The Mideival Age Essay
    

Medieval Clothing:

Medieval costumes mirrored the advancing culture, and increasing trade was making more materials available. Nobility clad themselves in elaborate and brightly colored robes and gowns. Silk was reserved for the upper class, and in some areas, peasants were forbidden to possess it. Gold and silver thread would be used to embroider fanciful designs depicting from legend, nature or religion. Those living in the Middle Ages would adorn themselves in jewelry, furs, and elaborate belts. Wigs made from peasant's hair became very popular.

people in the Middles Ages wore woolen clothing, with undergarments made of linen. Brighter colors, better materials, and a longer jacket length were usually signs of greater wealth. The clothing of the aristocracy and wealthy merchants tended to be elaborate and changed according to the dictates of fashion. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, men of the wealthy classes sported hose and a jacket, often with pleating or skirting, or a tunic with a surcoat. Women wore flowing gowns and elaborate headwear, ranging from headdresses shaped like hearts or butterflies to tall steeple caps and Italian turbans.


Meals and Manners:

Meals/Food:

During the Middle Ages in North Europe, the mainly used cattle and sheep for food. In South Europe, they also had fruits, vegetables, and herbs for food. They used olive oil rather than butter.
A banquet was sometimes made up of 6 courses.Rule were laid down for how people ate, their table manners and where they sat. They used spoons and knifes for eating. They also used trenchers, which were things like plates except they were pieces of hard bread that would soak up the blood and liquids from the chicken, turkey and other meats. some of those thing are:
Food was preserved in a number of ways. One way was that, meats and fishes were smoked or dried. Another way of preserving was that fruits and vegetables were pickled. Meat for the winter was salted in huge wooden vats. Sometimes meat and fruit were stored together in barrels. The warmest place in the kitchen was the blazing hearth. A hearth was a huge fireplace. Food was often disguised with spices to hide the taste of rotten meat! The kitchen was a very lively place.

Sometimes castles kept honey bees. Honey was used to sweeten foods and drinks. Sometimes water was channeled straight to the kitchen. Larger castles had their own fishponds, orchards, and vineyards.

Manners:

Ceremony marked the service at table. There was a correct way to do everything, from the laying of cloths to the cutting of trenchers and carving of meat. Part of a squire's training was learning how to serve his lord at meals: the order in which dishes should be presented, where they should be placed, how many fingers to use in holding the joint for the lord to carve, how to cut the trenchers and place them on the table.

The solid parts of soups and stews were eaten with a spoon, the broth sipped. Meat was cut up with the knife and eaten with the fingers. Two persons shared a dish, the lesser helping the more important, the younger the older, the man the woman. The former in each case broke the bread, cut the meat, and passed the cup.

Etiquette books admonished diners not to leave the spoon in the dish or put elbows on the table, not to belch, not to drink or eat with their mouths full, not to stuff their mouths or take overly large helpings. Not surprisingly,in light of the finger-eating and dish-sharing, stress was laid on keeping hands and nails scrupulously clean, wiping spoon and knife after use, wiping the mouth before drinking, and not dipping meat in the salt dish.

Weapons:
Here are some of the Weapons they used:

The Great Sword: Great swords were two handed swords. They were larger versions of the ordinary sword. They were swung with both hands to deliver a powerful blow. Large swords began to become popular in the 13th century. A knight would hang a sword in his saddle in addition to his regular sword.

The Shining Sword: Shining sword was also a sword used during the 1460's. This sword has a copper gilt crossguard. This was probably made for a rich knight.

The Battle Ax: This ax was developed in northern Europe. It was especially popular with the Vikings. It was used used by a well-trained infantry. It could prove lethal to horseman especially when mounted on a yard long haft (handle) and swung with both hands .

The Pole Ax (Head Ax): A more widely used ax was the pole ax. This weapon was very popular in battle and foot combat. It was used to strike the opponents head (the word "pole" meant head) and the solid hammer-head at the back could knock out a man in armor. There was another kind of ax called the short ax. Knights sometimes used two-handed axes, but the smaller, single-handed variety was easier to use on horseback.

 Dagger:One of the smallest weapons a warrior used was a dagger. Knights did not use daggers very much until the 14th century. Daggers were used as a back up sword; when the knights first sword was knocked out of his hand.

