Medieval Period

Introduction

Hello, dear reader! Welcome to our blog. Learn about the middle age is our main purpose, famous events, art, music, information about knights, the economy, population, expansion and social conditions, religion, clothing, famous writers and literature. We hope this information can help you to know about this period.

The Early, High and Late Middle Ages

Although in some languages the Middle Ages are labeled in the singular (it's le moyen age in French and das mittlere Alter in German), it is difficult to think of the era as anything other than ages plural. This is in part because of the numerous subjects encompassed by this long period of time, and in part because of the chronological sub-eras within the era.

Generally, the medieval era is divided into three periods: the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, and the Late Middle Ages.

The Early Medieval Era is sometimes still called the Dark Ages. This epithet originated with those who wanted to compare the earlier period unfavorably with their own so-called "enlightened" age.

This era is often considered to begin with the "fall of Rome" and end sometime in the 11th century. It encompasses the reigns of Charlemagne, Alfred the Great, and the Danish Kings of England; it saw frequent Viking activity, the Iconoclastic Controversy, and the birth and rapid expansion of Islam in Northern Africa and Spain.

The High Medieval Era is the period of time that seems to typify the Middle Ages best. Usually beginning with the 11th century, some scholars end it in 1300 and others extend it for as much as another 150 years.

The Late Middle Ages can be characterized as a transformation from the medieval world to the early modern one. It is often considered to begin in 1300, though some scholars look at the mid- to late-fifteenth century as the beginning of the end.

Once again, the end of the end is debatable, ranging from 1500 to 1650.

Famous events

Starting with the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest - when William the Conqueror effectively took all of the lands and property from the Saxon English and gave them to his French nobles and knights. The knights of the Middle Ages, the religious knights and the founding of the Knights Templar.

Medieval Art

Early Medieval Art was initially restricted to the production of Pietistic painting (religious Christian art) in the form of illuminated manuscripts, mosaics and fresco paintings in churches. There were no portrait paintings.

Learn about other aspects of Medieval art and the famous artists of the times including Donatello, Giotto, Leon Battista Alberti, Cimabue, Filippo Brunelleschi, Fra Angelico and Lorenzo Ghiberti. There were also women artists during these times including Claricia - German female artist and nun who illuminated manuscripts in the 12th century, Herrad of Landsberg the Abbess of Hohenburg, Ende - 11th century nun and manuscript illuminator, Guda the German 12th century nun and manuscript illuminator, Diemudis the 12th century Bavarian nun and manuscript illuminator and the most famous of the women artists during the times - Hildegard of Bingen.

Medieval Music

This section details Medieval Music. People in Medieval Times enjoyed various types of music and dance. This section covers the Music of Middle Ages providing information about the music, and musical instruments. There are facts and information about Musical Instruments in Medieval Times, Troubadours and Minstrels.

Medieval Knights

Medieval times were dominated by the feudal system and the role of the knights and their servants. There are articles on the life of knights, their living conditions, knights clothing, knights weapons, knights training, knights armor and tournaments and jousts. Included in this section are Facts about Knights, the Steps to Knighthood, the lives of the Squires and Pages culminating in the Order of Knighthood Ceremony. The Medieval Knights Code of Chivalry, rules about Courtly Love and Knights Tournaments. Learn about jousting, the History of Jousting, Jousting Terminology and the Jousting Weapons used by Medieval knights.

The Medieval English economy

The economy was overwhelmingly agricultural. Towns functioned as commercial centers, but long distance trade was still undeveloped.

Medieval Europe had very poor roads: potholes could be large enough to overturn a cart. In wet weather, the roads became extremely muddy - not until the late 14th century were city streets cobbled with stones. Consequently, shipping by sea or river was far more efficient than land carting.

The introduction of the magnetic compass during the 12th Century considerably improved navigation. Although England's maritime trade grew during the 13th Century, international trade and commerce was dominated by the cities of Italy. Their commercial expertise and loan facilities enabled them to obtain special concessions from the English government.

