*Half Yearly Examination Notes*

In Europe, the period between the collapse of the Roman Empire in AD 476 and the beginning
The Modern World is called the Middle Ages. It is in the middle of the ancient and modern
worlds. This time is also called ‘mediaeval’ (which is Latin for middle) or ‘feudal’ (which refers to
the system under which people lived).
The Middle Ages is itself divided into several parts:
● The early Middle Ages or Dark Ages from around AD 476-900
● The Middle Ages proper or Mediaeval period from around AD 900-1500
● The later Middle Ages or Renaissance from around AD 1500-1700

The fall of the Roman Empire

- Rome was at its greatest in AD 200.

- It controlled over 9 million square kilometres of land and contained more than 80 million
people. It was a difficult task in defending the empire due to its size and defences were
weakened from outsiders invading.
- Constantine the Great (306-337 AD). He fought a rival Roman general at the Battle of Milvian
Bridge in 312 AD. The night before the battle, he gained victorious thoughts from god and
after he had won he began sponsoring Christianity and funding the development of the
Catholic Church and ultimately made Christianity the official religion

- Barbarians were foreigners which Romans referred to as the outer in the Roman view and
were ignorant, savage, and uncivilised people beyond the river of Rhine.
- Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Franks.

- Beyond the borderlands of the Roman empire were the nomadic Huns who had been under a
new lead transformed the Huns from separate independent nomadic tribes into a nation
seeking power and riches. Attila used his power to raid both the Western and Eastern Roman
Empires, playing one off against the other. The western bribed Attila to attack the east with
gold and vice versa.
- The western and eastern empires teamed up to defeat the Huns controlled by Attila and it
was victorious. However, as they teamed up the barbarians learned the skills and the defences
and attacks of the roman empire which helped determine the weaknesses of the Roman army.
- The barbarian Germanic tribes, now unable to live peacefully and produce enough food,
entered the lands of the Western Roman Empire seeking refuge. However, the Romans did not
treat them very fairly despite their earlier alliance. For example, sneaky Roman officials forced
hungry barbarians to sell their children into slavery for dog meat to eat.

- The various barbarian tribes then fought and defeated Rome’s legions. They were able to
achieve this because they had previously trained and fought with the Romans and knew their
weaknesses. So powerful was their attack that Roman soldiers defending Britain from the
Angles and Saxons had to be eventually recalled home when the Visigoths attacked the city of
Rome itself. In 476 Odoacer, a Gothic king, forced Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman
emperor in the west to hand over his power to him.

Around 500 AD, tribes were starting to shape the modern-day world
Saxons, Jutes, Angles: England
Franks: France
Visigoths: Spain/Italy
Ostrogoths: Germany
Vandal/Visigoths: Italy

Barbarian kingdoms after the fall of the Roman Empire

1. (The most powerful barbarian tribe was the franks due to them expanding their borders
by fighting other Barbarian tribes and establishing a kingdom that included France,northern
Italy, and Germany. Its most famous king, Charlemagne ruled from AD 771 – to 814. This
empire became known as the Holy Roman Empire. It was Holy because its leaders, the Franks, had
converted to Christianity and had support from the Papal State.)

2. Kingdoms of the western roman empire died out and were abandoned
3. Angles, Jutes, and Saxons had formed themselves into several separate kingdoms
Angles: North Folk, South Folk, Mercia, and Northumbria
Saxons: Sussex, Wessex, and Essex were settled by the Saxons.
Jutes: Kent
4. This period of time is known as the Dark ages
5. This period takes its name from the fact that the invaders were not Christian and they did not
write. It was also considered a time when learning, knowledge, and culture went backward.
6. Barbarian groups in the western Roman empire soon converted to Christianity to socialise and
perform trades with the Romans who already lived in nearby lands as they had just settled .
7. The creation of the Holy Roman Empire reflected the new social order of authority that would
come to dominate mediaeval times. The Church represented divine authority, the tradition
began that the Church was more powerful than any European king of Christian lands. The
pope had to give his blessing for kings to be crowned
8. A person who was excommunicated was cut off from the Church and its sacraments and
therefore no longer had the means of reaching heaven.
9. Feudalism began to maintain and defend their kingdom. Each king granted land not only
to the Church and its representatives such as bishops, he also gave land to his best soldiers or
Nobles. Mainly peasants overpopulated the land with no free rights and would be punished
for uncertain reasons

*Spread of Islam*

1. The Eastern empire centred around the city of Constantinople.

2. The Eastern Roman Empire survived the barbarian invasions. The Eastern Roman Empire was
renamed the Byzantine Empire by later historians.
3. In the early 600's AD, a man named Muhammad began to spread his teachings and founded
the religion of Islam. This religion was closely linked to that of Judaism and Christianity in the
sense that all three religions believe in the same God, however, Islam like Judaism did not
recognize Jesus as the son of God but rather another prophet.
4. Islam's five major pillars or teachings involve; faith in God alone, prayer, fasting, charity and
pilgrimage.
 5. After the death of Muhammed, Abu Kahr, father-in-law of Muhammad got elected to be the
leader by the Islamic people
6. ​Under Abu Kahr, Arab forces invaded and conquered through war the lands of the Middle East
and North Africa (lands that were controlled by the Byzantine Empire – including Egypt,
Jerusalem, and Antioch).

