Section 11.

2 Review
l. How did Pepin use Pope Zacharias to obtain
the title of king? What did the pope receive /
from Pepin in return? .: /
2. What does the name Charlemagne mean? / /
By what titles was Charlemagne called? /
3. How did Charlemagne use religion?
4. What important event occurred in Rome ,
on Christmas Day in the year 800? / .
5. How did the role of the pope make /;:
Charlemagne's empire different fronr-
Constantine's? / /
/'
6. What happened to the new ernpire after j/ ""
Charlernagne's death?
/
Why? / / ,
/'
7. How did Louis compare with his fatherY
Charlemagne? !/
8. How did the Treaty of Verdun divide the
ernpire? What happened to each division?
9. Where did the Magyars come from? What
name did they earn?
10. Where did the Moors come from? What
sea did they control?
Vikings: Thesight of a Viking warship caused alarm in medieval Europe, for 11. Describe the Norsemen. Where were they
the Norsemen were well known and greatly feared. Theterror of the Vikings from?
inspired the prayer, "hom the fury of the Northmen, deliver us, Lord."
12. Name one of the most important Viking
settlements.
although they failed to esta~y perma-
l3. Describe western Europe after Charlemagne's
nent settlements there. empire drsírrtegrated.
Many Vikings descended upon western
Europe. Some pursued trade, but the best- Identify: Stephen II, Lombards, Carolingian,
Leo III-;-HITngary,Iceland and Greenland
remembered Vikings were pirates who sacked
and looted towns, monasteries, and churches.
Eventually, many Vikings settled down.
!\,l. Among the most important Viking settlements
, was Normandy, an area along the northern
coast of<estern Europe. Feudalism
The End of the Empire A New Way of Life
Quarrels from within and attacks from Fiefs, lords, and vassals. Feudalism is
without reduced Charlemagne's western Euro- a \vay of life based uport the ownership and use
pean empire to shambles. Soon hundreds of of land. In a feudal society almost everything
""
~ little kingdoms replaced the empire. In each from politics and war to business and com-
kingdom, small groups of nobles elected kings. merce is related to land. The feudal system of
These kings were not very powerful, however. the Middle Ages centered on the fief, a piece of
The scattered kingdoms of western Europe land owned by one man who permitted another
were held together not so much by their kings man to use it in retum for certain promised serv-
as by feudalism [fyóód/l-Iz/ orn], the new way of ices. The man who owned the land was called
life which became prevalent in western Europe a lord, and the man who used the land in
~
exchange for his services was called a vassal.

-
during the 9th century.

