Test Date _________________________
Know
that …
Feudalism is a society in which a lord ruled a small area of
land farmed by peasants. These peasants provided
food and gifts to the lord in exchange for protection by the lord and his
knights.
The
church became more and more powerful politically. They believed that the authority of kings and
queens was given to them by the church and that the church was actually more
important than the kings and queens.
Great
estates owned by lords or vassals
were designed to be self-sufficient with farms, woods for hunting, blacksmiths,
cobblers, bakers, etc. These estates
were divided into manors and were
worked by tenants – serfs.
Castles were built to offer strength and safety to everyone
who lived in them. Their design changed
over time to keep up with developments in the way wars were fought – from earth
and wood to stone and from rectangular towers to round ones.
Knights
had a code of chivalry that listed
knightly qualities such as a respect for the church, pity for the poor, and
bravery. They were expected to keep
their word and behave with courtesy, especially towards women.
Sons
of knights were sent to the household of another knight from 12 years of age
on. This knight trainee or “squire” learned to ride and fight and
take care of weapons, as well as serving food.
Growing
up was difficult in the Middle Ages.
Boys were taught how to fight on horseback and how knights should
behave, and girls were taught how to look after a large household. Few women were educated. Education
was mainly for priests and monks.
Tournaments and hunting formed the favorite pastimes of knights
and nobility and were designed not only to entertain but as training men in the
skills of warfare. The winning side won
rich prizes such as war horses, armor, and money. They also might attract the attention of a
wealthy nobleman who might take them into service.