The spread of Islam whilst the Roman Empire collapsed through barbarian invasion resulted
in the creation of three separate worlds around the Mediterranean Sea. These were;
● Christendom – Roman Catholic lands of Western Europe loyal to the Pope in Rome. This world
consisted of the barbarian kingdoms that invaded and settled the former Roman Empire.
● Byzantine Empire – Christian lands that were formerly known as the Eastern Roman Empire.
They were hostile to the Catholic lands of Western Europe and were concerned over the
growing power of Islam which invaded its lands, especially the Holy Lands of Jerusalem and
Antioch/damasucus.
● The Islamic world – Lands in the Middle East and North Africa that had been overrun
by Islamic forces between the 600-1000AD

Viking Raids
1. Vikings appeared in the 9th century coming from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. They were
mainly farmers with low prosperity of land and their land's climate and were seamen who
sailed upon the sea looking for a new settlement.
2. Their navigation was extraordinary.(Using ravens, and the sun situation)
3. However, the attraction of easy plunder turned many into fierce pirate raiders who attacked
coastal areas pillaging and plundering at will. Viking warriors had no fear as they believed
that death in battle would guarantee them a place in Valhalla, their heroic heaven.
4. Sailed all over Europe and the North Atlantic Ocean in their longboats and dragon-ships.
5. Around AD 1000 Viking voyagers were the first Europeans to reach America,
naming it Vineland.
6. They terrorized coastal towns, plundering churches and grabbing riches, slaves, and land. The
first Viking raiders were the Danish and Norwegian Vikings (Norseman). They settled in the
Orkney and Shetland Islands and from there they attacked Scotland and other parts of Britain.
7. The area became a trading centre named Dublin.
8. The Viking raid in Britain was the attack on Lindisfarne monastery in Northumbria, in AD 793.
9. In AD 867, the great armies of the Danish Vikings came and raided England. After a mere
seven years of fighting, they had conquered the English kingdoms of York, Mercia,
Northumbria, and East Anglia, including London. The English kings of these areas were put to
death.
10. Only one English kingdom successfully stood up against the Vikings - the kingdom of
Wessex. In AD 886 Alfred, king of Wessex, marched his army against the Vikings, defeating
them in battle. Alfred was also able to recapture London. In AD 887, Alfred signed a peace
agreement with Guthrom, the leader of the Danish Vikings. In this treaty, a boundary was
drawn between the English and Danish parts of England. A new country of Vikings named the
Danelaw was created next to England.
11. The Vikings continued to raid and plunder English towns. By AD 937, the English finally
gathered a huge army and re-conquered the Danelaw. The Vikings fled and England was
reunited under one king.
12. In AD 945 Viking ships began to attack French towns and monasteries. On one occasion, the
Viking leader Ragnar commanded his army to attack the city of Paris. The French had to pay
the Vikings 3,150 kilograms of silver to get peace and to stop them from destroying the city of
Paris. Eventually, one group of Vikings settled near the coast of France. This area became
known as Normandy, ‘the Land of the Northmen.’
13. By about AD 980, the Viking attacks on England began again. For the first time the
The English paid money to the Vikings to stay away. This protection money was called
‘Danegeld’. More and more dane gold was paid over the next few years. Despite being paid,
the Vikings did not stay away. A new Viking leader, Sweyn, with his son Cnut, attacked in AD
1013. Sweyn died a year later, but the fighting continued under his son. By AD 1016 the
Vikings had overrun all of England and killed Edmund, the English king. Immediately after
Edmund’s death, the English had no choice but to accept Cnut, a Viking, as King of England.

*The Battle of Hastings/Stamford Bridge and the Norman Invasion*

1. In AD 1016, Cnut, the Viking king of Norway and Denmark, became the first Viking King of all
England.
2. Vikings adopted the culture of the Anglo-Saxons and even converted to Christianity.
3. In AD 1042 an Anglo-Saxon man named Edward the Confessor became king of England. This
brought to an end the twenty-six years of Viking rule over England.
4. Edward died in AD 1066 without making clear who should be the next king. Edward
did not have any children and his death sparked off a crisis. Three men, a Saxon, a
Viking, and a Norman all believed that they should be King of England.
5. The 3 contenders
● Harald Haldraada - Harald Hardrada believed that he was the rightful heir to
the English throne because he was a descendant of King Canute of England.
● Harold Godwinson- Edward the Confessor named Godwinson as his successor
on his deathbed. Harold Godwinson's sister, Edith, was married to Edward,
making Harold the king's brother-in-law.
● William the Normandy- Edward the Confessor had promised him the throne (he was
a distant cousin) and that Harold II - having sworn in 1064 to uphold William's right to
succeed to that throne

