Info: They made the feudal system to organise how the land would be
used and to control people.This was made in the 8th century.
Law and Order
Witchcraft
People believed that witch's were the devils
followers on earth and that they used there special
powers to bring suffering and unhappiness into the
world. People blamed witch's for natural disasters.
You didnt need much evidence to blam someone
and it was easy as to find some.
A witch's
punisment was to
be burnt to the
steak but if it said it
was a witch the the
person would be
strangled before
burnt
Trials
Compurgation
For this they would get 12 random people to read a
special oath to see if guilty or not. If one of the 12 made a
mistake then the person being judged was guilty.
Combat
Nobles used trial by combat prove there innocence. At
the start the defendant (accused person) and the accuser
were expected to fight the battle personally but soon
everyone began to use an expert known as the champion
to fight the battle in there place. People believed that god
would reward the innocent person with victory.
Ordeals
1. By water (Where your through in holy water tied up and if the accused
person floats then they were guilty if drowned then they were innocent).
2. By fire ( where you burn your hand and if it heals in 3 days or less your innocent
Before jury trials were
introduced in the 12th
century it was decided
with compurgation, combat
and the ordeals
Juries
Info: In the 12th century Henry the second king of
England conducted courts with juries of 12 random
villages. The jury decided if guilty or not.
Punisments
Info: most punisments
where made to fit the crime
If you nagged your husband you were tied
to a dunking stool and dunked 3 times.
If a women was found
gossiping she would
have to wear the scolds
bridle.
For minor crimes you would be
put in the stocks or the pillory.
Knights
Stages of training: You would began at the age of 7 by leaving home and learning the skills
of a PAGE. Which was to learn to be polite, to serve god, to readand write, to ride and hunt
for wild game.At the age of 14 years he could become a square. He would learn to look after
his armer, weaponry and horse. He would also learn his training in military skills, social
graces and cutural pursuits. By the age of 21 the man could go into knighthood.
chivalry: The rules for a knight was called the code of chivalry these where loyal to the catholic
church, dedicated to helping those how are weak, brave in battle and willing to fight to protect women.
Tournaments: Knights did tournaments to practice their skills some tournaments
were like tilt ( trying to push the other player off there house) and sword play.
Castles
Motte and Bailey Castles
In the 11th and 12th Century ' motte and
bailey castles were developed.
These castles features are Bailey, Motte
(The hill), moat, Drawbridge, keep, ditch.
Stone Castles
Stone castles first came in the 10th century.
Defensive features of a
stone castle.
Keep: The strongest part of the castle.
Thick stone walls: Used to protect the inside.
Battlement: Set up on top of the towers
where the archers shot there arrows.
Drawbridge: Wooden bridge that can be
brought up to stop attackers.
Porteullis: Metal gate that can be
droped to stop someone come in.
Arrow slits: Small windows in the
tower that arrows can be fired from.
Merlons: Bumps on the top of the castle
walls allows archers to tack cover.
Moat: Ditch that surrounds a
castle to slow attackers.
Bailey
Machiolations: Hole on the tower where they
throw any thing down to stop the enemy.
Crenallations: There in the middle
of the merlons where the shoter fire
there arrows.
The first kind of Castles were made
in the 9th and 10th Centuries.
Health and Hygiene
Into:People had very bad hygiene for example they had garbage
and waste thrown outside, rats and fleas were a common
problem, diseases were common, not many doctors, limited
medical knowledge, people thought that god would save
them,operations often ended in infection from unsterilised
equipment this caused people to only live up to around 40.
The black plague
Info: Killed between 25-30million europeans. The plague
was around in 1347-1351. Manly poor people were effected
because of there week immune system. You would normally
die if caught it.
How it spread: It all began in China in the 1320s then
spread by the mongols to europe in 1347 then italian
merchants spread the disease to frence and the rest of
europe.
Cycle of infection
Symptoms: were vomiting, coughing up blood, blue-black tumours (buboes) all over there
bodys full with pus and blood and the victim died within three to five days.
Treatment: Doctors could not cure the plague
because they didnt understand it. Some
thought smelling herbs and flowers would
help. Some docterswould bleed the patient to
death to release bad blood.
Village life
Types of peasants
Free man: Bought there freedom and paid rent
and services for there land they used.
Cotters: Lived on the Manor, Only owed there cottage
and did craftwork for the lord and other peasants.
Serfs/ villeins: Owned by the lord,worked 3-5 days on
the lords land and also worked on thier own land.
A monor is a large area of land
Farm work
The land is divided into 3 fields. Each year one of the fields is
left without a crop. This field is where they put the cattle
which fertilises the land. The two other fields where farmed.
Times: In summer started at 4:30 and finnished
at 7pm (14 and a half hours). In winter started at
6:30am and finnished at 4:30pm (10 hours).
Power of the lord
The Lord had a lot of power. Peasants had to ask the lord if
they wonted to leave the village, get married, sell there
animals or to have there kids to get taught how to read or
write. If a peasant died the lord would collect the peasants
second best animal.
Buildings
The Manor would normally have a Barn, Castles
(where the King lived), simple homes, huts and a mill.
The huts and simple house would have
straw on the roofs to create warmth and to
provent leaks.
“The consequences of Thomas Becket's death were a victory for King Henry II.” Assess the validity of this view with reference to the years 1170 to 1179. (45 marks)