Term | Definition |
schism | a split or division caused by differences in opinion or belief. (think: "scissors") |
monotheism | belief in only one God |
crusades | medieval military expeditions meant to free the Holy Land from Muslims |
Holy Sepulcher | tomb where Jesus was laid after he died and where he rose again |
pilgrim | person who is journeying to a holy place for religious reasons |
pilgrimage | a journey made to a sacred place out of religious devotion |
polytheism | belief in many gods |
Koran | Muslim book of sacred writings |
excommunication | when the Church says that a person may not receive the sacraments on account of serious wrongdoing |
monastery | a building or buildings where a community of monks or nuns live |
cell | a small room in which a monk or nun sleeps |
cloister | enclosed garden or courtyard of a monastery, not open to outsiders |
Vespers | evening prayer |
Matins | morning prayer |
convent | a community of nuns |
abbot | a man who is the head of an abbey of monks |
abbess | a woman who is the head of a community of nuns |
guild | a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power |
master | a fully skilled artist or worker of a particular craft or trade |
apprentice | a young person who spends several years learning a trade or craft from a master for little or no pay |
journeyman | one who has fully served an apprenticeship and is now a qualified paid worker |
masterpiece | a thing of outstanding artistry and skill made by a journeyman so he can become a master |
peddler | a person who goes from place to place selling small goods |
accolade | a touch on a person's shoulders with a sword when he is made a knight |
siege | when enemy forces surround a town or castle to cut off food and supplies |
thrall | a person who is in bondage; slave |
literacy | the ability to read and write |
illiterate | unable to read or write |
feudalism | medieval social system in which people worked and fought for nobles who gave them protection and the use of land in return |
serf | a person who is forced to work on a plot of land in feudal system |
lord | a man of highest rank in a feudal society |