High Middle Ages Setting Flashcards
What is Feudalism?
A system in the Middle Ages where vassals gave military service in return for land and protection from the lord
What is an investiture?
a ceremony where vassals declare their loyalty to his lord and receives his fief
What is a Fief?
In a feudal system, land given by the lord to a noble in return for service
What is Subinfeudation?
In a feudal system, fiefs that are granted by a noble to a lesser noble
What are vassals?
A noble who held a fief from a higher rank noble
What were some problems that led to the downfall of feudalism?
- It only dealt with the upper classes
- Not equally strong in Europe
- England did not accept it
Who imposed the Feudal system in England in 1066?
William the Conqueror
What is Manorialism?
A system where serfs were bound to a manor ruled by a lord
What is a demesne?
One of the several manors that lord ruled over, which stood on the best land
Who were the manor officials that that supervised while the lord of the manor was away?
Steward: inspected manor’s condition, head of the manorial court
Bailiff: collected rents, oversaw workers
Reeve: worked with Bailiff, selected by and represented the peasants
What were peasants like in Medieval times?
- no privileges or rights
- some afforded others to do work for them
Who were freemen?
A peasant who could leave the manor
Who were serfs?
Servant bound to the manor and could not leave without permission
What was the chivalric code?
- A code that held standards for an ideal knight
- most could not achieve this, but it gave them a goal
What were the stages that led up to one becoming a knight?
Age 7- learned court etiquette as a page
Age 14-15- training period as a squire
What are the two ways in which a squire could attain knighthood?
- completing his studies and training
- fighting bravely in battle
What were towns like before the tenth and eleventh centuries?
- crossroads for travelling merchants
- strategic military points
Before the growth of international trade, how was medieval society divided?
Upper class: Clergy, nobility
Lower class: Peasants, artisans
What did Guilds do?
- settled disputes
- aided poor members
- watched over the training of the new workers
What were the stages that led up to one becoming a master craftsman?
1Apprentice- training but no wage
2Journeyman- still worked under a master craftsman, wage, had license
What is a master’s piece?
Name given by the guild to a journeyman’s work sample if it has master quality
What was the Hanseatic League?
powerful trade organization made of 70 medieval trade towns
Who were the Bourgeoisie/Burghers?
- rich merchants
- middle class
What was the Black Plague?
1348-1349
disease that killed 30% of Europe’s population
