In the Medieval Times the Clerics where the scholars. They would join the clergy that was in the church. The Clerics were very smart and held high in society due to the fact that they were educated since many couldn't afford education back in those times. Many commoners did join the clergy as an act of "service". They were able to go to nobles and different homes and be hired to help them out. Their job is like that of a school teacher in the sense that they were the smarter ones and had to educated the public. Oxford University was said to have been founded in the end of the 11th century. Many of the Clerics were educated at Oxford and then would graduate and go off to the world and try to get hired by nobles or any higher order out there. Clerics are suppose to help others before themselves in a way due to their job status. Unfortunately in the book our "Cleric" seems to be on the relaxed side of clergy and isn't giving off the image of a cleric.
http://www.hyw.com/Books/History/Medieval.htm
http://www.free-essays-free-essays.com/dbase/3c/esv117.shtml
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Cleric
Monday, November 19, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Friars, The Traveling Monk
Does anyone actually know what a friar truly is? I mean, I'm sure most people who read this have heard of them. I mean, come on who hasn't seen Robin Hood with Friar Tuck? Well, if you've never heard of them, or heard of them but don't know what exactly they do or are, this is the article for you.
During the Medieval Time Period, the Catholic Church was extremely popular in England. I'm sure you've all heard of Feudalism, which is what took place at this time. In Feudalism, you have a bunch of classes from different people. These classes range from serfs to kings. However, if you were extremely religious you could somehow break the social class system and enter the religious class system, which is exactly what friars did. A friar was part of the Mendicant Orders, which are orders that relied heavily on begging. Friars would travel across the land almost as a traveling priest. Friars would live among the poor, in hopes to gain money to help the poor. This is exactly what the friar in our story appears to do, but he is very corrupt, however, more on that in class.
Bibliography
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/MWH/11062_1.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06280b.htm
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=friar
http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robbeg/robbeg2.html#ft
During the Medieval Time Period, the Catholic Church was extremely popular in England. I'm sure you've all heard of Feudalism, which is what took place at this time. In Feudalism, you have a bunch of classes from different people. These classes range from serfs to kings. However, if you were extremely religious you could somehow break the social class system and enter the religious class system, which is exactly what friars did. A friar was part of the Mendicant Orders, which are orders that relied heavily on begging. Friars would travel across the land almost as a traveling priest. Friars would live among the poor, in hopes to gain money to help the poor. This is exactly what the friar in our story appears to do, but he is very corrupt, however, more on that in class.
Bibliography
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/MWH/11062_1.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06280b.htm
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=friar
http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robbeg/robbeg2.html#ft
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Women in the Middle Ages
In the middle ages women were treated as if they were completely inferior to men. this was taught to them by the church, it said they should take orders from their fathers and brothers. Some of the women were employed especially the wives of craftsmen, but only a fair few got high ebough to make a difference and be heard amongst the town. The women could work various jobs that included shopkeepers, spinners, or bakers. If the ladies were married or not they were still expected to work, and often they would have to combine many jobs so they could get a decent pay.
It was legal for a young boy to get married at the age of 14 and a young girl at the age of 12 with their parents consent. A betrothal often took place as little as 7 years of age. If you of high noble status then it could be from when you were babies…marriage was only legal when it was completed. Single women and the married wore opposite hairstyles, extremely different from today. Single women wore their loose and married women were supposed to keep their hair covered at all times for modesty. The jobs that married vs. non was different also, single women often spun for a living using handheld spindles and were known as spinsters.
Often, unmarried women entered the convent to serve a Christian life and earn a well mannered and responsible education. If a women owned land they were considered a powerful figure in society as well as the male land owners, which made them equal to a man. Women also had the rights to make wills and sign a document with a unique seal onl for her. These rights all went away after the woman was married because she had to forfeit all of these things to her husband. Then if he died she would get one third of his land in order to support herself.
As a young girl you would be sent away from your home to live with another noble family and learned manners, etiquette, and how to curtsy. As well as how to acquaint yourself with other noble families, be taught how to dance, ride a horse, and archery.
Here's a normal day for a peasant girl: Breakfast-bread and water, Dressing siblings, Feeding animals, Spinning, weaving, sewing, embroidery, and carding wool, Dinner-bread, water, and fried goose eggs, Working in the fields of wheat Praying at the church with my sisters, Delivering goods to the castle, Supper-fried fish, fried goose eggs, bread and water, Preparing for bed.
"Noble Women in the Middle Ages." Middle Ages. Ads by Google. 13 Nov. 2007 http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/noble-women-in-the-middle-ages.htm.
"Women of the Middle Ages." Middle Ages. 13 Nov. 2007 http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/Brisas/sunda/ma/1kimberly.htm.
"Women in the Middle Ages." Camelot International: Britain's Heritage and History. 2001. Knight International Bulgarian Property Specialist. 13 Nov. 2007 http://www.camelotintl.com/village/women.html.
It was legal for a young boy to get married at the age of 14 and a young girl at the age of 12 with their parents consent. A betrothal often took place as little as 7 years of age. If you of high noble status then it could be from when you were babies…marriage was only legal when it was completed. Single women and the married wore opposite hairstyles, extremely different from today. Single women wore their loose and married women were supposed to keep their hair covered at all times for modesty. The jobs that married vs. non was different also, single women often spun for a living using handheld spindles and were known as spinsters.
Often, unmarried women entered the convent to serve a Christian life and earn a well mannered and responsible education. If a women owned land they were considered a powerful figure in society as well as the male land owners, which made them equal to a man. Women also had the rights to make wills and sign a document with a unique seal onl for her. These rights all went away after the woman was married because she had to forfeit all of these things to her husband. Then if he died she would get one third of his land in order to support herself.
As a young girl you would be sent away from your home to live with another noble family and learned manners, etiquette, and how to curtsy. As well as how to acquaint yourself with other noble families, be taught how to dance, ride a horse, and archery.
Here's a normal day for a peasant girl: Breakfast-bread and water, Dressing siblings, Feeding animals, Spinning, weaving, sewing, embroidery, and carding wool, Dinner-bread, water, and fried goose eggs, Working in the fields of wheat Praying at the church with my sisters, Delivering goods to the castle, Supper-fried fish, fried goose eggs, bread and water, Preparing for bed.
"Noble Women in the Middle Ages." Middle Ages. Ads by Google. 13 Nov. 2007 http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/noble-women-in-the-middle-ages.htm.
"Women of the Middle Ages." Middle Ages. 13 Nov. 2007 http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/Brisas/sunda/ma/1kimberly.htm.
"Women in the Middle Ages." Camelot International: Britain's Heritage and History. 2001. Knight International Bulgarian Property Specialist. 13 Nov. 2007 http://www.camelotintl.com/village/women.html.
Knights and the Code of Chivalry
The word Knight stems from the old English chnit, which meant boy servant. In the feudal system of the middle ages knights were third in the hierarchy of classes. Only Kings and Lords were superior to the knight. The process to knighthood begins when a vassal, a person who works on the lord’s land, sends his son to live as a page on the Lord’s manor at approximately seven years of age. The page became the personal assistant of the lord’s wife. In turn he received training in generosity, courtesy, and all general manners. When the boy was 14 years old he began to accompany his lord in all of his duty officially becoming a squire. Seeing as the Lord was already trained in all of the Knightly skills he was the best of all teachers. The Lord taught his apprentice the skills and arts of war. The page learned how to fight on horseback and to use a sword. More importantly the knight-to-be learned the powerful concepts that would guide his life as a knight. Normally, between the ages of 18 and 21 years old the squire was allowed to be knighted. Now every ceremony was different and the oath that knights took was always unique however they did follow a similar template. This oath had one main objective, to ensure that the knight would uphold the code of Chivalry.
Chivalry is just about any positive characteristic (not physical) about a person. Honor, honesty, generosity, courtesy, valor, and so forth; all of these fit into chivalry. However one can only be considered chivalrous if they personify the majority of these qualities. One who is honest but incredibly selfish is not chivalrous. Chivalry is really just a code of conduct they are the guidelines by which a knight lived. Chivalry guides a knight in all circumstances, in both war and love. The knight from the prologue of The Canterbury Tales is the archetype for a knight.
Bibliography
• Velde, François. "Knighthood and Chivalry." Heraldica. 01 June 2002. 13 Nov 2007.
• "Chivalry." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press. 13 Nov. 2007..
Chivalry is just about any positive characteristic (not physical) about a person. Honor, honesty, generosity, courtesy, valor, and so forth; all of these fit into chivalry. However one can only be considered chivalrous if they personify the majority of these qualities. One who is honest but incredibly selfish is not chivalrous. Chivalry is really just a code of conduct they are the guidelines by which a knight lived. Chivalry guides a knight in all circumstances, in both war and love. The knight from the prologue of The Canterbury Tales is the archetype for a knight.
