Monasticism and language

A monastery is a religious house where monks and nuns live and work.
- In the eleventh century they were known as abbeys, priories or nunneries.
Monasteries were expensive to build so needed a rich patron who could give the money and land needed.
This lead to a secular (non-religious) influence over many monasteries, something reformers wanted to reduce.

Monks and nuns took vows of poverty chastity and obedience.
- Poverty: they had to give up all their possessions.
- Chastity: they had to promise not to get married and remain celibate
- Obedience: they had to promise to obey their abbot/abbess or prior/prioress and obey all the rules of their monastery.

Throughout the tenth century ==monasticism== had been in decline due to instability caused by Viking raids, poverty and an over-reliance on local lords.
Many clergy men were worried there was too much secular interference in monasteries.
- If a monastery needed land they would need support from their local lord so they would often have a say over who became abbot.
Reformers wanted to reduce the influence the state and lords had over the monasteries.
- Monasteries had changed, for example not all monks were strictly vegetarian or wore rich clothing. Reformers wanted to bring back more traditional practices.

When the Normans took over England they helped to revive monasticism
- Between 1066 and 1135 the number of monks and nuns increased from about 1000 to between 4000 and 5000.
- The number of religious houses also grew from around 60 to over 250.
There were also new reforms and ==monastic orders== introduced.

Cluny Abbey was founded in 910 by Duke William of Aquitaine and became a Benedictine house with its own identity.
Cluny was granted permanent freedom from military service and feudal duties, and answered only to the Pope.
Cluny strictly followed the Rule of St Benedict and was used by the Popes to help revive monasticism and reform many other religious houses.
All Cluniac monasteries answered directly to the Abbot of Cluny and there was an annual meeting of priors at Cluny to deal with issues.

The first english Cluniac priory was founded in 1077 by William de Warrene, at Lewes in Sussex.
By 1135, there were 24 Cluniac monasteries in England.
New religious houses were often built next to castles aiming to demonstrate that the Norman domination of England had God’s blessing.

Gradually the Normans changed the leaders of monasteries in England from Anglo-Saxon to Norman.
Lanfranc introduced new reforms in his new constitution, at Christ Church, Canterbury in around 1077.
His reforms included changes to the liturgy, hierarchy, rules about creating saints, and domestic life.
The regulations were adopted at other monasteries, but not all were adopted without protest.
- For example, in Glastonbury the monks refused and according to the Anglo-Saxon chronicle, Knights were sent to enforce changes which resulted in 3 deaths and 18 monks were injured.

Some monasteries grew rich through farming, such as Fountains Abbey and Rievaulx, which farmed sheep and sold wool.
Monasteries had infirmaries for the sick, and the almoner cared for the poor who visited for food.
Monasteries provided accommodation for pilgrims, who often left gifts for the monastery.
Monks were the most educated members of society and the monasteries were centres of scholarship and learning.
Monasteries built up libraries of ancient manuscripts, and monks copied texts in a scriptorium.
- Monks were also the historians of their time, writing the history of the country.

Monasteries and churches were the main providers of education.
- Education had to be paid for but some monastic schools did teach local boys from poor families as exchange for work in the monastery - this was rare.
Girls were excluded from education however some girls from rich families did receive a basic one.
Education was mainly focused on training pupils to become monks or priests.

By 1100, all cathedrals and many larger churches had schools.
Church schools focused on Latin, music and verse, astronomy and mathematics, and law.
- Latin was essential for future priests and monks.
- Music and verse were needed to aid in delivering services.
- Astronomy and mathematics were necessary for the Church calendar.
- Law was required for administration.
Education was narrow both in terms of who received it and what was taught.

Latin had become the language of the government and church. English was removed and became obsolete in written works.
While Latin was the official language most people either spoke Norman-French or English in everyday life
Most of the population (peasants) still spoke English.
Norman-French became the ==Vernacular== (native language of a place) for the upper classes, clerks and middle classes in the towns.

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