Why could only a rich man be a knight? Presentation on history "in the knight's castle"

LESSON PLAN.

• 1. Castle of the feudal lord.

• 2. Equipment of knights.

• 3.Knights at leisure.

• 4. Knight's honor.

Lesson assignment.

• ? Why could only a very rich man be a knight?

1. Castle of the feudal lord.

• In the 10th century The construction of huge castles begins in Europe.

• ?Think why this happened?

• During an attack, the castle could shelter not only the feudal lord and his family, but also his peasants.

• Castles were built on a high place, or island, first of wood and later of stone.

1. Castle of the feudal lord.

• To get to the castle, you had to cross a suspension bridge over a deep moat.

• In case of danger, the bridge rose and, like a door, closed the entrance.

• Taking the castle by storm was very difficult - you had to overcome the moat, knock down the gate, or climb the wall using an assault ladder.

1. Castle of the feudal lord.

• In the center of the castle there was a donjon, the main tower, consisting of 3-4 floors. A single door, located high above the ground, led to the castle from the courtyard. A well was dug in the basement and food supplies were stored.

2. Equipment of knights.

• During campaigns, knights were reliably protected by armor.

• In the beginning it was chain mail woven from rings.

• Then they began to attach plates to the chain mail and soon armor appeared.

• The head was protected by a helmet, on which a visor appeared over time

• The weight of the equipment reached 50-60 kg.

3.Knights at leisure.

• In their free time from campaigns, the knights tried to maintain their glory by participating in knightly tournaments.

• Tournaments were appointed by kings and held under the control of heralds.

• The knight appeared at the tournament in full battle garb

• The tournament lasted for 2 days.

3.Knights at leisure.

3.Knights at leisure.

• Another favorite pastime was hunting. Many feudal lords kept specially trained dogs, or falcons.

• While baiting the beast, the participants in the hunt jumped out onto the lands of peasants and neighbors and caused them enormous damage, trampling their crops.

• Hunting was a dangerous activity; its participants often died.

UPD: in the first edition of this answer, I offered a large quotation from the Russian translation of J. Flory's work " Everyday life knights in the Middle Ages" (2006) (krotov.info). Later, I wanted to expand the answer, develop the idea and reflect on the essence of the phenomena proposed for discussion.

UPD 2: After rummaging through my library, I found two more books on chivalry:

Barthelemy D. Chivalry: from Ancient Germany to France of the 13th century. St. Petersburg - Eurasia, 2012. - 584 p.

Bryant A. The Age of Chivalry in the History of England. St. Petersburg - Eurasia, 2001. - 368 p.

Dear Polina, you are asking a very interesting question. For me it is doubly interesting because I myself have been studying the history of the Anglo-Saxon elites since my university years. He began his acquaintance with the topic (not counting the question asked to the lyceum history teacher back in the 10th grade) already in his second year, when he wrote a course paper about the ideals, morals and life of chivalry in the 12th-15th centuries. Taking this opportunity, I will advertise a collection of articles published by the Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the history of elites, which, among others, includes my modest article jes.su. I can also suggest the book Nobles and Nobility in Medieval Europe: Concepts, Origins, Transformations / Ed. by Anne J.D. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2000. - 285 p. https://

Straight to the answer. To begin with, as Alex Ershov noted in the comments, let's talk about terminology. I have already touched on a partially similar problem here. Actually, we come up against a linguistic-philosophical question: are concepts as such and the words that describe them identical? If this question seems absurd to someone, I can suggest a discussion among modern historians about how to call the economic model that existed in the USSR youtube.com In short, just because it was called “socialism” in the USSR itself, it does not become one. We can ask the same question here: can we talk about nobility in the Middle Ages if this word itself was not used in the sources?

No we can not. The word “nobleman” and the reality behind it are a purely Russian phenomenon. “Nobles,” as is easy to see from the etymology of wiktionary.org, are originally people from the servants of a rich and noble man (boyar), his “household.” In the contemporary German lands, for example, it corresponded to the concept of “ministerialis”. The word and, apparently, the phenomenon behind it appeared in the 12th century, but developed modern connotations much later. Initially, it did not bear any hint of nobility (not a single Rurikovich would ever call himself a nobleman in his life), and the transformation of the nobility into a privileged and dominant class took more than one century. In fact, it became such only by the middle of the 17th century. (in 1649, the “Cathedral Code” secured the right of nobles to eternal possession and indefinite search for fugitive peasants). Accordingly, only from this time on did the word “nobility” in Russian begin to be used to designate a similar analogue in Europe, especially since, for example, the French second estate by this time actually more or less corresponded to the Russian nobility (with reservations, of course). The use of the term “nobility” (and this is how the translator of Flory’s work, F.F. Nesterov, conveys the French “noble(s)” and “la noblesse” - and this is not his fault, but the linguistic tradition) in relation to European medieval realities – anachronism. And even more so, we cannot talk about the “Muslim nobility”, “Byzantine nobility”, “nomadic nobility” and the like. Actually, I will use the word “Middle Ages” in the only fair, from my point of view, meaning - in relation to a very specific era in the history of Western and Central Europe (approximately from the end of the 5th to the end of the 15th centuries).

Let's take a break from the word "nobility". It is well known that in Europe there were those whom we would today call “aristocracy” or “nobles”. Therefore, in order to correctly answer your question, you should clarify: could a person of non-noble origin become a knight?

The short answer is yes, but mainly in the early period of the existence of chivalry.

First you need to understand what made a person “noble” or “noble”. The question is by no means a trivial one, because in different eras and in different societies it was answered differently. And here it is appropriate to turn to Flory’s book, which I happened to re-read with pleasure.

In the late Roman era, the aristocracy, which was the fruit of the merger of the equestrian and senatorial classes, did not directly connect its position with military service. Their power was based on large land holdings, financial wealth and the occupation of civil positions. In this sense, it partially inherited the principles of the republican nobility, where the “nobility” of a family was determined in particular by the number of representatives of this family in government positions (after the victory of the plebeians in the fight against the patricians, from a formal point of view, the patricians had only moral superiority, but not legal). To be "noble", a person had to be "famous", as evidenced, in particular, by linguistics: the word "nobilis" ("noble") comes from the same root as the verb "cognostere" ("to know") - Absolutely the same semantics is surprisingly observed in Russian. But the closer to the Middle Ages, the less this new aristocracy strived for public service, focusing instead on rural life and local interests. It was she who filled the highest echelons of the clergy. The authority of a military career fell the more the army became barbarized.