Bibliography
• Velde, François. "Knighthood and Chivalry." Heraldica. 01 June 2002. 13 Nov 2007
• "Chivalry." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press. 13 Nov. 2007.
The Summoner and Saints/Holy Relics
In Medieval England, a summoner was one who summoned, or found people who were accused of violations to the Church law, and brought them to ecclesiastical court (which is court of religion) for crimes ranging from witchcraft to illicit intercourse. Summoners are usually lower class. For more on the ecclesiastical court, you can read Sravya's posting.
The biblical definition of a saint was one who is sanctified. Early on, the Christians were all considered saints, but overtime the term developed into a title of those who had a certain level of holiness. When saints died, sometimes their bones or possessions were deemed as ‘‘relics” and kept because they held religious significance. These relics are honored and respected, just as saints were when they were alive. Relics are severely important in such cultures as Buddhism, and some forms of Christianity and Hinduism.
The biblical definition of a saint was one who is sanctified. Early on, the Christians were all considered saints, but overtime the term developed into a title of those who had a certain level of holiness. When saints died, sometimes their bones or possessions were deemed as ‘‘relics” and kept because they held religious significance. These relics are honored and respected, just as saints were when they were alive. Relics are severely important in such cultures as Buddhism, and some forms of Christianity and Hinduism.
The Summoner and Saints/ Holy Relics
In Medieval England, a summoner was one who summoned, or found people who were accused of violations to the Church law, and brought them to ecclesiastical court (which is court of religion) for crimes ranging from witchcraft to illicit intercourse. Summoners are usually lower class. For more about the ecclesiatical court- you can read Syrav
The biblical definition of a saint was one who is sanctified. Early on, the Christians were all considered saints, but overtime the term developed into a title of those who had a certain level of holiness. When saints died, sometimes their bones or possessions were deemed as ‘‘relics” and kept because they held religious significance. These relics are honored and respected, just as saints were when they were alive. Relics are severely important in such cultures as Buddhism, and some forms of Christianity and Hinduism.
The biblical definition of a saint was one who is sanctified. Early on, the Christians were all considered saints, but overtime the term developed into a title of those who had a certain level of holiness. When saints died, sometimes their bones or possessions were deemed as ‘‘relics” and kept because they held religious significance. These relics are honored and respected, just as saints were when they were alive. Relics are severely important in such cultures as Buddhism, and some forms of Christianity and Hinduism.
Monasteries
A monastery is a religious home usually for monks, nuns or a religious community, and is dedicated to prayer. The word monastery means "to live alone". The monks or nuns living there can explore faith or nature together, but usually there is little to no interactions between the members. Many times the monks or nuns living in the monastery will perform community service in the area they live.
The Layout of a monastery is obscure; it is faced looking inward for seclusion. Usually having a courtyard in the center with Mediterranean architecture. Other structures in a monastery would be a cloister or a chapel for visitors because they are not allowed to use the one where monks and nuns pray.
Monasteries are made to be self contained. The monks or nuns living there grow everything they need to live there lives in the monastery garden. They may also raise animals for food and fiber.
Traditional monasteries are named in honor of a patron or a scared mystery. Many medieval monasteries are in Great Britain, and some are even open to visitors. Some visitors can even stay in the monastery for a long period of time to work or pray. This people could also be postulants who want to join the monastery who then must commit faith by a series of vows.
Michelle
The Layout of a monastery is obscure; it is faced looking inward for seclusion. Usually having a courtyard in the center with Mediterranean architecture. Other structures in a monastery would be a cloister or a chapel for visitors because they are not allowed to use the one where monks and nuns pray.
Monasteries are made to be self contained. The monks or nuns living there grow everything they need to live there lives in the monastery garden. They may also raise animals for food and fiber.
Traditional monasteries are named in honor of a patron or a scared mystery. Many medieval monasteries are in Great Britain, and some are even open to visitors. Some visitors can even stay in the monastery for a long period of time to work or pray. This people could also be postulants who want to join the monastery who then must commit faith by a series of vows.
Michelle
Medieval Clothing
http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/ma/1adele.htm
Medieval Clothing
Royalty, such as kings and queens, had enough money to afford clothing that was very expensive. This clothing included crowns and brightly colored silks.
Manor lords wore felt hats with stirrups and brown jackets on a daily basis.
Peasants’ wore straw hates and linen shirts, both that they made themselves. They also wore leather flasks and pewter badges or good luck charms. Peasants’ also wore hoses, which are pants.
A holy order is the status or rank or office of a Christian clergyman in an ecclesiastical hierarchy. Friars wore cloaks with hoods. Their clothing had rope belt with wooden beads on it. This was for counting prayers.
The clothes that shoemakers and their spouses wore were woolen coats with fur-trimmed sleeves. Inside the coat was a woolen doublet. Shoemakers often wore borealis hats.
Depending on how wealthy you were, the clothing varied in the medieval times. Most clothing was rough and scratchy, but if you were a wealthier person, it could be smooth and finely sewn.
If you were the child of a peasant, you would wear anything you could get. If you were royalty, however, it would be silk robes and damask gowns.
Medieval Clothing
Royalty, such as kings and queens, had enough money to afford clothing that was very expensive. This clothing included crowns and brightly colored silks.
Manor lords wore felt hats with stirrups and brown jackets on a daily basis.
Peasants’ wore straw hates and linen shirts, both that they made themselves. They also wore leather flasks and pewter badges or good luck charms. Peasants’ also wore hoses, which are pants.
A holy order is the status or rank or office of a Christian clergyman in an ecclesiastical hierarchy. Friars wore cloaks with hoods. Their clothing had rope belt with wooden beads on it. This was for counting prayers.
The clothes that shoemakers and their spouses wore were woolen coats with fur-trimmed sleeves. Inside the coat was a woolen doublet. Shoemakers often wore borealis hats.
Depending on how wealthy you were, the clothing varied in the medieval times. Most clothing was rough and scratchy, but if you were a wealthier person, it could be smooth and finely sewn.
If you were the child of a peasant, you would wear anything you could get. If you were royalty, however, it would be silk robes and damask gowns.
Pilgrimages
During the middle Ages, many people were endorsed by the church to make pilgrimages to holy places known as shrines. People traveled to these shrines to pray and be in hopes that their sins will be forgiven so they could have a chance at descending into heaven. It is also known that others visited shrines eager to be cured of incurable illnesses. When enduring these journeys, pilgrimages were known to be very dangerous in the middle ages. Pilgrims usually went in groups in order to protect one another. Case in point, Well-off citizens would pay certain people to go on the pilgrimages for them. In 1352 a merchant who lived in London paid a man a great deal of money to travel to Mount Sinai.
In the year, 1174 King Henry ll underwent a pilgrimage to the Canterbury Cathedral to ask for forgiveness from Becket, a man he took part in murdering. He also asked for penance from the monks of Canterbury to curse him. King Louis Vll of France also went to visit the Canterbury Cathedral to visit Beckets tomb praying to the saint’s aid in trying to cure his son, Phillip who was deathly ill. After praying to the saint’s aid, Phillip was cured and nursed back to good health. The Pope and the Catholic Church in Rome were appalled when they heard that Henry had shattered Beckets shrine. In 1538, the Pope announced to his citizens that Henry Vll had been shunned from the Catholic Church.
In general, pilgrimages were long journeys that had a spiritual and moral significance. It can also be known as a journey to travel to a shrine of a person’s belief in God.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/NORpilgrimage.htm
http://www.loyno.edu/~letchie/becket/tour/default.htm
In the year, 1174 King Henry ll underwent a pilgrimage to the Canterbury Cathedral to ask for forgiveness from Becket, a man he took part in murdering. He also asked for penance from the monks of Canterbury to curse him. King Louis Vll of France also went to visit the Canterbury Cathedral to visit Beckets tomb praying to the saint’s aid in trying to cure his son, Phillip who was deathly ill. After praying to the saint’s aid, Phillip was cured and nursed back to good health. The Pope and the Catholic Church in Rome were appalled when they heard that Henry had shattered Beckets shrine. In 1538, the Pope announced to his citizens that Henry Vll had been shunned from the Catholic Church.
In general, pilgrimages were long journeys that had a spiritual and moral significance. It can also be known as a journey to travel to a shrine of a person’s belief in God.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/NORpilgrimage.htm
http://www.loyno.edu/~letchie/becket/tour/default.htm
Medieval Medicine
Medieval Medicine was practiced during the times of King Arthur and Sir Gawain. It was an imprecise science that yielded dubious results. The most common forms of treatment were based on the four humors of the body. A healthy person had a good balance of the four humors. When a person became ill it was believed to be caused by an imbalance of one of their humors. The four humors were black bile, blood, phlegm, and yellow bile. The four humors were very significant. They were symbolic of the seasons, the elements, and certain personality characteristics.
