Peoples, languages

The Crusades (1095-1270)

• a series of wars waged by European Christians against the Muslims, with Jerusalem and the Holy Land as the prize
• Heathens could not occupy the land of Jesus in the minds of English
• England ultimately failed to hold Jerusalem
• BUT, they gained enormous amounts of knowledge in mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and crafts

The New City Classes

• Because the population continued to
• grow, people began living in towns and
• cities, eventually making the feudal
• castle obsolete
• A lower, middle, and upper class developed, their
• lives not dictated by a feudal lord
• First cities were London and Canterbury
• People of the cities were free, tied neither to the
• land nor to knighthood

The Magna Carta

• Power to (some of ) the people
• return to older, democratic tendencies
• signed by King John in 1215
• the English barons pushed (in other words,
• FORCED) him to sign the document, thus ending
• central monarchical power.
• Magna Carta later became the basis for English
• constitutional law, which gave rights such as trial by jury and legislative taxation

The Hundred Years’ War

• First major national war for England, waged against the French
• Why? based on the dubious claims to the throne of France by two English kings – Edward III and
• Henry V
• It was ultimately unsuccessful for the English, but it did change the look of England – no longer known by a knight in shining armor, rather a green clad yeoman with his longbow, these yeoman formed the nucleus of the English armies
• How long was the Hundred Years’ War?
• 116 years (1337-1453)

• Languages

• Latin was the language of the Roman Catholic Church, which dominated Europe
• The Church was the only source of education
• Thus, Latin was a common language for Medieval writings.

• Characteristics of Medieval Literature

• Heroism
• from both Germanic and Christian traditions, sometimes mingled
• Beowulf
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• Presentations of idealized behavior
• literature as moral lesson
• loyalty to king
• chivalry

• Use of Allegory

• An