In Medieval Times the kingdom was kept safe with feudalism. The king was leader of the country. He would give Feifs or land to the Lords and Noblemen. As payment for the land they would have to help protect the King in battles and give him food and money from their farm lands. The Lords would divide their land and give some of the land or feifs to their Knights. As payment for the land they would have to give the Lords protection, food and money from their land. The knights would divide their land into farms and peasants would work the farms and pay the knights in food, and money that they raised from their land. If the Kingdom was attacked the King would call the lords who would send their knights to battle for the King.
King John the Landless was a King in Medieval Times. Everyone hated him, even his knights because he lost the land and he made people pay a lot of taxes. Everyone thought that he killed his nephew Arthur and they were angry about that too. So the nobles and lords made the Magna Carta. It was a document that made King John lose power. The document made it so that Kings had to follow the same rules and laws as people.
King Henry II brought common law to England. With common law a jury would decide if a person was guilty or innocent of their crimes. The person accused of a crime would be brought to a court. The jury would be told all of the information about the person's crime. They would then decide if the person was guilty or innocent. The judge would then decide on their punishment if they were found guilty.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Medieval Feast
The main meal in a castle was served in the big hall. The meal was in the late morning. It lasted 2 to 3 hours. People sat on benches at long tables. Very rich people ate from plates but most people ate their food from trenchers. Trenchers are stale bread that food was served on. People shared their cups and trenchers. They did not use forks but ate with their knives or fingers. When I went to Medieval Times I had to eat with my fingers (Yuck!) Their table manners were not good and they would throw their food right on the floor when they were done eating. (Gross!) The floors were covered with dirt and bugs so the nobles moved from castle to castle to give the servants time to clean up their messes.
The food the nobles ate were vegetables, fruit, bread, fish and meat. They drank ale and wine. Even the children drank ale because the water was dirty and not safe to drink.
Peasants did not eat as much meat. They ate dark bread, chicken, eggs and cheese. They did not have spices to flavour their food like the nobles did. Servants often just ate the left overs from the feasts in the kitchens.
The food the nobles ate were vegetables, fruit, bread, fish and meat. They drank ale and wine. Even the children drank ale because the water was dirty and not safe to drink.
Peasants did not eat as much meat. They ate dark bread, chicken, eggs and cheese. They did not have spices to flavour their food like the nobles did. Servants often just ate the left overs from the feasts in the kitchens.
Medieval Education
Not very many people new how to read and write. Monks would teach the children from noble families how to read and write.
Children were taught how to farm at a very young age and some children were taught a craft. Boys began learning a craft when they were seven years old. They were sent to live with masters of a craft or trade. Some girls and women learned crafts from their fathers or husbands and worked with them. The children worked for free for their masters for four to fourteen years. They were called apprentices. Once they were old enough they became journeymen and were paid to work. To become a master the journeyman had to create a work that other masters judged good enough to be a master piece. Some of the crafts included wood work, stone work, and metal work.
Some boys from noble families learned how to become knights. He was sent to a lord's house to train as a page. He learned how to hunt, ride a horse and use a sword. Children trained with wooden swords so that they did not get hurt. When he becomes a page he learns how to help his knight and care for his armour. He gets to learn how to wear his own armour too.
Children were taught how to farm at a very young age and some children were taught a craft. Boys began learning a craft when they were seven years old. They were sent to live with masters of a craft or trade. Some girls and women learned crafts from their fathers or husbands and worked with them. The children worked for free for their masters for four to fourteen years. They were called apprentices. Once they were old enough they became journeymen and were paid to work. To become a master the journeyman had to create a work that other masters judged good enough to be a master piece. Some of the crafts included wood work, stone work, and metal work.
Some boys from noble families learned how to become knights. He was sent to a lord's house to train as a page. He learned how to hunt, ride a horse and use a sword. Children trained with wooden swords so that they did not get hurt. When he becomes a page he learns how to help his knight and care for his armour. He gets to learn how to wear his own armour too.
The Medieval Church
Most Churches were Roman Catholic. People gave 1/10 of their money, goods, or crops to the church. People followed the rules of the church so that when they died they could have a better life in Heaven.