If a person was suffering from a cold it was believed that they had too much phlegm, which is characterized as being cold and wet. So, the remedy was to put a person to bed and have them drink wine. By doing so the doctor’s thought they could decrease the amount of phlegm or increase the yellow bile- which is the opposite of phlegm because it is hot and dry. If a person suffered from a hot, dry disease such as a fever then they had too much yellow bile so doctor would prescribe cold baths to try and increase the phlegm. Black Bile is cold and dry. It is the opposite of blood, which is hot and moist. Most of the best treatments were believed to be natural functions such as sneezing, sweating, crying, urinating, and defecating. Another common treatment was bloodletting. By keeping the four humors balanced, a doctor believed he could cure any disease.
The four humors were also very symbolic. They represented the four seasons. Black Bile was Autumn. Blood was Spring. Phlegm was Winter, and yellow bile was Summer. Like the four humors, it was essential that the four seasons also stayed balanced. Too long a winter or too hot a summer could ruin the crops and cause a famine. The four humors were also connected to the four elements. Black Bile was considered to be Earth. Blood was Air. Phlegm was Water, and yellow bile was Fire. The balance of the elements is crucial for the existence of life on this planet. Since the four humors are associated with such important parts of life, it shows the importance of them in the medieval times.
Lastly, the four humors were symbolic of certain personality traits. A person who was melancholic or forlorn was said to have too much black bile. Some one who was sanguine or cheerful and optimistic was said to have an excess of blood. An individual who was phlegmatic or impassive was said to have too much phlegm in their system. A person that was choleric or easily irritated was said to have too much yellow bile.
In conclusion, medieval doctors used inexact methods to treat and cure diseases in the Middle Ages. Many people believed that these methods were effective at curing diseases and as a result were willing to spend their money to be diagnosed and cured. Doctors were by no means poor. If a doctor was legitimately good, as is the one in The Canterbury Tales, they had no trouble making a living equal to that of a skilled laborer. Medieval Medicine is no longer used today and is considered to be
If a person was suffering from a cold it was believed that they had too much phlegm, which is characterized as being cold and wet. So, the remedy was to put a person to bed and have them drink wine. By doing so the doctor’s thought they could decrease the amount of phlegm or increase the yellow bile- which is the opposite of phlegm because it is hot and dry. If a person suffered from a hot, dry disease such as a fever then they had too much yellow bile so doctor would prescribe cold baths to try and increase the phlegm. Black Bile is cold and dry. It is the opposite of blood, which is hot and moist. Most of the best treatments were believed to be natural functions such as sneezing, sweating, crying, urinating, and defecating. Another common treatment was bloodletting. By keeping the four humors balanced, a doctor believed he could cure any disease.
The four humors were also very symbolic. They represented the four seasons. Black Bile was Autumn. Blood was Spring. Phlegm was Winter, and yellow bile was Summer. Like the four humors, it was essential that the four seasons also stayed balanced. Too long a winter or too hot a summer could ruin the crops and cause a famine. The four humors were also connected to the four elements. Black Bile was considered to be Earth. Blood was Air. Phlegm was Water, and yellow bile was Fire. The balance of the elements is crucial for the existence of life on this planet. Since the four humors are associated with such important parts of life, it shows the importance of them in the medieval times.
Lastly, the four humors were symbolic of certain personality traits. A person who was melancholic or forlorn was said to have too much black bile. Some one who was sanguine or cheerful and optimistic was said to have an excess of blood. An individual who was phlegmatic or impassive was said to have too much phlegm in their system. A person that was choleric or easily irritated was said to have too much yellow bile.
In conclusion, medieval doctors used inexact methods to treat and cure diseases in the Middle Ages. Many people believed that these methods were effective at curing diseases and as a result were willing to spend their money to be diagnosed and cured. Doctors were by no means poor. If a doctor was legitimately good, as is the one in The Canterbury Tales, they had no trouble making a living equal to that of a skilled laborer. Medieval Medicine is no longer used today and is considered to be
Monday, November 12, 2007
Heraldry
Hello all, this is Connor's paper on the terribly riviting topic of Heraldry...
In a very blunt, straightforward statement, Heraldry is simply the study, creating, and use of something known as the “Coat of Arms”. First brought into culture and existence about 700 years ago (during the 1300’s, the age of feudalism, the bubonic plague and the era of the knight), Heraldry has remained to this day an important part of life, though not put to as much use as it was many years ago.
The phrase “Coat of Arms” refers to physical object – literally, a “Coat of Arms”. Almost all the time, this was a design upon a shield (both ceremonial and real) that could be divided up into many sections, or kept as one big image. Each image is (mostly) unique to a family. This means family in a last name sense – such as the Briton family, or the Jackson family. That being said, the Coat of Arms would be passed down from one head of the household to the next, so that a family’s coat of arms is usually inherited from many generations past, sometimes being hundreds of years old.
One of the important uses of the Coat of Arms was for identification. As previously stated, each family had its’ own unique Coat of Arms which served as identification, but where this became truly important was on the battlefield. Soldiers could use fighting styles, formations, flags, and uniforms to tell friend from foe, but when you have hundreds of knights dressed up in full suits of armor, the only way to distinguish who was who was through the Coat of Arms, which was usually borne on the shield of the soldier (though not always, it was not uncommon to have it seen on the breastplate as well).
This is why Heraldry is so important. With a deep knowledge of it, an individual can learn a lot about a Coat of Arms, as those who are knowledgeable in Heraldry are able to tell many things about an individual, such as traits, family history, family values, and cultural values. Although this is no longer a vital skill as it once was in the middle ages, it remains important to this day, in many societies.
http://www.rarebooks.nd.edu/digital/heraldry/
and
http://www.heraldica.org/here.htm#common%20questions
those should work. And this is not late, it's 11:58 on monday night.
Great Success!
In a very blunt, straightforward statement, Heraldry is simply the study, creating, and use of something known as the “Coat of Arms”. First brought into culture and existence about 700 years ago (during the 1300’s, the age of feudalism, the bubonic plague and the era of the knight), Heraldry has remained to this day an important part of life, though not put to as much use as it was many years ago.
The phrase “Coat of Arms” refers to physical object – literally, a “Coat of Arms”. Almost all the time, this was a design upon a shield (both ceremonial and real) that could be divided up into many sections, or kept as one big image. Each image is (mostly) unique to a family. This means family in a last name sense – such as the Briton family, or the Jackson family. That being said, the Coat of Arms would be passed down from one head of the household to the next, so that a family’s coat of arms is usually inherited from many generations past, sometimes being hundreds of years old.
One of the important uses of the Coat of Arms was for identification. As previously stated, each family had its’ own unique Coat of Arms which served as identification, but where this became truly important was on the battlefield. Soldiers could use fighting styles, formations, flags, and uniforms to tell friend from foe, but when you have hundreds of knights dressed up in full suits of armor, the only way to distinguish who was who was through the Coat of Arms, which was usually borne on the shield of the soldier (though not always, it was not uncommon to have it seen on the breastplate as well).
This is why Heraldry is so important. With a deep knowledge of it, an individual can learn a lot about a Coat of Arms, as those who are knowledgeable in Heraldry are able to tell many things about an individual, such as traits, family history, family values, and cultural values. Although this is no longer a vital skill as it once was in the middle ages, it remains important to this day, in many societies.
http://www.rarebooks.nd.edu/digital/heraldry/
and
http://www.heraldica.org/here.htm#common%20questions
those should work. And this is not late, it's 11:58 on monday night.
Great Success!
Corruption in The Medieval Church
This is Matt Sokol, my account's forcing me into using the wrong internet moniker right now for some reason.
The Medieval Church was, to a large degree, a corrupt and greedy institution. By declaring itself to be the voice of the lord, it took advantage of the faith of its people to scam them from money, goods, and even religious well-being – using concepts of redemption and holiness as selling points for various scams. In addition, popular literature of the time depicted nuns and monks to be rich and gluttonous, despite their vows of poverty. Men in high positions of the Church would even use their power to siphon some of its wealth to their friends and allies. With such people in top positions of the clergy, it's no surprise that the corruption would be as far-reaching and long-lasting as it was.
In the 1500s, there was little fear of eternal damnation by sinners – they could simply buy the redemption they needed! Corrupt priests would absolve criminals of their sins, often at a steep price. This, when combined with the strong fear of hell by many peasants of the era, lead to a constant stream of worried men who were more than willing to pay for their passage into heaven. Clergy members would also go so far as to selling bits of animal bone and other false items as having been from or once owned by Christ. This allowed them to make even more money off of the uneducated worshipers that were members of their churches.
