Medieval Culture

1. Medieval Culture

2. Content Goals and Objectives:
 Goal 6 – Medieval Society and Culture
 The student will examine the various social structures and
intellectual, scientific, literature, and architectural
movements of medieval Europe.
 6.03  Outline the causes and effects of the growth of towns and
trade in medieval Europe.
 6.04  Evaluate the causes and effects of developments of learning
and education in medieval Europe.
 6.05  Summarize the developments of science and technology in
medieval Europe.
 6.06  Categorize the different forms of literature of medieval Europe
and their influence on the culture of Europe.
 6.07  Reconstruct the developments of architecture in medieval
Europe including but not limited to Romanesque and Gothic forms.

3. The Rise of Universities
 Medieval Universities got their
start as educational guilds
 The first Medieval University
was in Bologna, Italy . The
students at the school formed
their own guild in 1158.
 Later came the University of
Paris, and then the University
at Oxford England

4. Areas of Study
 Students in medieval universities studied the following subjects
 Grammar: The proper way to write
 Rhetoric: Public speaking, learning how to make arguments
(debate)
 Logic: Using reason
 Arithmetic: Basic Math
 Geometry
 Music
 Astronomy

5. Teaching Style
 Books were rare and expensive
in the Middle Ages. The main
method of teaching was by
lecture. Teachers would read
from books and students would
take notes.
 There were not regular exams
given, but when a student
applied for a degree, they were
given an exam.

6. Universities
 As new kingdoms and the Church grew during the early Middle Ages, so
did the need for educated administrators.
 Prior to the 1100s, education had taken place within monasteries or in
large urban cathedrals run by bishops.
 Muslim schools in cities such as Cordoba and Baghdad had preserved
and promoted the study of writings from ancient Greece and Rome.
 stimulated a renewed interest in classical writings
 Groups of students and teachers in Europe would gather to study in
groups known as “guilds,” or universitas in Latin. These evolved into
universities.

7. Universities
A map of medieval European
universities
 The first European
universities developed in
Salerno and Bologna,
Italy.
 Others were established
in Paris, France, and
Oxford and Cambridge in
England.

8. Medieval
Architecture
• During the 11th
and 12th
centuries there was a boom in architecture and
building.
• Originally buildings were built in a Basilica style which consisted of a
rectangular building with a flat wooden roof.
• Later, Romanesque architecture replaced this flat roof with a rounded arch.
Chartres Cathedral in France, a
prime example of medieval
Gothic architecture

9. Romanesque Architecture
 Romanesque architecture developed to have some specific
traits.
 Rounded Arches
 Thick walls with small windows with stone roofs.
 The dark environment of the church was meant to suggest
the power and mystery of God.

11. Gothic Architecture
• Later, changes were made to the Romanesque style which developed
a new style known as Gothic Architecture.
• Gothic architecture developed some distinct characteristics of its own.
– Vaulted Arches (Pointed)
– Flying Buttresses
– Thinner walls and stained glass windows
• The advancements allowed thinner walls and larger windows, which
allowed for these new churches to have much more natural light.
• The Gothic style was much more serene and self-confident.

12. Flying
Buttresses

13. Pilgrimages
 Pilgrimages were an important part of
religious life in the Middle Ages.
Many people took journeys to visit
holy shrines such the Canterbury
Cathedral in England and sites in
Jerusalem and Rome.

15. Illuminated Manuscripts
 Prior to the invention of the printing press, all
documents were manu scriptus, meaning “handwritten”
 Most were bibles & other religious works
 Manuscripts produced by monks – laborious task to
hand-copying books in special room called a
Scriptorium
 Art form =illustrate the manuscripts, a process known
as “illumination.”
 to glorify sacred texts and to help the illiterate understand
what the book was discussing.
 After 1200, books became more common and
professional scribes and illustrators began
producing works.
 commissioned by the wealthy.
 Illustrations to the story, verse, or prayer, capital
letters at the beginning of each page were often
decorated in bright colors and gold leaf. Page from the Book of Kells, 800 CE,
scribed by Celtic monks

16. The Late Middle
Ages
 1300–1500
 The late Middle Ages
was a time of human
misery and disaster.
 The population of
Europe suffered greatly
from both the Hundred
Years’ War and the
Black Death, which both
occurred during this time
period.
Battle of Agincourt, 15th century

