Christianity
What was the role of Christianity/Church in the Middle Ages and how did they organize?
Since they had major political power, they were often trusted advisors for the government. They also owned lots of land and had lots of influence.
They organized by developing a structure similar to the Roman government (basically a hierarchy)
What rights did a charter give townspeople?
A charter allowed the members of a medieval town to govern themselves.
How and why were Jews mistreated?
How: they were discriminated against by laws that were against them and Christians. Jews were also primarly blamed for the spread of diseases.
Why: As Christianity was the main religion, most were not approving of another religion being present.
What were guilds, and what types of guilds were there?
Guilds were associations of people who worked the same trade. They were set up to ensure their members produced quality goods and were treated fairly.
There were merchant guilds: Mostly merchants & involved in trade usually; and craft guilds: artisans, cobblers (shoe-makers, stonemasons, etc.
Who are Charlemagne and Clovis?
Charlemagne: successor of Clovis, became Holy Roman Emperor (crowned by the Pope) and brought a renaissance in military and culture.
Clovis: conquered Gaul and reigned from 418 to 511 CE, famous for converting most of Gaul to Christianity.
What were monks and what did they do?
Monks joined monasteries and communities to pray and do services for other Christians. They spent their time praying, studying, and working.
What is feudalism and what were vassals, fiefs, serfs, and lords?
Feudalism: system of power based on land ownership that dominated medieval Europe
Vassals: lesser lords who promised service and devotion to a lord for their land
Fiefs: portions of land
Lords: gave vassals their land and promised vassals protection
Serfs: people who farmed the lord's land. Technically slaves but weren't classified as that!
What was it like to grow up in a medieval town, and what was it like specifically for girls?
Almost half of the children died and those who survived either went through intense labor or began preparing for adult roles at around 7 years old.
Girls especially were educated only in skills for running a home (cooking, cloth-making, etc.) and married young and raised children soon after. This unfortunate case was only for poor girls.
What were merchant fairs like, and what role did they play in both the growth of medieval Europe and town hierarchy?
Merchant fairs were large and sold goods from all over, especially the East.
The role was that merchants from many countries came, attracting many people to medieval towns.
In the town, they were the wealthiest members and dominated the business life. They even had the right to levy taxes and pass laws.
The arts regularly depicted stories and teachings from the Bible for illiterate devotees.
Examples of architecture were cathedrals (large churchs the held the bishop) and arches, flying buttresses transept, naverass?, and gargoyles.
What were mendicants and what did they do?
Mendicants were bound to a vow to remain in poverty and leave all earthly possessions to preach the Gospel to the poor and travel amongst common people.
How did towns become independent?
A charter, which was a document from the monarch or a lord that gave the townspeople the right to govern themselves.
What were health conditions like?
Unhealthy living due to small, crowded houses, no knowledge of health and the ways to prevent unhealthy living, and zero hygiene skills. Due to this, diseases like the Bubonic Plague, measles, and scarlet fever were spreading fast.
What were the houses like and why were they uncomfortable?
The houses were cold and dark, with only a fireplace as a heat/light source, and were very small and crowded. Disease spread fast due to these unhealthy living conditions.
CHRISTIANITY
What role did the Roman Catholic Church play in education?
The Roman Catholic Church provided people with places to read and write, as well as led students at universities, because these areas had more access to knowledge.
What were sacraments and what were the seven sacraments?
Sacraments were actions one did to give blessings to God, and they believed they gave salvation.
The seven sacraments were baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, matrimony, Holy Orders, penance, and extreme unction.
Who held power in towns?
The charter and merchants who levyed taxes and passed laws.
What did people do for fun?
Children: toys, games, sports
Adults: chess, checkers, dancing, gambling, playing cards.
Both went to mystery and miracle plays. Mystery plays were about Jesus Christ, and miracle plays were about saints' miracles.
What was produced?
Foods
Goods
Clothing
Toys
What were holidays and what did citizens do when celebrating?
Holidays were centered around either the birth of Jesus Christ or the resurrection of Jesus Christ. To celebrate, many ate feasts, danced, listened to music, and more.
Pilgrimages: people took these adventures to show their devotion to God. Popular locations consisted of Jerusalem, Rome, and Cathedral Centerburg.
Crusades: military expeditions to the land where Jesus lived (Jerusalem) and was called the Holy Land.
What was the justice system like?
Trial by ordeal (the one accused must pass a series of dangerous tasks/activites) or trial by combat (fight; if the accused cannot fight, someone can sub in for them) to prove if someone was innocent or guilty.
Soon turned into a judicial system like ours that favored reason.
What was the medieval hierarchy?
1. Monarch/king
2. Lords & ladies
3. Lesser lords & ladies
4. Knights
5. Everybody else
How were goods distributed?
Merchant fairs that had goods and merchants from all over. Consisted of trade + selling.
Who was Thomas Aeches?
An Italian scholar who bridged the gap between faith and reasoning.