The Hundred Year's War

    The Hundred Year’s War was a time of alternating warfare between England and France. It lasted from 1337 to 1453, not a hundred years, but 116 years. The main cause of the hundred years war was that the king of England, edwardIII, asserted that he had superior claim to the throne  because his mother was Philip the fair’s daughter. The economic conflict was another cause; the French monarchy had tried to put new taxes from towns in northern Europe.

     The first battle fought in the Hundred Year's War was the Battle of Cadsand in 1337. In the 1340's there were 6 battles which were all won in favor of the English. The first French vicory was in 1351 at the Battle of Andres. During the first part of the Hundred Years war great defeats were presented for the French. In 1370, a French recovery began, and a period of peace followed. After the peace ended and war resumed, the French were defeated at Agincourtin in 1415. It was there that the French signed the Treaty of Troyes, which recognized King Henry V of England as heir to the French Throne. The Battle of Castillon in July of 1453 was the last battle in the Hundred Year's war and the victory belonged to the French.

     One of the biggest and most recognized figures of the Hundred Year's War is Joan of Arc. She claimed that "voices" of saints had told her that God wanted her to fight in the War and aid her country. By lifting the siege of Orleans in 9 days and taking back the city of Reims, Joan had brought renewed confidence to the desperate French army who at the time, had suffered a number of losses to the English. Joan had been given the nickname "Maid of Orleans." Soon, Joan had been captured by the English and in hopes of taking back the War, they burned her on a stake as if she was a witch. The English though, was too late; the French had already taken the War under their wing.

     Thank You,
Jordan K.                                                          
Megan H.








Information from these websites--

http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/hundred-years-war.htm

http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-history/timeline-one-hundred-years-war.htm

http://www.enotes.com/topics/joan-arc

Agriculture in Medieval Times

Farming was a crucial part of life in medieval times. It was how many peasants made a living to support their families. Many medieval people did not actually own the land they farmed; instead it belonged to their lord of the manor. A peasant would pay rent to his lord and was sometimes required to give up his harvest as a part of renting the land. Most of the peasants were expected to work the lord’s land for a certain number of days a week. Being a peasant wasn’t easy. They worked long hours for very little pay, but in return they were protected by the knights of the manor.

Three-field system

The Europeans developed new farming ideas that helped them greatly expand food supplies and lead to the rise of towns. One of these techniques was the three-field system. Initially, as people migrated to the northern parts of Europe, they brought with them the two-field system, which was well suited to the climate of the Mediterranean. The climate affected how the crops grew which meant it also affected how good of a living they made for their family. The more temperate climate of northern Europe allowed the peasants to grow crops in both winter and summer. This however, caused the soil to become exhausted and worn down if they used the old two-field system. As a result the peasants divided their land into three fields, one for winter crops, one for summer, and one that remained empty. The use of the fields was rotated each year. Another part of the system, in order to prevent the soil from becoming worn down, was to use different crops that took different types of nutrients from the soil. The winter crops usually consisted of winter wheat or rye, and the spring and summer crops were wheat or beans and peas. 

The plow used in medieval times was still the scratch plow, which worked fine in the dry soil of the Mediterranean, but was not suited for the wetter, deeper soils of northern Europe. Such a plow might be re-enforced with iron, or it might be nothing more than a curved digging stick. The main source of power for pulling the plow was the ox hooked up by a yoke harness pulled at the neck. Although slow, the ox was more than some peasants could even afford. As a result, they had to pull their own plows or dig with spades. Since some peasants continued to use the two-field system instead of the three-field system, only fifty percent of the farmland was in use in any given year, and because of this, crop yields were very low. 

In the Roman Empire, for every bushel of seed grain planted, four bushels would be harvested. In the early Middle Ages, with the poor techniques being used, this ratio dropped to one and a half or two to one. A full half or more of peasant’s harvest had to be saved as seed grain for next year’s planting. In years of famine, this led to serious difficulties. 

http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/west/10/FC63

by: Raleigh Manning, Alyssa Omberg, Hunter Webb

Medieval Medicine

The hisostory of Medieval Medicine is not as one would think. Acutal effective treatments weren't developed until the later Middle Ages.
Western Medicine advanced very little in Europe during the Middle Ages. Scholarship fell into the religious sphere, and clerics were more interested in curing the soul than the body.  Many theologians considered disease and injury to be the result of supernatural intervention and insisted that cures were only possible through prayer. Christian concern for the ill and injured, as well as contact with the Arab world during the crusades, did, however, lead to the creation of many large hospitals built and run by monastic orders.  Although little was done to cure the patients, they were usually well fed and comforted by a religious nursing staff. 

