Chapter five The Early Medieval World

The Early Medieval World

Fiefdom, Monastery, and RomanesqueChapter Five1

Anglo-Saxon EnglandAfter the Romans left England in 406, Germanic and Norse tribesAngles, Saxons, Jutes, and Frisiansinvited as mercenaries by Romanized British leaders, began to operate on their own

Their Anglo-Saxon culture, steeped in Germanic and Norse values and traditions, came to dominate cultural life in Britain

Christianity almost completely disappeared

Feudalism, in which a stronger patron provided protection to a weaker client in exchange for his loyalty, became the dominant system

3Anglo-Saxon England and Celtic Ireland

4Sutton HooFirst excavated in 1939, Sutton Hoo, near the modern city of Ipswich, England, yielded a burial mound containing the remains of a wealthy and powerful Anglo-Saxon man, probably a seventh-century king

A 90' long and 14' wide treasure-filled ship had been used as the final resting place of the man

An elaborate burial ceremony, which included cremationforbidden by Christianityand apparent human and animal sacrifice

Only two objects discovered at the site show any evidence of a Christian culturetwo silver spoons inscribed with the names Saulos and Paulos in Greek lettering

5Purse CoverFrom Sutton Hoo burial ship, ca. 625

Note the symmetrical design, the combination of interlaced organic and geometric shapes, and the animal motifs of this cloisonn purse lid. In the burial site, it contained gold coins and ingots.6Christianity in Anglo-Saxon BritainAfter the Romans withdrew from Britain in 406, Christianity had survived only in the westernmost reaches of the British IslesCornwall, Wales, and Ireland

Around 563, monasteries began to be established, marking beginning of the re-Christianization of Britain

The Celtic Christian church differed from Roman Christianity celebrating Easter on the vernal equinoxbelieving Mary was exempt from original sinplacing authority with the abbots and abbesses instead of the bishopPracticing private confession7Illuminated ManuscriptsThe task of Christian missionaries in England was to transfer the allegiance of the people from their king, or thane, to God

They could not offer gold, or material wealth, but only salvation, or spiritual fulfillment

They illuminated their manuscripts with a rich decorative vocabulary, adorning Christianity in gold and silver, jewels and enamel, and placing it within the architecture of the most magnificent kind 8Carpet Page, from the Lindisfarne GospelsTempura on vellum, 13" 9", ca. 698

The carpet page of the Lindisfarne Gospels is an example of a Celtic cross, supposedly created by St. Patrick when he made the mark of a Latin cross through an ancient pagan stone monument

The corner designs of the page recall the decorations on the Sutton Hoo purse cover9Chi Rho Iota Page, Book of Matthew, Book of KellsTempura on Vellum, 13" 9", late 8th or early 9th century

Made in the monastery on the Scottish island of Iona in the late 8th century

The Greek letters chi, rho, and iota, an abbreviation of Christi , form the basis of this pages design, which illustrates one of the most beautiful capitals

So great was the renown of this book that in 1066 it was referred to as the chief relic of the Western world

10Carolingian CultureThe Franks were one of the many Germanic tribes that had moved westward beginning in the 4th century CE

By 732 Christianity was firmly established in France

Under the leadership of Charlemagne, the Frankish kingdom grew to include all of modern-day France, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and almost all of Germany, Northern Italy and Corsica, and Navarre in Northern Spain

11We believe in one God,the Father, the Almighty,maker of heaven and earth,of all that is, seen and unseen.We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,the only Son of God,eternally begotten of the Father,God from God, Light from Light,true God from true God,begotten, not made,of one Being with the Father.Through Him all things were made.For us and for our salvationHe came down from heaven:by the power of the Holy SpiritHe became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,and was made man.For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;He suffered death and was buried.On the third day He rose againin accordance with the Scriptures;He ascended into heavenand is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,and His kingdom will have no end.We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,who proceeds from the Father.*With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified.He has spoken through the Prophets.We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.We look for the resurrection of the dead,and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