Meanwhile, this money was not going towards appropriate religious causes. As many accounts from people of the time attest to, it was being siphoned directly into the hands of the clergy. The Canterbury Tales, a collection of short stories in poetic form by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a prime example of a work of literature that shed a negative light on the clergy. In its introduction, it describes a nun as an overweight and wasteful woman, feeding her dog with better food than the average peasant would ever eat. This is especially hypocritical and corrupt when contrasted with the vows that nuns of that era took – pledging to live without excess, in a state of poverty. Rather than living up to this humble standard, the money that the church took in would afford to pay for their overpriced lifestyles. Such lives proved to be common across the entire spectrum of clergy members, from the simple nun to the Pope himself.
Another issue of corruption in the medieval church was that higher-ups in the clergy would use their power to favor their friends and relatives. New offices would be created, and absorb large amounts of taxpayer money, with the sole purpose of providing a job for an individual with connections inside the clergy. An example of similar corruption was pope Nicholas III, who aided his sons and nephews by attempting to create states which they could then take control of. This was an extreme example – the creation of an entire state for the purpose of getting a son into power was not a common action by other popes.
The corruption of the medieval church, while morally repulsive, is not too surprising. It was an institution with incredible power, being able to scare the common citizens by defining sins and the horrible punishments that would follow – but then being able to sell the solution to these problems. It was able to declare all competing institutions as heathenous and evil, and thereby maintain what amounted to a monopoly on their 'market' of religion. With little to no checks and balances to prevent greed from taking advantage of such a powerful system, it was only a matter of time before human nature took its course and people began to use it for their own benefit. What's more, once such actions had started, they would become normal and spread like a sort of virus, as it became less and less taboo amongst the clergy to take part in this corruption. With all of these factors working together, the corrupt medieval church was a mistake bound to happen, and one that would take many centuries of work to begin to change.
http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/hichurch.html
http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/625.html
http://www.cfpeople.org/Books/Pope/POPEp186.htm
The Medieval Church was, to a large degree, a corrupt and greedy institution. By declaring itself to be the voice of the lord, it took advantage of the faith of its people to scam them from money, goods, and even religious well-being – using concepts of redemption and holiness as selling points for various scams. In addition, popular literature of the time depicted nuns and monks to be rich and gluttonous, despite their vows of poverty. Men in high positions of the Church would even use their power to siphon some of its wealth to their friends and allies. With such people in top positions of the clergy, it's no surprise that the corruption would be as far-reaching and long-lasting as it was.
In the 1500s, there was little fear of eternal damnation by sinners – they could simply buy the redemption they needed! Corrupt priests would absolve criminals of their sins, often at a steep price. This, when combined with the strong fear of hell by many peasants of the era, lead to a constant stream of worried men who were more than willing to pay for their passage into heaven. Clergy members would also go so far as to selling bits of animal bone and other false items as having been from or once owned by Christ. This allowed them to make even more money off of the uneducated worshipers that were members of their churches.
Meanwhile, this money was not going towards appropriate religious causes. As many accounts from people of the time attest to, it was being siphoned directly into the hands of the clergy. The Canterbury Tales, a collection of short stories in poetic form by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a prime example of a work of literature that shed a negative light on the clergy. In its introduction, it describes a nun as an overweight and wasteful woman, feeding her dog with better food than the average peasant would ever eat. This is especially hypocritical and corrupt when contrasted with the vows that nuns of that era took – pledging to live without excess, in a state of poverty. Rather than living up to this humble standard, the money that the church took in would afford to pay for their overpriced lifestyles. Such lives proved to be common across the entire spectrum of clergy members, from the simple nun to the Pope himself.
Another issue of corruption in the medieval church was that higher-ups in the clergy would use their power to favor their friends and relatives. New offices would be created, and absorb large amounts of taxpayer money, with the sole purpose of providing a job for an individual with connections inside the clergy. An example of similar corruption was pope Nicholas III, who aided his sons and nephews by attempting to create states which they could then take control of. This was an extreme example – the creation of an entire state for the purpose of getting a son into power was not a common action by other popes.
The corruption of the medieval church, while morally repulsive, is not too surprising. It was an institution with incredible power, being able to scare the common citizens by defining sins and the horrible punishments that would follow – but then being able to sell the solution to these problems. It was able to declare all competing institutions as heathenous and evil, and thereby maintain what amounted to a monopoly on their 'market' of religion. With little to no checks and balances to prevent greed from taking advantage of such a powerful system, it was only a matter of time before human nature took its course and people began to use it for their own benefit. What's more, once such actions had started, they would become normal and spread like a sort of virus, as it became less and less taboo amongst the clergy to take part in this corruption. With all of these factors working together, the corrupt medieval church was a mistake bound to happen, and one that would take many centuries of work to begin to change.
http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/hichurch.html
http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/625.html
http://www.cfpeople.org/Books/Pope/POPEp186.htm
The Crusades
The Crusades followed many years of siege and domination or territories. The events were a like a bottle slowly filling up with gas and just waiting to explode. Before the First Crusade, William the conqueror untied England, less than 30 years ago. French was in the process of dividing its’ land into different properties for their sons. Pope Urban II was taking control. He had recently expanded ‘The Truce of God’ where fighting was banned from Sunday to Wednesday. Italy was being invaded to no end, and the Normans had just begun settling. Europe was one big uncontrolled mess.
On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II gave a speech after a church service in France. He subtly asked the men from Western Europe (the Franks) travel east and helps their fellow Christian brothers (the Byzantines) against the vicious attacks from the Muslim Turks. The Muslims had ruled Jerusalem since 638 AD, so he also tried to encourage his men to liberate Jerusalem from the domination of the Muslims. He was surprised when his men took him seriously, because this was the start to the event now referred to as the Crusades.
No on can really tell when the Crusades ended. Since the term is defined as a series of Holy Wars against Islam led by power-mad popes and fought by religious fanatics, there is still some recent evidence that they never ended. Most people believe it lasted until 1700 when the threat from Muslim men slowly vanished. But then others seem to think it ended when the last crusade tax was officially abolished in the Roman Catholic religion. This is still a topic that historians are interested in researching to figure out the truth.
http://www.medievalcrusades.com
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1k.html#General
On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II gave a speech after a church service in France. He subtly asked the men from Western Europe (the Franks) travel east and helps their fellow Christian brothers (the Byzantines) against the vicious attacks from the Muslim Turks. The Muslims had ruled Jerusalem since 638 AD, so he also tried to encourage his men to liberate Jerusalem from the domination of the Muslims. He was surprised when his men took him seriously, because this was the start to the event now referred to as the Crusades.
No on can really tell when the Crusades ended. Since the term is defined as a series of Holy Wars against Islam led by power-mad popes and fought by religious fanatics, there is still some recent evidence that they never ended. Most people believe it lasted until 1700 when the threat from Muslim men slowly vanished. But then others seem to think it ended when the last crusade tax was officially abolished in the Roman Catholic religion. This is still a topic that historians are interested in researching to figure out the truth.
http://www.medievalcrusades.com
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1k.html#General
Medieval Music
Medieval Music is very different from the music that we know and are used to listening to today. To begin, according to some scholars, medieval and other early genres of music can be divided into two main categories, sacred and secular. Sacred medieval music refers to any music that basically turns the bible into song, or or is influenced by god. Secular medieval music on the other hand was basically the "hip" music as it was used for its entertainment values for things like dancing. These two types of medieval music put a big separation on society though. For example, sacred musicians or composers were trained while the secular composers were usually not. In other words, sacred music was for the rich and secular was for the poor. To make a connection back to the present, you can compare sacred music to classical music, and secular to the popular genres like hip-pop, rap, country etc.
When most of us think of medieval music today we think of "criers" or people who would sing on the street corner or in the town square. They were known as a low part of society. There is some truth in that but it wasn't the only way music was played. A lot of the music originated from poetry so you could go to a play to hear it or an opera or even a drama. Furthermore, the main way that the music got around was through entertainment. Therefore, referring back to what I said before, most of the music was secular, the most popular music, as is today. so there is a trend to how we listen to music and know what's popular or not.
One of the most known ways of music that originated from the medieval music is chant, and this started with the birth of Christianity. Many of us hear or even sing this on Sundays at church. There is no harmony in this type of song, just completely melodic. Every word has its own note, as you can see in a church song. Either that or the word is broken down, and each syllable has its own note.
Polyphony is music with two or more independant lines. This is a label under the medieval music category. It originated around the 8th or 9th century. It appears in a form called parallel oraganum, or a chant with almost strictly parallel progression. This type of music is sung in two different octaves usually in harmony.