<--St. Benedict

The first documents that we have in the genuine history of Medieval Medicine, after the references to the organizations of Christian hospitals at Rome and Asia Minor in the 4th and 5th centuries, are to be found in the directions provided in the rules of the religious orders for the care of the ailing. St. Benedict, the founder of the monks of the West, was particularly insistent on the thorough performance of this duty. One of the rules of St. Benedict required the Abbot to provide in the monastery an infirmary for the ailing, and to organize particular care of them as a special Christian duty. The wording of the rule in this regard is very emphatic. “ The care of the sick is to be placed above and before every other duty, as if, indeed, Christ were being directly served in waiting on them. It must be the peculiar care of the Abbot that they suffer from no negligence. The Infirmarian must be thoroughly reliable, known for his piety and diligence and solicitude for his charge.” The last words of the rule are characteristic of Benedict’s appreciation of cleanliness as a religious duty, though doubtless also the curative effect of water was in mind. “Let baths be provided for the sick as often as they need them.”

Cassiodorus, who had been the prime minister of the Ostrogoth Emperors, had his rule founded on that of the Benedictines. He promoted the herbal medicine, by recommending to learn the nature of herbs, and study diligently the way to combine their various species for human health; but he advised to not place your entire hope on herbs, nor seek to restore health only by human counsels. Since medicine has been created by God, and since it is He who gives back health and restores life, turn to Him.

(Sarah A. and Sarah D.)

The Spread of the Black Plague

    The black death begun in the Medieval England between 1348-1350 that caused segregation and destruction life. The disease killed 1.5 million out of an estimated total of 4 million. Seeing that they had no medial knowledge they had to cope with the disease. During the 14th century, the black death was giving the name bubonic plague. 

    The first signs of the plague were painfully swollen lymph nodes, lumps on your groin and armpits. These tumors could range in size from that of an egg to that of an apple. Then, after, lead to black blotches on the skin, that appeared on your arms, legs and other parts of your body and bleeding from the lungs filling them with fluid causing victims to spit up mucous and blood

   

The bubonic plague was caused by the bacillus Pasteurella pestis (Yersinia pestis), transmitted to persons by Infected fleas that attached themselves to rat. Almost every victim died within three days without a fever. The belief that God was upset with them, they showed their love and devotion by whipping themselves to be forgiven of their sins and hope that God would be spare them from the Black Death. 

    One-third of Europe’s population died. Mortality rates were estimated between 25 and 38 percent; as the disease spread, both cities and rural areas suffered. Finding it difficult to keep up with the responsibility of so many burials, some cities abolished burial fees and others participated in mass funerals. The most devastating aspects of the Black Plague was fear of helping the sick. Touching the clothing of someone who was ill could be fatal. Families deserted their own fathers, mothers, and even children. Abandoned plague victims lay dying in the streets. Families who stayed with loved ones often paid the price, forced by towns people to be sealed up in their houses, healthy and sick alike, amounting to a death sentence for all. The segregation of the sick was ordered in many cities. 

  

To many historians, the Black Death marked the end of the Middle Ages and the start of the modern age. Its devastation cleared the way for Europeans to begin to reorganize their societies, to systematize landholding relations between owner/farmer and tenant/laborer on the basis of rent, and to strike a balance between capital and labor.

   The child's nursery rhyme Ring Around The Rosie is often cited as referring to the Black Plague, however this is thought to be an urban legend as the earliest record of it appearing in print wasn't until 1881.

Ring around the Rosie
Pocketful of posies
Ashes, ashes (or Achoo, achoo)
We all fall down.

　

Guilds

The guilds in the Middle Ages were an important part of Medieval life. There were two types of guilds, Merchant Guilds and Craft Guilds. The Merchant Guilds negotiated with the lord and levy trade became regulated. The regulations that the Merchan Guild and the lord made, resulted in a Merchant Guild charter. This charter allowed th merchants to pay an annual payment to the lord who owned the land where the town was based.

