Middle Ages Research
Mauricio Reyes
Encounters 6
Ms. Damante
April 19, 2024
The Age Before are Time
Introduction
Have you ever wondered what things were in the Middle Ages? There are three things to talk about like Feudalism is a type of government used in the Middle Ages. Knights were loyal and protective on the battlefield. Last is the dragons. You may think it is this ferocious animal that breath fire, but you will be surprised it isn’t. This all leads to one thing from that age: the Middle Ages.
Feudalism
When Feudalism is Created
Feudalism was created in the 8th century. The feudal system was a type of government they used in the medieval ages. According to the article Britain Express by David Ross “Feudalism was built upon a relationship of obligation and mutual service between vassals and lords”. In the medieval ages, small communities were formed around the close lords or the manor (a manor was a type of house in the medieval ages).
The Feudal System
The feudal system gave people an act of assistance, it starts at the top of the ranking and goes to the bottom. The Lord gave a return for the soldiers and taxes from the king. The lord owned everything the king or anybody owned, he kept the peasants protected for giving him something for their good return. Feudalism in operation meant that the country was governed by any government. Therefore it was governed by single lords or barons (a man who accepted loyalty). Usually, the lords have more and better armies than the kings. The lords dispense their own justice, stamp their own money, and demand military service. Usually, the lords have greater armies than the king. The kings were the chief feudal lords, but the truth is the lords were the highest ranking. Most of the kings were more than figurehead rulers( a leader in name only). The feudal system was organized by individual lords. The lords organized the feudal system back when the community gave to the lords. Feudalism ended on August 4, 1789. It ended because Europe influenced culture, firearms, and more. That is how feudalism works, what it is, when it happened, and what happend.
Knights
The First Knights
The knights had nobility and peerage, but in the first place the knights were formally professed cavalrymen. The knights were the most feared and best-protected warriors on the battlefield. They were also the best dressed and had the best manners. The first knights were cavalry warriors, some were even vassals. A knight would train as a young child at about the age of 7. At the age of 12 they get more advanced instruments. At that age he would be known as damoiseau (young age). At the age of 14 they start to become a squire(a man who is high social standing). When they are around 18 years old they start to do a knight ceremony called dubbing. For the ceremony they have to take a good bath and would have to stay in a church overnight. When the ceremony comes the knights would dress with a tunic and white belt to show purity. They would also have black and brown stockings that represent the earth. According to the text Medieval Knights by Mark Cartwright“A new knight was given his sword blessed by a priest with the proviso he always protect the poor and weak”. The blade to edges one was to represent justice and the other was to represent loyalty.
Early knights
Early knights could come from any kind background as long as he had courage and effort. Many knights were given a position on the battlefield. A knight would have to be able to ride a horse while carrying a long, triangular leather, a wooden shield and a wooden lance about 7-9 feet in length, so knights needed to lead their horses with their knees and feet. Knights would also need to have the potential to use a heavy sword with a blade up to 3 feet in length for a sustained moment of fighting and well enough to move around with speed. Knights wear this heavy armor on them to keep them safe; the armor was made of chain mail and coordinating iron rings. There were also other parts from the armor like hooded cats, trousers, gloves, and shoes usually made from chain mail. Also had an additional weapon like a dagger, battleax, mace (a spike), bow, and more.
Dragon
The Western Dragon
According to the article Seven Things You Didn't Know About Dragons by Cait Stevenson ``What's more medieval than a dragon”. Dragons are an image of culture in the Medieval Ages. They are different kinds of dragons in the Medieval ages. The first dragon to talk about is going to be the Western dragon. Which is a thick, long bodied, scaly skin, four sturdy legs, two bat looking wings, wedge shaped heads, and long necks. The dragon is represented by a fire breathing dragon. Some dragons are to change colors or change the shape of their body. It is said that if you eat a part of the dragon you will receive it.
The Eastern Dragon
The Western dragon is mostly represented as mean, evil, and bloodthirsty. The Western dragon as the. The next dragon to talk about is the Eastern dragon. The Eastern dragon is a serpentine body, has four dragons, does not usually breathe fire, and does not have wings. It is said that the Eastern dragon is made up of different kinds of animals. The animals that the Eastern dragon is made up of are the body of a snake, the scales of the carp, the head of the camel, horns of a deer, the eyes of a rabbit, and more. The Eastern dragon mostly has a lion like mane on its neck, on its elbows, and its chin.
The Wyvern
The Wyvern is a dragon with two wings, but two legs. This type of dragon has been seen to have claws on their wings. The claws on the Wyvern are shown to be another pair of hands. The Wyvern is known to have a stinger that has poison inside of the stinger. These dragons are not the only ones in fact there are way more dragons in the medieval ages than this.
Conclusion
This one thing you read led to the Middle Ages. The point made throughout the whole article is that the Middle Ages was kind of a cool place to live in. It also gave another perspective of what felt like back then in the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages was an important thing to happen if it didn’t we would be learning about the mistake they learned in the Middle Ages.
Works Cited
Cartwright, Mark. “ Medieval Knight.” World History Encyclopedia. 07 November 2018. www.worldhistory.org/Medieval_Knight/. Accessed 22 February 2024.
“Middle Ages Feudal System.” Ducksters. www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal _system.php
Accessed 22 February 2023.
Reche, Alberto. “ These medieval knights were the ‘superheroes’ of their time.” National Geographic. 28 April 2022. www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2022/04/these-medieval-knights-we
re-the-superheroes-of-their-time. Accessed 23 February 2024.
Ross, David. “Feudalism and Medieval Life.” Britain Express. www.britainexpress.com/History/Feudalism_and_Medieval_life.htm Accessed 7 February 2023.
Stevenson, Cait. “Seven Things You Didn’t Know About Dragons.” Mediavalist.net. www.medievalists.net/2017/04/seven-things-didnt-know-medieval-dragons/. Accessed 23 February 2024.
“What Is A Dragon?.” Draconian.com. www.draconian.com/whatis/whatis.htm. Accessed 23 February 2024.
