MEDIEVAL EUROPEDevelopment of Feudalism

Introduction

Early Middle Ages: 476 to 1000 CE

The High Middle Ages: 1000 to 1300

The Late Middle Ages: 1300 to 1450

The Early Middle Ages

Began with the fall of RomeLife was dangerous and difficultPeople needed protection from

invading barbarians and kingdoms

People worked hard just to survive and have enough food

Feudalism

The economic and political system during the Early Middle Ages

Hierarchy

Monarch

Lords

Knights

Peasants

Western Europe During the Middle Ages

Franks: a powerful group because they developed a new system of warfare

Depended on troops of heavily armed warriors who fought on horseback

Ruler needed the service and loyalty of many knights

Knights were rewarded with land and privileges

Clovis

Married a Christian woman, Clotilda

Eventually baptized into the Roman Catholic Church, a Christian church headed by the pope in Rome

His followers became ChristiansLed the Franks in wars that

widened the boundaries of the Frankish kingdom

Charlemagne (Charles the Great)

Most important leader of the Franks

Ruled for over 40 years, from 768-814

Unified nearly all the Christian lands of Europe into a single empire

With the help of Pope Leo III, he built his empire

Leo, in turn, got support from someone who had an army

Pope Leo crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman emperor in 800 CE

Charlemagne’s empire quickly fell after his death in 184

Weak rulers who followed him could not defend the empire against new waves of invasions

These kings followed Charlemagne’s example of rewarding knights with land and privileges in return for military service

A Need for Order and Protection

The Muslims came from the Near East and northern Africa into what is now Spain

The Magyars, a central Asian people, came from the east

The Vikings came down from present-day Norway and Denmark

Western Europeans developed a system we call feudalism to defend and protect themselves

Feudalism: Establishing Order

a stable social orderPeople were bound to one

another by promises of loyaltyAll land in the kingdom belonged

to the monarchGreat deal of land belong to the

church

King

•Gave fiefs, or grants of land, to his most important lords who became vassals

•Each lord promised to supply the king with knights in times of war

Lord

•Enlisted lesser lords and knights as his vassals

Peasants

•Rented land from the lords

•Some were called serfs and were tied to the land they worked

•Farmed the land in return for a small plot of land of their own

Manors

Large estates held by a lordMost lords and wealthier knights

lived on manorsIncluded a castle or manor

house, one or more villages, and the surrounding farmland

Located in the country far from towns, so peasants had to produce everything the people on the manor needed

Monarchs During Feudal Times

Were feudal lordsExpected to keep order and to

provide protection for their vassalsBelieved in the divine right of kings

The idea that God had given them the right to rule

Power of the monarchs variedRelied on their vassals, especially

nobles, to provide enough knights and soldiers

Some lords grew very powerful and governed their fiefs as independent states

William, Duke of Normandy

Came to power in England after: the king died without an heirWilliam believed he had the right to the

English throneHarold, his cousin, was crownedWilliam and his army invaded EnglandDefeated Harold at the Battle of

HastingsNickname William the ConquerorBrought feudal instittutions from Europe

with him.Brought order to EnglandBy the High Middle Ages, around 1000

C.E., much of Europe was stable because of feudalism

Lords and Ladies During Feudal Times

Highest-ranking class in medieval society

Most lived on manorsSome had several manors which

the lords stayed at for a few months at a time with their families

Manor Houses

Many of the people on a manor lived with the lord’s family in the main house (manor house)

Built of wood or stoneSurrounded by gardens and

outbuildings (such as stables)Protected by high walls and

sometimes a moatCenter of the communityVillagers entered its walls for

protection if there was trouble

Castles

Kings and queens, high-ranking nobles, and wealthy lords lived in castles

Main function was to serve as a home

Also one of the most important forms of military technology

Had moats, strong walls, and gates to protect those who live inside

Its large size and central locations were strong visual reminders of the hierarchy within the kingdom and the strict barriers between classes

A Lord’s Daily Life

Responsible for managing and defending his land and the people who worked it

Appointed officials to make sure villagers carried out their duties

Acted as judges in manor courtsHad the power to fine and punish

those who broke the lawSome held posts in the king’s

governmentDuring war, lords fought for their

own higher-ranking lords, or supplied them with a well-trained fight force

Daily Life of Ladies

Responsible for raising and training their children and sometimes the children of other noble families

Oversaw their household or households

Entertainment provided by musicians and jesters (“fools” who performed amusing jokes and stunts)

Recreation for Lords and Ladies

Hunting and hawking (hunting with birds)

Feasting and dancingBoard games such as chessReadingLadies did fine embroidery, or

decorative sewing

Manor Homes and Castles

Lit by candles onlyWarmed by open firesCould be gloomy and coldLittle or no privacyFleas and lice infected all

medieval buildingsPeople bathed only once a weekClothes not washed dailyDiseases affected everyoneWar was a constant danger

Knights

Mounted soldiersHad to have some wealth

because a full suit of armor and a horse cost a small fortune

Usually vassals of more powerful lords

So You Want to be a Knight

Start as a page, or servant

After 7 years, became a

squire

Became a knight in his

early 20s if he was deserving

Responsibilities of a Knight

It was a way of lifeLived by a strong code of

behavior called chivalry (included bravery, loyalty, and respect for women)

Expected to be loyal to their church and their lord

Expected to be just and fairExpected to protect the helplessPerformed acts of gallantry

(respect to women)

Daily Life of Knights

Participated in jousts and tournaments

Fought wearing heavy suits of armor

11th century: armor was made of metal ring linked together

14th century: plate armor was more common and offered better protection

Peasants

Supported the entire feudal structure by working the land

Their labor allowed lords and knights to spend their time preparing for war or fighting

Legally classified as free or unfreeFree peasants: rented land to farm

and owed only their rent money to the lord

Unfree peasants (serfs): farmed the lord’s fields and could not leave; they received a small plot of land of their own to farm

Daily Life of Peasants

Revolved around workRaised cropsTended livestock (animals)Every manor had carpenters,

shoemakers, smiths (metalworkers), and other skilled workers

Women worked the fields when needed

Women also cared for their children and homes

Serfs owed the lord numerous taxes

“Head money”: paid a fix amount per person every year

Tallage: lord could demand this tax whenever he needed money

Merchet: this fee was paid by a woman, her father, or her husband when she married

Required to grind their grain at the lord’s mill (which was the only mill in the village)

The miller kept portions of the grain for himself and the lord who could keep any amount he wanted

Serfs hated this practice and some hid small hand mills in their houses

Peasant Homes

Small houses of 1 or 2 roomsMade of woven strips of wood

covered with straw or mudHad little furniture or

possessionsHearth fire in the middle of the

main room, but usually no chimney so it was dark and smoky inside

An entire family might eat and sleep in one room that sometimes also housed their farm animals

A Peasant’s Diet

Vegetables, meat such as pork, and dark, coarse bread made of wheat mixed with rye or oatmeal

In the winter, they ate meat and fish that had been preserved in salt

Herbs were used for flavor and to lessen the taste of the salt or to disguise the taste of meat that was no longer fresh