When the Germans poured en masse into the Empire, among them the process of social differentiation had already gone far enough compared to the era of Tacitus (1st century AD) for their own nobility to arise (which Flory does not mention; I suspect he is not familiar with this issue or does not deal with it, so his book is based solely on French material with separate use of German, English and Spanish examples, and in rare cases there are obvious factual errors). This is what anthropologists call “tribal” nobility/aristocracy. It is extremely difficult to give an unambiguous definition of this phenomenon, but its existence is confirmed by unequal wergelds (for the meaning, see here wikipedia.org) for different groups of people in the German “truths”, that is, customary legal codes. Thus, in the Anglo-Saxon period, in specific collections, the life of a “noble” could cost in different periods from three (the code of laws of the Kentish kings Hlothere and Eadric (Hlothere and Eadric, 1, end of the 7th century) to six (the code of laws of the Wessex kings Ine , 19; 70), end of the 7th century, and Alfred (Alfred, 10; 18.1; 18.2; 18.3; 31; 39.2; 40), end of the 9th century) and even almost eight (Northumbrian laws (Norðleoda lagu, 2-6), trans. half. X century) times more than the life of an ordinary free person. It is probably most correct to say that a noble was one who was recognized as such by public opinion. It also seems appropriate to talk not about individual, but about collective nobility, about the nobility of families.

Obviously, nobility was determined by such parameters as descent from the free and the absence of unfree in the clan, the amount of land at the disposal of the clan, the presence of dependent persons, wealth, authority among fellow tribesmen, etc. It is also fair to say that one could not become noble, but only by being born. But nevertheless, until about the turn of the millennium, the main social divide in Romanized societies ran not along the line of nobility, but along the line of personal freedom. There is a very interesting philological study about the language used to describe the Germanic nobility: Lindow J. Comitatus, Individual and Honor: Studies in North Germanic Institutional Vocabulary. Los Angeles - London: University of California Press, 1976. - 174 p.

In different provinces of the former empire, the interaction of these two “aristocracies” proceeded differently (I refer to the important work of A.R. Korsunsky and R. Gunther “The Decline and Death of the Western Roman Empire and the Emergence of the German Kingdoms” (1984)). Most of the barbarians were Arian Christians (for example, the Visigoths and Vandals), and the Romanesque population was orthodox Catholics, so, as a rule, these societies did not mix culturally for quite a long time, although given that the Germans were a minority in the new kingdoms, in economic life interpenetration was inevitable. Another thing is the Franks, who, due to their numbers, could maintain their isolation longer. However, already under Clovis they were baptized into Catholicism, and the process of cultural rapprochement was accelerated, so that already in the 6th century. There are cases of representatives of the Gallo-Roman nobility bearing Germanic names. The situation was completely different in Britain, where the Roman presence was weaker from the very beginning, and in the 5th-6th centuries. was almost completely swept away by the Anglo-Saxons. There is no doubt, however, that over the course of about five centuries this tribal elite either assimilated into the Roman aristocracy (like the Franks and, probably, the Lombards), or was exterminated during wars, or disappeared for some other reason. For example, from Anglo-Saxon legal monuments after the 7th century. (with the exception of the Northumbrian laws mentioned, but more on that below) the word “gesið” disappears, which denoted such a tribal elite. G. Loin at one time very cautiously suggested that it could not continue its existence during the Viking invasions of the 9th century. (Loyn H. Gesiths and Thegns in Anglo-Saxon England from the Seventh to the Tenth Century // The English Historical Review 70, no. 277 (1955). PP. 529-549). What is certain is that even if this elite was not physically destroyed, it "revised" the fundamental principles of its nobility.

In the period after the political fall of the Roman Empire in the West and before the Crusades Significant changes are taking place in the social sphere. Flory very correctly notes that in the Romanesque (sic!) West, nobility in this era is perceived not as a legal, but as a moral category (for example, already in the “Salic Truth” msu.ru there is no separate category of tribal aristocracy). The Latin word "noble" (nobilis) in its various forms is used primarily as an adjective rather than a noun. Legal registration of this nobility occurs only in the 13th century and later. Here we can recall an example from a feature film, in general, of course, pretty "cranberry", but in this episode quite accurate: in the film "A Knight's Tale" (2001) there is a moment when main character proves his noble origin to participate in the tournament by presenting forged documents (the case takes place in the middle of the 14th century). A noble was someone who behaved like a noble and lived an appropriate lifestyle: had extensive lands and vassals, administered royal justice, lived in grand style, led the local militia, had relatives in the high clergy, and so on. In the course of the historical process, this category of nobility slipped from church into social usage, and the “nobility” of such families passed in a weakened form to the lateral lines.

