm>. Alchin, L.K.. "Middle Ages People." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-people.htm>. Alchin, L.K.. "Middle Ages Clothing." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-clothing.htm>.

11. Work Cited Alchin, L.K.. "Middle Ages Food." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-food.htm>. Alchin, L.K.. "Knights Templar." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/knights-templar.htm>. Alchin, L.K.. "The Crusades." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/the-crusades.htm>. Alchin, L.K.. "Middle Ages Weapons." The Middle Ages. N.p., 20 September 2006. Web. 4 Dec 2011. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-weapons.htm>.