The Middle Ages
The term "Middle Ages" is used to describe a thousand-year period between the 5th and 15th centuries. There are two big components from this period: the Roman church and feudalism. Go to Annenberg Learner to participate in this interactive tour to learn more about the culture.
When the German invaders defeated the Roman Empire in the 5th century, the Roman army was defeated as well. These new warriors lived and fought off the land. However, when more people invaded Europe, like the Muslims and the Vikings, the Germans found themselves unable to deal with them.
View "Life in the Middle Ages" to see how the violence and turmoil began the decline of Rome.
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French and Old English existed side-by-side with no noticeable difficulties. The upper class spoke to the upper class, and those beneath talked to each other. However, after seventy to eighty years, Old English transformed itself into the language we now call Middle English.
During the Middle Ages, the common people did not have a written language. They could neither read nor write. It was partly for this reason that the great stained-glass windows in churches were created. They illustrated many of the Bible's stories for the common people.
The Bayeux Tapestry
Just as the people could not read the Bible, they also could not read history. During the Anglo-Saxon period, if you remember, historical happenings were mostly passed on by the scops. Another way to record history was through art. The Bayeux Tapestry is such a piece of art. In a time when the majority of the people could not read, the Bayeux Tapestry tells the story of the Norman conquest of England.
The tapestry is actually a long banner-like length of linen that was embroidered in needlework with colorful wool threads. The tapestry measures more than 230 feet long but only 20 inches wide. It has survived from the time it was created (about 1067-1077) and is in remarkably good condition today. It describes with pictures the Norman invasion of England and contains hundreds of scenes, each one of a particular event. The Bayeux Tapestry's story begins in 1064. Take a close look at the tapestry.
Go to Britain's Bayeux Tapestry.
In some ways, the medieval period was one of the most organized and structured periods in English history. Everyone - from king to serf - was conscious that life on earth is a trial and that everyone was headed to heaven or hell. It was that simple. The Catholic Church was the only Christian church, and it ruled all aspects of the people's lives. Those who lived during the Middle Ages were forced to pay taxes called tithes to the church on everything they made or grew. It was not an option. You paid or you were imprisoned.
The Church
It was during this time that elaborate churches and cathedrals were built not only in England but also all over Europe. These magnificent cathedrals showed the Middle Ages to be centuries of faith. They were built as monuments to God, and their construction was the center of life in the towns and cities.
The church also held the total responsibility for education. It was also the only library and center for publishing. The usual classroom was bare and chilly. Students squatted on straw while the instructor took the only chair. Books were scarce, so the teacher read slowly from the text. The students were young men who were either rich enough to afford an education or bright enough to be given a scholarship by the church. They usually studied grammar, logic, music, mathematics, and astronomy.
The wealth of the church was equal to that of the king. Such wealth and influence fostered a certain amount of corruption. Dishonest priests took advantage of their office to make as much money as they could, and corruption within the church was one important factor that would later lead to the Protestant Reformation.
View The Role of the Church to learn a little more about the church's role in society.
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Feudalism
Under feudalism, all the land belonged to the king. He kept some for his own personal use, granted some to the church, and divided the rest among his powerful supporters. He gave his supporters noble titles and all the special privileges that went with them. As a servant to his king, the noble promised service to his lord. Each nobleman was required to pay taxes and to supply a specified number of knights (or professional soldiers) should the king require them.
The knights became lords when they pledged their wealth and service to the barons and received smaller parcels of land called manors. One of the main services the knights provided was that of protection for the overlords. Feudalism, then, was a system of both service and protection.
The peasants who worked these manors were called serfs, and they were at the very bottom of the feudal social scale. The poor serf was nothing but a slave who was bound to the land. When land was sold, the serfs were included. For their service of work on the land, they were also supposed to be given protection. Serfs were also often the foot-soldiers in the lord's wars. There was no moving upward in society. View "Europe's Feudal States" to get a glimpse into how the people lived during this time.
Watch Europe's Feudal States.
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Life in the Middle Ages
Everyday life in the Middle Ages was very hard compared to the lives we live. There were no modern comforts and conveniences. Travel was difficult and dangerous. Food was nothing like we have today. Even the rich lords had very little variety in what they ate. Since there was no way to preserve food, it had to be eaten quickly. This need to eat food quickly because it could not be preserved is probably the reason they had so many festivals and feasts. Crowds could eat a lot of food. Lack of ways to preserve food probably accounted for quite a few illnesses and deaths.
Most rural people never ventured more than ten miles from their home. Families lived in one-room mud huts covered by thatch or straw roofs. They had no running water, no indoor plumbing, no electricity, no windows, no soft bedding, and no daily change of clothes. In fact, a yearly bath and a yearly change of clothes was the norm. That's where you get the idiom, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water," because the baby was the last to take a bath in the same water the other family members bathed. Can you imagine how dirty that water was!
In place of windows, some huts had a "window" hole cut in the hut, but the "window" had no glass or covering except maybe a shutter to close. These holes were called "wind-eyes." It is from this word "wind-eyes" that we eventually got the word "windows." These wind-eyes were very small, just large enough for the family to look out, but too small for someone on the outside to easily look in. Their homes were cold, damp, and dark. View the video below on social mobility and class distinctions.
Watch Social Mobility and Class Distinctions.
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