Gothic period/ medieval times/Dark ages

Time:
5th to the 15th century Early, high and late middle ages We will be focusing mainly on Europe

Economy
Europes population increased from 35 to 80 million people between the year 1000 and 1300. Various theories have been created to account for this population growth. Some include the improvement in agriculture and the decline in slaveholding and invasion.

Manorialism- about 90 % of the population were rural peasant that lived in small holdings such as villages. They often ruled by overlords such as knights and nobles whom they owed rent and other services. Feudalism- Nobles and Knight were able to exploit the manors and villages by taking part of their income. They however were only allowed to do so by giving their overlord military services etc. this also allowed them to own land.

 Money was used less and less after the fall of the Roman empire. Because such a large amount of the population were peasants, they relied mostly on what they could produce themselves. Landlords would then rely on what the peasants produced.

Trade started to increase around 800AD around the Mediterranean. This is because 2 empires controlled the whole Mediterranean, this allowed for the traders to be protected from invaders such as pirates and Vikings. The 2 empires include Arabs, which conquered Spain, southern Italy and Sicily and also Charlemagne had extended his empire over all of France and Germany, into the Balkans and over Northern Italy.

 Crusade helped bring in trade from other countries Saladin Tax The crusade also led the kings of France and England to come up with a new tax on money. This helped the economy to reestablish a money trading society. Fare sand markets became increasingly more important to the economy. The Plague- 1350. Every 3rd person on average died. This weakened the relationship between peasants and nobles because the peasants moved into the cities where their relatives died. Cities became very powerful, country fares were used less often, people started buying their goods from shops within the city. Kings kept on increasing their tax in money to the point where people had to sell their crops to pay for the taxes. This marked the beginning of banks, people changed their money from one currency to the next.

Chateaux de Chillion Lake of Geneva Switzerland (1150 AD)

Mnster Cathedral Bern Switzerland (1421 AD)

Notre dame Paris France (1163 AD)

Society:
Kings were at the top of the social structure and in later middle ages the Pope was also at the top. Kings, local lords, and knights were all part-of a ruling class that called itself noblemen. Knights were warriors who fought on horseback. In return for land, they pledged themselves as vassals to the king. Only the sons of lords could become knights A King ruled large areas of land. To protect his land from invasion, the king gave parts of it to local lords, who were called vassals. In return, his vassals promised to fight to defend the king's land. The eclergy formed another important social group; they lived realy well . The rest of the population lived in Villages and in later middle ages cities.

Two ways of organising medieval society were Manorialism and Feudalism. Medieval villages consisted of a population comprised of mostly peasants who were either classified as free men or as "villeins, or serfs- those who owed heavy labor service to a lord, were bound to the land, and subject to feudal dues. Servants were peasants who worked in the lord's manor house, doing the cooking, cleaning, laundering, and other household chores. Merchants and minstrels(travelling musicians) Life was extremely hard for the average person in medieval times. Little to eat. Worked all the time except on holidays and church feasts. Social activities were important, and every citizen in a medieval town would be expected to attend. Medieval weddings were cause for the entire town to celebrate. Feast days were marked with; Fairs with troubadours and acrobats performing in the streets..; merchants selling goods in the town square;games of chance held at the local tavern; tournaments featuring knights from near and abroad Music was of great importance; it was believed that it helped with the digestion of food so there was always music at meal times. Gifts were exchanged at Christmas and Easter, the Lord of the manor or castle often gave bonuses of food, clothing, drink and firewood to servants. The castle lord would receive eggs from the villagers and in return, provide servants with dinner

Culture

Traditions
Feasts: The medieval civilization held many feasts through out the year. These usually had pagan origins and revolved around agricultural reasons, such as the beginning of a certain harvest. Their largest celebration was the one during Christmas which lasted a duration of 2 weeks, from Christmas eve to the 6th of January. It was a extremely long vacation for workers, and sometimes the lords felt generous and gave extra pay, food, clothing, drink and firewood On new years On Easter gifts were exchanged, lords received eggs from the villages in exchange for providing them with food for their dinner. In May villagers would venture into the forests to pick wildflowers for their home to welcome a successful fertile season.