All this could be afforded mainly by those who were in one way or another (sometimes not in the first generation) in the royal service (I highly recommend the book “Power Institutions and Positions in Europe in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Times” (2011) about royal service twirpx .com). For example, in England during the 10th century. It was precisely people in the royal service (honorable and in no way humiliating), the so-called “thegnas” (Old English “þegnas” - “servants”) who occupied the vacated (see above about the word “gesið”) niche of the privileged layer of society , about which I once wrote 154 pages of my diploma. By the end of the century, this term ceased to be used exclusively in the form of “cyninges þegn” (that is, “royal ten”), but began to live its own life and, apparently, became simply synonymous with the word “noble” (already in the 960s, royal laws recorded a certain “dignity of the ten” – “þegnscipe”, in 1008 the concept of “the right of the ten” – “þegenrihts” first appears, and in 1053 the word “scirþegnas” appears in one charter, that is, “thens of [such and such] shire "). This, for example, is evidenced by the vocabulary of the agreement between the Anglo-Saxons and the Welsh of this time, where the former are defined as “ðegnboren” and “ceorlboren”, that is, “born of thegns or curls”, which is a direct parallel to the phrase “twahynde ond twelfhynde”, then there are “people with wergeld of 200 and 1200 shillings” (see above), and this in turn repeats the expression of King Alfred “ge ceorle ge eorle” - “curls and earls” (that is, “simple and noble”). Unlike France, in England throughout the Anglo-Saxon period the concept of “nobility” was not moral, but legal, since it was determined precisely by the wergeld. However, here too, by the beginning of the 2nd millennium, there was a blurring of this criterion: during the second wave of Viking invasions, wealthy curls strive to take the place of the thegns killed in battle and lead the same lifestyle. Moreover, in the mentioned Northumbrian laws, the later edition of which is attributed to Archbishop Wulfstan, even a distinction is made: if he possesses a certain "Ten" allotment of land, he receives a wergeld thegn and is considered "of Gesit origin" - the only use of the word "gesið" in legal monuments after the 7th century But if this land is in his family for less than three generations, such a family is considered Curl. I believe that it was precisely these social changes that forced Archbishop Wulstan (a man with apparently developed state thinking) just at this time, in several of his works, to address the question of what makes a tena a tena. He comes to the conclusion that this status is determined by the presence of a certain plot of land in combination with the performance of some royal service. For more details, I humbly refer you to my article at the link at the beginning (it is also available here academia.edu).

Now to the question of chivalry. Here I am completely and completely immodestly referring to Flory’s book, because... this phenomenon appears precisely in France and from there spreads throughout Europe, well, and a little - to Aurov youtube.com To briefly retell Flory's idea, which I fully share, then at the time of its appearance around the end of the 10th century, knights (lat. milites - " warriors") are a certain type of soldier: heavily armed horsemen (as evidenced by the terminology national languages, with the exception of English), fighting in close formation in small groups of 40-70 people, called in French "le conrois", and using a frontal attack as the main tactical technique, when an elongated spear is held horizontally, and not with an overhead grip, like a javelin (for more details about the tactics and methods of fighting by knights, I refer to the extensive publication “New Soldier”, for example, to the issue about the French knights of 1000-1300. territa.ru). Flory ironically notes: “It was also necessary for the enemy to “accept the rules of the game,” that is, to be ready to withstand a frontal attack and have nothing against his participation in the “general dump” immediately following him” (Flory J. Op. cit. C . 117). The invention, apparently, by the Normans (not to be confused with the Normans) of this new revolutionary type of battle occurred at the time of the maximum decline in the real strength of royal power in France, when sovereignty shrank to the smallest seigneuries - “wobbles”, that is, a really effectively governed territory controlled from one castle. This phenomenon in historiography is called the “feudal revolution,” although not everyone agrees with it, and there are even those who completely deny it. Be that as it may, military forces during this period become very small in size (which I write about in more detail here), and the only way to resist a knightly attack is the same knightly attack.

Who were these knights, these "milites"? As follows from the above, at the dawn of their appearance they could have been anyone who could conduct this type of battle. Thus, the social composition of knighthood was very heterogeneous: they were vassals of feudal lords, and poor relatives, bastards and younger sons the latter, and armed servants, and ministerials, and rich peasants. It is important, however, to emphasize that the nobility at this time does not yet call themselves knights. Moreover, as in the case of nobility, no hint of nobility is implied in the terms used in the national languages. As Flory rightly notes, a knight in the X-XI centuries. – this is a profession, not a social status.

And only in the 12th century. the process of rapprochement between aristocracy and chivalry begins. On the one hand, in the course of the militarization of the first, it begins to attach the word “milites” to itself; on the other, the second tends to become anonymized. "Of all the ways to pass for "noble"<...>in order to later enter this class, which was still just emerging and therefore did not yet have clear legal boundaries, the best, without any doubt, was to enter the ranks of knighthood and perform all the duties associated with the profession of a knight<...>Most historians agree that there was a fairly massive infiltration of the most active part of the male population from the lower social strata (still mostly from among the allodial peasantry, which was relatively wealthy) into the lower strata of the aristocracy, and this social rise occurred mainly through military service : having entered it, quite soon they found paths leading upward" (Flory J. Op. op. pp. 89-90). It was at this time that society again acquired the dichotomy "noble - ignoble", and the old "free - unfree" goes away into the past. Throughout the 12th century, this mutual rapprochement makes possible the dialogue from another feature film, Kingdom of Heaven (2005), describing events in 1182:

– Fight me fairly!

– Why? He is a knight!

– And I "m the baron of Ibelin!

(in our dubbing it was translated as follows: “- Fight on foot! - Why? It’s not fitting for a noble. - And I myself am the Baron of Ibelin!”)

And only in the 13th century. The fusion of the former nobility with chivalry finally occurs. This is also partly due to the rising cost of knightly weapons. At this time, legal restrictions appeared on the entry of non-nobles into the ranks of knighthood. It was during this era that the “knightly myth” finally took shape, one of the clearest expressions of which is, for example, “The Book of the Order of Knighthood” (1275) by a native of Mallorca, Raymond Lleul (Raymond Lleul. A book about a lover and a beloved. A book about a knightly order . Book about animals. Song of Ramon. M., 1997) - an amazing read for a cultural scientist! Llull's creation is something between a practical manual and a theoretical treatise. According to Leul, knights should be courteous, because they are not characterized by baseness and obscenity. Among them were chosen the most courteous, wise, devoted, strong, enlightened, courteous, and noble. Therefore, since a knight has such great rights and responsibilities, he must “put the general good above all else, for chivalry was established for the human community and the general good is preferable to the personal good.” And, oddly enough, even then the very slow decline of effective chivalry begins.

The rite of initiation into knights, which arose even earlier, acquires sacred significance, but in the next century not all nobles go through it, “since the rite of initiation itself, together with the magnificent feast that followed it, required prohibitively large expenses” (Flory J. Op. cit. C .102). Against the backdrop of the development of monetary relations and the increasing role of mercenaries in armies with a simultaneous gradual decline in the importance of the feudal militia, knighthood in the 14th century. becomes more and more isolated and becomes a caste within a caste, and the word “knight” itself gradually turns into an additional title for the aristocracy, despite the fact that the latter are still largely engaged in military affairs. "According to F. Contamin's calculations, over two centuries (1300-1500) the share of knights in the total number of troops decreased from one third to one twentieth<...>many nobles (if not the majority) who, according to the tradition of their class, chose a military career as life path, shy away from knighthood, preferring to remain in the rank of squire (ibid.; here, for example, the English title “Esquire”). It may be mentioned that even at the beginning of the 17th century. English kings James I and later Charles I actively sold knighthoods to the gentry to fill the coffers. Surprisingly, when Charles I entered into open military conflict with Parliament in 1642 and raised his banner at Nottingham on August 22 of that year, he officially announced the convening of the knightly militia!

