Definitions Flashcards
(7 cards)
4.1
franklin: in the fourteenth century, one who was a landowner but not a member of the nobility
illumination: hand-painted illustration in a medieval book
reeve: a magistrate administering law in a village
thatch: straw used for making roofs
tithe barn: a barn where peasants’ produce is stored as a form of taxation
4.2
deposed: removed from a position of authority
Franks: people of a group of a Germanic nation who ruled in western Europe from the sixth century CE
4.3
holy relics: the physical remains of someone or something very significant to a religious tradition
martyred: killed or made to suffer because of religious beliefs
superstition: a belief based on custom or fear rather than knowledge or reason
4.4
miracle: an extraordinary act or event attributed to the power of God
missionaries: people sent out by the Church to convert others to Christianity
pagan: someone who is not a Christian, Jew or Muslim
persecution: a campaign to harm or punish people based on their religion, race or beliefs
saint: a person honoured by the Church for having lived an especially holy life
4.5
clergy: officials of the Church
feudalism: social order in medieval Europe
homage: pledging duties and loyalty to someone of superior rank in the feudal system
lord: chief position in the feudal system below the monarch
orb: globe with a cross, symbolising a Christian monarch’s rule
sceptre: rod symbolising royal authority of the monarch
4.8
duke: in England, a lord whose status placed him just below that of a prince; elsewhere in Europe, a ruler of a small state called a duchy or dukedom
joust: combat between two mounted knights using blunted lances
lance: a long wooden shaft with steel point used as a weapon by mounted knights
mace: iron-headed club
Normandy: now a French province, in the Middle Ages it was a dukedom in northern France
stirrups: foot supports suspended from a saddle by straps
4.9
artillery: large mounted firearms such as the cannon
phalanx: body of foot soldiers in close battle order
pike: long spear-like weapon carried by foot soldiers
trebuchet: heavy medieval siege machine that uses a sling to hurl large missiles
