The%20Early%20Middle%20Ages:%20The%20Feudal%20Spirit

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The Early Middle Ages The Feudal Spirit
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The Age of Charlemagne

• Descended from Franks valued war and destruction
• Blend of two cultures during reign of Charlemagne
• Kingdom Large European kingdom, from the Rhine
  to Spain
• Renewed interest in learning and arts

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The Carolingian Renaissance

• His interest in culture assembled group of
  scholars and artists. Favorite book The City
  of God
• Imperial ideal from Rome and Byzantium
• Monks copied manuscripts and painted, learned
  chants and interpreted the Bible.
• Alcuin of York, teacher revival of learning and
  literacy. Attempted universal education

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The Culture of the Book

• Books were expensive
• Illustrated manuscripts Hellenistic and
  Byzantine style, incorporating Anglo-Saxon art.
• Utrecht Psalter collection of Psalms
• Sculpture disappeared. Reliquaries.
• The cult of relics

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Charlemagnes Court

• Pilgrimage to Rome in 800. Crowned emperor.
  First monarch since Roman times
• Aachen, Aix-la-Chapelle. Modeled after Byzantine
  churches
• Charlemagnes kingdom only lasted one generation
  after his death
• New wave of invasions Muslims, Hungarians,
  Vikings

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Feudal Europe

• France and England brunt of Viking invasions
• Decentralized system feudal estates
• Feudalism system based on vows of military
  service and ownership of land.
• Based on grant of lands by lords to vassals in
  return for service
• Castle residence of lords family

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• Refuge for the feudal estate during war
• Crusaders came back and improved them
• Fortresses to defend against siege
• Decoration of castles simple tapestries to
  protect from cold
• Pagan rituals and celebrations mumming
• Origin of masquerades and masked dances

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The Song of Roland

• Oral literature of military exploits such as
  epics.
• Battle from Charlemagnes campaigns in Spain.
  Hero Roland who battles Muslim knights
• Celebrated knights bravery in battle and loyalty
  to his lord
• No women

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• Tale of feudal courage, violence and treachery
• Blows his horn to summon Charlemagne, but dies
  before king appears
• Feudal and Christian values are highlighted

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Chivalry

• Emerged as a way to enforce loyalty.
• Loyal to lord, not sleep with his wife, or
  surrender his castle as well as religious
  devotion and service to ladies
• Tournaments feasting, pageantry and dance
• Professional warriors emerged

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The Bayeux Tapestry

• 1066 Battle of Hastings William the
  Conquerors victory over the English
• Tapestry Embroidered wall hanging recounting
  the chain of events. 231 feet long linen cloth.
  Probably embroidered by English women.
• Influenced by Trajans column

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Muslim Spain

• Cultivated society where Muslims, Jews and
  Christians coexisted.
• Influence of architecture, poetry and philosophy
• 711 Muslims from North Africa conquer Spain.
  Power declined after 1000
• Sephardic Jews had centers of learning
• Spaniards pushed back Muslims until 1492 they
  expelled the last from Granada
• Muslims and Jews forced to convert

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Monasticism

• Rules of chastity, poverty and obedience
• Refuge from the barbarians
• Centers of learning and
• Evangelizing monks and cloistered monks
• Guardians of arts and artifacts of Western
  civilization
• Abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland (c. 820)

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The Romanesque Style

• Descendants of Otto the Great created Romanesque
  style of architecture
• Rounded Roman arches and barrel vaults
• Massive vaults and piers and decoration
• Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy, France
• Some elements of the Gothic church

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The Pilgrimage Churches

• Medieval tourist centers stopping points during
  pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela
• St. Sernin Latin Cross floorplan)
• chapels off the apse
• transept( housed the relics)
• portals
• ambulatories

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Romanesque Sculpture

• Relief sculpture Bibles in stone
• Portal sculpture on the tympanum
• Autun Gislibertus lintel sculpture warning of
  wages of sin
• Vezelay relics of Mary Magdalene

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Early Medieval Music and Drama

• Musical Notation. Initially, chants were taught
  by oral tradition
• Guido dArezzo six note scale and solmization
  ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti
• Guidonian Hand
• Staff tone Clef set the tone F or C
• Invited to Vatican to teach
• Sacred music passed down

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Hildegard of Bingen

• German abbess (1098-1179)
• Composed mystical poetry and music
• Morality play set to music
• Women should use Mary as role model and reject
  Eve the sinner

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Drama in the Medieval Church

• Medieval theater representations of Christs
  birth death and resurrection
• The Three Wise Men, Herods Slaughter of the
  Innocents, and the Raising of Lazarus.
• Written in Latin brief
• Churchgoers followed the scenes throughout the
  church
• Moved outside the church in the 13th cent.

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Medieval Philosophy

• Christian problems existence of God,
  relationship between faith and reason
• Cathedral schools fostered learning translation
  of Aristotles works
• Peter Abelard (1079-1142) Tragic love of Heloise.
• Sic et Non exposed inconsistencies in Church
  teachings