TIMES OF CHANGE: MEDIEVAL SOCITEY

1. TIMES OF CHANGE: MEDIEVAL SOCITEY In what way can societies changing social structures affect a societies world view? The structure of and changes to medieval society The role of religion in medieval society The dawn of the new age

2. MEDIEVAL SOCIETY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SVHuTfiDTs& • During the middle ages, much of Europe was organized in a system called feudalism • In this system used during the Middle Ages the lord owned the land and all others served him • Based on land, loyalty and duty people were born into a level of feudal society and expected to stay in that level their entire lives • Noblesswore an oath of allegiance to the king and promised to fight for him in exchange for rights to pieces of land known as fiefs or manors • Bishopsof the Church had tremendous power and controlled large tracts of land

3. MEDIEVAL SOCIETY • During the Middle Ages peasants lived in rural villages on a manor owned by the noble • There were two categories of peasants • Freeman – rented land from the lord or worked for pay • Serfs – not allowed to leave the manor without the lords permission • Peasants usually only had one set of clothing, two at most. Also, a peasant usually owed their lord 20% of their earnings. They also owed the priest or bishop 10% of their earnings. Of course, knights could, and would usually demand tributes for keeping them alive. • Overall, the peasant usually retained only 10-20% of their total work and earnings.

4. MEDIEVAL SOCIETY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lts_1HSOQhY& • In exchange for use of the land the peasant had to • turn over a portion of what they produced • clear forests • build roads • Any other work assigned by the lord • As a result they were the very definition of subsistence farmers

5. MEDIEVIL SOCIETY • Most medieval towns were farms service centres • Developed close to a castle, palace or large monastery • Most towns were surrounded by stone walls for protection • They were crowded, dirty and rat infested places • However town people could marry who they pleased and earn a living they chose • According to law, runaway serfs could gain their freedom by staying in town for a year and a day without being discovered • Skilled craftsmen were organized into cooperative organizations called guilds

6. MEDIEVIL SOCIETY • Guilds were powerful and controlled • The price of goods • Set standards for quality • Decided on membership • Decided on trainees known as apprentices • Children as young as nine or ten would begin to apprentice • They would eventually take a test to become a journeyman and if successful would be admitted into the guild • Eventually after more practice and study they would hope to achieve the level of master, at this point they would open their own business and take on apprentices of their own

7. TYPES OF SKILLED CRAFTSMEN IN MEDIEVIL SOCIETY

8. CHALLENGES TO THE FEUDAL SYSTEM THE BLACK DEATH • After fist coming to Europe in the mid 1300s, outbreaks of the plague continued for several hundred years • This caused severe labour shortages and many feudal estates went bankrupt • Desperate nobles began to rent out their land or sell it to the serfs

9. THE BLACK DEATH • The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. • It arrived in Europe as a result of trade with seaports in the Far East • The plague was spread by fleas on rats who lived in urban slums and on board ships • About one-third to one-half of the population of Europe died about 25 million people • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Gk1a-RMAM& • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyE8z_Ztifc&feature=related

10. THE BLACK DEATH http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Blackdeath2.gif

11. BLACK DEATH AND THE RURAL ECONOMY

12. CHALLENGES TO THE FEUDAL SYSTEM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CNdsYyqDUs&feature=related&http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iuKR1dv9U0& THE PEASANTS REVOLTS • Beginning in 1337, war broke out between England and France • It lasted more than a century and became know as the 100 Years War • Peasants in both countries revolted because of high rents and taxes starting in 1381 • The revolts in both countries were put down with violence • Peasants banded together to kill nobles and burn down manor houses

13. CHAGING DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY • With the rise of towns, the wealth structure of medieval society began to change • Skilled craftsmen and merchants could acquire wealth and moved up to create a new middle class • People became more focused on their material possessions and displaying their wealth through the clothing they wore, the furniture in their homes and the meals they served • This desire for luxury goods was one of the factors that led to expansion outside of Europe

14. CHANGING DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY • In order to maintain order many countries introduced sumptuary laws • Laws that controlled consumption or how people spent their money. These laws often restricted what different classes of people could wear

15. RELIGION IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY • Today when a plague breaks out we turn to science, but in the Middle Ages they thought the plague had been sent as a punishment by God • The worldview of most people was shaped by the Catholic Church • Solutions for the difficulties of famine, war and sickness were sought through faith • In medieval each group in the church hierarchy had the expectation to be obedient to the group above it and provide certain services to the group below • One of these obligation was tithe a portion or crops or earning given to the church

16. THE HIERARCHY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH What are the similarities between the structure of the church and the structure of the feudal system?

17. RELIGION IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY • The Middle Ages saw a boom in church building • Historians estimate between the years 900 and 1000, more than 1500 churches were constructed in France alone • Bishops and citizens took great pride in their local cathedral and there was a competition to see which city could produce the tallest most beautiful building

18. RELIGION IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY • The deeply religious often decided to join a religious order and devote their entire life to God • Men become monks and entered monasteries, women became nuns and entered convents • There existence consisted or studying religious texts, praying and working • In addition they would prepare food for the order, teach children, care for the sick and poor • Many members of religious orders died caring for victims of the Black Death

19. RELIGION IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY • Education during the Middle Ages was a privilege • Monks and nuns were fortunate to be among the well educated and as a result monasteries became great learning centres • One of the key jobs of religious scholars were translating manuscripts from the ancient Greek and Latin • Universities eventually grew up around religious schools • Subjects included grammar, geometry, astronomy and music • Training was available in religion, law and medicine • By the end of the 1400s there were 80 universities in Western Europe

20. RELIGION IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY • Following the Black Death people began to take a more critical attitude words the Church • The Church owned 1/3 of the land and rent from this property was significant • In addition tithes were also collected by the church • Many Church leaders led extravagant lifestyles which caused resentment from the lower classes who questioning the commitment they actually had to spirituality