Lexicon
Seafaring warriors and traders from Scandinavia who raided and settled parts of Europe between the 8th and 11th centuries.
Vikings
Religious leaders who served the Church, such as priests, bishops, and monks. They led services, taught scripture, and guided people in spiritual matters.
Clergy
Lasts roughly 1000 years, 500-1500
The Middle Ages
A strong sense of duty and faithfulness to someone in power. In feudalism, it was shown through service, protection, and obedience to a lord.
Loyalty
A trained warrior who served a lord and protected the manor. These fighters followed a code of honor called chivalry and often received land for their service.
Knight
A period in European history (roughly 476–1000 CE) following the fall of the Roman Empire, marked by political instability, fewer written records, and a decline in trade, education, and urban life
Dark Ages
A code of conduct followed by knights during the Middle Ages. It included values like bravery, loyalty, honor, and respect for others, especially the weak and the Church
Chivalry
A building or group of buildings where monks live together. It includes places for worship, sleeping, eating, and working.
Monastery
A piece of land given by a lord to a vassal. It came with responsibilities—like military service or helping manage the manor.
Fief
The head of the Roman Catholic Church and the most powerful religious leader in medieval Europe. They had authority over all clergy and often influenced kings and politics.
Pope
A large estate owned by a lord during the Middle Ages. It included farmland, villages, and buildings like a church or mill.
Manor
A political and social system in medieval Europe where land was exchanged for loyalty and service. Kings gave land to lords, who gave land to vassals, creating a chain of responsibility and protection.
Feudalism
A person who received land (a fief) from a lord in return for loyalty, service, and protection.
Vassal
A man who chooses to live a religious life in a monastery. They spend their days praying, studying, working, and helping others. They often take vows of poverty, obedience, and silence.
Monk
A system where people are ranked in levels of power and importance. In feudal society, kings were at the top, followed by lords, vassals, knights, and peasants.
Hierarchy
A farmer or laborer who lived on the manor. Some were free and could move or rent land. They grew crops, raised animals, and supported the manor’s economy.
Peasant
Lasting from 550 to 1000 AD, this period lasts from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Crusades
The Early Middle Ages
A large and important church, often located in a city, where a bishop worked. They were built with impressive architecture and served as centers of worship and community life.
Cathedral
A series of religious wars launched by European Christians to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control. They began in 1095 and lasted for centuries, bringing both conflict and cultural exchange.
Crusades
These Ages saw devastating wars between England and France (the Hundred Years War), civil wars within England, the Black Death, and the Papal Schism.
High Middle Ages
A tax or offering, usually one-tenth of a person’s crops or income, paid to the Church. It was a religious duty and helped support priests and church buildings.
Tithe
A religious way of life where people live in a community focused on prayer, work, and spiritual discipline. Monks and nuns give up personal possessions and follow strict rules to grow closer to God.
Monasticism
A period in European history from about 1000 to 1300 CE marked by growth and change. Towns expanded, trade increased, universities were founded, and the Church held great influence. It was a time of rising kingdoms and cultural development.
High Middle Ages
A set of guidelines written in the 6th century to help monks live a balanced and disciplined life. It emphasizes obedience, humility, silence, and daily routines of prayer and labor.
Rule of St. Benedict
A special room in a monastery where monks copied books by hand. It was quiet and well-lit, and helped preserve important religious and historical texts during the Middle Ages.
Scriptorium