FeudalismThe feudal system was what the government and society in Europe was based around during the middle ages. Feudalism was the dominant social system in medieval Europe.
The top leader in the land was the king. Kings believed they were given the “divine right”- the right to rule by God. Because the king was incapable of taking care of the land all by himself, he divided it up among the Barons. In return, the Barons pledged their loyalty and soldiers to the king. When a king died, his first son would inherit the throne. One family that stayed in power for a long time was called a dynasty. Next were the bishops, who were the top church leaders in the kingdom and managed an area called a diocese. Because the Catholic Churches were very powerful in most parts of Medieval Europe, the Bishops were, tool. Also, the church received a tithe of 10 percent from all the people, making some Bishops very rich. Barons followed the Bishops. They ruled large areas of land called fiefs. Their job was to maintain an army that was at the king’s service. The alternative, if they did not have an army, was to pay the king tax instead. This tax was called shield money. They reported directly to the king and were very powerful. They divided up their land among Lords who ran individual manors. After the Barron were the lords. The lords ran the local manors. They were also the knights and could be called into battle at any moment by their Baron. They owned everything on their land including the peasants, crops, and village. Most of the people living in the Middle Ages were peasants or serfs- around 90 percent. They had a hard life. Some peasants were considered free and could own their own businesses like carpenters, bakers, and blacksmiths. Others were more like slaves. Peasants worked hard and died young, most before they reached thirty years of age. They owned nothing and they were pledged to their local lord. They worked six long days a week, and often barely had enough food to survive. |
AlchemyAlchemy is the medieval philosophy and practice of chemistry, based on the supposed transformation of matter. It was a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination. It’s particularly concerned with trials to convert base metals into gold. It specifically consisted of attempts to find a universal magical or medicinal potion.
During the Middle Ages, people were very interested in scientific observation. One important kind of medieval science was alchemy, which we call chemistry today. Alchemists tried to find ways to help people live forever, and they were unable to do that. They were also always interested in turning lead and other base metals into gold, so they could get rich. Although they could never accomplish either of these, they did learn a lot about chemistry through their failed attempts at alchemy. The word Alchemy comes from the Arabic word for “the chemistry,” which originally came from a Greek word meaning “fluids.” At the heart of medieval alchemy was the idea that all matter was composed of four elements: earth, air, fire and water. It was then theorized that, with the right combination of elements, any substance can be formed. This is why alchemists believed that the "transmutation" of one substance into another was possible. |
Religion In Medieval Times, the only recognized religion was the Catholic religion. The lives of Medieval people during this time was dominated by the church. Different religious institutions became important, rich and powerful. Many people dedicated their lives to the Catholic Church and religion. The Middle Ages were also a period of great change in the Christian church. There was a split between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches because of the disputes of the Crusades, and it was called the Great Schism, in the year of 1054. Some practices of the Catholic Church were questioned and the beliefs of men such as Martin Luther King Jr. prompted a new religion called Protestantism which led to even more of a split in the Christian Church referred to as the Protestant Reformation.
The Catholic Church was the only church in Europe during this time period. It had its own laws. Church leaders played leading roles in the government and sat on the king’s council. In this time, religion was everything. It wasn’t unusual for people to go to church every day and pray five times a day. They had full faith in the belief that all good things were from God and all bad events were because of their sins. Medieval religion was so important even the doctors and physicians were versed in religion. |
ClothingIn the Middle Ages, most people wore woolen clothing. There were a lot of layers, with people wearing undergarments made of linen. People who wore brighter colors, better materials, and longer jackets were usually more wealthy than the others. The richer the people were in these time periods, the more they followed trends and changed their clothing style according to the dictates of fashion, much like today. Closer to the end of the Middle Ages, wealthier men, overall, wore jackets, usually with pleating or skirting, or a tunic with a sur-coat. Women wore long, flowing gowns and elaborate headwear, such as headdresses shaped like butterflies or tall steeple caps or even Italian turbans. Holy orders would generally wear long woolen habits. You would be able to tell the order by looking at the colors of the habits. For example, the Benedictines wore black and the Cistercians wore undyed wool or white.
The Sumptuary Laws distinguished seven social categories and made members of each class easily distinguished by their clothing. There were strict laws on what people could wear, regardless of their wealth. The materials and colors were included in these laws. So were the strict rules on the types of fur a man or lady could wear. |