Tournaments
Large tournaments or tourneys were held in the medieval times. These tournaments displayed various mock fights amongst the knights. It allowed the knights practice for warfare but at the same time provided great entertainment for the people. These tournaments were called lists and were often held nearby a castle The people of the time could either view the tournament form the castles battlements or from alongside the battle arenas. The ladies and noblemen were able to watch the Tournament from a grandstand called the Berfoise. This was built a full storey above the lists. Some of the games that took place at these tournaments included
Malee: A team of knights competed and fought against another team of knights either on foot or horse back. One on one combat on foot Jousting

Jousting
Jousting was a form of entertainment in the middle ages. It was a contest among knights, which allowed them to practice their warfare skills in front of a large crowd of onlookers. These tournaments involved two knights on horse back with lances. They would come galloping at one another, with the aim to try throw the opposing knight off their horses with their lances. These contests required a lot of skill and strength. Knights were often severely injured or died from these events. There were two forms of jousting:
The first takes place during tournaments which are held over several. Each round a kight would be eliminated until there was an overall winner The other was when a knight would send out a challenge to all those who dared compete against him at a specific time and place

Relationships/Marriage
Marriages were considered as economic and status strategies. The partners were carefully selected by the family members. Parents and sibling had the most say over arranged marriages, but often the Lord would want to have a say in the marriages happening within his village. Careful planning went into the marriages because the choice of future bride or groom determined how well the couple would live in the future. Not all marriages were arranged though. Poor families often did not have the opportunity to marry someone with money. They often married whom they pleased or never married at all. Women never had a choice in whom they would marry, often they would not even meet their future husbands until their wedding day. Men were sometimes able to choose their brides

 Girls were married off as young as 12 yrs old, and boys as young as 17. The future wifes family had to usually pay a dowry or give a donation to the husband, who then becomes in charge of that money. Once the wedding is arranged, a noticw would be placed on the door of the church. This gave the town an opportunity to come forth with any reasons to why the marriage could not take place. If the reason was valid, the marriage would be prohibited. Some reasons included :
If the couple were to closely related If either of them had taken a monastic or religious vow Widows or widowers took vows of calibacy in the past

Reasons that were not valid enough included:

Religion:
The medieval world was mainly a christian one. The Church was one of the most powerful medieval institutions, controlling publication of books and the making of laws. Medieval education was often conducted under the auspices of the Church. During the 800s, French ruler Charlemagne realized his empire needed educated people if it was to survive, and he turned to the Catholic Church as the source of such education. His decree commanded that every cathedral and monastery was to establish a school to provide a free education to every boy who had the intelligence andthe perseverance to follow a demanding course of study. Wealth Flowed Into the Church: The church received donations of land, jewelry and money from nobles as acts of penance. Nobles paid the church to educate their children. Everyone paid the church for various sacraments. Grammar, rhetoric, logic, Latin, astronomy, philosophy and mathematics formed the core of most curriculums. Under the church were monastries, abbotts, convents. These housed monks and nuns. Monasteries and Convents served as hospitals for the sick, guesthouses for weary travelers, distribution centers for the needy, and storage facilities for food. Travelling monks (friars) feeding and sheltering them was an easy act of penance. St Francis of Assisi

Church suffered from heresies which led to inquisitions which often led to the death of the accused. Many innocents were killed. The Catholic Church firmly believed in labor and in prayer. As the third year that followed the year on thousand grew near, there was to be seen over almost all the earth, but especially in Italy and in Gaul, a great renewal of church buildings; each Christian community was driven by a spirit of rivalry to have a more glorious church than the others. It was as if the world had shaken itself, and casting off its old garments, had dressed itself again in every part in a white robe of churches. one church or chapel for every 200 people. all art in medieval times was created for religious purposes.

