The document summarizes aspects of medieval European society during the Middle Ages following the fall of the Roman Empire, including the rise of a feudal system of government, the roles and hierarchies within castle life and society, aspects of rural peasant life and agriculture, types of settlements, and elements of medieval towns. It provides descriptions of medieval social classes, occupations, daily life, religious observances, and justice systems.

2.  The Roman empire was very strong and good at keeping order
 Once the empire fell wars became common and people
looked to their local lord to protect them
 A new type of society developed – we call this the Feudal
system
 The period of history between the fall of the Roman Empire
and the Modern Era is known as the Medieval Period, Or
“Middle Ages”

4. Supreme ruler of a country
Gave land to the Nobles/Lords

5. The Rich landowners of the Middle Ages
Received land from the King – in return
he had to supply the king with soldiers
and pay taxes

6. Professional Soldiers – recieved land
from the Nobles. Fought for King
and/or Nobles when required.

7. Worked the land for Knights
and Nobles
Could not leave their village
without permission from
their masters
“Tied to the Land”

18. Keep Metal grille gate
Battlements easy to shoot out of
Portcullis Open courtyard
Fire Main part of castle
Moat Main material in Motte
Drawbridge top of castle
Wood little danger to stone castle
Narrow windows Can pull up for protection
Bailey Filled with water

20.  Parents arranged her marriage and had to pay a large
Dowry to her husband
 Dowry – money/gifts given from wife’s family to
husband’s family
 Lady had to manage the castle as a home – supervise
the servants, grew herbs for medicine and food and
managed the castle’s accounts.

22.  7 to13 years old – Page. Learned to ride a horse, use a
sword and helped the lady and lord of the castle
 14 to 20 years old – Squire. Learned to fight, acted as a
Knight’s assistant.
 21 Years old – became a knight in a ceremony called a
dubbing

25. Catapult Main Castle Room
Jousting Lord’s living rooms
Page Uses a bow and arrows
Archer Wine made from honey
Squire First stage of becoming a knight
Dubbing Used to break down castle doors
Battering Ram Mock fighting on horseback
Herbs Medieval artillery
Solar Second stage of becoming a knight
Great Hall Knighthood ceremony
Mead Grown by the lady

28.  All animals owned by the villagers were kept on one big field
called the commons
 Sometimes nothing was grown on a field for a year to allow
the soil to stay fertile – this was known as “leaving the soil
fallow”

29.  Peasants worked the land. They could be:
◦ Freemen – owned their own land
◦ Serfs – belonged to the lord (like Slaves)
 Lived in Wattle and Daub houses

31.  Breakfast at dawn: Bread and Ale (beer)
 Lunch at 11AM: Bread, Cheese and Ale (or Cider)
 Main Meal at 5PM: Vegetable Soup (Pottage), bread, cheese
and Ale
 Ale or beer was drunk because water was often dirty and
full of disease

32.  Spring – Plough the fields, sow the crops
 June – Shear the sheep, make wool clothes
 August/September – Harvest, the busiest time of the
year
 Autumn – Rents and taxes were paid
 Winter – Sow crops in the field that was fallow.

33.  A Manor – the land belonging to the Lord
 Tithe – a payment to the local priest by the manor peasants,
usually 1/10 of their crop
 Forge – the Blacksmiths workshop, where metal things were
made
 Mill – where wheat was ground into flour
 Commons – land for grazing, shared by everyone

35.  No work done on Sundays or Holy Days
 Board Games were very popular – including
Backgammon and Chess

37.  Bailiff – collected rents and taxes for the Lord and also
did the job of policing the Manor.
 Punishments included:
◦ The Stocks – tied up and humiliated in public
◦ Ducking Stool – for dropping people in the river
◦ Hands cut off – for stealing
◦ Hanging – for very serious crimes
 Prison was not used very often

41.  Medieval towns had High Walls to protect against
attack, guarded by Sentries
 Streets were very narrow and dirty
 Houses were made of wood
 Fires had to be put out at dusk – this was called a
curfew

48.  A charter was a letter from the King letting a town run
its own affairs
 Allowed a town to elect a council or a corporation
 Ennis town got it’s charter from King James 1 in 1610

49.  Craftsmen – made things that people needed
 Guild – an organisation for Craftsmen

50.  Apprentice – 12 year old boy who worked without pay
to learn new skills
 Journeyman – 19 year old man who worked for pay
and travelled around for work
 Master – When you have your own workshop and sell
your own goods