17. The Middle Ages: The Myth
 We think of knights in shining armor,
lavish banquets, wandering minstrels,
kings, queens, bishops, monks,
pilgrims, and glorious pageantry.
 In film and in literature, medieval life
seems heroic, entertaining, and
romantic.
 In reality, life in the Middle Ages, a
period that extended from
approximately the 5th
century to the
15th Europe, could century in
Western also be harsh, uncertain, and
dangerous.
The Middle Ages: The Reality

18. The Lord of the Manor
 For safety and defense,
people in the Middle
Ages formed small
communities around a
central lord or master.
 Most people lived on a
manor, which consisted of
the castle (or manor house),
the church, the village, and
the surrounding farm land.

20. Self-Sufficiency
 Each manor was largely self-
sufficient, growing or producing all
of the basic items needed for food,
clothing, and shelter.
 To meet these needs, the manor had
buildings devoted to special
purposes, such as:
 The mill for grinding grain
 The bake house for making bread
 The blacksmith shop for creating metal
goods.

21. Isolation
 These manors were isolated,
with occasional visits from
peddlers, pilgrims on their way
to the Crusades, or soldiers
from other fiefdoms.

22. The Feudal System
 Under the feudal system, the king
awarded land grants or fiefs to his
most important nobles, barons,
and bishops, in return for their
contribution of soldiers for the
king's armies.

23. Nobles and Vassals
 Nobles divided their land among
the lesser nobility, who became
their vassals. Many of these
vassals became so powerful that
the kings had difficulty
controlling them.

24. The Magna Carta
 In 1215, the English barons
formed an alliance that forced
King John to sign the Magna
Carta. It limited the king's powers
of taxation and required trials by
jury. It was the first time that an
English monarch was subject to
the law.

25. The Peasants
 At the lowest level of society were the
peasants, also called serfs or villeins.
 The lord offered his peasants protection in
exchange for living and working on his land.
 Peasants lived a hard-working simple life.
 They lived in houses which had thatched
roofs resting on timber framework with
the spaces filled with mud and straw.
There were few, if any windows.
 Many houses only had one to two rooms,
there was little privacy.
 The hearth in the main room was used to
both heat the house and cook the food.
The smoke from the fire crept out through
the roof.

26. Hard Work & High Taxes
 Peasants worked hard to cultivate the
land and produce the goods that the
lord and his manor needed.
 They were heavily taxed and were
required to relinquish much of what
they harvested.

28. MEDIEVAL LIFE
Cooperation and
Mutual Obligations
KING
LORDS (VASSALS TO KING)
KNIGHTS (VASSALS TO LORDS)
Fief and Peasants
Military Aid
Food Protection Shelter
Food Protection Shelter
PEASANTS (SERFS)
Pay
Rent
Fief and Peasants
Food Protection Shelter
Farm the
Land
Homage Military Service
Loyalty
FEUDALISM:
POLITICAL SYSTEM
 Decentralized, local government
 Dependent upon the relationship
between members of the nobility
 Lord and his vassals administered
justice and were the highest
authority in their land
MANORIALISM:
ECONOMIC SYSTEM
 Agriculture the basis for wealth
 Lands divided up into self-sufficient
manors
 Peasants (serfs) worked the land and paid
rent In exchange for protection
 Barter the usual form of exchange

29. Women: Household
Chores
 Whether they were nobles
or peasants, women held a
difficult position in society.
 They were largely confined
to household tasks such as
cooking, baking bread,
sewing, weaving, and
spinning.
 However, they also hunted for
food and fought in battles,
learning to use weapons to
defend their homes and castles.

30. Women: Other
Occupations
 Some medieval women held other
occupations. There were women
blacksmiths, merchants, and
apothecaries.
 Others were midwives, worked in
the fields, or were engaged in
creative endeavors such as
writing, playing musical
instruments, dancing, and
painting.

31. Witches & Nuns
 Some women were known as
witches, capable of sorcery
and healing.
 Others became nuns and
devoted their lives to God
and spiritual matters.

32. The Catholic Church
 The Catholic Church was the only
church in Europe during the Middle
Ages, and it had its own laws and large
income.
 Church leaders such as bishops and
archbishops sat on the king's council
and played leading roles in
government.

