A.
Chivalric and Feudalism Education
History
There was a time in Europe when a powerful king was able to subdue all other king and became the owner
of all the lands. He could not supervise all the lands that he required by himself alone and he distributed the
lands to his warlords who became his vassals and hence, rendered military service to him. The lands
distributed to such warlords were their reward.
There were also lesser warlords who placed themselves under the greater ones and so on down the line.
The lesser warlords became the vassals of the greater ones. This was the political relationship between the
warlords and their vassals and sub vassals and the mass of people place themselves under the protection of
the lowest vassal.
Ultimately the lands were given to the peasants or mass of people to be tilled. The tillers were called serfs
who had pay rent to their lord who in turn would pay rent to his own lord and so up the line until a portion of
rent reached the king who owned the lands.
The land given to vassal was called fief or feud, hence the words feudal or feudalism. This was economic
relationship among the king, his warlords, vassals and serfs. This system of political economic relationship
during the middle age was called feudalism. Out of the system arose a kind of education among nobility (the
warlord, lords, vassals and subvassals) for entrance into aristocracy. The serfs had very little education if there
was any at all.
( Sa Europa o Europe ay may panahon na may isang hari na natalo niya ang lath ng hari at
napasakanyang ang lahat ng lupain noon.. sa sobrang laki ng nasasakupan niya ay di niya ito kayang eh
supervise, kaya pinamahagi niya ito sa kanyang mga warlords who became his vassals na nagbigay sa kanya
ng military services kung kya ang mga lupang ipinamahagi niya ay nagsilbi gantimpala sa mga ito.
May mga ranking o mataas o mababa ang mga posisyon ang pamumuno noon ay nakabatay sa sino ang
nasa taas. (ranking) o taas ng posisyon. The lesser warlords became the vassals of the greater ones (This was
the political relationship between the warlords and their vassals and sub vassals and the mass of people place
themselves under the protection of the lowest vassal.
The age of chivalry extended from the beginning of the ninth to the sixteenth centuries. A complicated
system of political and personal relationships called feudalism characterized by the early period of the middle
ages and grew among the nobility. Concerned with both loyalty and property, feudalism focused on land tenure,
binding royalties and serfs together by the responsibilities of mutual defense and service. The medieval king or
lord rewards his vassal by awarding him a portion of his land and, in return, each pledge aid and support to the
other.
To get young nobles ready to assume their obligations, the institution of chivalry developed and became
the basis for a set of ideals to guide their education and conduct. The patterns of chivalry were based upon
usages in warfare, religion and courtesy for the upper class. For warfare, there was training in the skills of
fighting on horseback. The church contributed ideas of honor, generosity, protection of the weak and loyalty. In
addition, there were social graces and manners fit for the nobility.
Feudalism is the general term used to describe the political and military system of the Western European
during the Middle Ages. At that time there was no strong central government and little security, but feudalism
fulfilled the basic need for justice and protection.
Feudalism was a system of land tenure on allegiance and service to the nobleman or lord. The lord who
owned the land, called a fief, let it out to a subordinate who was called vassal. Two careers were open to the
sons of the noblemen during feudalism times. If they decided in favor of the church, they pursued an education
that was religious and academic in nature in order to become members of the clergy. If they decided in favor of
chivalry, they pursued an education that was physical, social and military in nature. To the average boy, chivalry
has much more appeal than the church.
The word chivalry comes from the Old French word “chevalerie”, meaning horse soldiery. But the term
came to mean the code of behavior and ethics that knights were expected to follow.
TRAINING PREPARATION FOR KNIGHTHOOD
In the middle ages, a young boy in training to be a knight spent the first years of his life chiefly in the care of
the women of his family. During this time, he learned how to ride a pony and care for horses,
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At seven, he joins a household of another knight or nobleman and learns how to handle small weapons and
learns the code of courtesy and behavior expected of a knight
The SQUIRE
At fourteen, he acts as a valet, a personal servant to the knight who was his master and sets the table and
serves meals. He keeps the knight’s weapon in good condition and cares for his horses. He helps his
knight in his armor, attends to him if injured, rides with him into battles and fights along with his knight. He
also guards prisoners.