Immediately after the death of Edward the Confessor, Harold Godwinson was crowned
king of England by the Witen. The Witen was a council made up of Anglo-Saxon earls.
Godwinson was Edward’s brother-in-law claimed that the dying Edward had promised
him the throne. However, William of Normandy claimed that Edward had promised him the
throne. William was furious because Godwinson had also pledged to support William’s claim
to the throne by swearing an oath on the Bible and holy relics of saints, but he declared
himself King of England anyway. The Pope in Rome, having learned of Godwinson breaking his
holy oath, supported William’s claim and excommunicated Harold. William immediately
prepared his army to conquer England and gain the throne. He carried the papal banner with
him showing god on his side

Stamford Bridge
Harald Haldraada launches 300 dragon ships, loading them to the destination of England,
starting an attack on Harold Godwinson. They landed in Yorkshire and Harold was expecting
William and was caught off guard and then marched to go to meet Harald Haldraada. At
Stamford Bridge, the two armies fought. When the Saxons arrived, the Viking force was
divided in two, one part of the army being on either bank of the river. They also did not have
their armour on and were in fact relaxing in the sun eating. When they saw the Saxons, the
helpless Vikings had no time to put on their armour. They grabbed their weapons and rushed
across the bridge in great haste to unite with the rest of their army. They quickly formed a
shield wall, but without protective armour were easily cut to pieces. Hardraada was killed and
all of the Vikings except the crews of twenty-three boats were slaughtered.

Battle of Hastings
William landed at Pevensey. Godwinson immediately sent out
with his weary army to meet the Normans. His army marched
for seven days and eventually arrived at Senlac, near Hastings.
Here they took up a position on a hilltop, formed a wall of
shields, and waited for the Normans to advance. The Normans
had three great advantages over the Saxon army of Godwinson.
Firstly, the Normans carried into battle the Papal banner, which
basically unnerved the Saxons. Secondly, the Normans had superior weapons and tactics. The
Norman army was composed of knights mounted on war horses, who were trained to charge
the enemy. They also had archers who fired arrows to distract and injure the enemy. The
Saxon army had few archers and no soldiers who fought on horseback. Thirdly, Harold’s army
was in poor condition – they were exhausted after the march to Hastings from the battlefield
at Stamford Bridge.

​When the Normans arrived, William ordered his archers to fire their arrows at the Saxon
shield wall. However, since the Saxons were stationed up on the hill, the arrows missed their
target, hitting either the side of the hill or flying over the top. Next William ordered the
Norman infantry and then the cavalry charged up the hill and attacked the Saxon shield wall.
They did not break through as the Saxons hurled spears and stones at the Normans. The
Saxons also stuck their spears through the shield wall and were able to scare the horses.

During the attack, the Normans who were charging on the left side of the battlefield turned
around and retreated. The Saxons on the left, feeling victory was within their grasp, foolishly
broke the shield wall and began chasing the Normans down the hill. The Normans then
turned around and began killing the Saxons, who were now very vulnerable having left their
shield wall. For the remainder of the battle, this process continued. Some historians argue
that the Normans attacked and then deliberately retreated to trick the Saxons into breaking
their shield wall. Others suggest it was not accidental. For example, during one attack the
Normans believed William had been killed and once again fled in panic. William however
realized what was happening and showed himself to his men to reassure them. The Normans
rallied and then began to cut down the Saxons who had broken their shield wall and left the
hilltop.

William then ordered his archers to shoot up in the air, so that their arrows came plummeting
down vertically. The vulnerable Saxons were simply cut to pieces. According to one version of
how Godwinson died, an arrow from one of William’s archers struck him in the face, killing
him instantly. The Saxons, seeing nothing but terror around them and seeing their king dead,
turned in panic and fled for their lives.

He reached London and was crowned king by the Witan on Christmas day 1066 at
Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey was built by Edward the Confessor and after 1066
became the place where all coronation ceremonies of English kings and queens took place.
After William was crowned king, he became known as ‘William the Conqueror’.

*The Bayeux Tapestry*

1. After the Battle of Hastings, Bishop Odo of Bayeux, half-brother of William the
Conqueror, ordered a large tapestry to be made that would show the important
events of William’s invasion and conquest of England. Known as the Bayeux Tapestry,
it was made up of eight long strips of bleached linen, stitched together to form a
continuous panel 70 meters long.
2. Although the story is told from a Norman point of view, the tapestry itself is one of
the greatest historical records of the medieval period.
3. The Bayeux Tapestry is preserved and displayed in Bayeux, Normandy, France.
Nothing is known for certain about the tapestry’s origins. The first written record of
the Bayeux Tapestry is in 1476 when it was recorded in the cathedral treasury at
Bayeux as "a very long and narrow hanging on which are embroidered figures and
inscriptions comprising a representation of the conquest of England".