Since i was very confused about that last subject, I will end on the subject of medieval instruments. You can compare most of the instrument to string instruments today like the violin and guitar. Most of the actual strings were made from the intestines of sheep. A few of the string instruments were called, the Citole, the Harp, the Hurdy-Gurdy, the Psaltery, the Fiddle, and many more. To see pictures and read more about these instruments, visit http://www.trouvere.co.uk/String%20instruments.htm . For any other questions, feel free to ask in class.
http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/medieval/polyphony.html
www.stanford.edu/~jrdx/medieval.html
http://www.trouvere.co.uk/String%20instruments.htm
When most of us think of medieval music today we think of "criers" or people who would sing on the street corner or in the town square. They were known as a low part of society. There is some truth in that but it wasn't the only way music was played. A lot of the music originated from poetry so you could go to a play to hear it or an opera or even a drama. Furthermore, the main way that the music got around was through entertainment. Therefore, referring back to what I said before, most of the music was secular, the most popular music, as is today. so there is a trend to how we listen to music and know what's popular or not.
One of the most known ways of music that originated from the medieval music is chant, and this started with the birth of Christianity. Many of us hear or even sing this on Sundays at church. There is no harmony in this type of song, just completely melodic. Every word has its own note, as you can see in a church song. Either that or the word is broken down, and each syllable has its own note.
Polyphony is music with two or more independant lines. This is a label under the medieval music category. It originated around the 8th or 9th century. It appears in a form called parallel oraganum, or a chant with almost strictly parallel progression. This type of music is sung in two different octaves usually in harmony.
Since i was very confused about that last subject, I will end on the subject of medieval instruments. You can compare most of the instrument to string instruments today like the violin and guitar. Most of the actual strings were made from the intestines of sheep. A few of the string instruments were called, the Citole, the Harp, the Hurdy-Gurdy, the Psaltery, the Fiddle, and many more. To see pictures and read more about these instruments, visit http://www.trouvere.co.uk/String%20instruments.htm . For any other questions, feel free to ask in class.
http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/medieval/polyphony.html
www.stanford.edu/~jrdx/medieval.html
http://www.trouvere.co.uk/String%20instruments.htm
Urban Living (medieval towns and guilds)
Towns and urban life in the medieval times were very different than that of today. Towns that evolved after the Black Death were mainly dominated by guilds, which were groups of people motivated by the same tasks. These guilds can be generally broken down into a few main groups, that being the merchant, craft, and non-occupational guilds.
A townsman’s status in medieval times was determined by money and goods, as opposed to the size of the land owned by the individual. Townspeople were mostly free within the walls of medieval cities once a charter was granted to them; however the society was not a democracy. The town was self-governed by an evolving class of people in Europe, the Bourgeoisie, whom made up some guild leaders. As burghers (people with a lot of money) became more popular, serfdom declined, therefore poor serfs could enter a town and become a freeman. Towns also arose from the large amount of trading during those times. These areas were generally, with the help of rivers and trade routes, concentrated places people could go to trade and exchange goods. Rural people could travel inside the walls to purchase many items, and proceed to travel back to their fields to do work.
Guilds assisted in a person’s status in a town, and way of life. They were basically self-governing groups of people with the same economic or religious goals whom would gather on various occasions and help each other out. They would protect their members, and the higher members of the guild were generally members of the civic government. Therefore disputes among guilds could be worked out in peaceful guild courts.The main buildings that made up a medieval town were Guild Halls and churches. Guild halls were places that were used for protection of the townspeople. Smaller houses were cramped, and because of the growing population at the time, caused some sanitation problems as well as fire hazards. These cities were great places for trade, and not so much for living quarters.
http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/richardson.guilds
http://history-world.org/midtowns.htm
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbetcher/373/MedTowns.htm
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbetcher/373/guilds.htm
A townsman’s status in medieval times was determined by money and goods, as opposed to the size of the land owned by the individual. Townspeople were mostly free within the walls of medieval cities once a charter was granted to them; however the society was not a democracy. The town was self-governed by an evolving class of people in Europe, the Bourgeoisie, whom made up some guild leaders. As burghers (people with a lot of money) became more popular, serfdom declined, therefore poor serfs could enter a town and become a freeman. Towns also arose from the large amount of trading during those times. These areas were generally, with the help of rivers and trade routes, concentrated places people could go to trade and exchange goods. Rural people could travel inside the walls to purchase many items, and proceed to travel back to their fields to do work.
Guilds assisted in a person’s status in a town, and way of life. They were basically self-governing groups of people with the same economic or religious goals whom would gather on various occasions and help each other out. They would protect their members, and the higher members of the guild were generally members of the civic government. Therefore disputes among guilds could be worked out in peaceful guild courts.The main buildings that made up a medieval town were Guild Halls and churches. Guild halls were places that were used for protection of the townspeople. Smaller houses were cramped, and because of the growing population at the time, caused some sanitation problems as well as fire hazards. These cities were great places for trade, and not so much for living quarters.
http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/richardson.guilds
http://history-world.org/midtowns.htm
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbetcher/373/MedTowns.htm
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbetcher/373/guilds.htm
Medieval Food and Drink!!
Medieval Food and Drink
During the medieval time period, there was a vast difference in the food a very wealthy person ate and the food a peasant ate. The wheat that they both grew had a big role in the types of food each group ate; the rich for example grew wheat, which made white bread. The poor could only afford to grow barley or rye, which turned into a brown bread. This kind of bread wasn’t as appetizing, especially during a farmer’s bad harvest where they would have to add acorns, beans, or peas into the bread.
Most all of the people in the middle ages relied on pigs as a major source of red meat. This was because the pigs were able to find their own food during the summer and winter seasons. Pigs were not as high maintenance as other animals such as cows that would need to be milked and feed. As for their protein, the rich were the only ones who were allowed to eat salmon and trout. If a lower class person were caught eating any kind of fish, they would be harshly punished. Another popular dish was Pottage. This was a soup stew made from oats, vegetables, and beans or peas. The things that went into Pottage varied depending what types of things the peasant grew.
The three most popular drinks were, water milk and ale. The middle and lower class people often drank the water and milk and the higher-class group drank the ale. They water was incredibly risky to drink because it came straight from the river and often wasn’t very clean. The milk only lasted for a short amount of time. However, the ale was hard to make and it took many days. It was made from barley, and you needed permission from your master in order to sell it.
The people usually ate breakfast between six and seven and usually consisted of bread, ale or wine. Dinner would be eaten at around eleven until about two. Dinner was the biggest meal of the day and usually had three courses, not all that was served to the kings would be eaten and if he wasn’t looking the servants could possibly get to eat the rest of it. As for a peasant, they would eat their dinner in the fields where he was working. Lastly was supper at six or seven and was similar to dinner. The higher up people would eat off silverware, and the others ate from wooded bowls.
LINKS:
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/food_and_drink_in_medieval_engla.htm
http://www.castles.me.uk/medieval-food-drink.htm
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/food/index.htm
During the medieval time period, there was a vast difference in the food a very wealthy person ate and the food a peasant ate. The wheat that they both grew had a big role in the types of food each group ate; the rich for example grew wheat, which made white bread. The poor could only afford to grow barley or rye, which turned into a brown bread. This kind of bread wasn’t as appetizing, especially during a farmer’s bad harvest where they would have to add acorns, beans, or peas into the bread.
Most all of the people in the middle ages relied on pigs as a major source of red meat. This was because the pigs were able to find their own food during the summer and winter seasons. Pigs were not as high maintenance as other animals such as cows that would need to be milked and feed. As for their protein, the rich were the only ones who were allowed to eat salmon and trout. If a lower class person were caught eating any kind of fish, they would be harshly punished. Another popular dish was Pottage. This was a soup stew made from oats, vegetables, and beans or peas. The things that went into Pottage varied depending what types of things the peasant grew.
The three most popular drinks were, water milk and ale. The middle and lower class people often drank the water and milk and the higher-class group drank the ale. They water was incredibly risky to drink because it came straight from the river and often wasn’t very clean. The milk only lasted for a short amount of time. However, the ale was hard to make and it took many days. It was made from barley, and you needed permission from your master in order to sell it.
The people usually ate breakfast between six and seven and usually consisted of bread, ale or wine. Dinner would be eaten at around eleven until about two. Dinner was the biggest meal of the day and usually had three courses, not all that was served to the kings would be eaten and if he wasn’t looking the servants could possibly get to eat the rest of it. As for a peasant, they would eat their dinner in the fields where he was working. Lastly was supper at six or seven and was similar to dinner. The higher up people would eat off silverware, and the others ate from wooded bowls.
LINKS:
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/food_and_drink_in_medieval_engla.htm
http://www.castles.me.uk/medieval-food-drink.htm
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/food/index.htm
The Canterbury Cathedral’s history dates all the way back to 597 AD, this was when St Augustine established his seat in Canterbury. He was sent by Pope Gregory the Great as a missionary from Rome. During the tenth century, the cathedral became a monastery for Benedictine monks until it was ended by King Henry VIII in 1540. The building was rebuilt and enlarged by the Saxons and by 1070 the Normans had completely rebuilt it. The wars throughout the years have caused the cathedral a fair amount of damage so the repairs have been made as necessary.
