Medieval Europe
The Dark Ages
Friday, February 22, 13
Anticipatory Set
❖
What does it mean to have
good manners? Give
examples of ways we
should conduct ourselves
around specific people or
in specific places or at
specific times.
Friday, February 22, 13
Chivalry
❖
Chivalry - Code of conduct. System of rules that dictated a
knight’s behavior towards others.
❖
Comes from the French word cheval, meaning “horse” and
refers to the fact that knights were mounted soldiers
❖
To become a knight, a boy had to belong to the noble class and
had to pass through two stages of training:
❖
age 7 - serve as a knight’s page, or attendant
❖
teenager - become a knight’s assistant, called a squire
❖
Coat of arms - graphic symbol that identified him and that
represented his personal characteristics
❖
According to the code of chivalry, knights were expected to be
courageous in battle and to fight fairly. If a knight used tricks
to overcome an opponent he was considered a coward.
❖
Loyal to friends, treat foes gallantly, courteous to women
Friday, February 22, 13
What was medieval Europe like without
the Romans to provide protection?
How did the fall of the Roman Empire
impact the rise to feudalism?
Friday, February 22, 13
Movie Clip
Friday, February 22, 13
❖
Who were the
Vikings?
❖
Who were the
knights?
Feudalism
Friday, February 22, 13
Assess Knowledge
❖
Key Terms: Vikings, knights, feudalism, fief, vassal, manor,
serfs, chivalry
❖
What was life like for a peasant during the Middle Ages in
Europe?
❖
What was the role of women during the Middle Ages in
Europe?
❖
What was life like in a Medieval castle during the Middle
Ages in Europe?
❖
How did the fall of the Roman Empire impact the rise of
feudalism?
Friday, February 22, 13
Feudal System
❖
❖
Feudalism
❖
Definition: The political and social system of medieval Europe, in which
vassals received land from overlords in exchange for armed warriors and
other services.
❖
Context: Under feudalism, the overlords, lesser lords, knights and peasants
all depended on one another for survival.
Fief
❖
Definition: A grant of land given by a lord to a vassal in return for an oath of
loyalty and armed warriors.
❖
Context: In a formal ceremony, a monarch would give a noble a fief and
promise to protect the noble.
Friday, February 22, 13
Feudalism
❖
❖
Monarch
❖
Definition: A king or queen who rules a territory, usually for life and by
hereditary right
❖
Context: Feudal society had a strict social order and the monarch was at the
top.
Lord
❖
Definition: In medieval Europe, a powerful landowner who ruled over an
area.
❖
Context: Even though they were below the king, local lords controlled most
peoples’ lives.
Friday, February 22, 13
Feudalism
❖
❖
Vassal
❖
Definition: Someone who lives on the lord’s land, providing loyalty in return
for protection.
❖
Context: Through this “feudal contract,” the noble became the vassal of a
king or queen.
Noble
❖
Definition: Somebody of aristocracy or a high social rank
❖
Context: Nobles, safe inside their castles, were able to build up their armies
and expand their power.
Friday, February 22, 13
Feudalism
❖
❖
Knight
❖
Definition: In medieval Europe, a soldier of high military rank
❖
Context: The most skilled soldiers were knights, who dedicated their lives to
combat, a code of behavior called chivalry, and service to their lords.
Peasant
❖
Definition: A member of the lowest feudal class; poor, uneducated laborers
who lived and worked on the land owned by the nobles.
❖
Context: The peasants were the economic backbone of society, growing the
crops and producing the other goods that everyone needed.
Friday, February 22, 13