33. Monks
 Monks were required to perform
manual labor and were forbidden
to own property, leave the
monastery, or become entangled in
the concerns of society.
 Daily tasks were often carried out
in silence.

34. Nuns
 Monks and their female
counterparts, nuns, who
lived in convents,
provided for the less-
fortunate members of
the community.
 Monasteries and
nunneries were safe
havens for pilgrims and
other travelers.

35. Monastic Life
 Monks and nuns went to the
monastery church eight times a
day in a routine of worship that
involved singing, chanting, and
reciting prayers from the divine
offices and from the service for
Mass.

36. The Canterbury Tales
 Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a
series of stories told by 30
pilgrims as they traveled to
Canterbury.
 Chaucer's prioress in the
Canterbury Tales wore a brooch
with the inscription Amor vincit
omnia (Love conquers all), not a
particularly appropriate slogan
for a nun.

37. Homes
 Most medieval homes were
cold, damp, and dark.
Sometimes it was warmer and
lighter outside the home than
within its walls.

38. Windows
 For security purposes,
windows, when they were
present, were very small
openings with wooden
shutters that were closed at
night or in bad weather. The
small size of the windows
allowed those inside to see
out, but kept outsiders from
looking in.

39. Peasants Homes
 Many peasant families ate,
slept, and spent time together in
very small quarters, rarely more
than one or two rooms. The
houses had thatched roofs and
were easily destroyed.

41. Homes of the Wealthy
 The homes of the rich were
more elaborate than the
peasants' homes. Their floors
were paved, as opposed to
being strewn with rushes and
herbs, and sometimes decorated
with tiles. Tapestries were hung
on the walls, providing not only
decoration but also an extra
layer of warmth.

43. Fenestral Windows
 Fenestral windows, with
lattice frames that were
covered in a fabric soaked in
resin and tallow, allowed in
light, kept out drafts, and
could be removed in good
weather. Only the wealthy
could afford panes of glass;
sometimes only churches and
royal residences had glass
windows.

44. The Kitchens of Peasant Homes
 In simpler homes where there were
no chimneys, the medieval kitchen
consisted of a stone hearth in the
center of the room. This was not
only where the cooking took place,
but also the source of central
heating.

45. The Peasant Diet
 In peasant families, the wife did the
cooking and baking. The peasant diet
consisted of breads, vegetables from
their own gardens, dairy products from
their own sheep, goats, and cows, and
pork from their own livestock.

46. Herbs & Pottage
 Often the true taste of
their meat, salted and
used throughout the year,
was masked by the
addition of herbs, leftover
breads, and vegetables.
Some vegetables, such as
cabbages, leeks, and
onions became known as
"pot-herbs." This pottage
was a staple of the
peasant diet

47. The Kitchens of Manor Houses
 The kitchens of manor
houses and castles had
big fireplaces where
meat, even large oxen,
could be roasted on
spits. These kitchens
were usually in separate
buildings, to minimize
the threat of fire.

48. Sources of Meat
 Pantries were hung with birds and
beasts, including swans,
blackbirds, ducks, pigeons,
rabbits, mutton, venison, and wild
boar. Many of these animals were
caught on hunts.

49. Woolen & Linen Clothing
 Most people in the Middles
Ages wore woolen clothing,
with undergarments made of
linen. Brighter colors, better
materials, and a longer jacket
length were usually signs of
greater wealth.

50. Clothing of the Wealthy
 The clothing of the aristocracy and wealthy merchants tended
to be elaborate and changed according to the dictates of
fashion. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, men of the
wealthy classes sported hose and a jacket, often with pleating
or skirting, or a tunic with a surcoat.

51. Women’s Clothing
 Women wore flowing gowns and elaborate
headwear, ranging from headdresses shaped
like hearts or butterflies to tall steeple caps
and Italian turbans.

52. Monk’s Clothing
 Most of the holy orders wore long
woolen habits in emulation of Roman
clothing. One could tell the order by the
color of the habit: the Benedictines wore
black; the Cistercians and Dominicans,
undyed wool or white, and the
Franciscans, brown.
 St. Benedict stated that a monk's clothes
should be plain but comfortable and
they were allowed to wear linen coifs to
keep their heads warm.

53. Nun’s Clothing
 The Poor Clare Sisters, an order of
Franciscan nuns, had to petition the Pope
in order to be permitted to wear woolen
socks.