Another important part of the cathedral is the library. The library contains about 30,000 books and pamphlets that were printed before the 1900's. It also has a growing collection of about 20,000 books from after that time period. Alot of the books contain valuble information on church history, medicine, natural science, older theology, travel and the anti-slavery movement. The library is open to anyone interested in using their collection for study as well.
But the most famous event which took place in the cathedral, was the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170. What people may not know is that the characters portrayed in Chacucer’s Canterbury Tales were actually representatives of the hundreds of people who flocked to the cathedral for worshiping, healing and repenting at the shrine of Becket. The shrine to Thomas Becket was destroyed in 1538 by orders of King Henry VIII. Now, all there is in that place is a single candle and the imprinted pink stone where so many pilgrims have kneeled.
The story of Becket’s death is somewhat of an unfortunate one for him. It happens that he had been in a small fight with the king, and four knights overheard the king venting his rage and took his words a bit too seriously when he shouted, “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?!” So with those words being heard, the knights went off and found Becket. When he was found worshiping and refused to absolve the bishops he kindly stated that in the name of Christ he would embrace death. And with that, three blows were struck and he was killed.
So that is the story of the history of the Canterbury Cathedral. The church is still active today and has great singers that perform, they gladly welcome visitors.
http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/index.aspx
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/canterbury-cathedral.htm
Another important part of the cathedral is the library. The library contains about 30,000 books and pamphlets that were printed before the 1900's. It also has a growing collection of about 20,000 books from after that time period. Alot of the books contain valuble information on church history, medicine, natural science, older theology, travel and the anti-slavery movement. The library is open to anyone interested in using their collection for study as well.
But the most famous event which took place in the cathedral, was the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170. What people may not know is that the characters portrayed in Chacucer’s Canterbury Tales were actually representatives of the hundreds of people who flocked to the cathedral for worshiping, healing and repenting at the shrine of Becket. The shrine to Thomas Becket was destroyed in 1538 by orders of King Henry VIII. Now, all there is in that place is a single candle and the imprinted pink stone where so many pilgrims have kneeled.
The story of Becket’s death is somewhat of an unfortunate one for him. It happens that he had been in a small fight with the king, and four knights overheard the king venting his rage and took his words a bit too seriously when he shouted, “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?!” So with those words being heard, the knights went off and found Becket. When he was found worshiping and refused to absolve the bishops he kindly stated that in the name of Christ he would embrace death. And with that, three blows were struck and he was killed.
So that is the story of the history of the Canterbury Cathedral. The church is still active today and has great singers that perform, they gladly welcome visitors.
http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/index.aspx
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/canterbury-cathedral.htm
King Arthur
King Arthur was a well known historical and mythical figure from the Middle Ages. Many people have heard stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, but there are still arguments concerning how much of King Arthur is real, and how much is just a legend.
Historically, King Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon. Throughout his life he was a military leader and a High-King of Britain. The name Arthur is thought to have come from a Celtic originating name, artos viros, meaning “bear man.” He was a part of many Celtic stories, which could be why there are many myths and legends about King Arthur.
The Legendary King Arthur’s life is often described with the “sword in the stone” legend. It begins with Arthur’s father, Uther, dying. After Uther’s death, there was no king ruling all of England. So, a sword was placed in a stone, and word went out that whoever took the sword out would be king. Arthur was the one who successfully pulled the sword from the stone, so he rightfully became the King. It is also said that King Arthur’s last battle was on Salisbury Plain, where he was wounded and carried away. His grave was supposedly discovered at Glastonbury in the reign of Henry the II, during the time of 1154-1189. Some people believe that King Arthur never died, because he was actually a God.
Although there are still debates on whether King Arthur was a historical figure, or only a myth, one thing is certain. King Arthur was a figure who has influenced literature, art, music, and society since the Middle Ages.
http://www.kingarthursknights.com/arthur/legendary.asp
http://www.kingarthursknights.com/arthur/historical.asp
http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/kaking.html
http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/kamyth.html
Historically, King Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon. Throughout his life he was a military leader and a High-King of Britain. The name Arthur is thought to have come from a Celtic originating name, artos viros, meaning “bear man.” He was a part of many Celtic stories, which could be why there are many myths and legends about King Arthur.
The Legendary King Arthur’s life is often described with the “sword in the stone” legend. It begins with Arthur’s father, Uther, dying. After Uther’s death, there was no king ruling all of England. So, a sword was placed in a stone, and word went out that whoever took the sword out would be king. Arthur was the one who successfully pulled the sword from the stone, so he rightfully became the King. It is also said that King Arthur’s last battle was on Salisbury Plain, where he was wounded and carried away. His grave was supposedly discovered at Glastonbury in the reign of Henry the II, during the time of 1154-1189. Some people believe that King Arthur never died, because he was actually a God.
Although there are still debates on whether King Arthur was a historical figure, or only a myth, one thing is certain. King Arthur was a figure who has influenced literature, art, music, and society since the Middle Ages.
http://www.kingarthursknights.com/arthur/legendary.asp
http://www.kingarthursknights.com/arthur/historical.asp
http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/kaking.html
http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/kamyth.html
Courtly Love
Love as we think of it today is almost completely different than the love displayed by personages of the Medieval Era. I say almost because there was still homosexual and brotherly love, but romantic love as displayed today did not exist in the same form in Medieval Times.
Romantic love was deemed as "excessive meditation of the beauty of the opposite sex, " which can still happen today. But the underlying theme of a love relationship was, hard to believe, suffering.
At some point in a relationship, a jealousy must take place. This jealousy causes the jealous party to increase their love for their significant other because they wish for a relationship that is not being satisfied due to, perhaps, a third wheel in the relationship.
Typical procedure of courtly love also dictates that the girl play "hard to get." If a lover was easily won over, the love would not last because the difficulty of the task of obtaining that love was not hard. A more difficult task yields a more lasting prize.
Also, a romantic relationship entailed that the end of all actions ended with a thought of one's significant other. So if it wasn't enough to have to suffer for the relationship that they aren't happy with, one's mind was continually fettered with thoughts of love, distracting them from everyday routines.
Secrecy was also necessary in a successful relationship. When no one knows about a relationship, like Romeo and Juliet, both parties have common ground to share. And up until the death of both Romeo and Juliet, their love for each other did not dim.
Crazy as it seems, adulterous and premarital immoral relationships were sought after because they were a secretive relationship. Neither men nor women walked around the town declaring that they were adulterers, because the the women would be cruelly punished, and the man would be mutilated or killed in front of the woman. In other words, there was a serious danger in immoral relationships, and so people sought after it because of the fun involved with that danger.
It is also said that sexual appetite belonged to the woman. Man had lust, but the woman initiated such conduct. This was because the men were too chivalrous and respected the women enough to let them decide when such conduct was wanted.
Incidentally, marriage and love were almost never related. Marriages were arranged, and generally the two parties involved did not meet until they were betrothed. For this reason, suffering was common because the married couple did not always get along or love each other.
Which leads to one of the unhappy couple being jealous of the love life which they missed out on, having difficulty getting their true love to love them, thinking about them all the day long, keeping their love a secret, and then entering into an adulterous relationship because it is dangerous. So the cycle continues until the men are mutilated or killed, and the women are either sent away from their home, or made to walk around the town with their head shaved . Generally, the woman brought shame and dishonor on her house, and generally the husband could kill the male lover for the woman to see and the law would not care.
So be grateful things have changed, guys.
"Fornication and Adultery"
"Love, Marriage, Romance & Women"
"Medieval Love"
Romantic love was deemed as "excessive meditation of the beauty of the opposite sex, " which can still happen today. But the underlying theme of a love relationship was, hard to believe, suffering.
At some point in a relationship, a jealousy must take place. This jealousy causes the jealous party to increase their love for their significant other because they wish for a relationship that is not being satisfied due to, perhaps, a third wheel in the relationship.
Typical procedure of courtly love also dictates that the girl play "hard to get." If a lover was easily won over, the love would not last because the difficulty of the task of obtaining that love was not hard. A more difficult task yields a more lasting prize.
Also, a romantic relationship entailed that the end of all actions ended with a thought of one's significant other. So if it wasn't enough to have to suffer for the relationship that they aren't happy with, one's mind was continually fettered with thoughts of love, distracting them from everyday routines.
Secrecy was also necessary in a successful relationship. When no one knows about a relationship, like Romeo and Juliet, both parties have common ground to share. And up until the death of both Romeo and Juliet, their love for each other did not dim.
Crazy as it seems, adulterous and premarital immoral relationships were sought after because they were a secretive relationship. Neither men nor women walked around the town declaring that they were adulterers, because the the women would be cruelly punished, and the man would be mutilated or killed in front of the woman. In other words, there was a serious danger in immoral relationships, and so people sought after it because of the fun involved with that danger.
It is also said that sexual appetite belonged to the woman. Man had lust, but the woman initiated such conduct. This was because the men were too chivalrous and respected the women enough to let them decide when such conduct was wanted.