Merchant guilds were very powerful because they controlled the way that the town traded. They mad rules that put a ban on any illicit trading by non Merchant Guild members, fines were imposed on any Merchant Guild members who violated the Merchant Guilds charter. Leading members of the Merchant Guilds became very important members of the Medieval town community of the Middle Ages. They adopted the role of spokesperson for all of the members. The introduction of the Merchant Guilds in a town or city lead to its own hierarchy and involvement in civic duties such as chief spokesman of the Merchant Guild became the mayor of the town, or city.

Craft guilds formed in a similar way to the Merchant Guilds. They were a group of tradesmen or craftsmen engaged int the same occupation joined together. There were Craft Guilds of every trade performed within a Medieval city. They included carpenters, painters, cloth makers, bakers, shoemakers, or cobblers,apothecaries, candle makers. The craft guilds formed organizatons for protectoin and mutual aid. no one within a medevil town could practice a craft or trade with out belonging to the merchant or craft guild association.

The Craft Guilds ensured that their craft or trade effectively became a 'closed shop' or monopoly preventing any outside competition. Prices were fixed between members of the Craft Guilds. And the Craft Guilds ensured that high standards of quality were maintained. The number of Craft Guild members were also regulated, allowing a restricted membership in order to ensure that the numbers of Craft Guilds did not exceed the business requirements.

Ashley Ochoa & Lyn Shannon

Art in the Medieval Times

Art included humans dressing in tradition clothing and the new, Biblical subjects, Christian dogma, and Classical mythology. The Catholic Church financed many projects, however the oldest surviving art examples are found in Roman catacombs which were buried crypts beneath the cities. Medieval artist decorated churches and works for public appreciation of the classical themes. Roman mosaics made up of colored stone cubes (or glasses) which were called  tesserae presented Christian scenery. Romanesque architecture symbolized European wealth in cities and the power of the church.
video

The Gothic style which appeared in the middle of the 12th century which was named after the Goths who ruled France. Goths used gargoyles which were hideous on the Cathedrals to represent Hell, which the Cathedral itself represented the power of God. Notre Dame has been added a lot of times during the 12th century with the uses of gargoyles and flyingbuttresses. Over 900 years of art are found mostly in ancient churches and mainly in Cathedrals. The presence of the Virgin Mary made churches more approachable rather than intimidated the worshipper.

http://www.arthistory.net/         Art part published by Daniel Milligan. Music by Ellen Honea


Music was an important part of medieval time. Music was greatly used in religious and secular life, some priests chanted while other churches had instruments such as organs and bells. Music was written as poetry and then later set to a melody. By the 12th century music grew from one melodic line to two or more. Dozens of instruments were incorporated in medieval music including a few more common instruments such as bagpipes, harps, recorders, and flutes.

 Medieval music had many different genres which spread from a type of love song to basic plain instrumental. Just as anything would, the music evolved to adding in their version of special effects. Medieval music, like music today, was based in a scale of whole steps and half steps. The influence of medieval music can be seen in much music today including classical music and classical rock.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_music

Family Life

Family Life

During the middle ages, the word family was the basic unit of society but it did not remain the same in the east and west.  In general term the word family can be defined as a group of people united by marriage. This concept was used in the middle ages. The manner of the family varied with status and wealth.  The family residents changed by births, marriages, economically, socially, arrivals and deaths.  The making of the families extended beyond residential units no matter their size or class. Family and relationship ties with all blood relatives both paternal and maternal and all spiritual relations by marriage or sacramental ties through baptism and godparent hood. These relatives were not allowed to marry each other for fear that they suffer the consequences of the sin of incest.

These families were the primary and ordinary network for family strategies for the transmission of property, Status, economic obligation, name, and symbolic prestige. Family structure was important in the middle ages, since it linked to revenge among the noble groups and the waging of private wars or political conflicts. Family and relationship was more stable in Judaism. Laws were modified to deal with the new situations. Kinship remained important in public and private life.  Marriage was projected if not forced. Only under certain circumstances divorces were allowed.

Family was a wide-ranging term that incorporated grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins in Islam. It was assumed to be an economic component both for the nuclear family and the extended family. Respect and responsibility, with duties and their rights for the family was expected by the Quran. Islam itself was sighted as a family. In the peasants family life the women cooked for the family and mostly the men worked. Jewish women contributed in local commerce and in overseas trade and travel. In many families the wife became the family’s breadwinner so her husband could study.

