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middle ages vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
crusades | a long series of wars between christians and Muslims |
medicat | referring to the middle ages |
chivalry | the code of honorable behavior for Medieval knights |
Parliament | the lawmaking body that governed Europe |
Excommunicate | to cast out from the church |
Saladin | Muslim general, he led the Muslim forces during the 3rd Crusade |
pope | the head of the Catholic Church |
manor | a large country house with land |
Charlemagne | King of the Franks, he was a brilliant warrior and strong leader. |
knight | a person who served his lord as a mounted and heavily armed soldier |
steed | a horse used for riding. In adventure stories set in the Middle Ages, knights are always galloping around on their trusty steeds. |
Thomas Aquinas | Dominican philosopher, he argued rational thought could be used to support Christian belief |
Benedict | Italian saint and monk, he created a set of rules for monks to follow |
William the Conqueror | Powerful French noble who conquered England, he brought feudalism to England |
Magna Carta | a document signed in 1215 A.D. by King John that required the king to honor certain rights |
King John | signed the Magna Carta, or "the Great Charter" on June 15, 1215 A.D. The document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would respect feudal |
hundred years war | a conflict between England and France that lasted from 1337 to 1453 A.D. |
Black Death | also known as the Bubonic plague, a deadly disease that swept through Europe between 1347-1351 A.D. Thought to have wiped out nearly 50% of Europe's population or 25-50 million people. |
Protestant | a member or follower of any of the Western Christian Churches that are separate from the Roman Catholic Church and follow the principles of the Reformation, including the Baptist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran Churches |
dark ages | is a historical period of time traditionally referring to the Middle Ages marked by a decline in literature. |
serf | a tenant farmer was bound to a hereditary plot of land and to the will of his landlord |
The Great Schism | The Great Schism of 1054 A.D. was the breakup of the Christian church into two sections—the Western (Roman Catholic) and the Eastern sections (Greek Orthodox). |
Renaissance | a time period after the Dark Ages where classical learning was revived |
Reformation | A term covering a number of changes in Western Christianity (Europe) between the 14th and 17th centuries |
Jousting | a medieval sports contest in which two opponents on horseback, typically knights, fight with lances |
Lance | a medieval pole weapon or spear specially made to be used by mounted combatant. The medieval lance was 9 to 14 feet long. |
Court Jester | "fool," was historically an entertainer during the medieval and Renaissance eras who was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests |
Vassal | a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he has vowed homage |
Homage | special honor or respect shown publicly especially for feudal allegiance |
fief | an estate of land, especially one held on condition of feudal service. |
lord | those who leased land or other property and ran the estate |
Feudalism | system in which people were given land and protection by people of higher rank, and worked and fought for them in return. |
Bailiff | the senior person living on the manor if the lord was absent, also acted as chief law officer on the manor, and collected rent |
Reeve | a senior official with local responsibilities under the Crown, such as the chief magistrate of a town or district |