Feudalism and the Crusades

1. Feudalism and the Crusades

2. The Middle Ages • Also called medieval times.It is the time period in Europe following the Fall of Roman Empire (476) to the time of the Renaissance (around the 1400’s). • It is a time of slow growth and devoid of learning. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as the Dark Ages. • It is also a time where there is no real political power in Europe (except the Roman Catholic Church) and anarchy and violence reign. • Most people live on farms and not in cities.

3. Roman Influence on Medieval Europe • Roman provinces become independent. • Barbarian tribes keep many Roman practices. • Many of the barbarians convert to Roman Catholicism. • Pope is most important man in Europe. • Some new kingdoms keep old Roman laws.

4. The Germanic Kingdoms • The tiny kingdoms that dot Western Europe that have been founded by the many Germanic barbarian tribes that overthrew Roman authority. • The Franks were the largest of the Germanic tribes. They inhabit the land we now call France and will become the most powerful force in Western Europe in Medieval Europe.

5. The Franks • Clovis was the first great Frankish king in 481. • He converted them to Christianity and unites all the Franks under his rule. • His dynasty will be called the Mergovian Dynasty. • It will show signs of weakness after his death in 511.

6. The Franks • Charles Martel becomes leader of the Franks. • Charles Martel is able to consolidate control over the Franks after his victory at Tours against the Muslims in 732. • Charles’s son, Pepin the Short will run the Carolingian Dynasty which would replace the Mergovian Dynasty in 751. • He would extend Frankish control to the northern parts of Western Europe.

7. Charlemagne • He is the son of Pepin’s son. • He will become the greatest of all the Frankish kings and a defender of Catholicism. • He takes over in 771 and rules until 814. • After consolidating control of the Franks, he turns on the Lombards in Italy. • Charlemagne conquers the Lombards in 774 and gives some of the land in Italy to the pope to be administered by the church.

8. Charlemagne • Charlemagne then turns his attention elsewhere. • He converts the Saxons to Christianity in the 780s and 790s. • In 789, he takes over Bavaria. • In the 790s, he battles the Slavs and the Avars moving into Eastern Europe. • Beginning in the mid 790s, he invades Spain to drive out the Muslims there and Christianize the land.

9. Charlemagne • In the year 800, Pope Leo III declares Charlemagne to be the Emperor of the Romans. • His palace will be at Aachen in Germany. • Under the direction of the pope, Charlemagne will defend the Catholic Church wherever he could. • This will solidify the Frankish control over Western Europe. • Charlemagne created the largest, most powerful empire in Europe since Rome.

10. After Charlemagne • Charlemagne dies in 814. His son Louis takes over. • In 843, Louis divides the kingdom between his three sons in the Treaty of Verdun. • Charles the Bald gets what is now France. • Louis the German gets what is now Germany. • Lothair gets what is now the lands in between…his kingdom will be the battleground of France and Germany in years to come. • Instead of uniting Europe, the Treaty of Verdun divides it up further.

11. A New Rome • Otto the Great will take over the lands given to Louis the German. • He goes to Aachen and is crowned the Holy Roman Emperor. • When run by Otto and his sons it is a powerful force and dominates Central Europe, even though it doesn’t have direct control over much of the lands. • However, as time goes on, each kingdom in the empire becomes more and more independent and its influence shrinks rapidly. • The emperor is chosen by the pope.

12. Question Time 1. What influence did Rome have on Western Europe? 2. Why were the Franks so strong? 3. Why did getting the support of the church help to make Charlemagne stronger?

13. Muslim Invasions • Muslims continue to hold Spain. • Muslims will also try to take over Southern Italy. • Muslims will also try to attack the Byzantine Empire for control of Greece and Turkey.

14. Magyar Invasions • The Magyars, a people from Central Asia storm into Europe in the late 800s. • They will become the Hungarian people. • They will establish a kingdom in Central Europe.

15. The Vikings • A seafaring warrior people from Scandinavia. • Seeking warmer climates and trading opportunities, they begin to leave in the mid 800s. • They spread fear and terror throughout Europe with their raids...especially in France and England.

16. The Vikings • The Vikings will eventually help to discover America. • They will help found the Russian culture. • They will become the Normans in France. • They spread fear from 800 to 1100 AD from Ireland to Italy to Constantinople to the Rhine River in Germany. • Bezerker

17. The Vikings • Viking ships could hold a strong squad of men. • They were seaworthy enough to sail the seas, but could also easily navigate the Rhine and Danube Rivers in Europe.

18. The Vikings • Led by Eric the Red, Viking settlers who were kicked out of Iceland discover and create a colony in Greenland around the year 980. • Leif Ericsson, the son of Eric the Red, will led a band of colonists moving to Newfoundland and Vineland (Nova Scotia) near 1000. • First Europeans to America.