Incidentally, marriage and love were almost never related. Marriages were arranged, and generally the two parties involved did not meet until they were betrothed. For this reason, suffering was common because the married couple did not always get along or love each other.
Which leads to one of the unhappy couple being jealous of the love life which they missed out on, having difficulty getting their true love to love them, thinking about them all the day long, keeping their love a secret, and then entering into an adulterous relationship because it is dangerous. So the cycle continues until the men are mutilated or killed, and the women are either sent away from their home, or made to walk around the town with their head shaved . Generally, the woman brought shame and dishonor on her house, and generally the husband could kill the male lover for the woman to see and the law would not care.
So be grateful things have changed, guys.
"Fornication and Adultery"
"Love, Marriage, Romance & Women"
"Medieval Love"
Medieval Plays and Drama
Plays and drama during the Medieval time greatly reflected people's personal experiences and stories of their own lives. Due to the broad sharing of the story teller's life this only reflected the limited knowledge of the people in their villages. These performances were produced by the common people living in England, involved in the Christian Church. Along with religious views, more subtle political, economical aspects were often woven in to the plays.
There were three defined types or cycles of plays that were created. Among the three was 'mystery' plays which were mainly centered around Christ and various aspects and theories relating to the topic. 'Miracle' plays were performences which included lives of saints, often historical and legendary. And lastly, 'Mortality' plays which often included the common man's struggle through life and hopes of salvation. Though some performences branched off from these three main catigories due to personal experiences and preferences, the majority of Middle Aged drama were centered around these three religious aspects.
Due to the involvement of members from the Christian church the plays were chiefly focused on Christian views. Religion was a main focus due to the extreme involvement citizens had in the Christian community. Often the plays were held in churches alongside large stained glass windows which portrayed religious figures and scenes to the, primarily, illiterate crowd. Often large religious celebrations such as Christmas and Easter were reasons to conduct larger productions.
Often the more educated members of society and community leaders would make use of plays to advise the illiterate with a better understanding of key concepts in the Christian church. The speaker would dramatically perform the important aspects of certain significant concepts. Not only would the crowd gain better understanding of the concept but they would also acquire more appreciation for their surroundings.
A very well known celebration that included large Middle Age plays was the ‘Corpus Christi Pageant’ (Latin for the Body of Christ). This was a feast held in celebration of the body of Christ which included outdoor theatrical performances in the city of York, England. Numerous religious plays were presented that came together to signify the story of Christian salvation. This gathering of costumes, music, and choir of voices was often held on a Thursday in late spring, nearly two months after Easter. This celebration of the real presences of Christ was a yearly happening and included large decorative wagons from which the plays were performed.
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/resources/PSim/yorkintro.html#feast
http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/medievaldrama.htm
There were three defined types or cycles of plays that were created. Among the three was 'mystery' plays which were mainly centered around Christ and various aspects and theories relating to the topic. 'Miracle' plays were performences which included lives of saints, often historical and legendary. And lastly, 'Mortality' plays which often included the common man's struggle through life and hopes of salvation. Though some performences branched off from these three main catigories due to personal experiences and preferences, the majority of Middle Aged drama were centered around these three religious aspects.
Due to the involvement of members from the Christian church the plays were chiefly focused on Christian views. Religion was a main focus due to the extreme involvement citizens had in the Christian community. Often the plays were held in churches alongside large stained glass windows which portrayed religious figures and scenes to the, primarily, illiterate crowd. Often large religious celebrations such as Christmas and Easter were reasons to conduct larger productions.
Often the more educated members of society and community leaders would make use of plays to advise the illiterate with a better understanding of key concepts in the Christian church. The speaker would dramatically perform the important aspects of certain significant concepts. Not only would the crowd gain better understanding of the concept but they would also acquire more appreciation for their surroundings.
A very well known celebration that included large Middle Age plays was the ‘Corpus Christi Pageant’ (Latin for the Body of Christ). This was a feast held in celebration of the body of Christ which included outdoor theatrical performances in the city of York, England. Numerous religious plays were presented that came together to signify the story of Christian salvation. This gathering of costumes, music, and choir of voices was often held on a Thursday in late spring, nearly two months after Easter. This celebration of the real presences of Christ was a yearly happening and included large decorative wagons from which the plays were performed.
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/resources/PSim/yorkintro.html#feast
http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/medievaldrama.htm
Inquisition and the Ecclesiastical courts.
Inquisition is an official investigation, especially one of the political or religious natures. Inquisition can also be considered as a severe interrogation often violating the rights or privacy of an individual. Ecclesiastical courts are tribunals set up by religious authorities to deal with disputes among clerics or laymen. In the early periods in history, the ecclesiastical courts often had a degree of temporal jurisdiction and in the Middle Ages the courts of the Roman Catholic Church competed with the activist courts in power. Ecclesiastical courts had jurisdiction over issues like marriage, separation, wills and legitimacy. The courts also claimed authority over clergy accused of most types of crimes. The church courts had jurisdiction over all disputes concerning discipline or administration of the church property claimed by the clergy or ecclesiastical corporate bodies, taxes, questions touching on oaths, vows and heresy. The special ecclesiastical court of the Inquisition was employed, and lay rulers were obliged under pain of exclusion from the Christian community, to pass the most severe sentences. In England today the ecclesiastical courts exercise jurisdiction in civil cases concerning church buildings and in criminal cases in which clergymen are accused of ecclesiastical crimes.
Medieval Arms and Armor
Warriors from the early Middle Ages of Europe wore equipment derived from the late Romans. A short-sleeved mail shirt was worn over their body made of interlocking iron rings. Underneath the metal armor the knight would wear a padded garment known as an "aketon" or "gambeson". Late in the Middle Ages plate armor began to appear because of the more powerful weapons being used. However, the use of gunpowder was becoming effective and even the plate armor was ineffective. The most commonly worn helmet was called a Spangenhelm. Shields were round or oval and usually made of wood covered in leather. The shields were painted with symbols to distinguish friends from enemies. Around the rim were metallic mountings and in the center was a hole for the hand grip. The weapons they carried were most likely a spear, sword, ax, or bow and arrow. In the height of the middle-ages horses may have been used. At the end of the 12th century a new helmet type was used. It was flat on top with side plates that allowed the face of the warrior to be hidden.
Helmet (Spangenhelm) http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/ho/06/eust/ho_42.50.1.htm
Two Shield Bosses http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/ho/06/eust/ho_1984.184.1,2.htm
Arms & Armor http://tudorshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=AA
Helmet (Spangenhelm) http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/ho/06/eust/ho_42.50.1.htm
Two Shield Bosses http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/ho/06/eust/ho_1984.184.1,2.htm
Arms & Armor http://tudorshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=AA
Feudalism
In Medieval times, the specific government that England ran by was Feudalism. After the invasion and conquest of William the First, Feudalism was introduced in 900AD (1). The controller of this system of government was the King. Basically, he ruled over all the land with the help of this advisors.
The system was very effective and simple. The King would grant land to the Barons, who would grant land to the Knights, who would grant land to the Serfs. In return, the Serfs would provide the Knights with food and any services when demanded. The Knights would provide the Barons with protection and the Barons would provide money and knights to the King. Everyone got something out of the system(1).
Feudalism ended because family ties and the social atmosphere changed. Protective and territorial concerns became more important than family and also, inheritance importance became less important as well. Feudalism slowly ended by the 14th century in England(2). Feudalism is not active now in modern day England.
(1) http://www.historyonthenet.com/Medieval_Life/feudalism.htm
(2)http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/glues/feudalism.html
The system was very effective and simple. The King would grant land to the Barons, who would grant land to the Knights, who would grant land to the Serfs. In return, the Serfs would provide the Knights with food and any services when demanded. The Knights would provide the Barons with protection and the Barons would provide money and knights to the King. Everyone got something out of the system(1).
Feudalism ended because family ties and the social atmosphere changed. Protective and territorial concerns became more important than family and also, inheritance importance became less important as well. Feudalism slowly ended by the 14th century in England(2). Feudalism is not active now in modern day England.
(1) http://www.historyonthenet.com/Medieval_Life/feudalism.htm
(2)http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/glues/feudalism.html
Monastic Orders
Monastic orders are a group of people living under a religious rule. The basic building block of it is seclusion and withdrawal from society for the people who choose to be a part. It is literally the act or “dwelling alone”, when the word is Monasticism is broken down in the Greek language. Monks take a religious vow, and the ultimate goal is to be above the rest of society. It is a lifetime commitment to spiritual work, and are actually present in multiple religions. In the time of Chaucer’s novel, The Canterbury Tales, there were many monastic orders in Britain. They include: Augustinians, Benedictines, Carmelites, Carthusians, Cistercians, Cluniacs, Dominicans, Franciscans, Gilbertines, Premonstratensians, and Tironensians. Between 1536 and 1541, Henry VII closed all British monasteries. Eventually, during the Victorian times, they were re-opened in Britain, along with convents.
