THE GERMANIC KINGDOMS Global 9 Mrs Hart Mrs

THE GERMANIC KINGDOMS Global 9 Mrs. Hart, Mrs. Costello, and Ms. Soddano

GERMANIC TRIBES • Migrated across Europe • Farmers and herders • No cities • No written law • Led by king • Warrior nobles swear loyalty to king in exchange for weapons/ loot

WESTERN EUROPE CARVED INTO SMALL KINGDOMS • Franks • King , Clovis 486 A. D. • Converted • Allied to Christianity with powerful Christian church of Rome

THE AGE OF CHARLEMAGNE • 800 A. D. Charlemagne. Charles the Great • Empire across France, Germany, Italy • Pope Leo III wants help with rebellious nobles in Rome • Charlemagne rebellion crushes • Pope appoints him Emperor of the Romans • United Christian community • Eastern Roman Empire in Constantinople outraged

CHARLEMAGNE DIES 814 A. D. • Empire split into 3 regions • Came under attack form Muslims, Magyars, and Vikings

• No FEUDALISM law and order • A political, economic and social system/ based on ownership, protection and working of the land • King divided land among powerful lords • Lords split land (fiefs/ estates) to vassals who pledged military service and loyalty to lord • Peasant farmers (surfs) worked the land

WORLD OF NOBLES Warfare was a way of life • • Rival lords constantly battled for power • Many nobles trained from boyhood (age 7) to be a knight • As warfare decreased tournaments became fashionable • Knight code of conduct – Chivalry-brave, loyal, true to word

NOBLEWOMEN • Lady of the manor • Active in medieval life • In charge when men were away fighting • Supervised • Managed vassals household • Performed farming and medical tasks • Even went to war to defend her estate • If husband died first she retained right to land

MEDIEVAL MANOR • Lord’s • One estate or more villages and surrounding land

PEASANTS • Peasants (serfs) – majority of population • Live and work on manor • Not slaves to be bought and sold/ but were not free • Serfs went with land, could not leave or marry without lord's permission • Serfs and lords tied together by mutual rights and obligations • Entitled to lord’s protection, could not be forced off land • Had to pay lord for services and give part of crops to lord • Almost no money in circulation, used products- grain, honey, eggs, chickens

LIFE ON THE MANOR • Manors were self-sufficient (produce everything they need right there) • Peasants had no schooling or knowledge of outside world • Mill, church, manor house were surrounded by fields for crops • Peasants (man, women, children) work sun up till sundown • Ate bread and vegetables • Lived in one room hut with animals • Winter, hunger and disease hard to make it through, most die before reaching 35 years of age

THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH • Most powerful force in Europe • Priest of parish ( local region) in contact with most people • Guided people on issues of values and morality • Helped sick and poor- married, baptized, and buried people • Church place of worship and social center • Tithe- pay 1/10 of income to support church

PEOPLE OF THE CHURCH • Monks • Nuns- men, monasteries women, convents • Devoted lives to spiritual goals • Provide basic services- look after poor and sick, set up schools • Provide manual labor- build roads, clear land • Kept learning alive • Copied many ancient manuscripts

POWER OF CHURCH • Most powerful spiritual and secular (worldly) force in medieval Europe • Pope spiritual leader of Roman Catholic Church • Pope claimed authority over all secular rulers • Headed • Church an army of churchmen owned vast amounts of land • Own law- canon law (applied to religious teachings, clergy, marriages, morals) and courts • Many penalties for not obeying, excommunication ( cut off from church life - no sacraments, or Christian burial) • Nobles could face interdict- whole town, region, or kingdom excommunicated

JEWS IN EUROPE • Jewish communities existed across Europe • Muslim Spain- center of Jewish culture and scholarship • Lived side by side with Christian communities, but were taxed heavily • Anti-Semitism( prejudice against Jews) worsened by 1000 A. D. • Forbidden form owning land or having occupations Medieval manuscript-Jews being burned at stake @ 1515 A. D. • Many migrated to Eastern Europe