What are the characteristics of medieval times? Although the Middle Ages were shadowed by poverty, ignorance, economic chaos, bad government, and the plague, it was also a period of cultural and artistic achievement. For example, the university originated in medieval Europe (the first university was established in 1158 in Bologna, Italy). The period was marked by the belief, based on the Christian faith, that the universe is an ordered world, ruled by an infinite and all-knowing God. This belief persisted even through the turmoil of wars and social upheavals, and it is evident in the soaring Gothic architecture (such as the Cathedral of Chartres, France), the poetry of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the Gregorian chant, and the music of such composers as Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300-1377). What are the main characteristics of the Medieval European feudalism? Feudalism is a term used to describe the the social, military, political, and soemtimes economic relationships found in western medieval Europe (from the 9th century to circa 1500 with roots traced back to the fourth and fifth centuries). It appears to be considered over simplistic by modern historians. In the Pimlico Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages it says: The simplest classic defintion of feudalism focuses on the fief and the vassal. The fief is defined as poperty, generally land, granted in return for military service., The vassal is defined as a person who renders service, genreally miltary, in return for a fief. In this scheme, the vassal swears fidelity (or fealty) to the lord who grants the fief, and deos homage to the lord, a ceremony culminating in amutual kiss. The lord owes the vassal protection and respect. The vassal owes the lord counsel and aid, not only military, but also financial assistance when the lord knights his oldest son, marries his eldest daughter, goes on crusade, or has to be ransomed. In the absence of centralized political authority, the lord exercises what earlier and later were public powers of justice and defense. Envisaged as practices with root in institutions of late imperial and Carolingian times, feudal institutions are seen as becoming widespread in the eleventh century, as being exploited by monarchs in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and becoming insignifanct and archaic in the fourteenth and fifteenth. This schematic, legalistic definition of feudalism has never been universally accepted, and in the nineteenth and twentieth cneturies elaborations of the classic definition have multiplied. IN a popular influential book published in 1939-40, the French historian Marc Bloch defined European feudalism as a society in which (1) Peasants are subject to lords, with the highest class specialized in warfare and linked by ties of obedience and protection in the form of vassalage; (2) military services are rendered in return for grants of land (in the fomr of fiefs) rather than money; (3) power is fragmented, and disorder dominates; yet in which (4) other forsm of association, including the family and the state, survive. In a definition he proposed in 1965, Jopseph R. Strayer emphasised the fragmentation of political authority, the private exercise of public power, and the use of private contracts to provide military force, but also declared that the systematization oif feudal institutions and customs served as the basis of rthe creation of strong political units, the precursors of modern beuracratic states. The different components of the classic definition of feudalism have come under increasign scrutiny and criticism. The concept of fief inherent in the legal definiton has been shown to reflec thte assumptions of later historians rather than the contemporary meanings of such words as feudalism and fevum, which were used to refer to a variety of phenomena, including cattle and peasant landholdings. This is also true of vassals and the word vassu, which at various times was used to signify slave, boy freeman commended to a lord and retainer. Individuals who performed homage and swore fealty, and who served other people, were often simply called homines or men, and if vassus was sometimes used snonymously with knight in the tenth century, the word rarely appeared thereafter. As to military service, historians now realise that soldiers were remunerated in a variety of fashions, and that mercenaries never entirely disappeared. The financial aid provided to lords was given by all who were subject to the lords authority, not just by kknightly dependents. In this case, as in others, obligations imposed on one section of society were often extended to others. Throught the Middle AGes, couirts of free men exercised judgement and porovided mediation, often in coopeartion with local ecclesiastical institutions, whose leaders were related to the secular aristocracy. As to land, freehjold property (often designated as allodial) continued to exist throughout the Middle Ages, and the rigths that property holders exercised over lands called feoda were not necessarily any less extensive than those exercised over lands called allodia. In eleventh century Normandy, for example, property was rented, mortgaged, and transfered by sale, exchange, donation in alsm, and as conditional gift, as well as fief. Characteristics of the Medieval Romance A tale of High Adventure. Can be a religious crusade, a conquest for the knights leige lord, or the rescue of a captive lady or any combination. Characterized by: 1. Medieval romance usually idealizes chivalry 2. Medieval romance Idealizes the hero-knight and his noble deeds 3. An important element of the medieval romance is the knights love for his lady. 4. The settings of medieval romance tend to be imaginary and vague. 5. Medieval romance derives mystery and suspense from supernatural elements. 6. Medieval romance uses concealed or disguised identity. 7. Repetition of the mystical number 3. (Repetitions of the number or multiples of 3) ----- Characteristics of the Hero-Knight 1. Birth of a great hero is shrouded in mystery 2. He is reared away from his true home in ignorance of his real parents. 3. For a time his true identity is unknown 4. After meeting an extraordinary challenge, he claims his right 5. His triumph benefits his nation or group. Point out to the students that Arthur himself is a Hero Knight and the events surrounding his rise to power as King is a Medieval Romance. The Tale of Sir Gareth is an excellent example of the Medieval Romance because it contains all elements. (Some romances do not contain all elements). Also point out that this genre is still exciting for people today. The new interest in Stars Wars is wonderful because the first trilogy (Episodes 4-6) is a perfect contemporary Medieval romance. George Lucas explains how and why he chose this form in TLCs Great Book Series film, Le Morte DArthur: The Legend of the King. That video is an excellent resource. Also there is room for a great discussion about other film, comic book or literary figures (Superman, Batman, Conan and with a stretch-- Indiana Jones). The students really enjoy this discussion because they see the tales in a different light and enjoy understanding another connection between people in the Middle Ages and now. People are people and a terrific adventure is always going to be welcomed.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 11:44:44 +0000
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