19. The Vikings Viking politics revolved around the Viking halls. The halls were a place where Vikings could drink mead, celebrate victories, conduct business, plan attacks, or settle issues. They would bury their important dead in longships. The longships would contain all of their worldly possessions. Recorded their histories on rune stones.

20. Norse Mythology Vikings were polytheistic until they converted to Christianity between 850-1100. Loki-Evil god of Deception Thor-God of Thunder Odin-God of Creation, Death, Royalty Tyr-God of War Many of the days of the week are named after Norse gods. Valkyries-Warrior women who take the slain Vikings home to Valhalla, a Viking heaven where warriors wait in a hall for Odin to initiate Ragnarok. Ragnarok is when Odin floods the world and rebuilds it when the gods battle it out one last time with an army of the best warriors.

21. Question Time 4. Why were different groups able to invade Europe so easily after Rome fell? 5. What made the Vikings such expert raiders?

22. Feudalism King Church High Ranking Nobles Low Ranking Nobles Knights Peasants (Farmers and Merchants Serfs

23. How Feudalism Works King gives plots of land to loyal lords. These lords are called Vassals. The plot of land that a vassal gets is called a Fief. Higher ranking nobles divided their land into fiefs that would be given to other vassals too. The lower ranking nobles lived on manors. The manor system would be the backbone of feudalism.

24. Feudalism • A political/social structure that a king grants land to nobles for their loyalty. • The nobles are bound to the king and the peasants of that land owe loyalty to their noble. • The nobles offer protection to their subjects. • Feudalism is the political structure in Europe in the Middle Ages. • Outside of the Catholic Church, there is no central authority in Europe.

25. Feudalism • Feudalism begins with the warrior class who would eventually become the knights. • In return for their military service, the knights would be rewarded with land and power from a local lord. (Baron, Earl, Count, etc.) • That local lord would owe loyalty to one above him, like a Prince or a Duke. Like the knights, they are obligated by service in return for land and power.

26. Feudalism • Any lord who ranked below another noble was called a vassal. • The parcel of territory given out to a vassal was called a fief. • The vassal had certain obligations to his lord: military, food, taxes. This is called the feudal contract. • People at the very top were the kings and highest church officials. • Feudalism was most popular in France, Germany, and England. It didn’t take as much hold in the rest of Europe. • Again, there is little or no central authority in Europe.

27. Chivalry • Each knight lived by the code of chivalry. • A knight was expected to protect the helpless and women. • You treat women and elderly with respect. • Knights were loyal, courteous, brave, and filled with a sense of honor. • Your words and actions show how honorable you are. • Never attack an unarmed enemy.

28. Noblewomen in Medieval Society • They had few rights. • In some places, a woman might be able to inherit a fief, but she is not allowed to run it. • In most places, women cannot own property. • Usually, her marriage was arraigned by her parents. • Her job was to host and entertain travelers, guests, and nobles. • Most of the education dealt with medicine, caring for kids, reading, writing, and basic religious education.

29. Life on a Manor • Most poor people lived on the manors. • The manor was estate of the lord. • The manor system is what runs Feudal Europe. • Serfs tend the lord’s land. • Peasants also work land given out by the lord. • The lord ends up with most of the money taken from the land.

30. Life on a Manor • A peasant was a poor person. They are the farmers and merchants of the Middle Ages. They are poor, but can move about freely. • A serf is someone who is tied to the land of their nobles. They are lawfully bound to work the land and can never leave it. They are not slaves as in they are not owned. They cannot be bought or sold. However, serfs have no freedom.

31. Life on the Manor • Manors were self sufficient. • Each manor would have a tannery, blacksmith, church, woodshops, markets, mill, court, castle/fort, inns, and taverns.

32. Life as a Peasant • Lots of hard work. • Peasants had to rent land from the noble. Serfs were obligated to work on it. • A noble was supposed to take care of the people under him. • Serfs owed their nobles a certain percentage of their labor. • Peasants had to pay their rent in crops, food, cloth, or money.

33. Life as a Knight • Trained under another knight as a squire. Took care of knight’s possessions and learned chivalry. • Trained in the arts of combat. • Became a noble (although a lower ranking one to start off) and was awarded a fief. • Swore loyalty to his lord. • Could move up in the ranks if they were a good and loyal soldier and vassal.

35. Heraldry A science of history and coat of arms stemming from middle ages. Coat of arms are for individuals and not families. Helps to identify you and your duties.