"The prestige of knighthood is still high, but it is beginning to take on an increasingly decorative character.<...>it eventually degenerates into an elite brotherhood of nobility, not necessarily in military service. Its cultural and ideological aspects outweigh its functional aspects. Orders of chivalry are replacing “ordinary” knighthood, further emphasizing the first aspects at the expense of the second” (ibid., pp. 103-104).

So, the answer to your question will be:

Yes, a person of ignoble origin in the Middle Ages could become a knight, but more often this happened at the dawn of the latter’s formation. Later, when knighthood became a title, this possibility still remained - the monarch could officially annoint a commoner through "lettre d'anoblissement" and either consecrate him himself or leave it to other knights. However, the closer to our time, the more illusory it became until it finally turned into a beautiful ritual today.

Alex, I must admit, I’m thinking of rewriting this answer. The Russian translation is somewhat lame, in particular, as you noticed, “nobleman” in relation to the Middle Ages is an anachronism. I want to retell Flory’s idea (+ what he says in the previous chapter) and add my own observations using English material.

Answer

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Denis, I read the new answer. In my opinion, it turned out great, and in some places even topical. Discussions about the methods of forming the elite are also relevant for today. In any case, behind the story about curls and earls, I imagined some Russian realities. I also believe that elitology deserves more attention, and specifically from historians, not political scientists.

What do you think of Franco Cardini's The Origins of Medieval Chivalry? It seems to me that there are stories there that complement your answer regarding economics. Thus, describing the realities of Asturian-Leonese Spain in the 10th century. Cardini writes: “A horse could cost, depending on its qualities, from 40 to 100 solids, while a pair of good oxen cost a maximum of 20. This means that the cheapest horse was the price of four excellent oxen. But there were also horses, so to speak , “of the highest quality”, which even a magnate would not be ashamed to show off. These cost up to 300 solids. Weapons were also highly valued: a well-made sword cost the same as a good war horse, a lorica - 60 solids, a helmet - 30, shield - 10, saddle - from 10 to 30 solids. To get an idea of ​​the prices, let us recall that at the same time and in the same place for 60 solids (that is, for the price of a mediocre horse, a low-grade sword or a lorica) you could buy an estate ( curtis) of medium size, and that one silver solidus was the equivalent of one sheep or a quarter of wheat. From the above it follows that a warrior who had a sword, horse, armor and a saddle, even of medium quality, “dragged” on himself, clutching a shield in his hand and hoisting it up. a helmet per head, about 250 solidi, in other words, the equivalent of more than four estates, or 25 excellent oxen, or 250 sheep, or 250 quarters of wheat."

Could a simple peasant become a knight from this point of view? That is, acquire the appropriate weapons? Yes, but only if he had the corresponding personal fortune; was invited to be one of the bodyguards of the local duke (and equipped with armor at the expense of the sovereign) or was among the monastery employees. I periodically encounter this last category, but I do not have a complete understanding of their status. Although the abbeys at some point had a very decent military potential.

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Alex, I will attribute the associations associated with curls and earls to your account. Personally, I didn’t invest anything like that. Honestly, I don't see any parallels. And the word "eorl" was used mainly in literature. Only the earliest legal monuments mention them.

Cardini is a famous inventor. Of course, his work is very interesting, if only as an intellectual experience. There are also some very interesting observations. But in general, most historians view his work with skepticism, and I join my colleagues.

As for cost calculations, I treat them very carefully. Historians like to give various calculations, but I would not build generalizations on them. A lot depends on the region, period, and specific circumstances. All this mathematics, starting with the capitulary on the estates of Charlemagne, is interesting, but rather abstract, because, apparently, money in communication was by no means at the same level as it is today. Here is a very informative popular video on this topic youtube.com Actually, to put it bluntly, feudalism in the form of giving a vassal an allotment of land partly arises because money has limited circulation and the economy is reduced at the grassroots level to subsistence farming.

The point of all these favorite examples is simple: the knight's weapons were (very) expensive. If this bothers anyone, compare the knight with a modern tank - also a very expensive toy. It is clear that the further we went, the more expensive such equipment became, and only very wealthy people could really afford it. But I follow Flory in talking about early stage, when such a break was not yet prohibitively expensive.

As for the church, it undoubtedly had its own military contingents, as Flory writes about. Actually, Charles Martel partially borrowed the idea of ​​beneficiary from the church, since it could not grant land as eternal property, it provided it on the terms of military service. This initiative was taken up by the Carolingians.

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Denis, of course, these are just my associations. It just seems to me that in any uniqueness there is a fair amount of regularity. How medieval elites are formed and how they stagnate may well serve as a topic for reflection on our time. Although harsh academic historians probably do not encourage such thoughts.

As for Cardini, he may well be an inventor, I don’t know, he didn’t specialize in the history of the other side of Europe. Nevertheless, I brought him in to show (not for the sake of argument, but to expand on your answer) that it was not only birth that stood in the way of knighthood. A knight carried four estates or less, paid with money or natural products, and metal in Carolingian times (and then too) was brought from Asia, which turned weapons into an expensive thing. Can we ignore economic aspect chivalry only because they are not sure of the correctness of Cardini’s calculations?

Further. Again, I’m not an expert, but it seems to me that church knighthood could have been formed somewhat differently from secular knighthood. All these Johannites and Hospitallers probably had their own way of looking at the origins of the next newly-made brother. Or is everything identical?

This is not an attempt to argue, I am simply explaining my point of view. To answer Polina’s question, you collected more than the information needed on a popular resource, and wrote more than a typical answer.

