Lecture outlines mc kayworld10e ch14

Editor's Notes

• #4: Political Developments Invasions and Migrations 1. Vikings were pagan Germanic peoples who sailed inland on rivers to assault various European populations. At first their method was to attack, loot, and leave, but later the Vikings settled and colonized conquered areas. 2. Magyars, located in the European steppe plains, moved westward, raiding and looting on horseback. Their invasions included northern Italy, Bavaria, and Saxony, the latter two of which were forced to pay tribute. Western European populations considered the Magyars to be Huns. 3. Spain was invaded by North African Muslims, who then crossed the mountains and attacked France.
• #8: Political Developments “Feudalism” and Manorialism 1. An allegiance system developed that was based on an oath of loyalty. Knights swore their loyalty as vassals to a lord. The lord promised protection as well as material support, most often in the form of a fief. A fief was a portion of land belonging to the lord. 2. Charles Martel is believed to be the first to grant this type of loyalty arrangement. His successors, including Charlemagne, granted fiefs as well. 3. The granting of fiefs developed into a political system based on military obligations between a lord and his vassals. This system was identified as feudalism. 4. Manorialism was an economic system centered around landed estates. Free farmers surrendered their land to a lord and then farmed it under his jurisdiction in exchange for his protection. 5. Some peasants lost their freedom and became serfs. This meant that they were permanently tied to the lord’s estate.
• #22: The Christian Church Popular Religion 1. The church became the center of community activities and an important part of ordinary people’s daily lives. Mass became a break from the routine of work. 2. Church rituals were filled with symbolic expressions. Making the sign of the cross requested blessings, while sprinkling water on fields symbolized refreshment and life. 3. The calendar revolved around special religious anniversaries identified as holy days, which included Christmas and Easter. Individuals who had lived especially holy lives were honored on saints’ days. Saints were said to have the power to perform miracles or to present prayers to God. 4. A saint’s relics, such as his or her bones or pieces of clothing, would be enclosed in the church altar. Peasants would offer their prayers and loyalty in exchange for the saint’s healing power and other favors. The Expansion of Christianity 1. Christian influences began to spread throughout Europe. Scandinavia, Denmark, Bohemia, and Poland were some of the populations that became strong Christian enclaves. 2. In an effort to combat Muslim influences in Europe, the reconquista or crusade to take back territory lost to Islam began in Spain. Muslims and Jews living under Christian rule in Spain were increasingly discriminated against.
• #34: The Life of the People Towns, Cities, and the Growth of Commercial Interests 1. Medieval towns had similar characteristics. Most towns were surrounded by security walls and had a marketplace at their center. 2. Craft guilds were established to regulate the quantity, quality, and prices of the goods produced. 3. Sewer sanitation was unknown. Streets were full of animal and human waste. The Expansion of Trade and the Commercial Revolution 1. The Italian city of Venice dominated intercontinental trade. Other Italian cities such as Florence and Milan were important trade locations. 2. The Hanseatic League was organized as a mercantile association to control trade. Western and eastern cities joined the league to achieve mutual security and trading rights.
• #35: Learning and Culture Universities and Scholasticism 1. Irnerius, an instructor at the University of Bologna, inspired interest in the study of Roman law and Justinian’s Code. Well-known instructors became a draw for students, increasing the size of the university. 2. Medicine had been an academic focus in Salerno for centuries. In the twelfth century ideas from Greek medical texts spread throughout Europe from Salerno and were incorporated into the training of physicians at other universities. 3. Medieval professors who discussed thinking and reasoning were called scholastics. Their focus was on thoroughly evaluating both sides of an argument. 4. The university system developed a method of teaching called the lecture. Students took oral examinations after several years of study, and those who passed were awarded a degree identifying their academic accomplishment. Cathedrals and a New Architectural Style 1. For a while cathedrals were built in a style called Romanesque that resembled ancient Roman architecture. A new architectural style identified as Gothic spread throughout Europe. The Gothic style included pointed arches, flying buttresses, and stained-glass windows cut into stone. 2. The cathedral, generally the largest structure in the community, not only served religious purposes but also was used for secular functions such as political meetings and the staging of plays.
• #37: Learning and Culture Vernacular Literature and Drama 1. During the High Middle Ages authors began to deviate from the traditional use of Latin and started writing in their local dialect. This use of everyday language in literature allowed literature to be far more accessible to the general masses. 2. Troubadours were poets who embraced the use of common vernacular in literature, writing and performing songs and poems. Troubadour poets wrote lyric verses that celebrated human virtues such as love, desire, gallantry, and beauty. Many of the poems and songs reflected a mix of Christian and Muslim ideals.
• #38: Crises of the Later Middle Ages The Great Famine and the Black Death 1. A period of colder and wetter weather called the “little ice age” had a negative impact on food production. Famine occurred when food shortages increased. 2. An undernourished population was much more susceptible to illness. The Black Death killed a large portion of the European population in the fourteenth century. 3. Most people at the time believed the plague was caused by “corrupted air” that carried the disease throughout the community. Others accused the Jews of poisoning the water wells. In the long term, the resulting population decline eased pressure on the land and led to an increase in wages for those who survived.