*Feudal System*

William had a long struggle ahead to take control of England and keep it. He did this through
the Feudal System – a system that had been in place in mainland Europe for centuries, but
had not arrived in England to maintain this land at full ability

William then kept one-quarter of England for himself and then divided the rest of England into
large estates or manors. He gave these large estates to the most distinguished soldiers in his
army and it would remain theirs as long as they were loyal to him. Additionally, his nobles had
to guarantee that they would be available for military service for forty days a year. This
exchange of military service in return for land was known as the feudal system. When William
gave his most loyal and distinguished soldiers this land, each had to kneel before the king and
swear a solemn oath of loyalty to him.

The Saxons, who had been conquered by the Normans,

formed the lowest level of the
feudal system. Known as peasants, or serfs, they lived on
the estates or manors now owned by their Norman
overlords. The Saxon peasants farmed the land, working
for the knights, nobles and the king himself. The peasants
or serfs were actually considered the property of the lord
of the manor. They were forbidden to leave the manor
without the permission of their lord and were punished
severely if they disobeyed. The peasants worked for their
 lord several days a week, either farming the land or performing other services for him. In
return, the lord promised to protect his peasants and gave them small strips of land on the
manor to grow their own food to survive.

Taxation was a major influence on the feudal system as each level of government was
required to pay taxes to the upper classes. This includes the knights collecting taxes from
peasants and then paying the nobles with the taxes for the land and then the taxes get
passed on to the king from the nobles.

*KnightHood*

What was a Knight within the Mediaeval period after the conquest of William?
1. A Knight was a stage within the feudal system where you served and
protected the culture and kingdom of the land in charge also religion
2. The only 2 ways to become one is if your family was a knight such as your
father and you descend/inherited from him and start training as a knight
3. Though, another way to become a knight is by moving into the upper class
of the feudal system by either showing reverence, bravery, or sacrifice to a
king, (wealthy person) in combat announcing you as a knight

What was the process taken through the 3 stages to become a Knight or
knighthood?

1. The process taken to establish knighthood was known to be through Paige, squire and then
finally a Knight.
2. Though at the age of seven you had to leave your home and assist in delivering messages and
serving meals and giving things to the ladies. However, you also were insisted to use wooden
Weapons in order to practice your muscle and have a trend in mind
3. After the age of 12-13, you become a squire which is a significant role where you polish
armour, support and help the lord in tournaments and also carry around a lance and an extra
horse. The Child also practised using real weapons and started to gain bravery and become
ready to become a knight.
4. Then the final stage is the Knight which is at the age of 21 and you have to prove to become a
knight. To become a knight you had to be granted by a higher person with status. This also
has a process called the vows of chivalry where he expressed that he will live by the code and
show mature behaviour to the king and land
5. They also had to go through practices before the day of the ceremony and on the religious
event, the 21-year-old was dubbed with a sword providing service and protection of the land
and its culture and people

*Heraldry*
1. Heraldry refers to the different colours and shapes that make up these ‘coats of arms’.
2. Heraldry was also important because the design and colours used reflected the moral
qualities and social standing of the knight who wore it.
3. It also became a hereditary device enabling families to pass on their ‘coat of arms.’ The design
of the shield could use up to five colours.
4. They were purple, red, blue, black and green. There were also gold and silver which were
 called metals.
5. The simple rule in designing a mediaeval coat of arms was you could not put a
metal on a metal or a colour on a colour.

Mediaeval Castles

What are the Features of Mediaeval castles that

defend a castle?
● Thick brick walls,( curtain wall)
● moats,
● towers battlements,
● a drawbridge,
● Arrowslits
● large keep
● The fortified gate
● Barbican
● Machicolations
● Porticilus
● Plinth
● Bailey traps (in between the 2 barrier
walls)

● Curtain Wall- They provided a barrier to enemy attackers. They typically included wall
walks, which were used by the defenders to resist attempts to scale the walls or to
shoot missiles at the besieger
● Battlement/Towers - A protective, tooth-shaped parapet often with a
wall walk behind it for the soldiers to stand on. The defenders could
fire missiles through gaps (crenels). The raised sections, called
merlons, helped to shelter the defenders during an enemy attack.
● DrawBridge/Moat - stop enemies attacking the castle and prevented
siege weapons from being pushed towards the castle's walls and
gates and lowering the bridge to prevent people from entering
● Machicolations - a defensive system where you can fire down with a wall and
undercover to the base of the castle or entrance gate
● Large keep - The keep was a large tower and the last place of defence in a castle
where the lord or the noble lived (only 1 entrance)
● Porticilis - A wood- soon to be a metal gate that was opened and shut to close or
open the entrance of the castle
● Plinth - The support of walls that help keep structures standing such as the curtain
walls
 ● Turrets- A small curved room about a wall to allow shooting arrows through the
hole. Protecting the castle from enemies also provides protection with a narrow peak
whole making it a less chance of getting hit in battle

Siege Engines Description

Belfry and Battering Siege armies used a battering

ram ram to break down a
gatehouse door or even smash
a castle wall. To shield
themselves from attack, they
built a covered shed, in which
they hung a thick tree trunk on
chains suspended from a beam
above. Carpenters tapered the
trunk into a blunt point and
capped it with iron.