The KNIGHT
At twenty-one, any knight could bestow knighthood on another. Some men were knighted on the battlefield if
they had shown great bravery. He receives his sword and other weapons from his master or king. The
ceremony is solemn in which a prospective knight takes a bath of purification, dressed in white and spends
an entire night in prayer and meditation.
1. AIMS
A system of education for nobility, chivalry aimed to teach the best ideals. It provided a system of training to
inculcate gallantry towards women, protection of the weak, honesty in everything and courage at all times.
a) Morality – To inculcate in the minds of young nobles the virtues of honor, honesty, courage, bravery,
courtesy, etc
b) Responsibility – To get the young nobles to assume their responsibilities, how to manage their own
estates, and how to deal to the lower classes of people.
c) c. Horsemanship – To train the young nobles in horseback warfare, hunting and tournaments
d) d. Gallantry – To train the young nobles how to deal gallantry with the ladies of nobility and protection of
the weak
e) e. Religiosity – To train the young nobles to be devoted to the service of God
f) f. Social Graces – To train the young girls in the social graces and manners fit for the ladies of the nobility
2. TYPES
Chivalric was a form of social training. It emphasized on military training and social etiquette. Chivalric
education was essentially class education for entrance into aristocracy. This social discipline taught the
young noble to manage his estate and to acquire the class consciousness of superiority over lower class.
a) Reading, Writing and little literary learning in the vernacular
b) Social Training. Training in good manners, right conduct, and social graces. Training of social etiquette has
never been surpassed.
c) Military Training. Military training was emphasized through the acquisition of professional military skills and
made of fighting in warfare a profession
d) Religious and moral training. Participation in Church rites and ceremonies.
e) Physical Training. This was given emphasis
3. CONTENT
The curriculum consisted of:
a) Religion, music, dancing, especially for girls
b) Horse riding for warfare, hunting, and tournaments
c) Physical exercises
d) Reading, writing, literature in vernacular
e) Good manners, right conduct, social graces and etiquette
f) Household duties such as sewing, weaving, cooking, embroidery and household management for girls
g) At the higher level: the curriculum consisted of the SEVEN FREE ARTS:
a. Jousting
b. Falconing
c. Swimming
d. Horsemanship
e. Boxing
f. Writing and singing verse
g. Chess
The pupil did not pay any fees because he served his master like a valet.
4. AGENCIES
a) The home was responsible for the earliest education; later, the lords and ladies of the castles were the
teachers.
b) The fields of battle were the schools of boys while,
c) The courts were the school for girls.
d) Troubadours, ministers and gazetteers served as agents of education and providers of entertainment.
Using the vernacular, they sang about the noble deeds of the heroes, beautiful ladies, brilliant deeds of the
knights and lords. They spread the news, gave warnings about impending dangers, brought messages
from allies and friends. Troubadours propagated learning through their songs
5. METHODS
The methods used were those of imitations, example, and learning by doing. The motivation was strong
desire for social approval. Discipline was maintained through the ideals of obedience and sincere
adherence to the moral and social standards.
6. DECLINE
By the end of 1200’s, several events in Europe led to the decline of feudalism.
a) An economic revival put more money back into use because soldiers could be paid. Fewer lords relied on
vassals to provide services of knights
b) The invention of gun powder and of such weapons as the longbow and the cannon lessened the
dominance of the knights
c) Foot soldiers from Flemish cities defeated French knights at the battle of Courtal in 1302
d) Stone castles occupied by feudal lords could no ,longer stand against the cannon
e) Cities grew wealthier and became more important and rulers have less need of aristocracy
f) People trained in the government service took over the function that vassals had performed on their serfs
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION
Use of vernacular as tool of teaching
The emphasis placed on learning the social graces, rules of etiquette or good manners
and right conduct
B. THE GUILD APPROACH TO EDUCATION
Towards the end of the Middle Ages, considerable social and cultural changes were brought
about by economic changes. One of these was the Crusade. The Crusaders increased trade
and commerce. The necessity of transporting the Crusaders resulted in the development of
transportation, trading and banking. The Crusaders themselves became acquainted with a new
lifestyle which created a multitude of new needs and luxuries. This brought about the growth of
new cities and the rise of new social classes – the burgher, bourgeoisie or the middle class.
