The Early Middle Ages: The Feudal Spirit

How’d Europe Change After The Fall Of Rome?

From This… To this.

The Age of Charlemagne• Descended from

Franks: valued war and destruction

• Blend of two cultures during reign of Charlemagne

• Kingdom: Large European kingdom, from the Rhine to Spain

• Renewed interest in learning and arts

The Carolingian Renaissance• His interest in culture assembled group of

scholars and artists. This is against the negative stereotype of the Middle Ages.

• Borrowed imperial ideal from Rome and Byzantium

• Monks copied manuscripts and painted, learned chants and interpreted the Bible.

• Alcuin of York, teacher: revival of learning and literacy. Attempted universal education – again, against the stereotype.

Charlemagne’s Court• Pilgrimage to Rome in

800. Crowned Holy Roman Emperor. First large-scale monarch since Roman times.

• Charlemagne’s kingdom only lasted one generation after his death – split it up between his children.

• New wave of invasions: Muslims, Hungarians, Vikings

Charlemagne, ready to save the damsel in distress – the Pope.

Feudal Europe• France and England

bore the brunt of Viking invasions

• Decentralized government system: feudal estates

• Feudalism: system based on vows of military service and ownership of land.

• Based on grant of lands by lords to vassals (middlemen) in return for service

• Castles served as refuge for the feudal estate during war

• Crusaders came back and improved them – stone instead of wood!

• Fortresses intended to defend against siege, not for comfort

• Decoration of castles simple tapestries to protect from cold

Chivalry• Emerged as a way to

enforce loyalty.• Loyal to lord, not sleep

with his wife, or surrender his castle as well as religious devotion and service to ladies

• Tournaments: feasting, pageantry and dance

• Professional warriors (knights) emerged

Chivalric CodesDo not copy; these are just examples• Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe

all its directions. • Thou shalt defend the Church. • Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the

defender of them. • Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born. • Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy. • Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and

without mercy. • Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not

contrary to the laws of God. • Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word. • Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone. • Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right

and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

The Norman Invasion of England• In 1066, England was ruled by

the Anglo-Saxon king EDWARD THE CONFESSOR. When he died that year, his relative HAROLD became king despite Edward possibly naming a Norman king.

• Harold quickly became involved in fighting new and fearsome invasions by the Vikings.

• Harold also had reason to fear across the English Channel in the French region of Normandy.

The Normans• The Normans were ruled by

Duke William of Normandy. He claimed that the dead Edward the Confessor had promised the throne of England to him.

• In 1066, William sailed with thousands of soldiers and Norman nobles. They invaded England to take the throne from Harold. Harold’s troops were exhausted from just having defeated the Vikings – and they were defeated by the Normans at the BATTLE OF HASTINGS in 1066.

Bayeux Tapestry

William the Conqueror – William I of England

• The Normans brought French language, culture, and legal system to England. For many generations the Normans and Anglo-Saxons of England struggled for power and to live together.

• William the Conqueror united England under his control. He used military force and bureaucracy.• He built many castles throughout the kingdom for his

forces to rule from – such as the Tower of London and Windsor Castle.

• He established the DOMESDAY (not Doomsday) BOOK which was a bureaucratic survey of the kingdom.