Family names were originated from the father. Men in the family who married a higher class then him took on the wife’s last name. A common family name was “Ibn al-Hajja” which in English means son of the woman pilgrim. Daughters inherited their father’s inheritance if there were no sons to take over it. If there were no sons the son took over the father’s name and inheritance

Citations:

English, Edward D. "the family during the Middle Ages." Encyclopedia of the Medieval World, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=EMW0498&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 3, 2010).

Cosman, Madeleine Pelner, and Linda Gale Jones. "society in the Middle Ages." Handbook to Life in the Medieval World. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=HBLMW02&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 4, 2010).


Diamond Daniel and Katelyn Krupa

medival technology

Many inventions of medieval times have no known inventors. Many of these inventors were not famous, or well known, just people trying to improve their tasks in many small ways or occasionally large ones. Alot of the inventors may not have found the developments either logical or inevitable. For example, the American Tepee. One person decided they needed mobile shelter and came up with the idea of a frame of wood around which animal skins were wrapped around. As simple and easy as this may sound, all of the skills of cutting wood, may have come to place when building early huts.



In Roman military tradition, cavalry to be exact, is combat on horseback. It played a very important role to help with infantry. It was to carry out flanking movements on the battlefield, and to persue the enemy in fight. On the back of these horses were mounted knights, their armor weighed at 60 pounds or more. The cavalry was the primary function within the military. Only slowly, from the seventh and eighth centuries, did the role of cavalry become well known.


A castle was a self-contained, fortified household in which several, hundreds, or thousands lived and worked. Europe's earlier castle consisted of an outer wall surrounded by a moat filled with water under a retractable drawbridge which could be lifted for security and lowered for entrances and exits. Within the walls was a Bailey, a fortified enclosure or space inside the outermost castle walls often enclosing a motte, or an artificial mound.

The technology of mills and milling has been fundamental to civilization. Grains were first grown as crops in the ancient Near East, but even before then it is likely that people had learned to grind grain to make flour for baking. Millstones were a part of everyday life in most of the medieval world. Grain, nuts, and other foods were placed on stones, and other large stones were used to grind the food. This basic form of milling was practiced in the Americas; throughout Asia, including the Near East; Africa; and Oceania during the medieval era. It was convenient for families to be able to grind their own grain in their home, even though it was a labor-intensive process.

jason stevens ty whitely

citiations

English, Edward D. "technology during the Middle Ages." Encyclopedia of the Medieval World, vol. 2. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File,

Crabtree, Pam J. "mills and milling in the medieval world." Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Medieval World. New York: Facts On File, Inc.

Cosman, Madeleine Pelner, and Linda Gale Jones. "medicine, science, and technology in the Middle Ages." Handbook to Life in the Medieval World. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File,

Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)

        Joan is a woman of historical importance. Joan was a French patron saint, in medieval times, that led the resistance to the English invasion of France during the Hundred Years war. Born in the village of Domremy, her exact date of birth is still unknown today, but she lived a short life. Most of her life was spent learning religion and good housekeeping skills from her mother. When she turned 12 years old, Joan claimed to begin hearing voices from St. Catherine, and St. Margaret. Many people saw this in different ways, but Joan believed it was a message being sent to her directly from God.

       Believing it was the man himself, Joan believed the voice was telling her to cut her hair, dress up in mans armour, and take over arms. She decided to do so. After endless convincing, she finally persuaded Dauphin of her calling. Dauphin then granted her troops and the ranking as captain. She then began to led many people into different battles and wars.

      

Later throughout the years she was captured and taken prisoner by the army of the Duke Of Burgundy. For a large quantity of cash they delivered her into the hands of the English, who made her a prisoneer in Raven. After waiting in prison for a year, she was finally charged with sorcery, and brought into trail. They considered a woman wearing mens clothing against god.  Trying to convince the judges this wasnt true, Joan was not shown innocent, they didnt accept and thought of her as guilty.

         

After being sentenced to be burned at the stake. They burnt her in the market-place in Raven. english soldiers fastened her to a stake in the ground surrounded by large piles of sticks. The other soldiers then placed a rough cross into her hands. They then set all the sticks on fire. On the day of May 30, 1431, at the age of 19, the religious, and courageous Joan of Arc, was burn't to death.