A Lance:Knights used a weapon called a lance. Lances were long and came in many sizes. They were made of wood and were painted. Maces were also another wooden weapon used by knights. They were shaped like clubs with spikes stuck into them.

Bow and Arrow:Archers used bow and arrows. One kind of bow and arrow is the longbow. This type of bow was usually made of stave or yew wood about the height of the archer himself. It was usually fitted with horn nocks at the top to take the hemp string. War bows probably needed a pull of at least 80lb. , and many have been far more powerful.

Crossbows:Crossbows were another kind of bow. They were introduced in the 11th century, they were made of wood or horn. After shooting, the string was drawn back by the archer placing his foot in the stirrup. He then attached the string to a hook in his belt and straightened his back until the string slipped over the retaining catch on the crossbar of the weapon. The bow was usually shot by means of some kind of trigger.

The Feudal System:

The feudal system was a way of government based on obligations between the lord or king and vassal.

The king gave large estates to his friends and relatives. These estates known as the fief included houses, barns, tools, animals, and serfs or peasants. The king also promised to protect the vassal on the field or in the courts. In return the nobles who were granted the fiefs swore an oath of loyalty to the king. The nobles promised never to fight against the king. They also had to give the king whatever he asked for. The king may ask for men to fight a war, money, or advice. The nobles also gave the king a place to stay when he traveled.

Each of the king's vassals was also a lord or tenant in chief with vassals of his own. Each vassal would be an overlord to those he granted fiefs while remaining a vassal of the king. The subtenants in turn subdivided the land. Sometimes there were many levels of lords who had vassals under them.

The most important promise of the vassal to the lord was the military. The vassal usually served as a knight. This service lasted about 40 to 60 days a year. If they actually had to fight in a war they usually did so for two months. If there was no war the knights did 40 days of training at the castle.

There were only a few nobles. Most people, approximately nine-tenths, were serfs who worked the land for a noble. The serf was bound to the land. If the noble sold the land the serf went with it. This was not much better than being a slave.

A peasant village had between ten to sixty families. Each family lived in a hut made out of wood or straw. The floor was covered with straw or reeds. Beds were made from a pile of dried leaves or straw. Animal skins were used as blankets. A cooking fire burned in the middle of the hut with the smoke escaping through a hole in the roof. Furnishings included a plank table, a few stools, and a chest. Each hut had its own vegetable garden.

About half the serfs time was spent working for the lord. Jobs included working in the fields, cutting wood, hauling water, spinning and weaving, repairing buildings, and waiting on the members of the lord's family. Peasant men were even expected to fight in times of war. Besides all the work peasants had to pay taxes to their lord. This was usually given in wheat, lamb, chicken, and other animals.

There were also some freemen peasants. These people were usually in a trade. These people were not bound to the land. They paid a fixed rent to the lord. The freemen had more legal rights than the serfs and fewer duties to the lord. In actuality there was little real difference between the freemen peasants and the serfs.

By the twelfth century this system was found throughout most of Western Europe.

Castles:

Castles in Europe evolved from the first wooden forts made to lodge a garrison to spectacular stone structures able to support a small army for extended times.

Each country in Europe developed its own architectural designs copying from that of the castles in other countries.

The race to build castles as the best military defenses, turned into a competition for the most magnificent architectural designs in the world.

Battle and beauty were now married together.

Capturing a medieval castle was a lofty goal for many commanders in the Middle Ages and battles were often centered around these fortresses. Since medieval castles occupied such strategic points along trade routes, ports and rivers, they had the highest military value. Prime locations for castle construction include high, rocky ground…mountain passes…isolated peninsulas…and lake islands.

William the Conqueror's use of castles during the Norman invasion changed the way medieval battles were fought for hundreds of years. To withstand besieging, castle walls were sometimes constructed to be up to 30 feet thick. Some fortresses had towers soaring a hundred feet high. The castle reigned supreme until the use of gunpowder and artillery made them rather obsolete in the late 17th century. These medieval strongholds exploited as much strength as possible.

Stone, mortar, wood-these were the simple components used to construct some of the most heavily fortified structures ever created.

Early castles relied on the surrounding landscape to provide much of the protection. Early castles were made of wood and built on hills of "mottes". Surrounded by a high, wooden palisade, motte and bailey castles were used widely until the Norman invasion of 1066. These fortifications proved too easy to burn, and stone was then used more frequently.