Population expansion and social conditions

Because the number of people was growing while agricultural yields remained stagnant, people had to expand onto marginal land to increase food production. Forests were felled, marshes drained and arable crops planted in poor soil that had previously been used as pasture. Existing land was sowed more frequently and left fallow less often.

These techniques expanded production initially, but yields tended to fall over time. The cutback in the area available for livestock decreased the volume of manure obtainable for fertilizing the soil.

Religion

The Catholic Church was the only church in Europe during the Middle Ages, and it had its own laws and large coffers. Church leaders such as bishops and archbishops sat on the king's council and played leading roles in government. Bishops, who were often wealthy and came from noble families, ruled over groups of parishes called "diocese." Parish priests, on the other hand, came from humbler backgrounds and often had little education. The village priest tended to the sick and indigent and, if he was able, taught Latin and the Bible to the youth of the village.

Monasteries in the Middle Ages were based on the rules set down by St. Benedict in the sixth century. The monks became known as Benedictines and took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to their leaders.

Clothing

Most people in the Middle Ages wore woolen clothing, with undergarments made of linen. Brighter colors, better materials, and a longer jacket length were usually Medieval Hats:  Cap,

coif, turban... What hat would you have worn in medieval times? signs of greater wealth. The clothing of the aristocracy and wealthy merchants tended to be elaborate and changed according to the dictates of fashion. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, men of the wealthy classes sported hose and a jacket, often with pleating or skirting, or a tunic with a surcoat. Women wore flowing gowns and elaborate headwear, ranging from headdresses shaped like hearts or butterflies to tall steeple. 

Medieval literature

Medieval Literature - The Dark Ages  and the Bards

English Medieval literature had, so far as we know, no existence until Christian times of the Dark Ages when Latin was the language of English literature. English Medieval literature was not written. It is was passed by word of mouth from one generation to another by English, Welsh and Irish bards. The origins of the stories about King Arthur and the Arthurian Legend are found in many Welsh legends and Celtic Myths which were told by the Bards who therefore contributed to Medieval literature.

Medieval Literature - The Language

The French language came over to England with William the Conqueror. During the whole of the 12th century it shared with Latin the distinction of being the literary language of England, and it was in use at the court until the 14th century. It was not until the reign of King Henry IV that English became the native tongue of the kings of England.

Medieval literature was written by a variety of authors and poets, many of which are included in the following list:

ü Caedmon (657–680) was the first English poet of whom we have any knowledge and credited with the authorship of "The Dream of the Holy Rood"

ü Venerable Bede (673-735) who wrote the Ecclesiastical History of England and the scientific treatise, De Natura Rerum

ü Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) Famous Medieval author of the Canterbury Tales

ü Margery Kempe (1373 - c1438) Famous as the author of the first autobiography in English

ü John Gower (1325 - 1408) was famous as a Medieval Poet and friend of Geoffrey Chaucer

ü Francesco Petrarch (1304 - 1374) was famous as an Italian poet, and humanist and for his poems which were addressed to Laura

ü Dante (1265 – 1321) famous as a Medieval Poet and Politician

ü Christine de Pizan (1364 -1430) famous as a Medieval author and feminist

ü William Longland (c1332 - c1386) who was famous as an English Poet who wrote the Vision of Piers Plowman

ü Boccaccio (1313 - 1375) an Italian writer who was famous for writing the Decameron

Raphael Holinshed (c1529 - 1580) Famous as the Medieval Author of Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland

Resources

http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-history/

http://faculty.history.wisc.edu/sommerville/123/123%2013%20Society.htm 

http://historymedren.about.com/od/dailylifesociety/u/Life_and_Culture.htm

http://www.historyonthenet.com/Medieval_Life/feudalism.htm

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/feudal.html

http://www.medieval-life.net/education.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4zQnNLRW3w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IU-wJBu7Aw

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/artsentr.html

Created by 

Geidi Patricia Valle Henríquez 

and 

Adriana Yasmín Solano de Zavaleta.