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Well, you might be offended by a typical answer :)

I don’t argue at all about the patterns and even agree somewhere, but I don’t see any parallels between early medieval England and the current God-saved, forgive me invisible friend, fatherland. Except that one thought flashed through my head when I read King Knut’s laws for the first time: with the same thoroughness as he describes church taxes, today articles are indicated in receipts for housing and communal services. But this is hooliganism, not serious observations =)

No, of course we can’t, and not just the origin. On the contrary, origin really began to interfere only towards the end of the 12th century, and then not everywhere. I just wrote that anyone who could afford it could be a knight. It is clear that not everyone was so financially wealthy. It’s just that here we again run into linguistics when we use the purely Russian word “peasant”. Well, there were no peasants in the modern sense in the Middle Ages, as in Rus' until a relatively late time. Were different categories rural population varying degrees of freedom, relationship to the land and personal dependence. There were villani, rustici, servi, yeomen, gehoerige... In France, for example, the third estate included everyone who was not a nobleman or cleric. In England, yeomen were a very peculiar transitional class between knighthood (gentry) and "peasants". So the question, in a good way, requires separate research.

I cited prices (maybe not entirely correct) to complement your answer, which, in my opinion, perfectly reveals sociology, but simple plots like “the sword was very expensive” were beyond its scope.

CHARLES MARTELL (686 OR 688 - 741) - MAYORD OF THE FRANKS IN 717 - 741, WHO WENT INTO HISTORY AS THE SAVIOR OF EUROPE FROM THE ARABES AT THE BATTLE OF POITIE.

MILITARY REFORM OF CHARLES MARTELL. the creation of a qualitatively new army - a feudal militia, strictly dependent on the king. Having confiscated some of the lands (church and monastery), Martell began to distribute it as so-called benefits - grants. The beneficiary was obliged to report for military service at the first request of the king: the land was his reward for it. The new militia was mounted. The suppression of peasant uprisings becomes his main function. A feudal relationship arose between the king and the beneficiary: the king became a lord, the beneficiary a vassal. Upon the death of the beneficiary, his land and responsibilities passed to his son. If he did not exist, the king could withdraw the plot of land and allocate it to another. The dependent position of the beneficiaries forced them to persistently and persistently strive to transform the estates into inalienable and hereditary fiefs.

Today in the lesson: u u Get to know the living conditions in which the knights lived; Find out how knights were raised from childhood; Find out what views the knights held; Get to know new terms.

By the middle of the 11th century, a social system was established in Europe - feudalism. In the dictionary Feudalism - stage historical development, which is based on the property of feudal lords or feudal states to the land and the personal dependence of the peasant on the feudal lord.

Feudal society was divided into classes. In the dictionary, an Estate is a large group of people with certain rights and responsibilities that are inherited.

The main estates of Medieval Europe: 1st estate - clergy - those who pray 2nd estate - chivalry - those who fight 3rd estate - peasantry - those who work Power in society belonged to landowners - feudal lords: secular and ecclesiastical.

Castles began to be built in Europe from the 8th century to protect against attacks by the Normans and Hungarians. Gradually, each gentleman began to build castles, large or modest.

The feudal lord's castle At first, castles were built of wood, later - of stone. Powerful battlements served as reliable protection.

The feudal lord's castle The castle was surrounded by a moat and water. Sometimes it was built on an island in the middle of a river or lake.

Feudal Lord's Castle The bridge was raised at night or when enemies attacked. Guards watched from the towers. Having noticed the enemy, they sounded the alarm.

The feudal lord's castle To get into the castle, it was necessary to overcome many obstacles: fill a moat, overcome a hill in open space, take the fortress by storm.

The feudal lord's castle is the main tower of the castle - the donjon. In it, the feudal lord with his warriors and servants could withstand a long siege, even if other fortifications were captured.

The feudal lord's castle The only iron door leading to the tower was located high above the ground. If you managed to break it, you had to fight for each floor.

The feudal lord's castle The French epic poem “The Monasticism of Guillaume” (from the “Songs of Guillaume of Orange”) describes the siege of a medieval castle: The French storm uncontrollably, They persistently climb up the stairs, They break down the walls with a roar and crash, They use bows and crossbows, Hundreds of infidels are thrown into the ditches, And the Turks repulse the advance, Throw large stones at the French, They are thrown backwards into the water from the stairs, Cannonballs are sent into them from stone throwers from above, Arrows are fired from crossbows. What means of storming the castle did the besiegers use? What methods of defense did the besieged use?

2. Equipment of a knight Military affairs became the exclusive occupation of feudal lords for many centuries. Often feudal lords fought all their lives.

A horseman or horseman was called a knight. In France - chevalier (from the word "cheval" horse). In Germany - ritter (from the word "ritter" horse) WHO WAS CALLED A KNIGHT?

STAGES OF FORMATION OF A KNIGHT FROM 5 TO 12 YEARS OLD PAGE AT 21 – INITIATION INTO A KNIGHT FROM 12 TO 20 YEARS OLD Squire

RITE OF INITIATION INTO THE KNIGHTS Night in deep silence; Blessing of the Sword; Oath of allegiance to the lord Knight's belt of red color; Golden Spurs.

Knight Equipment The knight was armed with a large sword, a long spear, a battle ax and a club. He could cover himself from head to toe with a large shield.

Equipment of a knight The body of a knight was initially protected by chain mail that reached to the knees, later it was replaced by armor. He put a helmet on his head and in a moment of danger the knight lowered the visor over his face.

Knight's equipment 1. 2. 3. 4. Weapon: Great sword or long spear Battle ax Mace - heavy club with a thickened metal end Shield Clothing: 1. Chain mail shirt woven from iron rings 2. Plate - armor made of steel plates 3. Helmet and a visor - a metal plate with slits for the eyes

Knight's equipment Knights fought on strong and hardy horses, which were also protected by armor. A war horse and knightly equipment were very expensive, so only the landowner could serve.

The knight had 2–3 horses: an ordinary one and a fighting one, in armor. Such a horse could only be hit in the belly. The horse's head was covered with a metal or leather headpiece, the chest with iron plaques, and the sides with leather. In addition, the horse was covered with a blanket or saddle cloth made of velvet or other expensive material with embroidered coats of arms of knights. Horses “armed” in this way were called “plate”.

