Popular culture - witchcraze

Often how much of the peasantry made up the population?

80-90%

Festivals of misrule were an opportunity to express communal _________ and customs

values

why were festivals of misrule helping to maintain order?

They helped peasantry to express themselves, acting as a safety valve e.g. Spain Mayday celebration included mock battles encouraging people to imitate fighting as an outlet

Why might we consider festivals of misrule as a form of moral regulation?

They humiliated wrongdoers and forced penance on those who broke moral codes e.g. charivari. Public humiliation (public executions, stocks and scold's bridle). Skimmingtons in England, insubordinate women were paraded through the streets.

Why might festivals of misrule have been used to reaffirm allegiance?

The use of kings and abbeys emphasised to whom the peasants owed allegiance, upholding traditional order

If misrule wasn't used, what might have happened?

Discussions about seditious ideas in taverns might have led to rebellion, disrupting the natural order.

Which festival was everyone involved in?

Carnival. E.g. In Ferrera, the duke joined festivities, bringing together different social groups.

What might the festivals of misrule have reflected?

Distinct cultures e.g. shepherds and miners

What might charivari have been used to repress?

the temerity and audacity of women

What might misrule have been an opportunity to do?

involve large numbers of the community, particularly women.

There was a difference between urban and rural church culture before what?

The reformation

Due to education, why were rural and urban culture different?

reading was more of an urban culture e.g. in mountainous areas such as Pyrenees, the village priest was the only literate person.

Which rates had an impact on divisions?

Growth in literary rates in the towns e.g. 1518-24 German publication increased sevenfold. By 1500, 1000+ printing shops existed in England.

What were the differences in gatherings in urban and rural cultures.

town - guilds

countryside - large agricultural festivals e.g. hallows and saints where they baked souling cakes in England, Flanders, Germany and Austria to give to all christened souls.

What did the reformation create a series of?

church cultures e.g. calvinists, lutherans...

What variations were there for rural and urban cultures?

geographical

In both rural and urban culture people gathered to share and play what?

food and music

What might have varied in urban and rural culture in music?

nature of the music

What were cultural divisions based on?

Age and gender. E.g. charivari impacted more women than men.

Why would enlightenment have seen withdrawal of elites?

It dispelled elements of popular culture as pagan and superstitious

Why might we consider a refinement of behaviour as causing withdrawal of elite?

nobility with drew into their homes e.g. into dining rooms/parlours from banquet halls, abandonment of local dialects in favour of the ruling language of the state.

why did literate groups withdraw?

books put forward the idea of good moral behaviour e.g. Giovanni Della Casa's 'Il Galateo' and Castiglione's 'The Book of the Courtier'. Brant's the 'Ship of Fools' 1495 denounced immoral nature of rituals in festivals.

what did the elite in Southern Europe still participate in?

Carnival

What did elite generally still take part in?

pageants and festivals e.g. Danish and English monarchs were processed publicly through their capital cities.

Why were authorities concerned about festivals and maintaining order?

once the festivals ended there might not be a return to order.

What were authorities worried festivals would lead to?

Riot and unrest e.g. May Day Riots London 1517 rioted against foreigners, sometimes used to attack groups such as Jews, German carnivals of 1520s and 1530s became anti-catholic demonstrations, Peasants' War Germany 1524 . During wars of religion in France festivals turned violent, Dijon carnival 1630 turned into a riot led by winegrowers, Madrid Palm Sunday Riot 1766 , great revolt in Catalonia on Corpus Christi.

Why were the catholic church concerned about festivals after the reformation?

They were used to mock and protest against the catholic church. E.g. the Festival of Fools 28th Dec

Why did both churches worry about festivals?

there was an inversion of religious order and profanity in festivals. E.g. in Venice women were allowed to sing bawdy songs (usually restricted to men). In some festivals women dressed as men to subvert their subservient role in a phallocentric society.

Which political move led to authorities attacking festivals of misrule?

state centralisation e.g. France

What were pageants often used to reinforce?

social order (safety valve) e.g. Feast of Fools was run by the junior clergy themselves, controlled environment. E.g. In Charivari, an unpopular figure's effigy would be burned (Judus, Guy Fawkes, Pope) this mockery of outsiders brought the masses together and strengthened bonds.

What were festivals seen as an opportunity for workers to do?

avoid the monotony of work and express themselves.

What authoritarian groups joined in in festivals?

nobility and guilds

Whose reforms had a greater impact on the educated minority and cut off the Catholic elite from many popular traditions?

The Council of Trent

What did the ordinary person have to rely on instead of printing?

oral traditions