The Priest was the head of the church. He was given land from the manor. He used the land as farm land and serfs farmed it for him. He was paid to perform weddings, baptisms and burials. People believed that they could speak to god through the Priest.
Monks and Nuns were taught how to read and write. They cared for the sick, provided shelter for travellers, and farmed their land. Not everyone could read and write so they were important because they wrote down events. They taught children from rich families how to read and write.
The Priest was the head of the church. He was given land from the manor. He used the land as farm land and serfs farmed it for him. He was paid to perform weddings, baptisms and burials. People believed that they could speak to god through the Priest.
Monks and Nuns were taught how to read and write. They cared for the sick, provided shelter for travellers, and farmed their land. Not everyone could read and write so they were important because they wrote down events. They taught children from rich families how to read and write.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Arts & Entertainment
In Medieval Times people were entertained by watching tournaments. Knights would joust, sword fight and do archery. At Medieval Times they played a game where they had to ride on their horse and stab their jousting pole through a little ring with a ribbon on it. They would entertain the King and Queen with horse tricks and riding tricks. Jesters wore silly costumes and did silly tricks at the feasts. People would sing, dance, and tell stories or poems at feasts.
Some games that they played were chess, checkers, bowling, horse shoes, blind man's bluff and bobbing for apples. We still play these games today! One game that they played was called King of the Bean. Someone would bake a cake and put a bean in it. Everyone eats the cake and whoever finds the bean is named the King.
People liked to hunt in Medieval Times. Trainers trained falcons to help hunters. The birds would help to catch smaller animals and birds. I saw some trained falcons when I took a trip to Medieval Times and they were really cool!
Some games that they played were chess, checkers, bowling, horse shoes, blind man's bluff and bobbing for apples. We still play these games today! One game that they played was called King of the Bean. Someone would bake a cake and put a bean in it. Everyone eats the cake and whoever finds the bean is named the King.
People liked to hunt in Medieval Times. Trainers trained falcons to help hunters. The birds would help to catch smaller animals and birds. I saw some trained falcons when I took a trip to Medieval Times and they were really cool!
Agriculture
Medieval Farmers worked by hand. Farming was really hard work. To make their job easier they tried to invent new tools to use.
One of those tools was the ard plough. This plow was used to cut trenches in the soil. An ox or horse or even a farmer's wife was used to pull the plow. Over time wheels were added to the ploughs. The one or two large wheels at the front made the plows easier to steer and for the animals to pull. We still use plows today but we don't do it by hand. Tractors pull our plows today which is easier than pulling it.
To help horses and protect their hooves the people invented nailed horseshoes. They protected their hooves from injury. Today we use the exact same things to protect our horses feet, horseshoes.
Seeds were sprinkled by hand. They had a basket full of seeds called a hopper and they tossed the seed onto the soil. Today seeds are scattered by machines, not by hand.
The seeds then needed to be covered by soil. They used a method called harrowing. The harrow was a bundle of branches that was dragged over the land by horses. It spread the soil over the seeds. We still use harrows today but they are pulled by engineered tractors, not by horses.
Fertilizers that Medieval Farmers had were animal manure. (Animal Poop!) Farmers collected the manure (poo!) and spread it on the fields. We still use animal poop today to fertilize our crops. I just smelt some the other day when we were driving past a farm on our way home from our trip.
Medieval Times Farmers began using a system called the three-crop rotation. They divided their land into three fields. They planted two fields in the spring and fall and left one empty. The field that was not planted allowed the field to replenish it's nutrients. Farmers still use crop rotation today to help their plants to grow.
To weed their farms Medieval Farmers would use a small sickle and a stick with a y-fork at the end. The stick was used to hold the weed while the sickle was used to cut it off at the ground level. Today farmers use rotary tillers and chemicals to kill weeds.
For harvesting scythes were used to cut hay close to the ground. A sickle was used to cut wheat. The crops were cut and bundled by hand. Harvester machines no cut hay and wheat which is then gathered by harvester and combines.
Grain was threshed by hand using a grain flail to beat the grain. Straw and debris were removed with a winnowing sheet. Groups of people would shake the sheet to get the hay out of it because the grain is heavier than they hay. Today combines are used to harvest crops. The same combine will cut, gather, thresh, separate and clean the grain. Hay is cut and baled by hay balers pulled by tractors.
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