The Medieval Period
I. Feudalism
a. a caste system, a military system, a property system, and a system of social behavior
b. caste system= people were based in order of importance
c. Ultimately, it was based on a religious concept of hierarchy, with God as supreme
overlord/ general/ land owner
i. the lord of the land appointed barons as his vassals, then placed them in charge
of certain portions of his land
1. barons, in turn, appointed vassals of their own: knights, landless
knights, all the way down to serfs not free to leave the land they worked
on behalf of their superiors
2. a weak lord could result in a strong vassal refusing to be loyal-- hence
the battles among iron-clad knights around moated castles we always
think of
ii. primary duty of a male above the serf class was to provide military support to
his lord
1. boys trained from early ages to become warriors, often in houses other
than their own for the sake of strictness
2. trainee could become a knight with full privileges of warrior class
d. the entire feudal system based firmly in ideal of loyalty
i. loyal to God
ii. loyal to lady
iii. loyal to master
II. Chivalry
a. Chivalric code: a blend of good manners, Christian beliefs, and military ideals:
i. adherence to oath of loyalty, first to God, then to one's overlord and lady
ii. courage in battle
iii. acceptance of certain rules in warfare-- did not attack unarmed, for example
iv. adoration of a particular lady (not necessarily one's wife) for purposes of selfimprovement
b. The code was most often demonstrated in tournaments, where mock fighting showed
off skills, loyalty, bravery, and was dedicated to one's special lady
III. Geoffrey Chaucer
a. called "father of English poetry"
b. greatest of Middle Ages
c. well-known government official
d. detailed portrait of an entire society
i. old, young
ii. rich, poor
iii. male, female
iv. educated, ignorant
v. redneck, righteous
IV. The Canterbury Tales
a. A group of stories told by the characters as they travel together to visit the shrine of St.
Thomas a Becket in Canterbury
b. St. Thomas
i. was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170
ii. is venerated as a saint and a martyr by both the Catholic Church and Anglican
Communion
iii. engaged in conflict with Henry II of England over the rights and privileges of the
church
iv. was murdered by followers of the King in Canterbury Cathedral