The belfry was a tower on wheels, which was rolled or hauled by oxen
towards the walls of a besieged castle or city. The tower had several
platforms, connected by ladders, and was used as a base from which
archers could fire at defenders. Some even had hinged drawbridges
which were lowered onto the castle wall, enabling the besiegers to storm
the castle.

Ballista The ballista was a giant crossbow, used as

much by defenders as well as attackers. It
shot large wooden arrows tipped with iron
or brass. The arrows had great penetration
and could skewer several victims at a time.

Catapult and Some were giant catapults called mangonels and trebuchets. They were
trebuchet designed to hurl stones weighing up to 200 pounds at distances of up to
300 yards and smash down the walls of a castle.

Fire Fire - Using fire to burn the walls by using wood and placing it near the
wall for the wall to be damaged or to launch arrows over the curtain wall
into the castle with archers

Ladders Ladders- Use ladders to scale of the curtain wall

Mining Mining - Digging and going underground of the curtain wall making a
sneaky entrance for an attack on a castle
Siege
Siege- Attackers would surround a castle with both men and catapults so
that no one could enter or leave the castle

Motte and Bailey Castles

1. The original castles of England, built by the Norman invaders, comprised of a mound of earth
on high ground enclosed by wooden walls. It was the defence of ditches and wooden walls
that turned a typical village into a castle.
 2. The bailey would include every sort of building necessary for the community to be
completely self-sufficient. These buildings included lodgings for the guards, craftsmen, cooks,
servants of all sorts and their families, stores for food and equipment, stables and pens for
more valuable animals such as horses, workshops, kitchens and a building for the lord, his
family and his guests.
3. At this early stage, these Norman castles were simply villages or settlements with
fortifications or walls around them. Overtime castles became more advanced. Eventually a
motte was added to strengthen the castle's defences. The motte was a conical mound next to
or within the bailey. On top of the motte was built a wooden tower. If an enemy took the
bailey, the lord, his family and his soldiers could retreat to the tower until help arrived.

Castle Advantages Disadvantages

Motte & Quick and easy to construct, making it appealing Due to being made mostly of
Bailey for establishing a Lord's authority and control of a wood, it wasn’t very strong
particular area. or secure and could be
damaged by attackers at war
Didn’t require any special skills to build, like
woodcutting and digging needed no skills beyond It was easily attacked with
what was capable of a normal peasant or soldier. fire and susceptible to nature
elements (Heavy and
Everything was self-contained; it contained all the consistent rains and/or fierce
necessary space for food and resource production, wind) causing rot. This could
it had dwellings for soldiers, peasants, craftsmen, result in constant
and animals. maintenance.

The Motte’s height again allowed a viewpoint of They weren’t designed to be

the surrounding area to see any approaching permanent structures for
threats. settling a particular area.

Life on Manor
1. Most of these villages were run by the ‘lord of the manor’, that is, either a noble
(tenant-in-chief) or a knight (tenant). Within the Manor were several buildings, the most
important being the lords' fortified house or castle.
2. The manor was generally self-sufficient, that is people did not have to go outside the village
to get the things they needed to survive. Apart from a castle or manor house for the lord,
each manor had other buildings, including a church or chapel, a mill for grinding grain, an
oven for baking bread, a barn for storing the lord’s grain, a blacksmiths forge, and of course
the huts or dwellings of the peasants.
3. Each manor only had one mill for the grinding of grain. The miller charged for his work a
percentage of all the cereal crops such as corn, wheat, oats, and barley ground. Each manor
also had one large bakery and once again the baker would take his share of the food
produced.
4. The smith not only showed horses but made and repaired all sorts of farming tools including
ploughs and harrows. He also made and mended pots and pans, knives, bolts, locks, and
weapons in times of war.
 5. The lord distributed some land amongst the peasants (also known as serfs or villeins) and
they worked this land to survive. In return the peasants worked several days a week on the
land the lord kept for himself. This land was called the demesne
6. The produce grown from this land was stored in a barn for use by the lord and his family.
7. The lord left the day-to-day running of the Manor to an official he appointed called a
bailiff. The bailiff made sure the Manor and the farming of the land was running smoothly. He
reported directly to the lord and carried out his wishes.
-