The more recognized monastic order is Benedictines, as it is the oldest British monastic order and had more monasteries than any other kind in all of Europe. The biggest communities in this order were Abbeys (rules by Abbots), and Priories (rules by priors). There are also monks and nuns, who may also be known as monastics. Monks in this monastic order worked with education, books, copying old manuscripts, and starting new schools and universities around where they lived and worked. Monks here were also known for wearing black. An example of a current Benedictine monastery is the Downside Abbey.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10459a.htm
http://www.request.org.uk/main/history/middle/monastery02.htm
http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/MONASTICORDER
The more recognized monastic order is Benedictines, as it is the oldest British monastic order and had more monasteries than any other kind in all of Europe. The biggest communities in this order were Abbeys (rules by Abbots), and Priories (rules by priors). There are also monks and nuns, who may also be known as monastics. Monks in this monastic order worked with education, books, copying old manuscripts, and starting new schools and universities around where they lived and worked. Monks here were also known for wearing black. An example of a current Benedictine monastery is the Downside Abbey.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10459a.htm
http://www.request.org.uk/main/history/middle/monastery02.htm
http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/MONASTICORDER
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer, also known as the father of English Literature, was a medieval poet, who wrote one of the most famous of English texts, The Canterbury Tales. Born around the year 1342 to a wine merchant and a heiress, he was well educated, although it is unknown if he received any higher education. As well as knowing several languages, he was also educated in astronomy, medicine, physics, and alchemy. He later became a servant to the Countess of Ulster in 1357, where he traveled to France. He was captured in France while fighting. King Edward III paid 16 million pounds toward Chaucer’s ransom, and after a year or two, Chaucer entered royal service to the king. It is thought that it was in France where Chaucer found his passion for writing. It is during this time that he wrote the Canterbury Tales. Chaucer died in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. What makes Chaucer’s style so unique is that it is much different from previous English texts, such as those of the Anglo-Saxon period. Chaucer’s work is much more detail oriented, and it is more subtle in the messages that it gets across to its audience.
http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/chaucer.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03642b.htm
http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/chaucer.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03642b.htm
Bubonic Plague
The Bubonic Plague also known as The Black Death, hit Europeans strongly during the mid-ages. The plague was a disease that was thought to originate in China. After two Italian merchants came back from China, and docked in Sicily it was said that was the start of the terrible disease. After one year the disease spread as far as England.
The Plague attacks the blood stream, after direct contact with someone who has the plague or after being bit by fleas that have the disease. There was no cure for the plague and after five consecutive years of death one third of Europe died from the Bubonic Plague.
Since the plague did kill about one third of Europeans, it affected the economy heavily, and the way people lived. People living in Europe at the time did one of two things. They either abandon their families, homes, cities, or ran off to cities that were not infected, or many people sheltered themselves in their houses with uninfected family. It was not uncommon for mothers to abandon their sons, and fathers to abandon their daughters. Social order in the cities was lost. Like many might think ministers, nuns, and enforcers of the law all were sick also, causing every man to fend for themselves. Social order in the cities within Europe was lost. There were no longer any servants that would care for the sick who were rich, and there was no communication between neighbors, and family. After millions were dead the Catholic churches no longer had any more space in the cemeteries. The deceased were bared in large ditches that were covered with dirt. If you had died from the plague you may be buried with up to three hundred other men, women, and children.
Many might say that the plague caused generations to be lost, and a culture that would never be the same.
By: Tiana Farina
http://www.insecta-inspecta.com/fleas/bdeath/
http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/renaissance/Globe/BlackDeath.html
The Plague attacks the blood stream, after direct contact with someone who has the plague or after being bit by fleas that have the disease. There was no cure for the plague and after five consecutive years of death one third of Europe died from the Bubonic Plague.
Since the plague did kill about one third of Europeans, it affected the economy heavily, and the way people lived. People living in Europe at the time did one of two things. They either abandon their families, homes, cities, or ran off to cities that were not infected, or many people sheltered themselves in their houses with uninfected family. It was not uncommon for mothers to abandon their sons, and fathers to abandon their daughters. Social order in the cities was lost. Like many might think ministers, nuns, and enforcers of the law all were sick also, causing every man to fend for themselves. Social order in the cities within Europe was lost. There were no longer any servants that would care for the sick who were rich, and there was no communication between neighbors, and family. After millions were dead the Catholic churches no longer had any more space in the cemeteries. The deceased were bared in large ditches that were covered with dirt. If you had died from the plague you may be buried with up to three hundred other men, women, and children.
Many might say that the plague caused generations to be lost, and a culture that would never be the same.
By: Tiana Farina
http://www.insecta-inspecta.com/fleas/bdeath/
http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/renaissance/Globe/BlackDeath.html
Medieval Visual Art
Medieval society was a theocentric society, and as a result, symbolic representations of religious figures can be found throughout the time period's art work. The first period of Medieval art is called the Byzantine. In this period, mosaics were a very prominent art form, and could be found built into the walls of the churches. However, other art forms were present, and the Medieval artists created a new painting technique, involving egg yolk and a wooden support. This style of art lacked three-dimentional qualities, but was very symbolic. This artwork includes gold backgrounds, representing a heavenly atmosphere, halos to represent religious stature, and sometimes Roman political figures such as Emperors to represent a unification of church and state (debatably the opposite of today's society). Also, the way in which Christ was represented on the cross was symbolic. He had been represented on the cross with his eyes open, showing his victory over death, but this later changed, and he was drawn with his eyes closed. It is possible that this was done to show an empathetic view of Christ.
For many centuries, people of the medieval ages lacked the knowledge of architectual styles that the Romans had had. This knowledge was rediscovered, however, during a period of time in which religious pilgrammages gained popularity, and thus more churches needed to be built to satisfy the new amounts of worshipers. The technique that was rediscovered was called vaulting, in which mortar was used to hold stones together. This is called the Romanesque style, and this style, along with the Gothic style, were the common forms of architecture of the Middle Ages. The difference between designs was that the Romanesque style had one tower, and was not as decorative as the ornate Gothic Style. One very prominent aspect of Gothic architecture is the use of gargoyles. Originating from the french word "gargouille," meaning throat or pipe, gargoyles served symbolic as well as functional purposes. They were found on the roofs of buildings done in the Gothic style as guardians of the building, and serves as gutters, guiding water away from the sides of buildings. "Gargoyles" that did not serve as gutters were referred to as chimera.
http://www.eyeconart.net/history/medieval.htm
http://www.gargoylegothica.com/
For many centuries, people of the medieval ages lacked the knowledge of architectual styles that the Romans had had. This knowledge was rediscovered, however, during a period of time in which religious pilgrammages gained popularity, and thus more churches needed to be built to satisfy the new amounts of worshipers. The technique that was rediscovered was called vaulting, in which mortar was used to hold stones together. This is called the Romanesque style, and this style, along with the Gothic style, were the common forms of architecture of the Middle Ages. The difference between designs was that the Romanesque style had one tower, and was not as decorative as the ornate Gothic Style. One very prominent aspect of Gothic architecture is the use of gargoyles. Originating from the french word "gargouille," meaning throat or pipe, gargoyles served symbolic as well as functional purposes. They were found on the roofs of buildings done in the Gothic style as guardians of the building, and serves as gutters, guiding water away from the sides of buildings. "Gargoyles" that did not serve as gutters were referred to as chimera.
http://www.eyeconart.net/history/medieval.htm
http://www.gargoylegothica.com/
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Dragons
Dragons and dragon related deaths were a huge problem in the middle ages. Dragons frequently went around burninating cottages and peasants. They mostly came in the niiiiight. One of the most notorious dragons of these period was Trogdor(1).
(1) "Trogdor." The Homestar Runner Wiki . 22 October 2007. . Goleman Networks.. 7 Nov 2007.
(1) "Trogdor." The Homestar Runner Wiki . 22 October 2007. . Goleman Networks.. 7 Nov 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Terpsichore (Medieval Dances/Music)
For any/all of you who like classical music, this is a link to a four movement piece entitled Terpsichore. Terpsichore (one of the nine muses of Greek Mythology, she was of music) is actually a collection of many medieval dances and songs (there have been hundreds written down and recorded, Terpsichore just samples some) shaped into a four-movement 24 minute (around there piece).
It's an absolutely fantastic piece of music, and the SWHS Wind Ensemble is playing it at this winter concert coming up.
Anyway, check it out if.
http://www.manhattanbeachmusic.com/html/terpsichore2.html
-Connor
It's an absolutely fantastic piece of music, and the SWHS Wind Ensemble is playing it at this winter concert coming up.
Anyway, check it out if.
http://www.manhattanbeachmusic.com/html/terpsichore2.html
-Connor
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