The Roman empire was very strong and good at keeping order

Once the empire fell wars became common and people looked to their local lord to protect them

A new type of society developed – we call this the Feudal system

The period of history between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Modern Era is known as the Medieval Period, Or “Middle Ages”

Supreme ruler of a country

Gave land to the Nobles/Lords

The Rich landowners of the Middle Ages

Received land from the King – in return he had to supply the king with soldiers and pay taxes

Professional Soldiers – recieved land from the Nobles. Fought for King and/or Nobles when required.

Worked the land for Knights and Nobles

Could not leave their village without permission from their masters

“Tied to the Land”

Keep Metal grille gate

Battlements easy to shoot out of

Portcullis Open courtyard

Fire Main part of castle

Moat Main material in Motte

Drawbridge top of castle

Wood little danger to stone castle

Narrow windows Can pull up for protection

Bailey Filled with water

Parents arranged her marriage and had to pay a large Dowry to her husband

Dowry – money/gifts given from wife’s family to husband’s family

Lady had to manage the castle as a home – supervise the servants, grew herbs for medicine and food and managed the castle’s accounts.

7 to13 years old – Page. Learned to ride a horse, use a sword and helped the lady and lord of the castle

14 to 20 years old – Squire. Learned to fight, acted as a Knight’s assistant.

21 Years old – became a knight in a ceremony called a dubbing

Catapult Main Castle Room

Jousting Lord’s living rooms

Page Uses a bow and arrows

Archer Wine made from honey

Squire First stage of becoming a knight

Dubbing Used to break down castle doors

Battering Ram Mock fighting on horseback

Herbs Medieval artillery

Solar Second stage of becoming a knight

Great Hall Knighthood ceremony

Mead Grown by the lady

All animals owned by the villagers were kept on one big field called the commons

Sometimes nothing was grown on a field for a year to allow the soil to stay fertile – this was known as “leaving the soil fallow”

Peasants worked the land. They could be:◦ Freemen – owned their own land

◦ Serfs – belonged to the lord (like Slaves)

Lived in Wattle and Daub houses

Breakfast at dawn: Bread and Ale (beer)

Lunch at 11AM: Bread, Cheese and Ale (or Cider)

Main Meal at 5PM: Vegetable Soup (Pottage), bread, cheese and Ale

Ale or beer was drunk because water was often dirty and full of disease

Spring – Plough the fields, sow the crops

June – Shear the sheep, make wool clothes

August/September – Harvest, the busiest time of the year

Autumn – Rents and taxes were paid

Winter – Sow crops in the field that was fallow.

A Manor – the land belonging to the Lord

Tithe – a payment to the local priest by the manor peasants, usually 1/10 of their crop

Forge – the Blacksmiths workshop, where metal things were made

Mill – where wheat was ground into flour

Commons – land for grazing, shared by everyone

No work done on Sundays or Holy Days

Board Games were very popular – including Backgammon and Chess

Bailiff – collected rents and taxes for the Lord and also did the job of policing the Manor.

Punishments included:◦ The Stocks – tied up and humiliated in public

◦ Ducking Stool – for dropping people in the river

◦ Hands cut off – for stealing

◦ Hanging – for very serious crimes

Prison was not used very often

Medieval towns had High Walls to protect against attack, guarded by Sentries

Streets were very narrow and dirty

Houses were made of wood

Fires had to be put out at dusk – this was called a curfew

A charter was a letter from the King letting a town run its own affairs

Allowed a town to elect a council or a corporation

Ennis town got it’s charter from King James 1 in 1610

Craftsmen – made things that people needed

Guild – an organisation for Craftsmen

Apprentice – 12 year old boy who worked without pay to learn new skills

Journeyman – 19 year old man who worked for pay and travelled around for work

Master – When you have your own workshop and sell your own goods