Key Terms of Medieval Europe and Feudalism

Patriarch

the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, originally appointed by the Byzantine emperor

Idolatry

the worship of religious images

Feudalism

political and social order that developed during the Middle Ages when royal governments were no longer able to defend their subjects; nobles offered protection and land in return for service

Vassal

under feudalism, a man who served a lord in a military capacity

Knight

under feudalism, a member of the heavily armored cavalry

Fief

under feudalism, a grant of land made to a vassal; the vassal held political authority within his fief

Feudal contract

under feudalism, the unwritten rules that determined the relationship between a lord and his vassal

Chivalry

in the Middle Ages, the ideal of civilized behavior that developed among the nobility; it was a code of ethics that knights were supposed to uphold

Manor

in medieval Europe, an agricultural estate that a lord ran and peasants worked

Serf

in medieval Europe, a peasant legally bound to the land who had to provide labor services, pay rents, and be subject to the lord's control

Bourgeoisie

the middle class, including merchants, industrialists, and professional people

Common law

a uniform system of law that developed in England based on court decisions and on customs and usage rather than on written law codes; replaced law codes that varied from place to place

Magna Carta

the "Great Charter" of rights, which King John was forced to sign by the English nobles at Runnymede in 1215

Parliament

representative government that emerged in England; it was composed of two knights from every county, two people from every town, and all the nobles and bishops

Sacrament

Christian rite

Heresy

the denial of basic Church doctrines

Relics

bones or other objects connected with saints; considered to be worthy of worship by the faithful

Crusades

military expeditions carried out by European Christians in the Middle Ages to regain the Holy Land from the Muslims

Infidel

an unbeliever; a term applied to the Muslims during the Crusades

Theology

the study of religion and God

Scholasticism

a medieval philosophical and theological system that tried to reconcile faith and reason

Vernacular

the language of everyday speech in a particular region

Secular

Attitudes, activities, or anything that has no religious basis; not about religion

Schism

A split or separation

Pope

The head of the Roman Catholic Church; remained more potent than the secular ruler during this time period

Centralized Government

Political power moves from smaller areas to one main person or group

Decentralized Government

Political power resides in smaller areas (feudal estates) instead of one person or group

Natural Rights

Rights that are inherent to us as humans; rights that are fundamental, universal, and inalienable

Divine Right

The idea that a monarch's right to rule comes from God, not the people

Absolute Monarch

A monarch who rules by divine right; there are no limits to their power