Three-field farming system Infield-outfield farming system

Description Description:
-Used in the midlands, there were 3 fields for -The In field system is suitable for highland
peasants to plough the crops and farm and all areas like south england. It is more used for
were open and had no walls, ditches/fences keeping animals and not crops and farmers
around them. However, people couldn’t grow spend most of the time taking care of the
anything different in the field. animals.
-It is the field lands next to the village! The
-They had long strips named furlongs. strips of furlongs with crops would be scattered
-Large potion was for the lord however, the rest and enough was grown for the peasants and
was for the peasants for the survivability of lord
their family by growing their crops. It was -The lands every year would be heavily
scattered so not only 1 family had access to manured.
good crops. - Outside the lands were the outfields which
-1 field was laying fall out of the 3 which means were old fields (poor quality) long ago used for
it was left to allow the soil to return to its growing crops but now it is fully exhausted and
quality. Each field was laid fallow every season used for grazing cattle or for growing grass.

- What were the roles and activities of surfs in the Mediaeval time?
The peasants worked for the lord's land and the allocated church land.
They were provided food shelter and protection though in return they gave labour to the
lord manor Their main activities during different seasons overall men and women/children
were threshing and farming the dense maintaining the roads and building properties and also
they harvested the grain and in winter was the hardest as they had to get ready for the next
season and plough the lands and sow the crops. They also grew vegetables through a garden
and had animals like cows, chickens. They also were forced to fight in combat when the king
ordered them

● The Peasants worked under conditions such as summer, autumn, winter, and spring,
though they were continuously working throughout the year except on special
harvests, or eventual religious days where they had to go to mass and serve god.
They worked 6 days and Sunday their work hours were shortened.
● They couldn’t marry or change his occupation, or dispose of his property without his
lord’s permission
● 85% of the population was serfs
● Weren’t allowed to leave the land unless had permission
● There were major plagues and illnesses that peasants had to also work under. (Due to
the amount of polluted and unhygienic sources provided). They also were poor and
couldn’t supply and had a lack of necessities.
● They were also only allowed to shower once or twice and were at the bottom of the
feudal system and making them have harsh treatment.
● They worked for the landlord and had to follow rules or they would be punished and
executed and had to pay taxes in order to receive protection, food, water, necessities
● They had to pay a tax called the teeth
● They couldn’t marry or change his occupation, or dispose of his property without his
lord’s permission
● 85% of the population was serfs
● Had to participate in a Levy and construct weapons and tools as a living
● They had to serve the Lord in any manner
 Season Men Women Children

Spring Men Women Children

During this season - Sheep and cattle -Some peasants owned -Children scavenged
there was often more were turned out of animals and they lived for nuts and berries,
land to plow their winter quarters inside their cottages. Collected edible plants
and crops to sown to graze and manure Each morning, the and roots, and
the land which had woman of the house collected firewood and
been left fallow. let the animals out, rushes for Lamps.
swept the floor clean,
- More plowing/ put away straw -Younger children,
-Sowing of crops mattresses, and began between the ages of
cooking and baking. six and seven spent the
day scaring birds away
- Milk from cows and
sheep was turned into -When they turned
cheese and butter. At eight children were
least once every two or considered old enough
three weeks, most to help with the
women brewed the tending of animals
family’s ale. including pigs and
small herds of cows.
- Dirty clothes were
very occasionally
washed in the nearby
stream or river. Other
time was spent
spinning woollen
thread and weaving
rough cloth

Summer -Made hay - Fruit trees were -Children continued to

Summer began with - Vegetables, if they pruned scare away the birds
the important task of had been planted in - Honey was collected and keep livestock
making hay to feed winters, such as beans from hives and fish away from the young
heraldry's upcoming and peas Were and eels were taken shoots of wheat,
seasons. harvested. from barley, oats and rye.
rivers and streams. - Honey was collected
from hives and fish
and eels were taken
from rivers and
streams.

Autumn, Men cut the crops, Women helped men to Children picked fruit
This was the busiest threshed the grain cut the crops, they trees, helped to gather
time of the year as and then took it to gathered wood and wood and make
crops were harvested the mill to be ground made candles for candles for winter
and sold at markets to into flour. winter the following because it would be
pay taxes to the lord. month. darker for longer.
Winter Men had to pull the Women salted, Children helped their
Back-breaking task of plow and level the pickled, smoked, or parents by pulling out
preparing the soil for land to be ready for cured the meat, so weeds from the soil, so
next season’s crops - sowing and planting that it lasted during the new crops would
this was the hardest crops in the following the cold months. grow better.
part of life on the season. Men also
land. slaughtered the
animals during winter
as there was not
always enough food
to feed them all.

Law and Order

There were four basic methods devised in the Middle Ages to help police the Manor.