11 .3 Feudalism 113
 Solemn vows. The relationship between with a variety of weapons. People in the vari-
lord and vassal was expressed in a promise. ous domains welcomed the knights as a source
In the ceremony of homage [hóm/Ij], the vassal of security. Th~ glad to call a knight
knelt and vowed to be his "lord's man." Next "lord" and perform services for him in retutn
carne an oath of fealty [fe'dl·te] in which the for protection. Kings were also glad to have ,the
vassal swore, sometimes with his hand on a noble knights as warriors.
Bible, that he would be loyal to his lord. Finally,
in the act of investiture [In-vés/tc-chóór], the The Feudal System
lord gave the vassal some object-a lance or a At the top of the feudal system in each
spear, for example-as a symbol of the vassal's western European kingdom was a king. The
right to use the fief. People took the promises king owned all the land in his kingdom, at
of feudalism very seriously. If a vassal failed to least in theory. Part of his land he kept for
honor his promises to his lord, he forfeited his personal use; this was called the royal or
fief (called forfeiture). crown land. The rest he distributed as fiefs
to high nobles such as dukes, counts, or earls.
Origins of Feudalism These nobles, in turn, p~ised to provide a
In the Roman Empire. The origins of feu- specified number of knights for the king's serv-
dalism can be traced back to the last days of the ice. By this time, knights provided the heart
old Roman Empire in the 5th century. In those of the military force of the various kingdoms
unsettled times, Roman aristocrats left the cities in western Europe. The feudal system enabled
and moved to the country. There, theyóffered a king to call upon his knights for military
military and police protection to other families service whenever a need arose.
in exchange for land and services. E~~ highest nobles themselves usu-
Among the Germa-n barbarians. Feu- ally served as knights, but in order to fulfill
dalism can also be tráced back to the German their promises to the king they needed the sup-
barbarians who invaded the Western Roman port of other nobles. Therefore, these higher
Empire. German warriors swore allegiance to nobles distributed parts of their land holdings
their chieftains with solemn vows. as fiefs to lower nobles. In return, these lower
After Charlemagne. The complicated nobles agreed to help their lord fulfill his obli-
system of feudalism known in the Middle Ages, gation to the king to provide acertain number
however, did not come together until the 9th of knights. Thus, another relationship of lord
century. After the fall of Charlemagne's empire, and vassal was created.
disorder and insecurity ruled the day. The weak These lower nobles, in turn, made vas-
kings of Europe's scattered kingdoms provided sals of still lower nobles. The process contin-
little protection from barbarian invaders and ued down the ladder of nobility to the least
criminals. The strong robbed the weak and knight, one whose fief could only support one
went unpunished. mounted warrior.
Knights. Men began to seek some sort of ~
new government to protect their lives, families, War and Chivalry
and property. Gradually, here and there, certain The age of feudalism in western Europe
landholders began to establish themselves as (about 800 to 1250) was a time of almost con-
the strongest power in a given area or domain. tinual warfare and strife. Thus fighting was the
Such aman might be a noble who could trace chief occupation of a noble. Aman successful
his ancestry all the way back to an old aristo- at warfare could expect to enlarge his territory.
cratic Roman family, or he might merely be a Even if he died in battle, he pursued the only
retired bandit. But all were masters of medieval life thought honorable for a gentleman.
wárfaré. These knights, as they were called, The feudal period is also remembered as
wore heavy armor and fought on horseback the age of chivalry. Chivalry [shív/ ol-re] was

114- Ch. 11 From Empire to Feudalism

 the code of conduct for the nobility and the A Knight: Natice the coat af ~s-
knights. This code stressed the good quali- shield, banner, and horse. Thesesymbols
were used to identify knights in battle. Each
ties of the warrior: strength, courage, and loy-
noble family had its own coat of arms.
alty. Chivalry also emphasized other virtues.
The chivalrous knight stood ready to defend and become a brave
the church and to aid the weak and feeble. knight. A boy began
He treated women with reverence and honor. training for knight-
Chivalry had an important effect on the hood around the age
behavior of noble knights. But just as today, of seven as a page, a
people of the Middle Ages did not always household servant in
practice what they preached. Not every the service of a lord.
knight lived up to the code of chivalry. The As a page, he learned
---MiddleAges were brutal times, and both men to hunt and to uphold the
and women alike were brutal people. They also ideals of chivalry. At the age of
had terrible table manners and drank consider- fifteen or sixteen, he became a squire,
able amounts of intoxicating beverages. a personal servant to his lord or to another
knight in the lord's service. As a squire, his
Knights and Castles education in the art of war began. He learned
Knighthood. From earliest youth, a boy to ride a horse in battle and to use a sword, a
of noble birth aspired to learn the arts of war shield, and a long spear called a lance.

