Life In The Middle Ages

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armor

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a covering of iron worn by knights for protection in battle

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bishop

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a church official who oversaw the work of priests within their district

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cardinal

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a high official of the Catholic Church who was appointed by the pope; when the pope died, a new leader of the Church was chosen by a meeting of cardinals

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castle

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where the lord and his knights lived; usually built on a cliff or hilltop in order to make it easier to defend during an attack

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Catholic Church

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people of the Middle Ages believed it represented God's rules and teachings; religion was so important during medieval times that the period was known as the "Age of Faith"

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chilvary

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qualities of a good knight, including bravery' politeness, respect for women, Protection of the weak, and fairness to the enemy

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clergyman

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an official of the Church' such as a priest' bishop, or cardinal

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crusades

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expeditions sent by the pope to capture the Holy Land from the Muslim Turks; the empire of the Turks included Palestine, where Christ was born; several Crusades between 1096 and 1272 failed to win the Holy Land, but succeeded in stimulating trade between Europe and the East

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Dark ages

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a period of several hundred years during the early Middle Ages when fear and confusion spread among the people of Western Europe; the threat of attack led many people to become serfs and work for lords on manors in exchange for protection; trade, education, and the growth of towns declined during the Dark Ages

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estate

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a large piece of land owned by a lord during the Middle Ages; same as a manor

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excommunication

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the act of removing a person from membership in the Church because of wrongful actions or beliefs; it was thought that an excommunicated person would not be allowed into heaven

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feudalism or feudal system -

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arrangement between lord, vassal, and serf for ownership of land, military service, and protection during the Middle Ages

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fief

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land given by a lord to a vassal in return for military and other services

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friar -

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holy man who traveled from place to place helping the poor and teaching about God

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heresy

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a serious crime of the Middle Ages in which a person held beliefs that the Church felt were wrong; heretics were excommunicated

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Inquisition - -

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a court set up by the Roman Catholic Church to investigate heresy and punish heretics

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jesters

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clowns who appeared before a lord and tried to make him laugh with antics, tricks, and jokes -

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joust

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- a contest between knights on horseback; armed with lances, the knights charged at each other in an attempt to knock their opponent off his horse

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king

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a person who rules a country; during the early Middle Ages, the influence of kings decreased as the power of lords increased; but by the end of the Middle Ages, kings became powerful rulers of new nation-states

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knight -

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a man of honor who held a high military rank; only men who were trained in warfare and who showed good personal qualities were chosen by lords to be knights; the code of chivalry had to be followed at all times

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lord manor a large piece of land owned by a lord during the Middle Ages; also called an estate Middle Ages - same as Medieval Period minstrels singers and musicians who entertained lords during the Middle Ages; they played harps, guitars, and flutes

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a well-to-do noble who owned an estate; a lord usually lived in a castle, gave land to vassals in return for military service, and used serfs to farm his land

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Medieval Period

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it began with the fall of the Roman Empire in the West in 476 and ende with the beginning of the Modern Period in the 1400tS; the main characteristics of the Medieval Period were the growth of feudalism and the strong influence of the Roman Catholic Church

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moat -

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a deep, wide, water-filled ditch that surrounded a castle and helped protect it from attack; people coming and going from the castle used a drawbridge to cross the moat

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monastery -

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a building where monks lived; the head of the monastery was called an "abbot" monks stayed in monasteries where they prayed

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monk -

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a man who gave up all of his property and dedicated his life to serving God; prayed, worked hard, and lived quiet, serious lives; they copied old Greek and Roman manuscripts, helped the poor and needy, and converted people to Christianity

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nobility -

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a class of rich people; nobles or lords peasants - poor people who worked on manors; also called serfs

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pope -

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the head of the Roman Catholic Church; chosen at a meeting of cardinals

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priest -

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a clergyman of the Christian church; in medieval times, almost every manor had a priest

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serfs -

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poor people who worked for lords during the Middle Ages; they worked long hours, were poorly fed and clothed, and were not allowed to leave the manor

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tournament -

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a contest or joust between two knights or two groups of knights; tournaments attracted large crowds

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troubadours

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wandering minstrels who wrote poems that usually expressed love for a beautiful lady of noble birth; they also wrote about warfare and battle heroes

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vassal -

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a noble who was given land by the lord in return for military assistance and other