History 7-2

Why were castles also important to medieval warfare?

They were a good defense against knights and the weapons of the time and could protect many people.

Why were vows important

Vows were part of a new political and economic system that governed European life during the Middle Ages.

knight

a man, usually of noble birth, who after an apprenticeship as page and squire was raised to honorable military rank and bound to chivalrous conduct. He served a higher lord.

Feudal economy

based on the manor. Most manors included one or more villages and the surrounding lands. Peasants lived and worked on the manor. Most peasants were serfs.

Castles

fortresses constructed of stone high walls, towers, and drawbridges over wide moats. It was home to the lord and his knights. In time of war, the peasants would take refuge in the castle.

The life of Peasants

life was harsh. They seldom lived beyond the age of 35 .Men, women, and children worked long hours, from sunup to sundown. Preparing the fields, planting seeds, weeding, and taking care of pigs or sheep. In late winter, hunger was common and disease as well. At night, the family and their livestock—cows, chickens, pigs, or sheep—slept together in their hut.

aristocrats

members of the nobility

Tournaments

mock battles between knights (see Game of Thrones)

What did the peasants get in return

peasants had the right to farm some land for themselves. They were also entitled to their lord's protection from raids or warfare and they could not be forced off the land. In theory, they were guaranteed food, housing, and land.

vassal

pledged loyalty to a greater lord in return for land

What were the Peasants obligations

they had to farm several days a week the lord's lands; repair his roads, bridges, and fences. They paid the lord a fee when they inherited their father's acres or when they used the local mill to grind grain, and on Christmas and Easter; they paid with products such as grain honey, eggs, or chickens.

What was included in Fiefs

they ranged from a few acres to hundreds of square miles. In addition to the land itself, the fief included peasants to work the land, as well as any towns or buildings on it.

What happened to peasants who illegally killed wild gameon their lord's manor

they received harsh punishment.

Serfs

they were not slaves who could be bought and sold. Still, they were not free. They could not leave the manor without the lord's permission. If the manor was granted to a new lord, the serfs went along with it.

The World of Knights and Nobles

warfare was a way of life. Rival lords battled constantly for power.

How do you capture a castle

By siege: the enemy would surround the castle and wait until the defenders' food ran out and they had to surrender. By filling in the moat with stones. By shooting flaming arrows. By throwing large stones over the walls (catapult). By going over the walls with ladders. By breaking down the gates.

Why did people live in castles

Castles were made for defense. They were large complexes where many people and their supplies could hold out for long periods. They had strong, thick stone walls. A drawbridge over the castle moat—a ditch filled with water—could be raised in case of attack.

What technology developed in response to castle defense

Catapult -trebuchet , Battering Ram, flaming arrows

How did feudalism and the manor economy emerge and shape medieval life?

Feudalism emerged to provide protection against invaders. Lords exchanged land for loyalty and military service. That allowed lesser lords to gain land and establish manors. Lords owned manors and the peasants who lived and worked on the land were bound to them. There was not much trade because the peasant were poor and they could not leave their lord's service.

How did a lord benefit from giving his lands away as fiefs?

He gained military support and loyalty.

How did the manor serve the needs of the early Middle Ages?

It provided safety and security for peasants and wealth and prestige for their lords, and they were self-sufficient.

How was warfare central to life in the Middle Ages?

Lords battled each other and also fought invaders. This created the necessity for knights and castles- fortress for protection during battle.

What was the structure of medieval society

Monarch powerful lords, (dukes and counts- largest fiefs) Vassals vassals of the vassals. Peasants-serfs

What was the quest of Arthur and his knights

The holy grail

Motte and Bailey Castle

This early type of castle was developed in the 800s. A keep, or tower, was built on a hill called a motte. A wooden bridge connected the motte to the bailey, a courtyard surrounded by a fence.

Chivalry

a code of conduct that required knights to be brave, loyal, and true to their word; fight fairly in battle (not attack another knight before he had a chance to put on his armor); treat a captured knight well or release him if he promised to pay his ransom. It applied to nobles only, not to commoners but they were supposed to protect the weak, including peasants and noblewomen.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

a leading force in European politics for more than 50 years.

feudal contract

an exchange of pledges established by custom and tradition, in which a powerful lord granted his vassal a fief, or estate. As part of this agreement, the lord promised to protect his vassal. In return, the vassal pledged loyalty to his lord. He also agreed to provide the lord with 40 days of military service each year, certain money payments, and advice.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

an illegitimate son of a king who becomes king by drawing a sword from a stone. He inspires the allegiance of knights such as Sir Lancelot.