This new class began to be as important as the nobles and the clergy and they demanded a
different kind of education for their children.
Closely related to the development of commerce was the strengthening of guilds, an
organization composed of persons with common interest and mutual needs for protection and
welfare.
There are two types of guilds, the merchant guild and the craftsman guild. The merchant
guild members were residents of the same town and artisans who sold their products. They
usually had a monopoly of the retail trade in their own towns. The skill workers, manufacturers
and artisans organized themselves into craft according to their craft, to protect themselves from
inferior work and undercut prices and to gain monopoly of production among themselves.
1. AIMS
The new middle class needed a new kind of education that was practical, thus vocational
training was emphasized so that children were to be prepared for the requisites of
commerce and industry.
2. CONTENT
Elementary instruction in reading and writing were vernacular and arithmetic was
required as preparation for commerce and industry of the guilds. Masters were required
to teach their apprentice their crafts and also provide adequate religious instructions.
3. AGENCIES
New types of school developed for the education of burgher children, the burgher
schools which were supported and controlled by the cities and often taught by priest and
lay teachers, the chantry schools supported by the wealthy merchants for the
instructions of the children of the city, and the guild schools for the children of the
craftsmen.
4. ORGANIZATION
There were three stages of development for the craftsmen, (1.) Apprentice, (2.)
Journeyman and (3.)Master craftsman. As an apprentice the boy was assigned to
master that would teach him skills of trade, watch over his morals and train him in
religion. In turn, the boy had to work hard and serve his master. The period of apprentice
varied according to the trade. As Journeyman, the young worker would travel as a paid
laborer and go to different masters. After he had proven his worth, then he became a
master, a full pledged member of a guild.
5. METHOD
The chantry, burgher and the guild schools were operated in much the same way
as monastic and parish schools. The methods used were example, imitation and
practice. They also had dictation, memorization and the catechetical method. Discipline
was severe and harsh. Education at this point was strictly preparation for work.
Referrences:
1. Foundations of Education II (Historical, Philosophical and Legal Foundations of Education) Third
Edition by Rosalinda A. San Mateo and Maura G. Tangco
2. Historical, Philosophical and Legal Foundations of Education 2 Second Edition by Doris D. Tulio
decline
Crusades
a medieval military expedition, one of a series made by Europeans to recover the Holy Land from the
Muslims in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries.
A Near the end of the Medieval Period certain factors caused important social and cultural changes in
Europe.Among factors were crusades:
The crusaders wanted to wrest control of Jerusalem from Saracens and transporting the crusader
armies helped very much in the development of seaports and sea transportation.
The crusaders were exposed to the new life style of the people of the east and brought back wonderful
tales about the new foods, clothing, ornaments and other luxuries of the east that created desires to
acquire these things among the Europeans. This things stimulated trade and commerce and shipping
between the two regions. Banking progressed tremendously.
The increased trade and commerce resulted in the growth of new cities.
A new social class, the burghers or merchant capitalist who belonged to the bourgeoisie or middle class
became the important and powerful as the nobility and the clergy.
Then came the organization of guilds composed of persons with common of interest and mutual needs
for protection and welfare.
There were two types
The merchant guild- compose of the buy and sell merchants and artisan merchants who sold their own
products residing same city and who controlled the retail trade.
Craft Guild-composed of skilled workers, manufacturers and artisan who banded together according to
their craft to protect themselves from inferior work and cut-throat competition and to gain monopoly of
production.
Because of this conditions.the guild members demended a kind of education that suited the need of
their children.
rtisan - worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.