54. Peasant Clothing
 Peasant men wore stockings
and tunics, while women
wore long gowns with
sleeveless tunics and
wimples to cover their hair.
Sheepskin cloaks and
woolen hats and mittens
were worn in winter for
protection from the cold and
rain. Leather boots were
covered with wooden patens
to keep the feet dry.

55. Outer and Under Garments
 The outer clothes were
almost never laundered, but
the linen underwear was
regularly washed.
 The smell of wood smoke
that permeated the clothing
seemed to act as a
deodorant.
 Peasant women spun wool
into the threads that were
woven into the cloth for
these garments.

56. Fur and Jewelry
 Fur was often used to line the
garments of the wealthy.
Jewelry was lavish, much of it
imported and often used as
security against loans. Gem
cutting was not invented until
the fifteenth century, so most
stones were not very lustrous.
Ring brooches were the most
popular item from the twelfth
century on.

57. Laws Governing Jewelry
 Diamonds became popular
in Europe in the fourteenth
century.
 By the mid-fourteenth
century there were laws to
control who wore what
jewelry , and knights were
not permitted to wear rings.
 Sometimes clothes were
garnished with silver, but
only the wealthy could wear
such items.

58. Health & Hygiene
 As the populations of medieval
towns and cities increased,
hygienic conditions worsened,
leading to a vast array of health
problems.

59. The Black Death
• During the 13th
century the middle ages had
reached a high point, the population had grown
and there was an explosion of learning and
culture.
• The 14th
century would bring about many
changes in medieval Europe.
• Europe had become overpopulated and people
were beginning to feel the effects of that
overpopulation.
• Prior to the plague, there was a famine from
1315 to 1322 which killed off about 10% of
Europe’s population.

60.  The Spread of the
Black Death

61. Medicine
 Medical knowledge was limited
and, despite the efforts of medical
practitioners and public and
religious institutions to institute
regulations, medieval Europe did
not have an adequate health care
system.
 Antibiotics weren't invented until
the 1800s and it was almost
impossible to cure diseases
without them.

62. Myths and Superstitions
 There were many myths and
superstitions about health and
hygiene as there still are today.
People believed, for example, that
disease was spread by bad odors.
 It was also assumed that diseases of
the body resulted from sins of the
soul.
 Many people sought relief from their
ills through meditation, prayer,
pilgrimages, and other nonmedical
methods.

63. Medical Treatment
 Medical treatment was
available mainly to the
wealthy, and those living
in villages rarely had the
help of doctors, who
practiced mostly in the
cities and courts.
 Remedies were often
herbal in nature, but also
included ground
earthworms, urine, and
animal excrement.

64. Remedies
 Many medieval medical
manuscripts contained recipes for
remedies that called for hundreds
of therapeutic substances--the
notion that every substance in
nature held some sort of power
accounts for the enormous variety
of substances.

65. Lay Medical Judgments
 Many treatments were
administered by people outside the
medical tradition.
 Coroners' rolls from the time reveal
how lay persons often made
sophisticated medical judgments
without the aid of medical experts.
 From these reports we also learn
about some of the major causes of
death.

66. Surgery
 Performed as a last resort,
surgery was known to be
successful in cases of breast
cancer, fistula, hemorrhoids,
gangrene, and cataracts, as
well as tuberculosis of the
lymph glands in the neck
(scrofula).
 The most common form of
surgery was bloodletting; it
was meant to restore the
balance of fluids in the
body.

67. Vernacular Literature
 The universal language of
medieval civilization was Latin.
 The vernacular was the language of the
common people.
 Latin was the language of Rome
and was a common language
which could be used in churches
and at Universities.
 A common language at universities
allowed students from many
different countries to be able to
understand the teachings there.

68. Arts & Entertainment
 Art and music were critical
aspects of medieval religious
life and, towards the end of the
Middle Ages, secular life as
well.
 Singing without instrumental
accompaniment was an
essential part of church
services.
 Monks and priests chanted the
divine offices and the mass
daily.

69. Troubadours
 Troubadours were usually
travelling poets and musicians
who would go from court to
court telling their stories of
courtly love.

70. Chanson de Geste
 Another popular type of vernacular literature was the
Chanson de Geste. The Chanson de Geste was heroic
epic poetry.
 A popular work of this type was the Song of Roland.
 This work, in French, tells the story of a battle
between a Muslim army and Charlemagne.