What is Fief

and estate granted to a vassal in exchange for loyalty

When did peasants have free time

at Christmas and Easter peasants had a week off from work. At these times, people might butcher an animal for a feast. There would also be dancing and rough sports, from wrestling to ball games.

What was in a manor

cottages and huts clustered together in a village. Nearby stood a water mill to grind grain, a church, and the lord's manor house. The fields surrounding the village were divided into narrow strips. Each family had strips of land in different fields so that good land and bad land were shared evenly.Beyond the fields there were pastures for animals and meadows that provided hay. The forests and all the animals in them were reserved for the the lord.

What were the economic relationship between lords and vassals

exchange of land for loyalty and military service.

Troubadour - wandering musicians

sang about the brave deeds of knights and their devotion to their lady loves. Their songs became the basis for epic stories and poems. devotion to their lady loves. Their songs became the basis for epic stories and poems.

How did Eleanor expand the usual role of medieval women

she was politically active; went on a crusade, influenced kings, and ruled England for her son.

How was the manor Self-Sufficient

the peasants who lived there produced almost everything they needed, from food and clothing to simple furniture and tools.

What were some of the drawback of living in a castle

they could run out of food; could be trapped inside, difficult to replenish defenders killed inside castle

How were daughters of nobles trained

they were sent to friends or relatives for training; a young woman was expected to know how to spin and weave and supervise servants. A few learned to read and write. Her parents arranged her marriage. In her role as wife, she was expected to bear many children and be dutiful to her husband.

How did Knights fight

usually fought on horseback using swords, axes, and lances (long poles). They wore armor and carried shields for protection.

How did foot soldiers fight

with daggers, spears, crossbows, and longbows.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

(1122-1204), daughter of the Duke of Aquitaine,inherited her father's lands; at 15 she married the prince who became King Louis VII, and accompanied him on the Second Crusade, wearing armor and riding on horseback. In 1152, she married king Henry II of England, and was active in politics. In 1173, Eleanor and her sons tried to overthrow Henry. When the revolt failed, Henry she was imprisoned. After Henry died, her son Richard Lion-Heart became king of England. And freed his mother. she later ruled in his place while he went on a crusade.

How did a man become a knight

He began training at the age of seven in the castle of his father's lord. He learned to ride and fight, keep his armor and weapons in good condition. Training was difficult and discipline was strict, laziness punished with beating. With his training finished, the youth was dubbed a knight, often in a public ceremony.

What were the reasons behind the emergence of feudalism

In the face of invasions by Vikings, Muslims, and Magyars, kings and emperors were too weak to maintain law and order. People needed protection for themselves, their homes, and their lands.

Vows in Medieval society

Mutual obligations. Even kings and nobles exchanged vows of loyalty and service before witnesses.

Compare the rights and obligations of noblemen and noblewomen during

Noblemen owed military service and loyalty to their lord. They guided and protected their vassals. Noblewomen owed loyalty and obedience to their husbands but performed some of the lord's duties if he was absent. They provided day-to-day management of the household and were expected to bear children.

Relationship between Lords and Peasants

Peasants and their lords were tied together by mutual rights and obligations. Lords granted land to peasants in return for their labor and certain fees. Lords also provided protection to peasants. Peasant labor on farms and as artisans made the manor self-sufficient.

How were the peasants restricted

Peasants had to ask the lord's permission to marry. They could not leave the manor. Most peasants never ventured more than a few miles from their village. They had no schooling and no knowledge of a larger world outside.

liege lord

The lord for which the vasal had owed his first loyalty (he owed loyalty to other lords but in case of conflict, the loyalty to the liege lord overrides others. (like The lords of the North owed loyalty to the Starks)

How did noblewomen contribute to his warrior society

They took over their husband or father lordly duties if they were away; ran the daily life of the manor or castle; supervised vassals; managed the household, and performed necessary agricultural and medical tasks. Sometimes they had to go to war to defend the casle. They also brought inherited lands to their marriages. A few were involved in politics.

What obligations did a lord have to his vassals?

To protect them

Feudalism

a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided their land among lesser lords. In exchange, these lesser lords, or vassals, pledged service and loyalty to the greater lord.

What did peasants eat

a simple diet of black bread with vegetables such as cabbage, turnips, or onions. If they lived neer a river, they had fish.

Women's rights

women's rights to inheritance were restricted; sometimes they inherit fiefs. Land usually passed to the eldest son in a family, but often a woman received land as part of her dowry. A widow retained (kept) her land; intense marriage negotiations around an unmarried or widowed heiress.