Middle Ages

Middle Ages

the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the modern era

medieval

having to do with the Middle Ages

feudalism

the way of life in Europe in the Middle Ages

lord

a powerful landowner

vassal

a noble who swore to serve, protect, and fight for the king in exchange for land

knight

warriors of the noble class

serf

a person who lived and worked on the manor of a lord or vassal

manor

the village-like section of a fief

barbarians

the people who invaded the Roman Empire

Dark Ages

the early middle ages

fief

land given by a lord in return for loyalty and service

moat

a trench surrounding the castle walls built to keep people out

pope

the leader of the Roman Catholic Church

chivalry

a knights code of behavior

noble

a person of high rank in society

Muslim

followers of Islam

master

a highly skilled worker who could work independently

apprentice

one who served a master worker for a certain time to learn a trade

guild

a group of merchants or skilled workers who organized to maintain standards of work and to protect their own interests

coat of arms

designs and symbols that identified a knight in battle

crusade

Christian journey to try to capture Jerusalem back from Muslim rulers and occupants

cathedral

a large, beautiful church

merchant

a person who buys and sells

tournament

a contest in which knights kept in practice for warfare

peasants

a member of a class of persons who are small farmers or farm laborers of low social rank.

trade

the business of buying and selling or exchanging items

Charlegmagne

King of Franks; ruled for over 40 years; encouraged education; unified all the Christian lands of Europe into a single empire; was crowned Holy Roman Emperor

Black Death

the epidemic form of bubonic plague experienced during the Middle Ages when it killed nearly half the people of western Europe