ATLANTlC
OCEAN

ARABIA

-Mecca

11 .3 Feudalism 115
 The typical squire officially became a knight enemy. A castle's walls might enclose a space
around the age of twenty-one. To begin the of several acres, with enough buildings and
complicated ceremony, the squire placed his room for all the people of a domain to gather
armor on the altar of the parish church, con- during an enemy attack.
fessed his sins to a priest, and then spent the Castles were difficult to attack. Devices
night in prayer. In the morning, he took a bath had to be used that could hurl stones; arrows,
to symbolize his purity or worthiness and put on and other missiles over the high walls. Sol-
special clothes for the ceremony. At the knight- diers scaled the walls with ladders or towers on
ing, the priest performed a mass and blessed the wheels, used battering rams to break through
squire's sword, and the squire swore allegiance the walls and gates, and sometimes even dug
to the church, his lord, and the code of chivalry. tunnels under walls in order to get inside.
To conclude the ceremony, he knelt before his Meanwhile, a castle's defenders~op the
lord who, tapping the squire's neck or shoulder walls and turrets, raining arrows, rocks, or even
with a sword, pronounced him a knight. boiling tar down upon the heads of the attack-
Armor and heraldry. Early knights wore ers. Whenever the need arose, the knights were
simple leather coats. For greater protection, ready to pour out of the castle and attack ene-
armorers developed the coat of mail, an intri- mies. Clad from head1to toe in iron armor and
cate garment composed of thousands of metal mounted upon armored horses, they charged
links woven together. In the 1200s, they began into battle with sword, lance, and shield.
to add pieces of metal plate to the coat of mail, Medieval castles were not the bright, gleam-
especially at the joints and shoulders. By 1300, ing structures described in fairy tales. Designed
armorers were making heavy suits of plated for defense, they had nolarge windows. Rooms
armor. were dark, damp, and gloomy with but few
Because knights often wore closed helmets decoratl:Ohs·on the wal1s. The only warmth on
that shielded the face, it was difficult to dis- a winters night carne from large fireplaces.
tinguish friend from foe in the midst of battle. Medieval sports and pastimes. Nobles
Thus, each noble familyhad its OW11 coat of spent most of their day outside in sports. The
arms, a group of emblems and figures usually main sport, of course, was war. Even in peace-
displayed on a knight's armor for identitication time, the nobles preferred jousts and tourna-
purposes. The study of these emblems and their ments. In a joust, two knights fought to unseat
designs is known as heraldry [hér/ol-dre]. or unhorse each other. In tournaments, two
Castles. With invasion and warfare
so prevalent, nobles built heavily forti- Castle: Thelack ot windaws and the thick stone walls cambined
fied dwellings called castles (from Jhe to make tasttes dark, damp, and cold dwellings.
Latin word castra, a military camp).
Before 900, wooden castles were com-
mon, but later castles were made of
stone. A protective trench of water
called a moat surrounded many castles.
Such castles could only be entered by
way of a drawbridge (a bridge that
could be raised or lowered). When
raised, the drawbridge acted as a closed
gate; when lowered, it provided access to
the castle across the moat. From towers,
or turrets, along the castle walls, watch-
men surveyed the surrounding country-
side, ready to warn of an approaching

