Middle Ages
an era that took place in Western Europe, also known as the Medieval Age (c. 500-1500), separated into three time periods: Early Middle Ages (c. 500-1000), High Middle Ages (c. 1000-1350), Late Middle Ages (c. 1350-1500)
Vikings
any of the Scandinavian seafaring pirates and traders who raided and settled in many parts of northwestern Europe in the 8th-11th centuries.
Fief
a plot of land
Knights
soldiers that served the king and many other powerful noblemen
Clergy
group of religious officials (as priests, ministers, or rabbis) specially prepared and authorized to conduct religious services
Gothic
known for its slender columns, pointed arches, and slimness
Three-field system
rotating crops and leaving one field "fallow" each season
Scholasticism
system of theology and philosophy taught in medieval European universities, based on Aristotelian logic and the writings of the early Church Fathers and having a strong emphasis on tradition and dogma.
Black Death
bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Europe from 1346 to 1353, reduced the urban labor force, led to higher wages for remaining workers, called into question the Church's spiritual authority as an effective mediator between God and believers
Renaissance
artistic movement of the Middle Ages (inspired by the Classical Age) originating in northern Italy, revival of art and culture based on classical Greece and Rome
Humanism
idea that celebrated the human individual and focused on secular (worldly) matters, emphasized not blindly following religion
Nation-states
system of organization in which people with a common identity live inside a region with a centralized government.
Franks
a western European people during the Roman Empire and Early Middle Ages
Magyars
a member of a people who originated in the Urals and migrated westward to settle in what is now Hungary in the 9th century AD
Vassal
noble who swore his loyalty to their lord in exchange for real estate
Tithe
one tenth of annual produce or earnings taken as a tax for the support of the Church and clergy
Sacraments
the Roman Catholic Church's most important rituals (separated into three categories): Initiation (baptism, the Eucharist, and confirmation), healing (reconciliation and anointing of the sick), and Vocational Consecration (matrimony and ordination)
Crusades
a series of religious wars involving eight major Crusades, or battles, between 1095-1291, fought by Christians to take back their Holy Land
Guild
association of merchants and craftsmen made for mutual aid, provided funds for funerals of their members, widows, and their orphans
Norman Conquest
invasion of England by William the Conqueror of Normandy that cut ties with Scandinavia for the English and made it more culturally closer to France
Hundred Years' War
war (1337-1453) that was caused over territorial and economic disputes and feudal rivalries between England and France
Credit
an amount of money
Secular
the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion
Commercial Revolution
great increase in commerce in the Late Middle Ages
Monasteries
communities of faith made up of monks and nuns who devoted themselves to a spiritual life
Feudalism
political-military system of landholding and governing based on the exchange of land and services between lords and vassals
Serfs
workers who were not free and were bound to the land they worked on and gave their lord most of whatever they produced, their lord gave them shelter and protection in return, able to buy their freedom.
Chivalry
effort to set basic rules for knightly behavior, developed as a code of honor that represented bravery, loyalty, etc.
Canon law
body of rules and regulations governing the Christian Church and its members
Reconquista
reconquest of Spain by Christians, small Christian kingdoms emerged over several centuries, pushing back Muslim control
Mongol Exchange
a largely undisturbed exchange of goods between peoples from Europe to East Asia under Mongol rule
Magna Carta
charter that was signed by King John and his nobles that established rule of law
Battle of Agincourt
an English victory in the Hundred Years' War, took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt in northern France
Banking
business of protecting money for others
Patrons
people who used some of their wealth to support artists
Lay investiture
appointment of religious officials by kings or nobles
Battle of Tours
battle between North African armies and victorious Frankish forces led by Charles Martel in Gaul in 732 C.E.
Lord
landholder, the king was technically the landowner
Manor
a self-contained world on land belonging to a lord
Castles
large building, typically of the medieval period, fortified against attack with thick walls, battlements, towers, and a moat
Holy Roman Empire
Roman Catholic empire in western/central Europe headed by the Holy Roman Emperor
Spanish Inquisition
a Catholic Church tribunal designed to eliminate heresy, Jews and Muslims were forced to convert, flee, or die
Vernacular
everyday language of people in a local region, allowed for the increased literacy and knowledge among everyday people
Parliament
group of elected representatives with the power to make laws
Great Schism
split of Christianity into two divisions caused by the differences of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church
Literacy
the ability to read and write
Printing Press
developed around 1450 by blacksmith Johaan Gutenberg, able to arrange letters in any way and reuse its pieces
Gregory the Great
developed the Roman Catholic Church into a secular power, served from 590 to 604, developed much of the Latin liturgy and collected funds to rebuild roads, raise armies for defense against the Lombards, and help the poor
Saladin
founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, first Sultan of both Egypt and Syria, brought both the Egyptian and Syrian forces under his own control, employed them to reduce the Crusader states and to recapture Jerusalem in 1187, led the Muslims to victory in the Crusades.