Text Citations: Joan of Arc. http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/joan-of-arc.htm
Joan of Arc, Brief Biography. http://archive.joan-of-arc.org/joanofarc_short_biography.html

Cambridge University 800th Finale Lightshow

           Cambridge is one of the most ancient Universities. It is a great example of the way the colleges and Unversities were like in the Middle Ages. The founder was a Spanish Prince who married the daughter of the Britons. The Colleges started out very small but as the years went on it got larger as more people became aware of the colleges. The Monks came to Cambrige to lecure in 1109. Some Scholars that were dispersed form oxford when haveing problems in a town came to Cambridge.

       Cambridge was origionally called Granta bryg, because the river it stands on was once calle dthe Granta not the Cam. The River called "Cam" was named after the Cambridge college.

    Cambridge currently has more than 30 colleges in the University. Before the Black death there was just six. Peterhouse (founded 1284), Kings  Hall(1317), Michaelhouse (1324), Calre (1388), The Hall of Valance Marie, now called Pembroke(1347), and Gonville Hall (now Gonville and Caius, (1348). The townspeople  of Cambridge didn't like University scholars for a number of reasons, when they had possession of the University Chest, (the place where a number of records and charters were kept), they made a bonfire of them in the Market Square.

       The light show Aniversity is January 17 , it celebrates the 800th year of Cambridge. Ashton Ross states "The ideas, concepts and inventions that have flowed from Cambridge have changed the world. I intend to give the viewer a glimpse of the depth and breadth of this incredible body of work and to show that this same innovative genius will continue to shape our world in the future."

Text Citations:
www.localhistories.or/cambridge.html
www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66629

 

     

           

      

Nunnery and Monostary Life In the Middle Ages

         Life in medeval times were tough situations. Everyone excluding royalty and aristocratic society, lived in humble homes with humble lives. But some of the most humiliating lives were lived in the nunneries and monostaries. With little warmth in the rural monostaries, monks lived lonely, quiet lives working for their God.

   

   A medieval nunnery was very similar to a monastery, which was a place where  people would gather to worship God. People would also use this time to get away from their life's and just relax for awhile. The Nunnery was also used by the nuns. The nuns usually lived in a religious house called a abbey or they were also known as a priory. The nun that was in charge of the priory was called the prioress. Each nunnery was a self-supporting whose nuns had no need of going beyond its limits for anything. The nunnery also allowed the nuns to vote who they wanted the prioress to be. A nunnery was also known for one of the few places where women held positions or authorities.

   

    Nunneries were often places where women who didn’t fit into society, were sent, or chose to live there. For example, an illegitimate female child could be brought up in a monastery, rather than with her mother. A young woman who didn’t wish to marry, or a widow might also choose a nunnery as an alternative to life alone. And of course, the community provided protection from the attentions of would-be suitors, particularly for wealthy widows, who were particularly welcome in a nunnery, as they usually had some form of wealth or property from their marriage.
 

    A woman could spend most of her life in a nunnery. Many Houses took young girls, whom they educated. Some of these girls went back into everyday life once they grew up, others took their vows and entered religious life. Life in a medieval nunnery offered for many, a sense of community and purpose, and the chances to experience responsibility, which were not offered to women elsewhere in medieval society.

    The principal buildings of a large nunnery were grouped around an inner court, called a cloister. These included a church, a refectory, or dining room, with the kitchen and buttery near it, a dormitory, where the nuns slept. There was also a library, a school, a hospital, and a guest house for the reception of strangers, besides barns, bakeries, laundries, workshops, and storerooms for provisions. Beyond these buildings lay vegetable gardens, orchards, grain fields, and often a mill, if the monastery was built on a stream. The high wall and ditch, usually surrounding a nunnery, shut it off from outsiders and in time of danger protected it against attack.

Citations

Info
http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/medieval-convent-nunnery.htm

http://www.suite101.com/content/life-in-a-medieval-nunnery-a172896

Pic

http://www.explore-isle-of-iona.co.uk/images/iona-attractions/nunnery-2.jpg

http://www.englishare.net/literature/guinevere-nun.jpg

Kelby Bryant

David Wyers

   

Welcome!

Welcome to Ms. Kamperman's 2nd period class blog! We are bloggin about the various aspects of the Life int the Middle Ages.  Enjoy the students posts!

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