71. Musical Instruments
 Some churches had instruments
such as organs and bells.
 The organistrum or symphony
(later known as a hurdy gurdy)
was also found in churches.
 Two people were required to
play this stringed instrument--
one to turn the crank and the
other to play the keys.

72. Drama
 Medieval drama grew out of the liturgy, beginning
in about the eleventh century.
 Some of the topics were from the Old Testament
(Noah and the flood, Jonah and the whale, Daniel
in the lion's den) and others were stories about the
birth and death of Christ.
 These dramas were performed with costumes and
musical instruments and at first took place directly
outside the church.
 Later they were staged in
marketplaces, where they were
produced by local guilds.

73. Town Life
 After 1000, peace and order grew. As a
result, peasants began to expand their
farms and villages further into the
countryside.
 The earliest merchants were peddlers
who went from village to village selling
their goods.
 As the demand for goods
increased--particularly for the gems,
silks, and other luxuries from Genoa
and Venice, the ports of Italy that
traded with the East--the peddlers
became more familiar with complex
issues of trade, commerce,
accounting, and contracts.

74. Businessmen
 They became savvy businessmen and
learned to deal with Italian
moneylenders and bankers.
 The English, Belgians, Germans, and
Dutch took their coal, timber, wood,
iron, copper, and lead to the south and
came back with luxury items such as
wine and olive oil.

75. Tradesmen
 With the advent of trade and
commerce, feudal life
declined.
 As the tradesmen became
wealthier, they resented
having to give their profits
to their lords.

76. Boroughs
 Arrangements were made
for the townspeople to
pay a fixed annual sum to
the lord or king and gain
independence for their
town as a "borough" with
the power to govern itself.
 The marketplace became
the focus of many towns.

77. Town Governments & Guilds
 As the townspeople became "free"
citizens, powerful families,
particularly in Italy, struggled to
gain control of the communes or
boroughs.
 Town councils were formed.
 Guilds were established to gain
higher wages for their members
and protect them from
competitors. As the guilds grew
rich and powerful, they built
guildhalls and began taking an
active role in civic affairs, setting
up courts to settle disputes and
punish wrongdoers.

78. Joining a Guild
There was a process to becoming a member of a guild.
The first step was to be an apprentice: A young boy, around the age of 10,
would go and work for a craftsman without pay to help learn the craft.
Later apprentices became journeymen, who worked for a wages for
craftsmen
For a journeyman to become a master craftsman, he had to complete a
Masterpiece.
This was their audition for the guild to determined if their work made the qualified
enough to join the guild and start their own business.
Then they could become a Master Craftsman and own their own business.

79. The Merchant Class
 The new merchant class included artisans,
masons, armorers, bakers, shoemakers,
ropemakers, dyers, and other skilled
workers.
Masons
 Of all the craftsmen, the masons
were the highest paid and most
respected. They were, after all,
responsible for building the
cathedrals, hospitals, universities,
castles, and guildhalls.

80. Apprentices
 Masons learned their craft as
apprentices to a master mason,
living at lodges for up to seven
years.
 The master mason was
essentially an architect, a
general contractor, and a
teacher.

81. The First Companies
 The population of cities swelled for
the first time since before the Dark
Ages.
 With the new merchant activity,
companies were formed.
 Merchants hired bookkeepers,
scribes, and clerks, creating new
jobs.

82. The Printing Press
 Printing began in 1450 with
the publication of the Bible
by Johannes Gutenberg.
 This revolutionized the
spread of learning.
 Other inventions of the time
included mechanical clocks,
tower mills, and guns.

83. The Birth of the Renaissance
 The inventions of Leonardo da
Vinci and the voyages of
discovery in the fifteenth century
contributed to the birth of the
Renaissance.

84. Urban Life
 Few serfs were left in Europe by the end of the
Middle Ages, and the growing burgher class
became very powerful.
 Hard work and enterprise led to economic
prosperity and a new social order.
 Urban life brought with it a new freedom for
individuals.

85. The End of Middle Ages

86. References
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages
 http://histclo.com/chron/med/medieval.html
 http://www.claymoreslinger.com/medieval_king.asp
http://www.easyfunschool.com/article2192.html
 www.middle-ages.org.uk