William the Conqueror
warrior from Normandy who invaded England during the Norman Conquest and was victorious
Jan Hus
argued that the Bible was the ultimate authority in Christian faith, not the pope in Rome, burned as a heretic in 1415 in Prague
Thomas Aquinas
most famous thinker of scholasticism
Francesco Petrarch
known as the "father of humanism", collected classical Greek and Latin manuscripts and wrote poetry that focused on themes of love in the 1300s
Thomas More
humanist who promoted free education for men and women
Charlemagne
Pepin's son who was crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III
Richard the Lion-Hearted
leader of the third crusade, achieved victories over Saladin, never ended up retaking Jerusalem, had a reputation as a great military leader
Henry II (England)
brought about reforms that made up the foundation of the English Common Law, sent royal judges to every part of England at least once a year, introduced the use of jury in courts, and issued the Constitutions of Clarendon
Joan of Arc
great military leader that led France to victory during the Hundred Years' War
Michelangelo
Italian painter, architect, poet, and sculptor (artist behind David and La Pieta)
Niccolo Machiavelli
writer of a book on effective leadership called The Prince
Ferdinand & Isabella
married in 1469, unified Spain and completed the Reconquista in 1492 by driving Muslim moors out of Granada, financed Colombus in his voyage to the New World
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right from 1137 to 1204, Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II.
Temujin (Genghis Khan)
united the Mongol tribes and ruled over Central Asia
Louis IX (France)
King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270, reign was marked as an economical and political high point for medieval France
Dante Alighieri
Italian writer, poet, theorist, and political thinker that wrote Divine Comedy, which took the readers on a tour of the afterlife.
Leonardo da Vinci
Italian inventor, painter, and "Renaissance Man" (artist behind the Mona Lisa)
Desiderius Erasmus
key humanist leader who made classical works and Christian texts more accessible to people, criticized some Church practices and called for reform
Christopher Columbus
Italian explorer and navigator who made voyages across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered the New World in 1492
Urban II
pope that wanted to mend the Great Schism to gain power over Muslims and increase authority through Christianity
Marco Polo
stored his knowledge in a novel which would led to increased European interest of Eastern trade
John Wycliffe
sought to create an English version of the Bible in the late 1300s
Geoffrey Chaucer
English poet, author, and civil servant best known for The Canterbury Tales, also known as the "father of English literature".
Raphael
Italian personal painter for Pope Paul II (artist behind School of Athens and Sistine Madonna)
St. Augustine of Hippo
highly respected Christian bishop who lived during the last years of the Western Roman Empire, his theological writings such as his autobiographical Confessions and The City of God are considered some of the greatest works of Western literature
St. Benedict
founded the Benedictine order based on his famous Rules, which influenced all of western monasticism (way of living that's religious, isolated from other people, and self-disciplined)
Middle Ages
an era that took place in Western Europe, also known as the Medieval Age (c. 500-1500), separated into three time periods: Early Middle Ages (c. 500-1000), High Middle Ages (c. 1000-1350), Late Middle Ages (c. 1350-1500)
Vikings
any of the Scandinavian seafaring pirates and traders who raided and settled in many parts of northwestern Europe in the 8th-11th centuries.
Fief
a plot of land
Knights
soldiers that served the king and many other powerful noblemen
Clergy
group of religious officials (as priests, ministers, or rabbis) specially prepared and authorized to conduct religious services
Gothic
known for its slender columns, pointed arches, and slimness
Three-field system
rotating crops and leaving one field "fallow" each season
Scholasticism
system of theology and philosophy taught in medieval European universities, based on Aristotelian logic and the writings of the early Church Fathers and having a strong emphasis on tradition and dogma.
Black Death
bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Europe from 1346 to 1353, reduced the urban labor force, led to higher wages for remaining workers, called into question the Church's spiritual authority as an effective mediator between God and believers
Renaissance
artistic movement of the Middle Ages (inspired by the Classical Age) originating in northern Italy, revival of art and culture based on classical Greece and Rome
Humanism
idea that celebrated the human individual and focused on secular (worldly) matters, emphasized not blindly following religion
Nation-states
system of organization in which people with a common identity live inside a region with a centralized government.
Franks
a western European people during the Roman Empire and Early Middle Ages
Magyars
a member of a people who originated in the Urals and migrated westward to settle in what is now Hungary in the 9th century AD
Vassal
noble who swore his loyalty to their lord in exchange for real estate
Tithe
one tenth of annual produce or earnings taken as a tax for the support of the Church and clergy
Sacraments
the Roman Catholic Church's most important rituals (separated into three categories): Initiation (baptism, the Eucharist, and confirmation), healing (reconciliation and anointing of the sick), and Vocational Consecration (matrimony and ordination)
Crusades
a series of religious wars involving eight major Crusades, or battles, between 1095-1291, fought by Christians to take back their Holy Land
Guild
association of merchants and craftsmen made for mutual aid, provided funds for funerals of their members, widows, and their orphans
Norman Conquest
invasion of England by William the Conqueror of Normandy that cut ties with Scandinavia for the English and made it more culturally closer to France
Hundred Years' War
war (1337-1453) that was caused over territorial and economic disputes and feudal rivalries between England and France
Credit
an amount of money
Secular
the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion
Commercial Revolution
great increase in commerce in the Late Middle Ages
Monasteries
communities of faith made up of monks and nuns who devoted themselves to a spiritual life
Feudalism
political-military system of landholding and governing based on the exchange of land and services between lords and vassals
Serfs
workers who were not free and were bound to the land they worked on and gave their lord most of whatever they produced, their lord gave them shelter and protection in return, able to buy their freedom.