FiliquoeThe Empire of Charlemagne to 814

13Equestrian Statue of CharlemagneBronze with traces of gilt, 9', early 9th century

Charlemagne brought one after another pagan tribe to submission, forcing them to give up their brand of Christianity and submit to Romes Nicene Creed

On Christmas Day 800 in Rome, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor, creating what later would be known as the Holy Roman Empire14The Medieval MonasteryThe monastery was a central part of Carolingian tradition, arguably its most important institution

Monastic life, as developed by Benedictine of Nursia (ca. 457-547), was to be a community of like-minded people in the pursuit of religious perfection who possessed nothing of their own and were never to marry

The Swiss monastery of St. Gall, near Lake Constance, was Charlemagnes ideal monastery. Laid out in modules, or standard units of 2', its functional, orderly plan was used in many Benedictine monasteries15Plan for a Monastery at St. Gall, Switzerland

16Reconstruction Model of the Monastery of St. GallThe nave and the transept of the church, each 40' wide, are composed of 16 modules. Each monks bed was to be 2 modules. The width of each garden path was 1 modules

This systematic arrangement reflects an increasing tendency in medieval thinking to regard Christianity as a logical and rational philosophy of life

17Hildegard of BingenReligious life offered women, generally the daughters of aristocrats, an alternative to life as a housewife or worker

One of the foremost women of the age was Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), who ran the monastery at Bingen, near Frankfurt, Germany

Although she wrote tracts on natural science, medicine, and the treatment of disease, an allegorical dialogue between the vices and virtues, and a significant body of devotional songs, she is best known as the first in a long line of female Christian visionaries and mystics18Facsimile of Page with Hildegards Vision, Liber Sciviasca. 1150-1200

19Capetian France and the Norman ConquestThe Capetian dynasty was begun by Hugh Capet in 987. Their most contentious relationship was with the dukes of Normandy, an area that had been claimed by Viking raiders

In 1066, William of Normandy (later William I, the Conqueror) claimed the English throne on the death of the heirless English king Edward the Confessor on January 5, 1066 Bayeux Tapestry, commissioned by Williams half-brother, the Bishop Odo of Bayeux, narrates the Battle of Hastings and Williams ascension to the throne. Thus England and northern France became one country with one king

20The Bayeux Tapestry

Below, Harold swears allegiance to William, his right hand on the altar between them, and his left on a chest presumably housing sacred objects from the Cathedral at Bayeux

This, the first section of the tapestry, depicts Edward the Confessor talking to Harold, earl of Wessex, his wifes brother. He is sending Harold on a mission to France, ostensibly to tell William, duke of Normandy, that he will be Edwards successor

21The Bayeux Tapestry

Harold, with the green shield, receives an arrow to the eye at the Battle of Hastings. Immediately to the right, a Norman soldier slays himHaving returned to England just before Edwards death and having assumed the throne, Harold is disturbed by the arrival of Halleys Comet, visible in the top border. The comet would have been seen by the Anglo-Saxons as a portent of disaster and resulting, the tapestry implies, from his having broken his oath

22The PilgrimageThroughout the Middle Ages it was customary for Christians to do penance by going on a religious pilgrimage

The most popular (and also most difficult and hence potentially most rewarding) sites for these pilgrimages were Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela, in the northwest corner of modern Spain, where the body of Saint James the Greater lay at rest

Specific routes soon developed that allowed pilgrims to visit other sacred sites that housed relicsbones, clothing or other possessions of Christian saints and martyrsalong the way23The Pilgrimage Routes

24Pilgrimage ChurchesPilgrimage sites were quick to capitalize on the sometimes massive visitations

From 1050 to 1200 so-called pilgrimage churches arose in France and Spain

Their architecture and decoration define a period called the Romanesque, in the manner of the Romans, because they incorporated elements of Roman architectural stylethe basilica tradition, portals modeled after Romes triumphal arches

25Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy, Conques, Auvergne, Franceca. 1050-1120

26The Abbey Church of Sainte-FoyThe Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy is one of the oldest of the pilgrimage churches

With wide aisles and a two-story gallery, it was built to accommodate large numbers of visitors

The space created by the barrel vault, a distinctive feature of Romanesque architecture, was designed to raise the worshipping pilgrims eyes and thus direct their thoughts to heaven

27Reliquary Effigy of Sainte-FoyGold and silver over a wooden core, 34"983-1013

Saint Foy (Saint Faith) was a child who was martyred in 303 for refusing to worship pagan gods

Her skull was contained in an elaborate jeweled reliquary that stood in the choir of the church

28Floor Plan and Interior of the Nave, Sainte-Foyca. 1050-1120

29Romanesque PortalsPortals of Romanesque churches were of special importance as they were the first thing the visitor would see; they also marked the boundary between secular and sacred space

All elements of the Romanesque portals were subject to decorative reliefthe tympanum (the space under the arch), the lintel jambs (the vertical elements on both sides of the door), the trumeau (the column or post in the middle of the door), and the archivolt (the curved molding formed by the voussoirs making up the arch)

30Last JudgmentTympanum and detail, Sainte-Foy, ca. 1065

31Cluny and the Monastic TraditionCluny, founded in about 910, was a reformed Benedictine monastery that controlled most of the pilgrimage churches

In 1088, Abbot Hugh de Semur began work on a new church for the abbey

The entire arrangement reflects the ideal Carolingian monastery at Saint-Gall. In the twelfth century, it was described as something of the likeness of the paradise of God32Reconstruction Drawing of the Abbey ChurchCluny, Burgundy, France, 1088-1130

33"Third Abbot Cathedral From Cluny: A Light in the Night (length: 4:33). Item #8636 1995 from FMG

Video will play automatically.The CrusadesThe Crusades were four attempts (1096-1204) to retake the holy lands from Muslim control

On November 25, 1095, at the Council of Clermont, Pope Urban II (pope 1088-1099) preached the First Crusade

The First Crusade was motivated by several factors: religious zeal, the desire to reduce conflict at home by sending off Europes feuding aristocrats, defending Christendom from barbarity, the promise of monetary reward, and the nobilitys hot blood and sense of adventure35The Medieval CastleOf all the medieval castles of Europe and the Middle East, none survives that is as impressive as Krak des Chevaliers in northern Syria

Krak des Chevaliers was modeled on the castle-fortresses built by the Normans in England and northern France

First occupied by Crusaders in 1109, it was used beginning in 1142 as a hospital for the sick and wounded. Twelve times it withstood siege before finally falling to Berber invaders in 1271

36Krak des Chevaliers (Castle of the Knights)Northern Syria, 1109-ca. 1220

37Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Art of Courtly LoveOne of the greatest beauties in Europe, Eleanor of Aquitaine was wife to two kingsLouis VII of France and King Henry II of England

From 1170 to 1179 Eleanor and her daughter by Louis VII, Marie, lived in Poitiers and established the city as the center of a secular culture and literary movement that celebrated the art of courtly love

Troubadour poets, most of them men but a few women (trobairitz), can be said to have invented romantic love as we know it today: longing for a woman of higher status, suffering, lying sleepless at night, losing ones appetite, willing to perform any deed to win his ladys favor

38Casket with Scenes of Courtly LoveChamplev enamel, 3-5/8 8 6-3/8", ca. 1180

At the left, a lady listens as a troubadour poet expresses his love for her

In the center is a knight, sword in one hand and key to the ladys heart in the other

On the right the knight kneels before the lady; the rope around his neck, held by her, signifies his fidelity to her39Dont forget: You can copy-paste this slide into other presentations, and move or resize the poll.Press F5 or enter presentation mode to view the pollIn an emergency during your presentation, if the poll isn't showing, navigate to this link in your web browser:http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/ODY4MjU2MzQy

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