1: The ‘hue and cry’

This simple method ensured everyone helped to track down people who broke the law.
if a villager was attacked he or she would raise the ‘hue and cry.’ Everybody within
earshot had to come to the rescue of the victim and help hunt for the guilty person. Someone
in the manor who witnessed a crime could also sound the alarm, give chase and shout out to
other villagers for help. If the villagers did not help, they had
themselves committed a crime and were fined.

2: The tithing
All males over the age of 12 had to belong to a group called
tithing. Each tithing appointed a leader and it was his
responsibility to watch and monitor the behavior of everyone in his group and report any
wrongdoings to his lord. He was also responsible for making sure that if one member
committed a crime and was fined, it was paid. If it was not paid, the entire tithing could be
fined.

3: The Watch
After dark all men in the manor took it in turn to keep ‘watch’ and monitor order during the
hours of the night. This job was unpaid, dangerous, and unpopular.

4: The Constable
Villages in the manor chose a constable who kept order during the day. This job was
unpopular as it was also unpaid. The constable appointed had to neglect his other duties such
as tilling the soil and growing crops.

Police within the middle ages had a system of trial by ordeal. Trial
by ordeal worked on how the body reacted to forms of torture. The
reaction was in fact believed to be a sign from God. In this way it
was very easy to judge guilt or innocence.
 Ordeal by Fire
An accused person had to sustain an injury by either holding a red-hot piece of iron in their
hand, dunking their hand in a pot of boiling water or walking barefoot on red hot
ploughshares. They were then left to heal and after 3 days, if the wounds were healed they
believed that god was healing them and were innocent. However if the wounds did not heal it
meant that they were guilty

Ordeal by Water
The ordeal by Water was commonly used in cases that involved accusations of witchcraft. In
this ordeal, the accused was thrown into a river with their hands and feet tied together. The
person was thought to be innocent if they sank to their deaths. If they miraculously floated
and survived, clearly they had used some form of witchcraft to escape and so they would be
put to death.

Ordeal by Combat:
Ordeal by combat involved using hand-to-hand combat to decide guilt or innocence.
Essentially disputing parties would fight to the death, the loser being guilty and the winner
being innocent. The accused would often elect to prove his innocence in single combat with
the accuser. The accused or accuser could elect a ‘champion’ to fight on their behalf. People
believed that God would reward the innocent person with victory. This method was commonly
used by those at the top end of the feudal system, but even peasants could resort to armed
combat to settle a dispute

Trial by Jury
Trial by jury - innocence is determined by members of your manor → potential for bias as if
the people who were assisting your punishment didn’t like you they would definitely give a
higher punishment.

Crime and Punishment

Prisons
- Prison sentences were almost unknown in mediaeval times mainly because of the cost
involved. Criminals, it was believed, were a good source of revenue, rather than an expense.
- Although prisons did exist, they were simply a place for those awaiting trial or execution
(usually two or three days after their sentence). Small villages often held prisoners awaiting
trial or execution in ‘thieves’ holes’.
- A sizable town might have one or two prisons and castles had ‘pit prisons’ or dungeons.
- Prison guards would actually pay money to have the job. This was because they could earn
this money back and a considerable amount more through bribes from the prisoner or his
friends and relatives.

Fines
- The main priority of law and order in mediaeval times was to provide compensation. As such,
Those found guilty were forced to pay some sort of a fine. In England, petty crimes could
result
in fines as low as a few pence, but more significant crimes, like assaulting a knight, could
mean fines up to 60 or 70 pounds.
- They did this on top of whatever corporate or capital punishment they would receive as well.
Minor Crimes

These were most often methods of humiliation. For children under 12 caught stealing they
would be branded or have their ears Cropped. Harsher punishments for stealing include
severe forms of mutilation; cutting off limbs, an ear or tongue. Even
having one's eyes burnt out.

Ducking Stool: Nagging women were tied to a stool and dunked into
the local river

Scold’s Bridle: Women who gossiped were forced to wear an iron face
mask with spikes that entered the mouth, held the tongue still, and made speaking
Impossible.

Stocks/Pillory: Located in the centre of the village, Used for

serious theft/robbery. They were wooden frames that locked
over the culprit's feet or hands. Those in the Pillory had their
ears nailed to the cross beam that had their hands locked in
place. At the end of their sentence, they were ripped from the
beam, marking the thief for life. Villagers and townsfolk would
throw rotten food and rubbish or even spit on them as they
went past. Some harsher punishments for stealing included
severe forms of mutilation, such as the cutting off of a hand,
an ear, or a tongue.

Murder and treason

Beheaded - Nobles who committed murder were beheaded or hung to spare the pain of
torture. In this ability, your head was cut off and was a more effcient way to die.

Hung, Drawn, Quaterd

For peasants who committed Murder or For anyone who committed treason.

