Why was the Church so important in the Middle Ages

1
Why was the Church so important in the Middle
Ages?

• Work your way across the chequerboard. Answer all
  the questions correctly and earn your place in
  Heaven! Make a mistake and your soul is in peril!

?Click here first to learn about the Church in
the Middle Ages
2














3
How many parish priests were there by the end of
the twelfth century?
Square 1

• A) 8,000
• B) 9,000
• C) 10,000

4
Correct!

• There were 9,000 priests. The Normans built
  hundreds of new churches for these priests across
  the countryside in the Norman style, with thick
  stone walls and round arches.

5
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

6
What language did priests use to read the
services and the Bible?
Square 2

• A) French
• B) English
• C) Latin

7
Correct!

• Latin. All the services, prayers and Bible
  passages were in Latin. The problem was les than
  5 of the population could either read or write,
  let alone understand Latin!

8
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

9
What was the glebe?
Square 3

• A) Land used by the priest for growing crops
• B) A special tax paid to the Church
• C) A special part of the church building

10
Correct!

• Glebe was land used by priests to grow their own
  crops. Priests were paid so little they needed
  this extra land to supplement their income and
  grow their own food.

11
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

12
Priests would hear confessions. What were they?
Square 4

• When people admitted to a crime
• When people admitted to a sin
• When people spread village gossip

13
Correct!

• Glebe was land used by priests to grow their own
  crops. Priests were paid so little they needed
  this extra land to supplement their income and
  grow their own food.

14
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

15
Church walls would be covered with
Square 5

• A) Graffiti
• B) Slogans
• C) Holy images

16
Correct!

• Glebe was land used by priests to grow their own
  crops. Priests were paid so little they needed
  this extra land to supplement their income and
  grow their own food.

17
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

18
What were alms?
Square 6

• A) Money given to the poor and needy
• B) Things attached to your shoulders
• C) A type of coin like shillings and pence

19
Correct!

• Alms were money given to the poor and needy. They
  were especially useful in the days before people
  could get help from the government if they were
  sick or unemployed.

20
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

21
Which of the following services were not
performed by the priest?
Square 7

• A) Christening children
• B) Collecting taxes
• C) Performing marriages

22
Correct!

• Priests did not collect taxes themselves. There
  most important function was to conduct important
  services like christening, marriage and funerals.

23
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

24
What were the last rites?
Square 8

• A) A reminder to drink up in the pub
• B) A law which gave the last living person the
  right to inherit a house or land
• C) Special prayers said to people as they died

25
Correct!

• Last rites were special prayers said to people as
  they lay dying. The idea was that people could
  clean their souls of any last sins before they
  died to speed up their way to heaven.

26
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

27
What is the tithe?
Square 9

• A) A type of barn
• B) A type of tax
• C) A type of cottage

28
Correct!

• Last rites were special prayers said to people as
  they lay dying. The idea was that people could
  clean their souls of any last sins before they
  died to speed up their way to heaven.

29
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

30
What percentage of the income was a tithe?
Square 10

• A) A third
• B) A quarter
• C) A tenth

31
Correct!

• Tithe comes from an ancient Anglo-Saxon word
  meaning tenth. Villagers provided a tenth of
  their grain, their produce such as eggs. How on
  earth they provided a tenth of a cow or a sheep
  remains a mystery!

32
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

33
Where was the tithe stored?
Square 11

• A) In the church
• B) In a special barn
• C) In villagers cottages

34
Correct!

• Last rites were special prayers said to people as
  they lay dying. The idea was that people could
  clean their souls of any last sins before they
  died to speed up their way to heaven.

35
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

36
What was a church ale?
Square 12

• A) A special party organised by the church to
  raise extra funds
• B) A special type of beer brewed in the church
• C) An ailment which priests were especially prone
  to catching

37
Correct!
Your score

• Church ales were special parties organised to
  raise extra funds for the church. The church was
  often the largest building in the village and so
  provided the perfect location for important
  social gatherings.

38
Wrong!

• Go back and try again.

39
Add up your score

• If you had 12 correct answers then .
• If you had six or more correct answers ...
• If you had less than six correct answers

40
Go straight to heaven!
41
Spend a thousand years in Purgatory!
42
Go to Hell for an eternity!