Castles were rarely the most comfortable place to live, with only the lord and his family given adequate heat and other amenities. Medieval castles were built for safety, not comfort. Windows were little more than slits in the wall. Cold, stone floors and walls rarely kept in heat, and water had to be brought by the bucketful throughout the castle. Walls were built high to protect from advancing armies, and to provide needed lookout positions.

The simple stone and mortar architecture made repairs fairly easy to make. It was not uncommon for stones to be used over and over with each successive castle built on the same location. Cannons and gunpowder made the castle ineffective and these large structures evolved in the later Middle Ages and Renaissance to become manor homes and palaces.

Medieval castles, whether in ruins or restored, dominate the varied landscapes of Europe. Stone fortifications were nothing new to the continent, but during the Middle Ages, there was an explosion of castle construction as feudal lords sought to consolidate their power and provide fortresses for the inhabitants of their kingdoms. Some were described to be little more than dirty, cold stone boxes, but others evolved to become impressive reminders of years past.

Many people today cling to a romantic view of castles-complete with knights, damsels in distress and nonstop medieval feasting. Research shows that castles served a very utilitarian role in feudal society. It was protector, visible landmark, and source of pride among many communities.

Soon after the collapse of the Roman Empire, Germanic tribes began to construct heavy stone fortifications. Near the first millennium, another force would greatly spread the use of castles in Western Europe. William the Conqueror, from Normandy, France, invaded England in 1066 and changed the medieval landscape forever. Medieval societies soon witnessed the erection of stone towers and walls in every country. Simple Norman donjons evolved into more elaborate strongholds with towering walls, defensive systems and could house sometimes thousands of people.

The castle remained a prime military resource for much of the Middle Ages. Military tactics centered on the taking of castles, and weapon technology improved over the centuries to exploit any weakness that could be found in castle architecture. It wasn't until the late 1600s, when gunpowder and artillery became more effective, that the castle became obsolete. Many fell into ruins during the succeeding centuries, but there remain excellent examples of medieval castle architecture that have been beautifully restored.

Castle Builders:
Can't find anything on it if you find/know anything about castle builders I would appreciate it if you would post on here.

Armour:

The armor used in the Middle Ages was gradually perfected, until at length the knight became a living fortress. A Medieval Knights Armor was vital on the Battlefields of the Middle Ages. The Knights Armor provided essential body protection from the various weapons which were used in battle including the two-handed sword, bow and arrows, crossbow, battle axe, mace, dagger and lance. Padded garments and Chainmail were used prior to the development of suits of Armor and subsequently worn in conjunction with the armor suits. A Medieval knights armor was designed and developed to protect them from any new, and even more lethal, weapons that were introduced during the violent period of the Middle Ages.

Knights Suit of Armor
Medieval Knights suit of armor was extremely expensive to produce. A knights suit of armor had to be tailor-made to fit the knight exactly. Any Incorrect sizing of a Knights suit of armor would be extremely dangerous as it could hamper the knights ability to fight. The knights suit of armor was also a status symbol. The better quality of the Knights suit of armor, the more important was the Knight. Plate Armour was first introduced during the late 13th century and Full Plate Armour was introduced during the 15th century weighing approximately 50 lbs. A knights suit of armor was strong enough to protect the knight, but light enough to allow quick movement on the battlefield. A Medieval Knights Armor was a complex series of garments, chain mail and iron plate.

Parts of a Knights Suit of Armor
The Parts of a Knights Suit of Armor were a complex series of garments, chain mail and iron plate. The pieces of a Knights Suit of Armor covered the most vulnerable parts of a knight's body. The Parts of a Knights Suit of Armor are best described by explaining the parts of the body which they covered.

When were the middle ages and how long did they last?:

The Age of Castles laster nearly 500 years. Eventually, though, people stopped wanting to live in castles.

Castles were dark.They were drafty.They were dirty.They were not built for comfort. They were built for defense against the weapons of a lord's enemies.

Knights and castles live on, though--in stories and legends, and in traditions that are still alive today.

Many castles built centuries ago are still standing.When you visit one of these castles, you cross a drawbridge into another time. You can touch the stones carved be masons hundreds of years ago.And your Imagination can carry you back over 500 years ago.

Define Chivalry:

Chivalry refers to the medieval institution of knighthood, and especially the ideals that were associated with it, or have become associated with it through literature.