The Early Middle Ages

Today we are learning how Western Europe built a new civilization

Key abbreviations to know:

• EU = Europe• ENG = England• GER= Germany• FR = France• IT = Italy

• RU = Russia• PORT = Portugal• HRE = Holy Roman

Empire

Anything with an asterisk (*) in the

PowerPoint WRITE IT DOWN!!!

Rome fell, now what???

• 476 C.E. – Western Roman Empire fell– Odocer – Germanic General overthrew

Romulus Agustulus (14 yr. old Emperor)• Now what do neighbors have in

common???– NOTHING!!!!!!!!! – *location now

becomes a key factor• Esp. water!

• *Europe’s Geography:– Peninsula w/smaller peninsulas

Europe’s geography• *Geo made it difficult for any one group to rule • *Water

– Most of EU w/in 300 miles of ocean/seas– Rivers – encouraged trade– The English Channel

• Separated ENG from the rest of EU

• Mountain Ranges– Carpathians

• E. EU– Alps

• Italy– Pyrenees

• Spain & PORT

New Societies, New Enemies

• Location, Location, Location!!!– Some societies were close to the old Roman empire, so they

stuck with what they knew!• *Germanic Kingdoms– Angles, Saxons, & Jutes – top 3 Germanic tribes

• Anglo-Saxons• England = Land of the Angles

• *Celts– Locals from SE Britain– Anglo-Saxons conquered them– Irish, Scottish & Welsh - descendants

the Franks• *Germanic Tribe• Set up in Gaul (FR)• *496 CE – King Clovis – became Catholic

– *Helped spread Catholicism to all the Franks

• *Clovis died- sons divided kingdom• *Those sons died- next sons divided

kingdom– Result: fight over land, nobles took over– *By 700 CE – top nobles “mayors of the

palace” running things.

Charles Martel• *Most powerful Frankish mayor– *Goal: unit the Franks

*The Pope-most powerful man in the Catholic church– *Goal: restore order in Western Roman

Empire’s lands.– Supported strong Catholic rulers like

Martel• Issue: Run all the Muslims out of EU

(threatened Christianity)– Battle of Tours (732 CE)

• Stopped Muslim advance

The Papal States• Charles Martel dies • *Pepin the short (son) takes over– Became the new king of the Franks– *Threatened by Germanic tribe:

Lombards– Defeated Lombards in Italy– *Gave the pope the land he

conquered.– *Papal States – Pope ruled over

this territory like a king.

Charlemagne

After Charlemagne’s death there is constant warfare and Germanic invasions. This leads to…

Feudalism• *Based on a mutually agreed upon contract• *Lord vassals -plots of land (fiefs – aka:

manors)• *Vassal Lord -10 days of military service, pay

annual fee to lord• *Vassal peasants -protection• *Peasants vassal – work the land• *Peasants had no rights!!!!!

Shift in power from kings to Nobles

People wanted

order and stability

Feudalism

Manor life• *Serf’s obligation to

noble:–Work 3 days a week• Castle repair• Dig moat• farming

Castle Life

Click on the image for a virtual tour

•Cold, damp, no heat•Walls covered with tapestries to prevent draft•Foul air (few windows)•Main hall used for sleeping, eating … a fire was always burning•No “bathrooms” … few baths taken (water was so polluted) … all waste thrown into moat•There were toilets (Privy)•Wine and beer were main beverages since water was often undrinkable*(all)

Jolly ole’ England

Kings of England• *Henry II

– Ruled from 1154-1189– Used law courts to increase his power– *Established a body of common law – same throughout the

whole kingdom• *John

– Became king in 1199– Raised taxes, no trials for accused, power resented by nobles– *Forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215

• *Edward I– *Developed Parliament

• *Aka: Great Charter• *Took away some of the king’s powers– No longer collect taxes unless Great

Council agreed– Freeman had the right to fair trials– Stated rights/duties of king and vassals– *Established the idea that people have

rights and the power of the gov. should be limited!!!!!!!

William the Conqueror• Normandy – Viking conquered land in western France

across the English Channel• *William– descendant of Viking ruler who conquered Normandy– *Cousin of King Edward of England – *Believed that at Edward’s death he should have been

crowned King of England• *Defeated Harold – newly crowned king at the Battle of Hastings

– Crowned King of England– *Became William the Conqueror

• *Built the Tower of London

The Church• The center of daily life*• “Age of Faith”• Friday – day of sacrifice (no

meat)*• Sundays – go to Mass– No benches – people sat on the

floor or brought stools from home• “Pillars of the earth” - cathedrals

Most were illiterate so lots of images were used

within church architecture

Notre Dame• Maurice de Sully, bishop of

Paris, decided to build a new cathedral for the expanding population, dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

• Built in an age of illiteracy, the cathedral retells the stories of the Bible in its portals, paintings, and stained glass.

The Legend of St. Denis and creation of the Abbey Church: According to a 9th century Carolingian legend, St. Denis, the first bishop of Roman Paris, was beheaded around AD 250 by Roman soldiers in Montmartre, but then walked away with his severed head in his hands beyond the center of Paris before dying.

Church Architecture • Architecture was a way a society shows what

is important to its culture*– Religion was important in the Middle Ages

• Church leaders and wealthy merchants and nobles paid to build large new churches called cathedrals

• *Romanesque or Gothic Style

Gothic style• Ribbed vaults• Pointed arches• Taller• Flying buttresses– Stone supports built

into the cathedral’s outside walls.

• Thinner walls • Stained glass

windows

Romanesque style• Rectangular

• Long rounded roofs – barrel vaults

• Huge pillars• Thick walls• Little light from

windows

Notre Dame

Medieval Punishment

The Iron Cage

The Pillory

The Rack

The Stocks

The Water Wheel

Iron Maiden