Early Middle Ages

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Early Middle Ages

• The First Medieval Synthesis

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Overview

• Charlemagne
• Post-Charlemagne
• Viking Invasions
• Feudal Society

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Charlemagne
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Charlemagne

• Cultural Background as a German, Roman, Christian
  Blend
• What is First Synthesis?
• Pepin, the Lombards and the Papacy in 756
• Summary p. 144
• Religious Reformer David and Josias
• Pope Leo III and Crowning Emperor

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• Palace at Aachen
• Educational Reform
• Alcuin
• Monastic schools
• Curriculum

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• Carolingian script (miniscule)
• Carolingian Liturgical Reforms
• Alcuins Revision of Roman Rite
• Rebirth of Drama
• Attempts to develop vernacular culture
• Legends of Charlemagne in Notker and Song of
  Roland

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Bust of Charlemagne, Cathedral Treasury, Aachen.
14th Century
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Post-Charlemagne

• Louis the Pious, only surviving son of
  Charlemagne
• Louis and monastic reform
• Louis sons, Louis, Charles, and Lothar, Kings of
  East Franks, West Franks and Lotharingia
• Louis crowned Lothar Emperor in 817
• Thus a divided empire.
• Pope Nicholas and Charles the Bald and the role
  of the Pope

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• Otto I and the reinstitution of an Empire
• Otto II and Theophano and the Byzantine
  Connection
• Ottonian Renaissance

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Otto III
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Ninth-Century Invasions

• Description of Viking Invasions
• Weakening of already weak kings
• They started under Charlemagne but kicked up on
  Louis the Pious

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• 911 the Northman Rollo was granted the duchy of
  Normandy
• Alfred became Alfred the Great Fighting Vikings
• There were other invasions Muslims, Magyars
  (Hungarians), and Slavs (Poles)

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• These invasions short-term disasters but most
  became Christina kingdoms
• Long term influences vary but the Norman
  influence on England in 1066 was most significant
• 1066 and All That
• Bayeux Tapestry

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Feudal Society

• Post-Charlemagne royal or centralized authority
  weakened
• Internal instability and invasions
• Emergence of Lord and Vassal Power Arrangements
  freeman to freeman bond

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• What is a vassal
• The changing nature of the warrior, the knight
• In return for expensive service land, money, or
  title
• Fief and subinfeudation

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• The role of the Count
• Vassal roles inherited or not
• As fiefs were divided among children there arose
  a money shortage
• Vassalage and the Private Possession of Political
  Power what is it

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• Where did it flourish
• Was it the feudal system?
• The later idealization of vassalage chivalry
• Song of Roland as a text of idealized vassalage

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• The reemergence of Central Authority Feudal
  Monarchies
• Kings would take pay instead of service, use
  money to buy army
• Kings used the judicial system to tighten
  authority over lords
• Kings began to develop more elaborate
  bureaucracies

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• Spread of vasslage culture
• To Love
• To Religion
• To the Three Orders of Society

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Three Orders
Oratores, Bellatores, Laboratores