sermons in stone

Cathedrals were seen as heaven on earth

Everything in a cathedral was fully functional apart from being decorative

FOOD:
Medieval societies always feared having a lack of food. Crop surpluses were rarely enough to create viable storage systems. The elderly often voluntarily stopped eating so younger members of the family could survive Medieval foods and diets depended much on the class of the individual The rich ate : Fowl such as capons, geese, larks, and chickens were. They also dined on other meats; beef, bacon, lamb, and those living close to water may have regularly dined on salmon, herring, eels ands other fresh water fish. Fish would either be sold fresh or smoked and salted. Wealthysociety could afford large quantities of milled flour and other meals made from grain. Dairy products such as cheese and butter. The peasants: were made from barley and rye, baked into dark heavy loaves, ale (which is where they got Vitamin C),water sweetened with honey, peas and beans added to bread and pottage, . Onions, cabbage, garlic, nuts, berries, leeks, spinach, parsley were some of the foods that would combined to make thick soup. Influence of the crusades on food.

Communication:
Letters were written on parchment (pieces of dried animal skin) with the use of ink and quill pen.

- There was also semaphore, helioscope (flashing mirrors), and smoke signals for relatively short, important messages. society depended much more on oral than on written communication, and information certainly circulated by word of mouth in public announcements, sermons, and performances.

-delivery of letters: (or personal messenger)by the help of doves,pigeons,and faithful owls n eagles, by foot, horse, or ship.

Transport
Horse transportation Horses were not differentiated by breed but by use. Chargers- war horses Palfreys- riding horses Other - carthorses and pack horses. The invention of the stirrup, horse shoe, horse collar, bit and bridle allowed horses to be used on a daily basis for transport and in warefare.

 Ships- Used for trading, transportation and warfare. They were powered by the oar or sail, sometimes both.

 Walking Peasnants and pilgrims walked an average of 10 to 20 miles a day Wagons- pulled by horses or oxen

Litter For the noble and wealthe who wished to travel in style protected from the sun and rain. Also for the injured and sick

Inventions
Windmill Tidal mill- operated by allowing the tided to pull into a one way gate, which closes automatically the tide falls. When the tide is low again, the water is release which the turns the mill.

3 field rotation system Heavy plough- Lead to greater food production and a population increase

 Horse shoe First mechanical clocks 1st investigation of the optics and invention of crude lenses. Roger Bacon earliest comment on using lenses for optical purposes. Manufacture of distilled spirits (liquor) The hour glass Quarantine-During the black plague. Ships coming in from other areas had to be isolated for 30 to 40 days to manifest the diseas and dissapitate the infection. Gunpowder Compass Oars and rudders Wheelbarrow Stirrups, bit and bridle chainmail

Jewellery
Used mostly gold and silver Enamel, pearls, amber, stones were used as decoration Gold held the most value amongst the medieval citizens, and was worn by the highest of nobles. Silver was seen as a poor substitute for gold, and was worn by the lower classes. The gold that goldsmiths used was often recycled gold from ancient coins, jewellery etc. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, turquoises, and diamonds were the most frequently used stones

 Precious stones were believed to have magical abilities that could assist in things such as childbirth, detecting poison and even curing epilepsy. Jewels that had an inscription, figure or symbol engraved into it had even more magical powers. Goldsmiths often also used antique cameos (profile portraits) or intaglios which were semi precious stones decorated with engravings or reliefs. They were also of high value because their images were believed to have magic powers as well and because they were seen as extremely beautiful Engraved gems were also extremely popular.

 Jewellery was very important for self expression and self representation. Jewellery did not only include the usual of necklaces, rings and bracelets but also decorative buttons and pieces of jewellery sewn into hats and garments Common heraldic motifs (eg 12th century Rhenish eagle shaped gold fibula) were often used to decorate brooches and clasps using the technique of repousse. They were then decorated with colourful pastes and garnets. They also often incorporated religious imagery, such as the letter M for Mary

References
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval /economy/index.htm http://listverse.com/2007/09/22/top-10inventions-of-the-middle-ages/ http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/inventions-inthe-middle-ages.htm http://web.ceu.hu/medstud/manual/SRM/je wel.htm