PROCESS: They were first hung, but taken down before death, then they had their limbs
stretched, sometimes they had their organs removed whilst still alive, they were cut into four
pieces

The keep
Victim has their arms tied and placed in an iron cage and the door is
shut forever. It was then hung over the main square for all to see as
they rotted away in the sun as hungry
birds pecked at their flesh.
 Usually reserved for nobles to set an example, it took away any honor one had. Often
townspeople threw rocks at the victim to continue their agony

Punishments for Witchcraft and Heresy

- Anyone suspected of disagreeing with the Church was in danger of being charged with heresy,
excommunicated, and executed.
- Witches and those suspected of ‘devil worshipping’ were rounded up as disagreeing with
Catholicism
- Torture was used because the church believed a person close to death couldn’t lie. They also
believed that torture drove out the devil and meant the person could possibly be saved.
- Anyone who managed to survive the forms of torture without making a confession was
suspected of having the devil's help and was condemned to death anyway.

Thumb Screws
- Victims' hands were placed in the device and the torturer would crush the victim's fingers
slowly.
- Used during the church Inquisition (hunt for non-believers).

Exposure
- The accused was stripped naked and fixed to the floor with iron nails. They were left to burn in
the sun and rot, with wild animals and birds eating the victim alive.
- Often heavy stones were placed on the chest to crush it slowly.

Burnt at Stake
- The victim is tied to a wooden pilon and set alight with fire in front of the whole village. It
was the most common method of executing heretics & witches.

Religion in the Mediaeval period

1. Role of Religion
● Church leaders such as bishops and archbishops sat on the king's council and played
leading roles in government. They used religion to ensure that the power of the
feudal system could not be taken from them. Anglo Saxons (CONTROL)
● They also helped the sick and provided education (as the ANGLO_SAXONS didn’t know
Latin). They believed that they would be seen in heaven if they obeyed the law and
order.

● They also followed sacred rituals to enhance their religious beliefs over time causing
them to receive guidance and be strengthened during hardships. Religion also was a
major opportunity to take control and deeply impact the lives of many through
various events, ceremonies, and as well as events that help people recognize the way
of god.

Religion Importance
 Mediaeval people counted on the church to provide social services, spiritual guidance, and
protection from hardships such as famines or plagues. Most people were fully convinced of
the validity of the church's teachings and believed that only the faithful would avoid hell and
gain eternal salvation in heaven. They also believed that God will be upon them throughout
their lives and their values during their daily life. (MAINLY ADAPTED THEIR SOCIAL BELIEFS IN
CHRISTIANITY THROUGH LAWS)

How did religion influence the daily activities of people living in the Middle ages?
1. Celebrate religious events such as all saints day, souls day Also to become a knight or
king you had to go through religious ceremonies which shows how the religion of
Christianity comes into serve and protects God's people.
2. People would have shorter working hours or their work stops on religious events such
as Sunday when peasants go to mass or on Palm Sunday where there are fewer
working hours to express their faith in their religion showing its importance and
influence in daily life. Cathedrals and churches were built in the centre of towns and
sacred monuments were to show the belief of the mediaeval people.
3. The Peasants also had a day “off” on Sunday and they attended church although
afterward, they continued to work the whole day (SHOWING THE IMPORTANCE).
4. Religion also influenced the behaviour of various people such as if they did not obey
the king they thought that they are disrespecting and showing immaturity to god and
then would be descended into hell and not heaven and that's why the levels in the
Federal system pay taxes to the upper classes and if not that would be disobeying
God.

Life After Death

1. People in medieval times believed that nearly everyone went to Purgatory when they died. In
Purgatory you were punished, sometimes very cruelly, for long periods of time, and at the end
of your period of punishment, you were thought to have been cleansed of your sins and ready
for Heaven. To move from Purgatory to Heaven you had to be sorry for your sins. This could be
achieved in several ways.
2. The most important thing to do was to attend Mass every Sunday. A more significant way of
showing you were sorry for your sins was to go on a pilgrimage. Pilgrims would travel vast
distances to visit and pay homage to shrines dedicated to saints or important holy cities such
as Rome (home of the Pope, where Saint Peter and Saint Paul died) and Jerusalem (location of
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was near where Christ was crucified and where his
body was laid to rest).

Crusades
- Started in 1095 by Pope Urban II: Islam vs Crusade
- (Christianity fighting amongst itself → unite) + (regain the Holy Lands → Muslims were taxing
the Christians) + (He offered absolution of sins for all those who fought and died in the
Crusades) + revenge for the murder and torture of Christians(cutting open people stomachs) +
for riches and plunder.
- Impact of the crusades → advancements in medicine, science, and maths → due to ancient
Greek and Roman texts which were lost in Europe; we adopted the Arabic number system and
got the idea of banks from them which helped economies and trade to expand; windmills
which made bread/food cheaper and easier to make which improved living standards.