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Ch. 13
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Charlemagne | King of the Franks from 768 to 814; he united much of France, Germany, and northern Italy in one Frankish empire; crowned Emperor of the Roman people in 800. |
| Papal States | a region in central Italy that was under control of The Pope. |
| counts | officials |
| navigation | planning the course across the sea |
| sagas | long Icelandic stories about great heroes and events |
| Leif Eirksson | Norwegian explorer; he led a group of Vikings to North America and settled on the eastern shore of modern-day Canada. |
| knights | highly skilled soldiers who fought on horseback |
| fief | the land given to a knight for his service |
| vassal | Anyone who accepted a fief |
| feudal system | A system of exchanging land |
| fealty | loyalty |
| manorial system | an economic system in the Middle Ages that was built around large estates called manors |
| serfs | workers who were legally tied to the manor on which they worked |
| Alfred the Great | King of Wessex from 871 to 899; he defeated Danish invaders and united Anglo-Saxon England under his control. He compiled a code of laws and promoted learning. |
| William the Conqueror | King of England from 1060 to 1087; he was a powerful French noble who conquered England and brought feudalism to England |
| Domesday Book | a book that William used to create a central tax system for England |
| Eleanor of Aquitaine | Queen of France and England; she was one of the most powerful women in Europe during the Middle Ages |
| Magna Carta | A document that contained many provisions that restricted the king's power |
| Parliament | the governing body that still makes England's laws today |
| Hugh Capet | King of France from 987 to 996; elected by Frankish nobles to succeed King Louis V |
| Otto the Great | King of Germany 936-973 and Holy Roman Emperor 962-973 |
| Reconquista | reconquest; Christian states embarked on a series of campaigns to retake the Iberian Peninsula |
| piety | a person's level of devotion to his or her religion |
| pontificate | papal term in office |
| Pope Gregory VII | Roman catholic pope |
| Henry IV | King of Germany from 1056 to 1106 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1056 to 1106; he was excommunicated by Pope Gregory VII over bishop appointments; he acknowledged the pope's authority and was readmitted to the church. |