Middle Ages Research Project

Yulissa Cruz  

Encounters 6 

Ms. Damante

April 8, 2022  

The Medieval Times

Introduction 

The middle ages is an interesting time period, I chose 3 topics during the middle ages including the feudal system, where there are different ranks of people, kinda sorting them depending on their wealth. Usually, there would only be 3 categories of the feudal system ranging from the lowest, surfs, to the highest, the kings. You will also learn about dragons, you may know some of them because some were very popular at the time. You will also learn about their different species, tales about them, and how to identify them. Lastly, you will learn about architecture. Some may sound the same but there are hundreds of different styles of castles. Castles were used for many reasons including war. You will see all of the different materials and variety they have, and I know you know castles as a rectangular fortress with 4 towers in each corner and it's all made out of stone, that's just the beginning like I said there is a lot of variety in them.

Feudalism

The Feudal system was a system made for the sections of importance because there were different types of people ranging from kings to serfs. First, you will learn about the surfs, they are the lowest part of the feudal system, they are like slaves but aren’t, I guess you could call them peasants they were poor. They live in little huts made out of mud, they lived with their livestock, and in most huts lived 1-2 families, the villages were small but there would be around 10-60 families in total. They are very important to the nobles and kings because they do all of the work so they can survive, they grow their food, they cut trees for them and they have no choice to leave because they are the most important section of the feudal system. Next up are the barons, also known as nobles. they are the people the surfs give their resources to, they are very powerful. There are many different types of nobles like lords, the nobles that own the manors and land, the knights, and the people that fight in the war for their king. They are the owners of the manors, they do not work for their food, they own almost everything, including the manors, the villages, the surfs, and their crops. Some of the nobles were knights and so when they went out to battle when their king told them to. The last section in the feudal system is the king. The king controls everything ranging from the land to what the nobles do, the king assigns the nobles or the landlords to live in a certain manor, house, or castle the king also gives them a village to take care of including surfs, and crops all for being one of the king’s soldiers.

Dragons

Dragons were popular in the middle ages because they were huge creatures that were usually “evil and bloodthirsty”. Stories about dragons were mostly told by fishermen because some believe they had spotted a possible dragon while fishing, although it could have been a different creature, scientists say that during that time it could have been a gigantic squid, it could have been anything. Let’s talk about the species of dragons. When most people hear the word dragon they might think of the Western dragon, the western dragon is a simple one, with large wings, fire breathing, and bloodthirsty. The Hydra was a famous and well-known type of dragon because of `the number of heads it has, according to “Draconian”, “In Greek mythology, Hercules fought a grand hydra with 8 heads (history tells us 6 to 9 heads for this particular hydra). every time he managed to slash one off with his sword, two would come in its place”. The Amphisbaena was a very smart dragon, some say when the female dragon looks over her egg she can always Dragon's keep an eye on them by keeping 1 head awake while the other is sleeping.  The Lambton worm was a large snake-like dragon. According to Draconian, “the gigantic worm,  so big it could wrap itself around a hill nine times“, that's huge!  Dragons were very interesting creatures. They were reptiles and mostly involved with a curse.

Architecture

The Architecture in the middle ages was very unique, there were a bunch of different types of styles of castles, mansions, and surf huts. “The earliest castle designs started in the bronze age. Here are some of the styles architects used for their castles”. First is the Motte and Bailey Castles. One of the earliest styles, the motte and bailey castle is on the more simple side, it is made out of wood and dirt, and it is made into a hill or on top of a hill It is surrounded by a fort. Next is the stone keep castles, they are a lot like the Motte and Bailey castles but better. The stone keep castles are made entirely out of stone which is better for defense. They are also preferable to the motte and bailey castles because they are made of stone which means they need to make fewer repairs daily, as for the motte and bailey castles are made mostly out of wood which means they are flammable and they need more work and repairs daily. Nest is the Norman castle. Unlike the other castles, the Norman castles don’t have a bailey. The Norman castle is shaped either rectangularly or square-shaped. The only way to enter a stone keep castle is by stairs. The last type of castle is the gothic castle. The gothic castle design is mostly used in churches and many religious structures. The windows are arched and thin. At the top of the towers, the peak is very tall and pointed.

Conclusion 

The middle ages is a very interesting time period, including loads of events, the 3 topics I chose to write this essay, Feudalism, dragons, and castles' designs/architecture really make me understand why this time period is very important and enjoyable to learn about. The middle ages are fascinating, there were so many events that happened during this time like the black death the government, type, and much more. What do you think about the middle ages?

Works Cited 

“Castle Design Throughout the Middle Ages.” All About Castles.https://historiceuropeancastles.com

/ca stle-design-through-the-middle-ages/ Accessed 24 February 2022.

“History Of Dragons.” Draconian.com.  www.draconian.com/history/history.htm  Accessed 24 

February 2022.

“Middle Ages Feudal System.” Ducksters. www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal 

_system.php.  Accessed 8 February 2022.

Ross, David.”Feudalism and Medieval Life.” Britain Express. www.britainexpress.com/History/Feu 

dalism_and_Medieval_life.htm Accessed 8 February 2022.

“What Is A Dragon?” Draconian.com. www.draconian.com/whatis/whatis.htm Accessed 24 

February 2022.