Knight's armor included up to 200 parts, and total weight military equipment reached 50 kg; Over time, their complexity and price increased. Chain mail is armor woven from metal rings in 2-3 layers

Entertainment of knights The feudal lords devoted most of their time to wars and military exercises, hunting and feasts. Hunting not only served as entertainment, but also helped replenish food supplies.

Entertainment of the knights After the hunt, the feudal lord threw a feast, which was attended by many guests, the tables were laden with treats. Musicians entertained the guests.

Entertainment for knights Tournaments are military competitions of knights in strength and dexterity. Many spectators gathered there, sometimes even from several countries.

KNIGHT TOURNAMENT A tournament is a military competition of knights in strength and dexterity. Tournaments were organized by kings and noble feudal lords. Many spectators gathered at them.

Who is a herald? Hero ice (from Latin heraldus - herald or from German “herald”) - herald, messenger, master of ceremonies at the courts of kings, large feudal lords; manager at celebrations and knightly tournaments. The herald was also a judge at the tournament (guardian of the tournament): he gave a sign to the beginning of the tournament and could stop an overly fierce battle. The herald was in charge of compiling coats of arms and genealogies.

Coat of arms (from the German Erbe - inheritance) is an emblem with certain symbolic figures expressing historical traditions owner and passed down from generation to generation. The Herald, the manager and judge at the tournament, also drew up coats of arms. Heraldry is the science of coats of arms.

Chretien de Troyes's knightly novel "Erec and Ani" tells about the tournament: There the horsemen break spears, With a mighty crash they pierce the scarlet shields of each other. They make holes in their strong chain mail, in order to quickly knock their opponents off their lathered horses. To the fallen man, amid noise and thunder, They rush with a raised sword. Some are ready to pick it up, Others are quick to raise it. How do you see the similarities between a tournament and a battle? What is the difference? Can you guess that the above passage describes a tournament, and not combat battle? Why?

Code of Knightly Honor Knights assessed their friend's behavior according to the rules of knightly honor. There was popular expression; "The position obliges". What did this expression mean? What were the rules of knightly honor and what was their meaning? Did knights always act in accordance with these rules?

CODE OF HONOR OF A KNIGHT 1. Loyalty in serving the king and lord 2. Courage, contempt for death 3. Protection of the weak and offended 4. Performing feats

Code of knightly honor: The German poet knight Bertrand de Born wrote: And a knight would not be allowed to grow old, A brave risk and a taste for great deeds, Feasts in his hospitable hall And generosity, whose impulse is uncontrollable: Let him lose everything for a tournament or a military detachment. . . . What behavioral trait is set as a model for feudal lords? What does the knight consider useful and worthy to spend his wealth on?

Homework u Paragraph 11, draw your family’s coat of arms and write a short story about a knight’s tournament from the perspective of a participant or spectator

List of used literature: Agibalova E. V., Donskoy G. M. History of the Middle Ages, 6th grade / textbook for secondary schools. - M.: Education, 2008. Herold - Wikipedia / https: //ru. wikipedia. org/wiki/%C 3%E 5%F 0%EE%EB%FC%E 4 Donskoy G. M. Assignments for independent work on the history of the Middle Ages. Teacher's manual. – M.; Enlightenment, 2014

U http://www. armyromantic. ru/istoriia/74_zamok_kribshtain_b. htm u http: //images. rambler. ru/srch? query=%D 1%81%D 1%80%D 0%B 5%D 0%B 4%D 0%BD%D 0%B 5%D 0%B 2%D 0%B 5%D 0 %BA%D 0%BE%D 0%B 2%D 1%8 B%D 0%B 5%20%D 0%B 7%D 0%B 0%D 0%BC%D 0%B A% D 0%B 8%20%D 1%84%D 0%BE%D 1%82%D 0%BE u http: //photo. i. ua/user/1510564/236032/

This work is intended for 6th grade. Students will get acquainted with the life and everyday life of knights and find out how their upbringing went. The presentation will help students visualize the life of knights. The lesson discusses the concept of a knight and the distinctive features of knighthood. The illustrations used in the presentation will help students imagine life in a medieval castle, knightly tournaments and entertainment. The concept of knightly honor is formed.

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“Presentation for the lesson “In the Knight’s Castle””

6th grade

Lesson topic:

"In the Knight's Castle"

Plan:

1. Castle of the feudal lord.

2. Equipment of knights.

3.Knights at leisure.

4. Knight's honor.

Let's write down the definition:

Lock - this is the dwelling of the feudal lord and his fortress

Feudal Lord's Castle

At first, castles were built from wood, later from stone. Powerful battlements served as reliable protection.

Feudal Lord's Castle

The castle was often built on a hill or high rock, surrounded by a moat and water. Sometimes it was built on an island in the middle of a river or lake.

Feudal Lord's Castle

A drawbridge was thrown over a ditch or river, and it was raised at night or when enemies attacked. Guards watched from the towers. Having noticed the enemy, they sounded the alarm.

Feudal Lord's Castle

To get into the castle, it was necessary to overcome many obstacles: filling up a moat, overcoming a hill in open space, taking the fortress by storm.

The main tower rose above all the buildings of the castle - donjon

In it, the feudal lord with his warriors and servants could withstand a long siege, even if other fortifications were captured.

Feudal Lord's Castle

The only iron door leading into the tower was located high above the ground. If you managed to break it, you had to fight for each floor.

Knight Equipment

Military affairs became the exclusive occupation of feudal lords for many centuries. Often feudal lords fought all their lives.

Knight Equipment

The knight was armed with a large sword, a long spear, a battle ax and a club. He could cover himself from head to toe with a large shield.

Knight Equipment

The knight's body was initially protected by chain mail that reached to the knees, later it was replaced by armor. He put a helmet on his head and in a moment of danger the knight lowered the visor over his face.

Knight Equipment

Knights fought on strong and resilient horses, which were also protected by armor. A war horse and knightly equipment were very expensive, so only the landowner could serve.

The feudal lords devoted most of their time to wars and military exercises, hunting and feasts. Hunting not only served as entertainment, but also helped replenish food supplies.