36. Mr. Cole’s Heraldry The arms illustrated are described heraldically as: Party per pale or argent a bull passant within a bordure sable, on a chief of the third three bezants; Crest: A demi dragon vert bearing in its dexter paw a javelin or feathered argent; for Motto: Deum coleregumserva- The motto may be translated "Honor God, serve the King". Writers in the past have attributed symbolism to the tinctures and charges of heraldry-thus: (gold), is said to denote Generosity; argent (silver), humility sable(black), Wisdom; vert (green), Courtesy; The bull signifies Valor; bravery the chief, Authority; granted as a command in war. the bezant (coin), Worthiness of Trust; the dragon, a Valiant Defender; the javelin, Military Service, devotion to honor The bordure is often used to distinguish one branch of a family from others.

37. Question Time 6. What determined your life when you lived in the Medieval times? 7. What was the difference between a peasant and serf? 8. Describe life on the manor. 9. Define chivalry.

38. Agriculture • The Three-Field System was a way to increase field yield in the Middle Ages. • Divide up your land into 3 parts. • Let one part grow fallow and the other two have two different crops. • You can make more money with diverse crops. • Also, the soil could remain fertile if you would rotate the fields.

39. Feudal Justice • The lords and nobles were the judges in medieval times. • Rulings were based on customs because there were few written laws. • Disputes between a lord and a vassal could be settled by a council of all the nobles or by war. • Peasants would be tried by a jury of their peers. • A lord could also override that jury. • Trials could be by ordeal for peasants or combat if you were a knight.

40. Feudal Entertainment • Troubadours would go around traveling, singing musicians/poets who told stories of love, knights, and other things in the Middle Ages. • Many villages and towns would hold tournaments. At the tournaments, knights would engage in mock battles that would help out with their training as well as show how strong they were. • In England, a lot of literature was going on.The first major piece of literature was Beowulf. It is an epic poem of battles and magic and mysticism • The Canterbury Tales were an extremely popular collection of tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer. These stories depicted life for many people of that society. • Fairs and festivals.

41. The Power of the Church Baptism Wedding Funeral Education Salvation Economic Personal No Taxes Land Offerings/Tithes Charities Art Architecture Literature Holidays Morals/Values Crusades Depose Rulers Excommunication Inquisition Witch Trials Political Cultural

42. Growing Power of the Church • The most powerful person in the church was the Pope. • Underneath the pope were the council of Cardinals. • The Catholic Church was divided into Diocese run by a bishop. • Monks and friars were the local representatives of the Catholic Church. Monks could preach and educate the peasants. • The local churches were paid through the tithe; 1/10 of the yearly income given to the church by followers

43. Church and Society • The Church’s role was to help people reach Heaven. • Through salvation, could one be saved from Hell. Through the sacraments, one could lead a blessed life under God’s direction. • Sacraments are very important religious ceremonies in the church. Only priests can administer them (communion, baptism, marriage, etc.)

44. Punishments • The church had ways of dealing with those who disobeyed their laws. • If you were a problem to the church, you could be excommunicated. • When you are excommunicated, you are now an outcast in the community in the eyes of the church. You can no longer participate in the activities of the town and, in some cases, could be exiled.

45. Medieval Torture Devices

46. Religious Orders and Laws • St. Francis of Assisi founds the Franciscan friar sect. They celebrate the beauty of God and love of people for each other. • The Dominicans are another Catholic sect of friars. They celebrate education and learning. • Thomas Aquinaswas a great Catholic priest. He taught that most religious truths could be by proved logical arguments. He establishes great universities to combine religious thought with the academics of the age. • Canon Law:The law of the church. In matters relating to marriage and religious practices, people were bound to the laws and traditions of the church. • Lay investiture:A process whereby kings can name bishops. This became a huge problem between the papacy and the kings in the Middle Ages. • Simony:A church practice whereby positions (such as bishops) could be bought.

47. Question Time 10. How were people during this time entertained? 11. How did the church have so much power over everyday life?

48. Revival of Trade • By 1000, trading begins to pick up in Europe. • Several of the Italian city-states become very active cities in trading: Genoa, Milan, and Venice. • Wool was a big industry.

49. Growth of the Towns • Merchants began to stay put instead of wandering from manor to manor. • Artisans set up shops as well. • Towns sprung up along vital trade routes. • Most towns were part of a fief and had to be chartered with permission from the lord. • Most towns forbid lords from seizing land. People could own their own property and farms. • Middle class begins to grow with town life. • Town dwellers are called burghers. • While at first, they are run by feudal lords, they grow to want their own freedoms and run themselves. • Over a period of time, the people who live in cities begin to have more say of what they want.

50. Guilds • An association of people who worked in the same crafts or trades. • They would set standards for fees as well as training. • They are similar to unions. • To be a member, a boy would become an apprentice in a master’s shop. • After 3-12 years as an apprentice, he would become a journeyman to work on his skills. • Once he became good enough, he would go to the guild and become a master in his own right.