Medieval Period (1066-1485)Beginnings

1066 Battle of Hastings/Norman Conquest•Normans are the Scandinavian pirates who had obtained land in northwest France.•Led by William, Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror)•Defeated the Anglo-Saxons led by Harold•William becomes King William I of England•Society underwent great changes

•Domesday Book (1086: a record of all land ownership in England for taxing purposes•First centralized government

•The language became a blend of Anglo-Saxon and French

Structure of Medieval England

• Class System (Early Medieval Period)

• A person was born into a certain class & spent entire life in that same caste no matter how he/she worked

Overlords/Barons

Lesser lords/Knights/Soldiers

Serfs/Peasants

• Feudalism: Became the European social, economic, and political system– Land owned by William I and divided among

nobleman/barons• No single man was given too much land: land=power

– Lesser lords (knights/soldiers) would pledge their wealth and services to overlords. In return, the overlord would provide the use of the land

– Serfs/peasants were bound to the land• Attached to a feudal manor which would be run by knights• Thought they were obligated due to religious duties

– First all feudal manors were farms, but gradually they became ranches for herding sheep• Many became millers because of wool production

WomanhoodWomen were expected to be subservient to their men•Women’s social status determined by father• Peasant women characterized by rounds of

childbearing, housework, and field labor

The Code of Chivalry• Chivalry: A code of honor, manners, and bravery• Feudalism and knighthood brought chivalry to England• All knights aspired to be…– Honorable– Courteous– Generous– Brave– Skillful in battle– Respectful to women– Helpful to the weak

• It was this Romantic ideal that affected the literature of the time– By 1300’s chivalry was dead, but it was still valued by influential writers

• The use of gunpowder and the development of the long bow brought an end to knighthood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ8A5gRe_Dw~$Medieval Period (1066-1485).pptx

William the Conqueror

Development of Cities

• By the 1300’s, cities had become bustling centers of trade– Led to the decline of feudal powers– Middle class developed as a new trade/merchant

class forms in cities

The Medieval Church• Roman Catholic Church– Everyone was Roman Catholic– Infighting between regular clergy and the secular clergy

• Secular clergy recognized need to reform due to overwhelming corruption

• The church was the chief center of learning– Church controlled libraries, publishing, schools– Latin was the language of the church, therefore the language of all

educated persons• Crusades (began 1095)– Military expeditions undertaken by knights (via the Pope)to

recapture Jerusalem from the Turks (Muslims)– Knights returning brought back knowledge of Arabic numerals,

algebra and Arab medicine, which was much more advanced than European

Medieval Monarchies• Norman Empire began to decline near the end of the

12th century– 1204 France defeats Normans and drives them from N. France

• Eight House of Plantagenet kings – Henry II (1154-1189)

• Desire to control Catholic church led to the murder of Thomas a’ Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury

– Richard I “The Lion-hearted” (1189-1199)• Fought in the crusades, absent for majority of reign• Known as the model of a true knight

– John (1199-1216)• Weak king• In 1215, forced to sign the Magna Carta by his barons

– Formal apology & could not raise taxes without the barons’ consent

• Three House of Lancaster kings (1399-1461)– Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI– Continued the Hundred Years War (with France)• Fought in attempt for England to keep lost French lands

(Normandy)

• War of the Roses (1455-1485)– Civil War between the royal houses of Lancaster and

York• Symbol of Lancaster was red rose• Symbol of York was white rose

– Richard Plantagenet, the 3rd Duke of York, deposed Henry VI for losses sustained in Hundred Years War

– In 1461, Henry VI defeated by Edward IV and Yorks take control

• Three House of York kings (1461-1485)– Edward V “The uncrowned king” (1483)• Only 12 years old when he becomes king

– Richard III• Edward’s uncle. Has Edward and his brother locked in the

Tower of London so he could become king– Richard III defeated by Henry Tudor, Duke of Richmond,

at the Battle of Bosworth Field• Henry VII crowned king of England which ushers in the era of

the Tudor monarchy– Considered the end of the Medieval Period

The Black Death

• 1348-1349 outbreak decimates 1/3 of England’s population

• Spread by fleas on rats• Promoted by the despicably dirty city

conditions

The Medieval Language• 1066 in crucial date because from that date on,

French was the language of the ruling classes– Latin was the language of the church and all the formal

manuscripts• Change for Old English to Middle English is difficult

to explain– With the Norman conquest came changes in spelling,

grammar, and vocabulary– 10,000 French words added to the language

• Approximately 1450 standard English emerged

Medieval Literature• Different types of literature– Allegory: the use of extended metaphor, symbol, or

personification to communicate a hidden meaning– Miracle Play (aka Mystery Play): Developed by the church

to instruct the illiterate masses in the scriptures and the extraordinary power exhibited by saints

– Morality Play: Allegorical dramas to teach the masses lessons

– Romance: Tales of chivalric adventure, in verse or prose, which blend chivalry, love, magic, and marvels, Sir Gawain

– Satire: Work in verse or prose aiming to expose and, sometimes correct, personal, social, or spiritual follies or vices. Canterbury Tales