Diego V.

Encounters 6

Ms. Damante

April 26, 2020 

The Mysterious Medieval Times

Introduction

During the medieval times, a new way of order was born. This would affect the way people lived, and this would affect society and the government. This would come to be known as the thing that organized society in these times. However, with this way of order, comes responsibility. During these times, there was a plague that eradicated most of the population, and it affected the people in many ways because of this plague. It also came down to a king who needed someone to guide him, who would become his most trusted advisor.

Feudalism

The government system used in the Middle Ages was Feudalism. Society in the Middle Ages was relying heavily on the Feudalism system. Communities were formed this way. Lords would make small communities around the castle the king lived in. The king was the most powerful person in the kingdom, and he provided homes and food to the people who served him, like Lords, Knights, Barons, Nobles, and Bishops. There were also the peasants, who were treated not as good as the upper classes in the kingdom. In the article Ducksters, it states that “Peasants worked hard and died young. Most were dead before they reached 30 years old.” (Ducksters) The king was the leader of the kingdom, and provided a lot of things to his loyal people. When a king died, the throne would be given to the first-born son of the king. The king gave property to the Barons, and in return the Barons gave the King their loyalty, and knights whenever the King needed protection. The bishop was one of the top classes in the feudal system. Some bishops turned out to be very rich in the medieval times. In the article Ducksters, it also states “Not only that, but the church received a tithe of 10 percent from all the people.” (Ducksters) The Barons and the Nobles were the ones who ruled over the knights. When the king needed an army, the Barons would send their army to the king. If the Barons did not have an army to defend the king, the Barons would have to pay a certain tax. The lords and the knights were the second-most lowest class in the feudal system. The knights could be sent to the king by their Baron at any time if ordered. The lords managed the manors, where people would celebrate or be protected if the kingdom was being attacked.

The Black Death

The pandemic known as the Black Death was one of the most deadliest sickness there was in the whole world. In the article All About History, it states “The Black Death was characterized by painful swelling in the lymph nodes known as buboes so it was generally considered to be an outbreak of the bubonic plague. It was caused by the organism, Yersinia pestis which was carried about from the bodies of black rats by fleas.” (All About History) The victims of this disease were covered in dark blotches that signaled if the person had the Black Death or not. This disease was passed around by many travel choices and all sorts of sold food and shipped goods touched by those who had the Black Death were carried around and the Black Death became even worse. The victims also suffered severe fevers and could not be touched if the victim was infected with the Black Death. Doctors had to use special masks and clothing to repel the disease. The masks had a bird-like shape and had eye holes that were covered so the doctor could see the person through the protective mask. In the article Eyewitness to History it states “The symptoms were not the same as in the East, where a gush of blood from the nose was the plain sign of inevitable death; but it began both in men and women with certain swellings in the groin or under the armpit. They grew to the size of a small apple or an egg, more or less, and were vulgarly called tumors. In a short space of time these tumors spread from the two parts named all over the body. (Eyewitness to History)

Merlin The Magician

Merlin was a wise man and was an enchanter from the Arthurian legend. He was also linked to Celtic mythology. In the article Britannica, it states “He appeared in Arthurian legend as an enigmatic figure, fluctuations and inconsistencies in his character being often dictated by the requirements of a particular narrative or by varying attitudes of suspicious regard toward magic and witchcraft. Thus, treatments of Merlin reflect different stages in the development of Arthurian romance itself.” (Britannica) He was King Arthur’s most trusted advisor, prophet, magician, and one of his most trusted friends. Merlin was said to have been created by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who wrote about Merlin in The History of the Kings of Britain. In the article King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table, it states “During the Middle Ages, Merlin became very popular. Not only does he figure prominently in the French Vulgate Cycle, but he shines in the French and English romances. Sir Thomas Mallory is the first to really showcase him as the advisor and guide to King Arthur in his work  Le Morte d’Arthur. And ever since the Renaissance, Merlin the magician has remained popular in all Arthurian legends and tales. In The Idylls of the King, Alfred Lord Tennyson makes him the architect of Camelot, and Mark Twain uses him in his works as a villain.” (King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table) Merlin was one of the most spoken about things in the topic of King Arthur, since Merlin was one of King Arthur’s many trusted advisors.

Conclusion 

There were many more things that happened in the mysterious times that we call the Medieval time period. We are lucky to not have these problems in modern-day life, like kings ruling over people, and a deadly sickness that wiped out entire cities. Merlin The Magician, King Arthur’s advisor, is included in many of the books that are well known. Who knows what more is there to learn about these mysterious times?

Works Cited

“History of Black Death.” All About History. 1 February 2021.https://allabouthistory. 

org/history-of-black-death.htm 

“Merlin, Legendary Magician.” Britannica. 8 February 2021.https://www.britannica.com 

/topic/Merlin-legendary-magician

“Middle Ages Feudal System.” Ducksters. 25 January 2021.https://www.ducksters.com 

/history/middle_ages_feudal_system.php

Ross, David. “Feudalism and Medieval Life.” Britain Express. 25 January 2021.https://www 

.britainexpress.com/History/Feudalism_and_Medieval_life.htm 

“The Black Death, 1348.”  Eyewitness to History.com. 1 February 2021.http://www.eyewitnes 

stohistory.com/plague.htm

“Who was Merlin.” King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. 8 February 2021.https://kin 

garthursknights.com/arthurian-characters/merlin/