After the hunt, the feudal lord threw a feast, which was attended by many guests, the tables were laden with treats. Musicians entertained the guests.

Tournaments are military competitions of knights in strength and dexterity. Many spectators gathered there, sometimes even from several countries.

• During the celebrations, knightings often took place, honors and awards were given out.

Only after long service were those who distinguished themselves knighted.

During a big holiday, the warrior knelt in front of the most noble of the guests, and he struck with the palm of his hand on the back of the head or with the blade of a sword on the back - this was the only blow that the knight could receive without retaliating for it.

Let's summarize the lesson.

Homework

• Paragraph 11, draw your family's coat of arms.

"In the Knight's Castle"

The purpose of the lesson:

Create conditions for the formation of a figurative idea of ​​the feudal lord’s castle, the knight’s equipment, and their entertainment;

To introduce the moral values, norms and attitudes of feudal lords, the ability to work with texts using an algorithm, draw up a plan, find definitions in the text, express one’s own judgments, which will contribute to the development of positive personal qualities and respect for people.

Tasks

Educational:

Create conditions for the formation of students’ ideas about the living conditions of feudal lords, about the equipment of a knight, tournaments, moral standards and attitudes;

Educational:

To contribute to the continued development of skills in working with texts using an algorithm, analyzing historical sources, drawing up a plan, finding definitions in the text, and expressing one’s own judgments.

Educational:

Contribute to the development of a culture of business communication;

Formation of ethical norms and values ​​through the assimilation of concepts: “honor”, ​​“glory”, “nobility”.

Lesson type: lesson of learning new material.

Lesson form : Lesson using electronic educational resources (EER)

Forms of organizing educational activities:

1. frontal

Lesson equipment and resources:

1. Computer, multimedia projector, interactive whiteboard
2. Smart Notebook 10 Software Tools.

During the classes

1. Organizational moment.

2. Motivational attitude(transition from gaming activities to educational)

a) creating a problem situation through stimulating dialogue (challenging students’ opinions with a practical task), discovering the topic of the lesson.

Pay attention to the board (slide number 1): Who is pictured here?

(Knight, since a knight is a mounted warrior).

Slide No. 2 appears on the screen.

The word "knight" comes from the German "ritter", which means horseman.

Where among the proposed buildings could a knight live? Justify your opinion. Buildings with numbers. Within 2 min. the guys think and then choose the option that, in their opinion, corresponds to the number of the knight’s home on the slide.

Why was this choice made?

(The guys explain and describe what, in their opinion, the knight’s house should have looked like.)

Let's test your assumptions. (On the screen, slide No. 3 is an image of a castle). If someone made a mistake, then why did the mistake occur?

Students They say that this topic has not yet been studied.

Teacher draws students' attention to the image of a knight on the board and the knight's castle on slide No. 3 and asks them to formulate the topic of the lesson.

Children name the topic of the lesson: “In a knight’s castle” or “Knight’s castle”, “Knight’s castle” (the teacher formulates the topic of the lesson, because the meaning is the same)

Teacher asks students the question: What would they like to learn in class? (thus, goal setting occurs, students themselves formulate the goals of their work), based on the answers: the knights’ activities, living conditions, their home, etc. a plan for studying the topic is being built. (Slide No. 5)

Teacher asks students to describe the knight’s house shown on the slide (children say that the knight’s house is like a fortress, built of stone, has strong walls, well fortified, etc.) and poses a problem to the students: What was the reason for what the knight had just such a house, and not another?

b) finding a solution (through putting forward and testing hypotheses)

(Student answers: for protection from enemies, for storing wealth,

for receiving guests, for conducting war, etc.)

3. Solution of educational and practical problem

To test hypotheses and solve the problem, work is organized with slides that depict castles.

1) “My home is my fortress.”

Since the 8th century, many castles were built in Europe to protect against attacks by the Normans and Hungarians. Gradually, each gentleman tried to build himself a castle: depending on his capabilities - huge or modest. (Slide 6)

Lock - This is the dwelling of the feudal lord and his fortress.

At first, castles were built from wood, later from stone.

The castle was built on a hill or high rock (Slide 7), surrounded by a wide moat with water. (Slide 8). A drawbridge was thrown across the ditch. (Slide 9). There was only one entrance to the castle. Behind the moat stood powerful fortifications: there could be several fortress walls. In case of danger, the bridge rose and, like a door, closed the entrance.

Taking the castle by storm was very difficult - you had to overcome the moat, knock down the gate, or climb the wall using an assault ladder.

a) the teacher’s story about the structure of the castle.

Towered above the castle walls donjon (citadel) – the highest and largest tower of the castle, in which the feudal lord took refuge during the siege, when the entire territory of the castle was captured by the enemy. (Slide 10). Students are shown an image of a donjon.

Inside the tower there were halls located one above the other. (Slide 11).

A well was made in the basement and food supplies were stored - this made it possible to withstand the siege of the castle. Nearby, prisoners languished in a damp and dark dungeon.

On the top floor were the owner's chambers. To get there, the attackers fought for every floor.

The floor below was the servants' quarters, where they slept, ate and worked during the siege.

On the lower floor there was a kitchen and a refectory, where the defenders of the castle ate during the siege.

In case the tower was captured, a spiral staircase was made in the thickness of the wall; along it, the owner of the castle, along with his family and soldiers, could go down into the underground passage.

b) comparative analysis (lock diagrams on slide 12 and in the textbook on p. 124.)

Open with. 124 textbooks, look carefully at the diagram “Structure of Goodrich Castle in England.”

What else could be in the castle?

c) consolidating the question “My home is my fortress.”(Slide 13). (Working with the module “Medieval Castle” Scene 2.

1. What is a castle?

2. Why did the feudal lords need castles so much?

3. What does the saying “My home is my castle” mean?

2) "Knight's Equipment"

a) Problem task.

In the Middle Ages, people compared society to a living organism. Peasants were compared to legs. What part of the body do you think knights were associated with?

(With hands, because they were holding weapons.)

Initially, anyone who could buy armor and a war horse (which at that time cost 45 cows) could become a knight, but later this title was inherited.

b) Let's look at the knight's equipment.