Chivalry
effort to set basic rules for knightly behavior, developed as a code of honor that represented bravery, loyalty, etc.
Canon law
body of rules and regulations governing the Christian Church and its members
Reconquista
reconquest of Spain by Christians, small Christian kingdoms emerged over several centuries, pushing back Muslim control
Mongol Exchange
a largely undisturbed exchange of goods between peoples from Europe to East Asia under Mongol rule
Magna Carta
charter that was signed by King John and his nobles that established rule of law
Battle of Agincourt
an English victory in the Hundred Years' War, took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt in northern France
Banking
business of protecting money for others
Patrons
people who used some of their wealth to support artists
Lay investiture
appointment of religious officials by kings or nobles
Battle of Tours
battle between North African armies and victorious Frankish forces led by Charles Martel in Gaul in 732 C.E.
Lord
landholder, the king was technically the landowner
Manor
a self-contained world on land belonging to a lord
Castles
large building, typically of the medieval period, fortified against attack with thick walls, battlements, towers, and a moat
Holy Roman Empire
Roman Catholic empire in western/central Europe headed by the Holy Roman Emperor
Spanish Inquisition
a Catholic Church tribunal designed to eliminate heresy, Jews and Muslims were forced to convert, flee, or die
Vernacular
everyday language of people in a local region, allowed for the increased literacy and knowledge among everyday people
Parliament
group of elected representatives with the power to make laws
Great Schism
split of Christianity into two divisions caused by the differences of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church
Literacy
the ability to read and write
Printing Press
developed around 1450 by blacksmith Johaan Gutenberg, able to arrange letters in any way and reuse its pieces
Gregory the Great
developed the Roman Catholic Church into a secular power, served from 590 to 604, developed much of the Latin liturgy and collected funds to rebuild roads, raise armies for defense against the Lombards, and help the poor
Saladin
founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, first Sultan of both Egypt and Syria, brought both the Egyptian and Syrian forces under his own control, employed them to reduce the Crusader states and to recapture Jerusalem in 1187, led the Muslims to victory in the Crusades.
William the Conqueror
warrior from Normandy who invaded England during the Norman Conquest and was victorious
Jan Hus
argued that the Bible was the ultimate authority in Christian faith, not the pope in Rome, burned as a heretic in 1415 in Prague
Thomas Aquinas
most famous thinker of scholasticism
Francesco Petrarch
known as the "father of humanism", collected classical Greek and Latin manuscripts and wrote poetry that focused on themes of love in the 1300s
Thomas More
humanist who promoted free education for men and women
Charlemagne
Pepin's son who was crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III
Richard the Lion-Hearted
leader of the third crusade, achieved victories over Saladin, never ended up retaking Jerusalem, had a reputation as a great military leader
Henry II (England)
brought about reforms that made up the foundation of the English Common Law, sent royal judges to every part of England at least once a year, introduced the use of jury in courts, and issued the Constitutions of Clarendon
Joan of Arc
great military leader that led France to victory during the Hundred Years' War
Michelangelo
Italian painter, architect, poet, and sculptor (artist behind David and La Pieta)
Niccolo Machiavelli
writer of a book on effective leadership called The Prince
Ferdinand & Isabella
married in 1469, unified Spain and completed the Reconquista in 1492 by driving Muslim moors out of Granada, financed Colombus in his voyage to the New World
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right from 1137 to 1204, Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II.
Temujin (Genghis Khan)
united the Mongol tribes and ruled over Central Asia
Louis IX (France)
King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270, reign was marked as an economical and political high point for medieval France
Dante Alighieri
Italian writer, poet, theorist, and political thinker that wrote Divine Comedy, which took the readers on a tour of the afterlife.
Leonardo da Vinci
Italian inventor, painter, and "Renaissance Man" (artist behind the Mona Lisa)
Desiderius Erasmus
key humanist leader who made classical works and Christian texts more accessible to people, criticized some Church practices and called for reform
Christopher Columbus
Italian explorer and navigator who made voyages across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered the New World in 1492
Urban II
pope that wanted to mend the Great Schism to gain power over Muslims and increase authority through Christianity
Marco Polo
stored his knowledge in a novel which would led to increased European interest of Eastern trade
John Wycliffe
sought to create an English version of the Bible in the late 1300s
Geoffrey Chaucer
English poet, author, and civil servant best known for The Canterbury Tales, also known as the "father of English literature".
Raphael
Italian personal painter for Pope Paul II (artist behind School of Athens and Sistine Madonna)
St. Augustine of Hippo
highly respected Christian bishop who lived during the last years of the Western Roman Empire, his theological writings such as his autobiographical Confessions and The City of God are considered some of the greatest works of Western literature
St. Benedict
founded the Benedictine order based on his famous Rules, which influenced all of western monasticism (way of living that's religious, isolated from other people, and self-disciplined)
