Ch6: Medieval Times

• Becoming a knight


  1. Page - At 7 years old, the boy was sent to live with another lord's family - fostering. He learned horse riding, singing, weaponry

  2. Squire - At 14 years old, the boy learned horseback fighting, accompanied the lord into battle and looked after his horse + weapons

  3. Knight - At 21 years old, the man spent the night before the ceremony in the prayer room. On the ceremony, he swore the oath of chivalry. The lord gave him a manor to run.
• The Black Death (1347-50):

  • The bubonic plague, known as the Black Death, begun in 1347 and was caused by roaming fleas on ships across Europe
  • The symptoms of the plague included oozing swellings across the body, discoloured skin and lungs filled with phlegm. It was extremely contagious and was contracted by sneezing, spitting or touching dead bodies.
  • It spread quickly in towns and bodies were left to rot on the street.
  • Many believed the plague was a result of God's anger at human sin and attempted to cure it by praying or fasting. Others blamed Jews for the plague.
• Consequences of the Black Death:

  • An estimated third of Europe's population is thought to have died
  • The feudal system was in rapid decline as many serfs left manors and moved to towns
  • The peasants on the land were able to demand better treatment from lords, allowing a reduction in their taxes and got more land
  • Failure to find a working cure lead to doctors questioning their own beliefs and work
• Roman architecture:

  • Rounded doorways, arches and windows
  • Fewer, smaller windows
  • Lower ceilings
  • Larger pillars for structural support
  • Roof is supported by pillars and walls
• Gothic architecture:

  • Pointed doorways, arches and windows
  • More, larger windows
  • Higher ceilings
  • Narrow pillars
  • Roof weight supported by flying buttresses outside the building, allowing for less pillars, higher ceilings and more windows
• Feudalism - the system of land ownership where rulers divided their land among followers in return for loyalty and taxes

  Serf - worked 6 days a week farming the lord's land. Owned a small plot of land to farm and live on. Paid taxes and tithe to the lord and priest. If the serf escaped for a year and wasn't caught, he became a freeman.

  Freeman - paid rent to the lord and a tithe to the priest. Was allowed to leave the manor whenever they wished.
• Life in a Medieval Town:

  • Usually built on rivers or coastlines for trade
  • Needed a charter so the town could run itself
  • Had high walls and gates for protection
  • The high street ran from the gates to the market square
  • Narrow streets ran off the high street, situating houses and shops
  • The church was near the centre of town
  • Homes were made of wood and were many storeys high
  • Wealthy homes were made of stone
  • Curfews were imposed to prevent fire spread
  • Streets were very polluted, spreading disease