116 Ch. 11 From Ernpire to Feudalism

teams of knights fought a mock battl~ that ranged in size from a few hundred to several
lasted an entire day and ranged over the whole thousand acres of land. The farmers of the
countryside. Naturally, people were often hurt manors, called serfs, lived in villages of ten to
in these fierce sports. fifty families. Each family had a little house
Nobles also liked to hunt. Sometimes with just enough land for a small garden and a
they hunted on horseback, galloping through few barnyard animals.
the fields with a crossbow. Another favorite
method of hunting was falconry. Falcons Paying Taxes: Besidesworking in their lord's tiekis, the setis also
were young hawks trained to hunt small game paid annual taxes to their lord. As tarmes, the serfs might pay
with a qoose, a 10mb,or produce from their tana.
such as ducks or rabbits. Upon sighting his
~~~~
prey, the hunter released the falcon from his
wrist, allowing the bird to pursue and kill the
game and return it to his master.
At night, the nobles enjoyed indoor games,
including backgammon and chess. Some-
times, clownlike jesters in long, pointed shoes
with tinkling bells entertained with jokes and
foolishness. Minstrels sang and played simple
stringed instruments.

Manorsand Serfs
Farmers. During the Middle Ages, how-
ever, the vast majority of people did not live in
castles and had no time or energy for games.

~.
They worked as farmers on the manors,
estates belonging to the nobles. These manors
.,---

A Joust: In ojoust, two knights fought with lances to unsea: or unhorse eoch other. Men were often hurt in this fierce sport.

11.3 Feudalism 117

 The serfs lived a life of
hardship and knew nothing
of freedom. In many ways,
they were like slaves. They
could not leave the land
without the consent of their
lord, and their serfdom was
hereditary. The children
of a serf were attached to
the soil just as their parents
were. If born a ser], one
died a ser]. Serfs did dif-
fer from slaves in that they
possessed certain rights. As
long as they performed their
duties, their lords could not
evict them from the land.
But the serfs paid a
high price for their meager
rights. They had to work
two or three days each week
in their lord's fields, the
demesne [dí-mán"]. They
might also have to do such
work as repairing roads or
building barns. In addition
to paying taxes, the serfs
paid fees to use the lord's
mills for grinding grain or
his ovens for baking bread. A Typical Manor
Men and women worked sunup to sun-
down in the fields. Their life was hard, and uttered last rites over his deathbed. Men
they always lived on the brink of starvation. believed that the priests with their sacraments,
Their simple homes had walls made of mud not Christ with His grace, held the keys to
and floors made of clay. A fire burned in the heaven. Most people were unable to read, and
middle of the floor. As most serfs could not few had access to Bibles.
afford a chimney, the smoke escaped through The men of thechurch generally fell right
a small hole Tñfhe roof. Windows were mere into step with feudalismo The church had '
holes without glass. Furniture was sparse be come a great landholder as people willed
and purely functional. Pigs and chickens property to the church in a last'effort to secure
might wander in at any moment, for few their salvation. Many bishops even became
homes had doors. lords and vassals.
Churches. Each manor had its own As Europe disintegrated from an empire
little church, tying noble and serf alike to the into feudalism, the light Christ had brought
Roman church. The last words aman heard into the world remained dimmed. The truth
might be from the same priest who had bap- of the Bible was hidden in darkness, and the
tized him, fed him the bread of the Lord's people of the Middle Ages understood neither
Supper in the mass throughout life, and now freedom in this life nor salvation in the next.

118 Ch. 11 From Empire to Feudalism

.>
 Section 11.3 Review
1. What is the basis of the feudal system? /' 8. What was the purpose of a coat of armsr' /
2. Explain the origins of feudalism in the old.;-- 9. Describe the castles of the Middle AgeS~
Roman Empire and among the invading y 10. What outdoor sports did the nobles enjoy?/
German barbarians.g.s-> What indoor activities did they enjoy?
3. When did feudalism appear in its complete r 11. How did most of the people-óf the Middle
form? What conditions helped develop this f Ages spend their time??
system? ~ 12. How were the serfs almost like slaves?
4. Who were the knights, and how did they ¿, What were their homes like?
originate? L,./
13. Describe the role of the Roman church in
5. How were kings and nobles involvedin the/ feudalism.
relationship of lord and vas sal? ¡/'
6. What was the main occupation of nobles? __ Identify: fief, lord, vassal, homage, oath of
fealtv, act of investiture, forfeiture, crown
7. Describe the training of a knight. Describe j land, chivalry, page, squire, heraldry, moat,
the cerem~ by which a squire became a~ drawbridge, turrets, joust, tournaments,
knight.g.>"
falconry, manors, demesne

1-"" 'A LV;'''. fe IiJ A'

PEOPLE Know the following TERMS Define the [ollowing 15.page

individuals and be able to terms. 16. squire
explain their importance to 17. coat of arms
1. pontifex maximus
world history.
2. Mayors of the Palace 18. heraldry
1. Franks 3. Donation of Pepin 19. castles
2. Clovis 4. Patrician of the 20. moat
3. Charles Martel Romans 21. turret
4. Bishop Boniface 5. Treaty of Verdun 22. joust
5. Pepin the Short 6. feudalism 23. tournament
6. Charlemagne 7. fief 24. manor
7. Leo III 8. lord 25. serfs
8. Magyars, Moors, 9. vassal
Norsemen CONCEPT TO CONSIDER On a
10. homage
separate sheet of paper, answer
11. act of investiture the [ollowing question using
12. k:llight complete sentences.
13. crown land
Explain how Charlemagne's
14. chivalry
empire carne to an end.

Chapter 11 Review 119