middle ages iii chivalry
TRANSCRIPT
The Age of Chivalry
European Middle Ages500-1200
Setting the Stage• Feuding between nobles
kept Europe fragmented and created a violent society that prized combat
• By 1100, a code of behavior based on high ideals guided warriors actions and glorified their roles
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Knights - Warriors on Horseback
• Knights - armored soldiers mounted on horseback were first organized under Charles Martel
• Developments of the saddle and stirrups changed the face of warfare
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Warrior’s Role in Feudal Society
• Feudal lords raised private armies of knights to defend their territories
• Lords gave knights fiefs in exchange for required military service – Approximately 40 days per year
• The rest of the year they trained for war
Knighthood and Chivalry• By the 1100’s, the code of chivalry demanded
that a knight fight in defense of three masters:– His earthly feudal lord– His heavenly Lord– His chosen lady
• He was to:– Protect the weak and the poor– Be loyal, brave and courteous
A Knight’s Training
• Age 7 - boys were sent to castles of other lords to serve as a pages – Waited on his hosts – Started practicing fighting skills
• Age 14 - a page reached rank of squire• Age 21 - a squire became a knight• Spent 1-2 years fighting in local wars
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Literature of Chivalry
• Themes in medieval literature:– Downplayed brutality of feudal warfare– Glorified knighthood and chivalry
• Epic poems recounting a hero’s deeds and adventures were very popular– The Song of Roland - praises a band of French
soldiers who perished in battle during Charlemagne’s reign
Love Poems and Songs
• Troubadours: traveling poet-musicians at the castles and courts of Europe.
• Composed short verses, songs about the joys and sorrows of romantic love.
• These poems often promoted a false image of knights and the women they loved
Women in Feudal Society
• Most were powerless and considered inferior to men (view of the Church)
• Noblewomen could:– Inherit an estate, act as a military commander, defend
the castle– Most were confined to activities in the home
• Peasant women could:– Labored at home, worked the fields, bore children,
took care of families, did not receive education
For Next Class…
• Read Section 4