| A | B |
|---|
| medieval | comes from two Latin words: medius (middle) and aevum (age) |
| medus | The Latin word for "middle" |
| aevum | The Latin word for "age" |
| A.D. 476 | The Roman Empire ended. Eastern half became Byzantine Empire. Western half taken over by Scandinavians. |
| Visigoths | a Germanic tribe who fought their way into Spain after the fall of the Roman Empire |
| Ostrogoths | After the Roman Empire, this tribe set up a kingdom in Italy. |
| pope | The bishop of the church of Rome. Comes from the Latin word for "father" |
| clergy | These were the religious leaders during the Middle Ages. The Pope was directed the activities of the clergy. There were two types of Clergy: priests and monks. |
| priests | One of two types of clergy who lived among the people. They led church services, instructed the people how to live and worship, and taught people could not receive God's grace without the help of a priest. |
| sacraments | Roman Catholic ceremonies that are believed to bring salvation. |
| monks | The second type of clergy who lived together in large quarters or monasteries. They rarely had contact with the outside world. They vowed never to marry but instead devote their entire life to serving the Roman Catholic Church. |
| monasteries | a building or set of buildings where monks live and work in groups. |
| clerical | The meaning of this word can be traced back to this duty of clergymen in the Middle Ages describing office work. |
| nuns | a woman who devotes her life to the Roman Catholic Church |
| Merovingian kings | Name give to King Clovis' descendants. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the first king was Clovis. He divided his kingdom (western Europe) among his 4 sons. |
| Martel | a name given to King Charles (ruled 732) which means "the Hammer". |
| Carolingian kings | the descendents of Charles who ruled after his death. Latin word for Charles |
| Charles Martel | Charles ruled from 732. He was NOT a king. Kept Europe free from Muslim rule by defeating the Muslims at the city of Tours. |
| Papal States | When Pepin defeated the Lombards, part of the land was given to the church leaders and was called Papal States. |
| magnus | means great |
| Charlemagne | comes from the lating words,Carolus Magnus which means Charles the Great. |
| manors | farms |
| lord | the ownder of a manor |
| holy days | special occasions celebrated by the church to honor saints, the sabath, or certain seasons. It was a time of feasting, dancing, and relaxation. |
| serfs | peasants who lived on the lord's land. They paid rent to the lord and worked part-time for him. They were not allowed to move from the manor. |
| freemen | peasants that had it better than the serfs. They paid less rent, worked fewer hours and were allowed to move from the manor. |
| Age of Feudalism | The period after Charlemagne's death. |
| Feudalism | type of government the developed during the Age of Feudalism |
| vassal | a servant. Performed certain duties for the noble, or lord. |
| fealty | A Pledge of faithfulness or loyalty by the vassal. |
| fief | a fee given to the vassal by the lord in exchange for his favor. |
| knight | mounted soldier who defended the manor. |
| page | The first step of knighthood. a young boy (age 7)who wanted to become a knight. As a page, a boy went to live in a castle of another noble to learn horsemenship and fighting skills. |
| squire | The second step of knighthood. At 14, he helped his master dree and accompanied him into battles and cared for his horse. |
| knight | The third step of knighthood ending with a ceremony. |
| tournaments | mock battles to prepared for battles. |
| jousting contests | Contests between rival groups of knights. The goal was for one knight to knock the other off his horse with a blunt lance. |
| chivalry | code of behavior for a knight |
| shield wall | In the Battle of Hastings, Harold place his men along the top of a ridge. |
