The Medieval Times - Feudalism

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The Medieval Times, also known as Middle Age or the Dark Age, according to convention, started after the fall of Roman Empire in the 5th century and ended at the daybreak of the Renaissance in the 15th century (I said according to convention because there are many discrepancies about when the Medieval Times actually began). Rome´s splendor sank into history with time. The former enormous land of Rome was broken into many tiny kingdoms. The constant battles with bordering kingdoms and invasions by the Vikings, Goths, Moors, or other Germanic tribes gave life in Europe a different look. The Church gradually gained control and became the center power. Civilization progressed slowly. Books were scarce and writings were a property of the rich; art and literature declined; science was viewed as a heresy; and communication was difficult and primarily by word of mouth.


Feudalism
Video:feudalism in Europe
When we talk about Medieval Europe, we cannot neglect talking about 'feudalism' because the society was organized by feudalism. This video shows briefly what feudalism is and how was the feudal life.
When you are watching this video, identify these terms: manor, vessel, serfs, chivalry, moat,siege,iron plow, wind mill, and mercenary.

People tend to focus on the heroic knight tales or romantic stories of the Middle age; however, life for an ordinary person, the peasants, was rather difficult and routine and activities revolved around the agrarian calendar. The society was organized by a feudal system. In this pyramidal system the king was on the top and he granted lands called manors to his nobles or barons, who were known as lords of the manor. A manor consisted of the castle, the church, the village, and farm lands. The lord was in complete control of the manor and the people in it; however, the lord was to provide the king with knights for military service in times of war. Knights were under the lord and were given lands by the lord. In return, knights had to protect the baron and his family, as well as the manor. The knights would thus distribute lands to the “serfs” or “villeins”, peasants at the bottom of the system. In exchange for living and protection, the serfs had to provide free labor and grow food that their superiors needed. This exchange was unfair and difficult. The peasants were over-taxed and required to give up most of what they harvested. Getting through another day was the basic agenda for the ordinary people.

After William the Conqueror’s conquest in 1066 (this was in England), many of the barons were French and knew that the Saxons were hostile and vicious, so, many of them constructed castles and hired many knights’ for protection. However, there were other lords that chose to live in manors because it created a splendid reflection on the baron’s status. Another central feature of the manor was the church. Roman Catholicism was the dominant religion and power. Bishops or archbishops were rich and helped to govern the country. It was the law for people to attend church. Local priests were poor and often uneducated. It was their job to tend to the sick and preach at the church. The rest of the manor land was used by the peasants and were occupied by farm lands. Their houses merely had one room and the family often shared with animals. The serfs also grew crops on that land. Those isolated manors were occasionally visited by pilgrims and traveling merchants, who brought in new spices from the East and told stories of foreign learning.

Mandor (Red:the village; Purple:the Lord's land; Green:the Farm land)

Castle
The Manor House. It really shows how wealthy the lords used to be.


The Local Church
 peasant's house.

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convention - (in this case)general agreement or consent. Chinese:慣例,習俗;常規 Spanish: convención

daybreak - dawn. Chinese:黎明 Spanish:amanecer

discrepancy - difference. Chinese:差異 Spanish:discrepancia

scarce - insufficient Chinese:缺乏的;不足的 Spanish:escaso

heresy - any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs, customs, etc. Chinese:異教;異端邪說 Spanish:herejía

by word of mouth - by speaking not by writing. Chinese:口傳 Spanish:el boca a boca

dsitribute - to pass out or to deliever. Chinese:分發 Spanish:distribuir

hostile - characteristic of an enemy. Chinese:敵人的,敵方的 Spanish:hostil

vicious - savage; ferocious. Chinese:邪惡的;墮落的 Spanish:fiero

neglect - to pay no attention or little attention. Chinese:忽視,忽略 Spanish:desatender

tend -1.to be disposed or inclined in action, operation, or effect to do something Chinese:傾向;易於 Spanish:tender

2.to look after; to take care of. Chinese:注意,關心 Spanish:ocuparse de; cuidar