The knight was armed with a large sword and a long spear; the sword was illuminated by the priest at the altar (Slide 14). he often used a battle ax and club – a heavy club with a thickened metal end. (Slide 15).

A knight could cover himself from head to toe with a large shield. (Slide 16).

The knight's body was protected chainmail - a shirt woven from rings and reaching to the knees. Later the chain mail was changed armor – armor made of steel plates: necklace, cuirass, bracers, mittens, legguards, knee pads, slippers. (Slide 17).

The knight put a helmet on his head, and in a moment of danger he lowered it onto his face. visor - a metal plate with slits for the eyes. (Slide 18).

The weight of the equipment reached 50-60 kg. (Slide 19).

The knight had 2-3 horses: an ordinary one and a fighting one, in armor. Such a horse could only be hit in the belly. The horse's head was covered with a metal or leather headpiece, the chest with iron plaques, and the sides with leather. In addition, the horse was covered with a blanket or saddle cloth made of velvet or other expensive material with embroidered coats of arms of knights. Horses “armed” in this way were called “plate”. (Slide 20).

So, the knight had the following equipment (Slide 21).

c) Working with new terms.

Mace, chain mail, armor, visor.

d) Consolidation of the question “Equipment of a knight”. (Slide 22).

(Working with the “Knight’s Equipment” module)

So, what was the knight's equipment?

Students take turns coming to the board and choosing the appropriate items of equipment and their names.

3) Raising a knight.(Slide 23).

A) Conversation with students.

Do you think it was easy to become a knight?

Did you need to study for this and what?

Why could only a rich man be a knight?

b) The teacher's story about the education of knights.

Initiation marked a long transition to maturity and independence. It completed a seven-year course, when the young man as page (servant) and squire was trained by an experienced knight, serving him at table, cleaning his horse and sharing with unfree servants all the concerns about his mentor.

The knighting ceremony consisted of several stages. (Slide 25). First of all, spurs were put on him, and one of the oldest knights girded him with a sword - the most honorable weapon. Then the dedicator struck the young man with his palm on the back of the head or on the cheek - the only slap in life that a knight can receive without returning it. The whole ritual ended with a demonstration of the new knight’s dexterity: jumping on a horse, he had to pierce a set target with a spear.

1. How was a knight raised?

2. Why did the feudal lords need special education?

Noble knights considered themselves “noble” people, were proud of the antiquity of their families and the number of famous ancestors.

The knight had his coat of arms - a distinctive sign of the clan and its own motto - a short saying that usually explained the meaning of the coat of arms. (Slide 26). The spread of coats of arms is associated with the flourishing of military equipment, primarily with the advent of a helmet covering the faces of warriors. The coat of arms was depicted bright colors on the shield. Together with the crest he performed an important task.

The spread of coats of arms is associated with the flourishing of military equipment, primarily with the advent of a helmet covering the faces of warriors. The coat of arms was depicted in bright colors on the shield. Together with the crest he performed an important task.

c) Working with new terms. ( coat of arms, motto)

Loyalty to the king and lord was considered an important quality of a knight. This was his main responsibility. Treason imposed a stigma of shame on the entire family of the traitor.

Tales about knights glorified courage, daring, contempt for death, and nobility.

Code of Knightly Honor:(Slide 27).

1. A knight must seek exploits;
2. Fight the enemies of the Christian faith;
3. To defend the honor of ladies, as well as the weak and offended, especially widows and orphans;
4. Be fair and gallant.

d) Consolidation of the question “Raising a Knight”. (Slide 28). (Working with the module “Medieval Castle” Scene 4-5.http://www.fcior.edu.ru/card/12941/srednevekovyy-zamok.html)

e) work with illustration textbook on p. 118

Who is shown in the picture?

What can you say about their relationship to each other?

Students are asked a question: what behavior do we now call chivalrous?(opinions are heard).

4 ) "Entertainment of the Knights."(Slide 29).

a) Conversation with students.

What do you think the knight was doing?

Military affairs became the exclusive occupation of feudal lords, and this was the case for many centuries. The feudal lord often fought all his life.

In their free time from campaigns, the knights tried to maintain their glory by participating in knightly tournaments. The place where the tournaments took place was called lists.

Tournaments were appointed by kings and held under the control of special heralds - heralds . They also announced the names and mottos of the knights entering the battle.

The tournament lasted for 2 days.

Tournament - a combat competition of knights in strength and dexterity. (Slide 30).

On the first day, the knights participated in individual competitions. The tournament participants wore full equipment, only the spears were without sharp tips. The knight tried to knock the enemy out of the saddle with a blunt spear. Sometimes competitions ended in serious injuries or even death of participants. The winner received as a reward the horse and armor of the vanquished. Occasionally tournaments of 2 knightly detachments were played.

b) watching film fragments"The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe"(Slide 30).

Watch an excerpt from the film “The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe” and name the characters in the tournament.

The winner chose the queen of the tournament. Watch another small fragment of the film and answer the question: How was the knight awarded? (Slide 31).

On the second day, the knights participated in team competitions - splitting into two groups led by the two strongest at the end of the first day. (Slide 32).

(Working with the module “Knight’s Tournament” Scene 1-3. (http://www.fcior.edu.ru/card/21503/rycarskiy-turnir.html).

Another favorite pastime was hunting. (Slide 32). Many feudal lords kept specially trained dogs or falcons. While baiting the animal, the participants in the hunt jumped out onto the lands of peasants and neighbors and caused them enormous damage by trampling their crops. Hunting was a dangerous activity - its participants often died.

Another of the knights' entertainments were feasts, which they loved to organize especially in winter. (Slide 33).

(Working with the module “Medieval Castle” Scene 6.http://www.fcior.edu.ru/card/12941/srednevekovyy-zamok.html)

c) Working with terms.

Write down the definitions of the concepts in your notebook: tournament, herald.)

d) consolidation of the question"Entertainment of the Knights."

Name the knights' favorite pastimes.

What significance did tournaments and hunting have for feudal lords?

Write down definitions of concepts in your notebook: coat of arms, motto.)

What qualities were especially highly valued among feudal lords?

To what extent did the image of the “ideal knight” correspond to the real appearance and behavior of the gentlemen? https://accounts.google.com