Year 7 History: Medieval England, Mansa Musa, and the Tudors

A comprehensive vocabulary review covering early English kings, the 1066 claimants, medieval life and beliefs, the Black Death, Mansa Musa, and the Tudor's religious changes.

Witan

A Council made up of the most important people, such as Earls and Bishops, who could advise the King in 1066 England.

Harold Godwinson

The Earl of Wessex and the most powerful nobleman in England who claimed the throne in 1066 based on a deathbed promise from Edward the Confessor.

Harald Hardrada

The King of Norway and an experienced army leader who claimed the English throne in 1066 because his grandfather, King Canute, had ruled England.

William, Duke of Normandy

Claimant to the throne who stated Edward the Confessor had promised him the crown and that Harold Godwinson had sworn an oath to support him.

Battle of Stamford Bridge

The battle on 25th September 1066 where Harold Godwinson defeated Harald Hardrada.

Motte and Bailey

A type of early castle that was quick to build with wood, featuring a high mound (motte) and an outer courtyard (bailey).

Bayeux Tapestry

An embroidered cloth produced on the order of Bishop Odo of Bayeux to celebrate the Norman victory in 1066.

Villein

A medieval peasant who lived in a small village and worked the land for a lord in exchange for protection.

Pottage

A thick vegetable soup that formed the main part of a medieval villein's diet.

Purgatory

A place in Catholic belief between heaven and hell where people pay for their sins after death.

Doom Painting

A type of religious art popular in medieval times used to convey simple messages about Heaven and Hell.

Tithe

A tax paid to the Church, contributing to its great wealth and power in the Middle Ages.

Trial by Ordeal

A method of deciding legal cases where it was believed God would determine guilt or innocence through fire or water.

Flagellants

Monks or religious followers who whipped themselves during the Black Death to gain God's forgiveness for sins.

Charter

An expensive document granted by the King that allowed townspeople to become freemen and control their own courts and prices.

Guild

An organization of craftsmen in a specific trade that set prices, ensured high quality, and managed apprenticeships.

Miasma

A medieval belief that disease was caused by 'bad air'.

Four Humours

A medical theory that illness was caused by an imbalance of yellow bile, black bile, phlegm, and blood.

Apothecary

A medical practitioner in medieval towns who diagnosed illnesses, made remedies, and performed small surgeries.

Pneumonic Plague

A version of the Black Death characterized by coughing up blood, fever, and chest pain.

Hajj

The greater Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are expected to make at least once if they can afford it.

Catalan Atlas

A series of medieval world maps created in 1375 that includes images of Mansa Musa.

Mansa Musa

The 10th Mansa of the Mali Empire who was incredibly wealthy and turned Mali into a center of trade and learning.

Angevin Empire

The extensive lands in France owned by the English crown in the early 12th century, including Normandy and Gascony.

Wars of the Roses

A series of civil wars in the 1400s between the House of York (white rose) and the House of Lancaster (red rose).

Battle of Bosworth

The final battle of the Wars of the Roses in 1483 where Henry Tudor defeated Richard III.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

An Act of Parliament that made Henry VIII the Supreme Head of the Church in England.

Dissolution of the Monasteries

The closure of religious houses starting in 1536, allowing Henry VIII to seize their lands and wealth.

Magna Carta

A 'Great Charter' signed by King John in 1215 that established the principle that the King is not above the law.

Scutage

A tax charged to barons by King John, even when the country was not at war, which caused significant anger.