Feudalism

The King has officially implemented a feudal government. What does this mean exactly? The king is able to grant fiefs to noblemen and bishops. Serfs will be doing most of the work on those fiefs. They are to plant and harvest crops and give it to the nobleman. Serfs are promised protection and shelter in exchange for their labor. The social class you are currently in is the social class you and all your posterities will remain in. Working hard will not change your social status.

Our King has complete control over this new way of government he has put in place. He grants land to Barons, those which the King trust he can lease the land too. These Barons are in charge of the manors and further lease it to knights and serfs. Barons have control over how much land is granted and what they would like the land to be used for. What Barons don't wish to use are given down to knights and the land they do not wish to keep is given to serfs.

Why do serfs tolerate this new way of life? You may be asking why serfs put up with such a hard life caused by those above them. I am sure there are serfs that are tired but because of the new implemented government all land is now owned by the King and Barons.

Knights and Warfare

You might be wondering what you have to do in order to become a knight. Well in order to become a knight you have to go through a long process. The process may take several years. But, if you are dedicated and ready to work hard it will pay off. Gaining the title of a knight will not only benefit you, but it will also benefit your whole family.

You have to be a son of a Noble and you have to be willing to start your training at the age seven. If you think about that seven is a very young age. Your will be sent to live in a castle with their lords and learn how to become a knight. There is a Code of Chivalry put into place that will make sure you are brave and fearless in battle. Everyday life is revolved around the Code of Chivalry, manners, and love. Why is love and manners important? Love is important because it gives a knight something to fight for, and manners are used to show respect to fellow ladies.  

You can’t go into battle without your armor. Armor is the most important part of a battle. Your armor must be tailor-made to fit your body perfectly. But armor isn’t cheap, it’s actually very expensive. If your armor is even slightly off or if it has one tiny flaw you could easily hurt yourself. The armor has a complex series of garment, chain mails, and iron plates. So now it’s up to you. Are you willing to work hard and pay expensive fees to gain an honorable title?

                

The Crusades

Pope Urban II preached a sermon late in November. It sparked a fuel among the citizens. A wave of military campaigns were established to seize the Holy Land from Muslim control. This began the First Crusade. Crusaders fought ruthless battles against the Muslims. The Crusaders attacked Nicea , the Seljuk capital in Anatolia. The city finally surrendered in late June. They marched on to Jerusalem. The Crusaders besieged the city’s governor to surrender. They promised to protect the enslaved people, but they soon broke their promise and slaughtered hundreds of people.

The bloodshed had not ended yet. The Muslims were planning a rebellion against the Christians. They were successful in one battle that caused the Crusaders to loose  the northernmost Crusader state. This was the beginning of the Second Crusade. The news of the loss shocked Christians and led Christian authorities in the West to call forces to fight back.The combined Muslim forces dealt a humiliating defeat to the Crusaders. This defeat ended the Second Crusade.

A general, whose name was Saladin, announced a major campaign against the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. His troops destroyed the Christian army at the battle of Hattin, taking the city along with a large amount of territory. The Christians were outraged over these defeats. The Third Crusade had begun. Richard, who was a part of the Christian army, defeated the Saladin's troops and reestablished Christian control over some of the region that was captured. Richard and Saladin signed a peace treaty that ended the Third Crusade. Is this finally the end to the disastrous Crusades or is there more to come?

The Black Death

Are you overcome with a fever? Are you unable to keep food down? Are you suffering from pain? Most of all, are you covered in black boils that oozes blood and pus? If you have those symptoms, I’m afraid you're a victim of a horrible disease. The disease named The Black Death.

A couple of weeks ago trading ships arrived at the harbor. We saw a horrible site. Most of the sailors were dead, and others were gravely ill.Specialist have confirmed that The Black Death arrived from those trading ships.The Sicilian authorities ordered that the ships were to be sailed out of the harbor. But, the disease had already spread among the people. Citizens are trying to do whatever they can to stop the sickness.

Doctors are refusing to see any patients and priests are refusing to administer last rites.  Citizens are desperate for a cure. Some are even beating themselves with leather belts. Thousands have already died from this disease. Is this the end of our once prosperous empire?

Life of the Peasants

You might be a nobleman, a bishop, or a king, so you don’t need to worry about poverty. But, serfs do. Have you ever wondered how they live? Do you know how much work they do? How many days do they have to go without food? A peasants life is filled with many hardships.

Peasants work long hours every day just to ensure that their family has a roof over their head and food to eat. They are required to stay on their lords land and work several days a week on the manor.  They don’t even have enough money for proper clothes. Most peasants only have one set of clothing and it’s almost never washed.  If their work and apparel conditions are this bad how might their food and living conditions be?

A peasant usually eat bread, porridge, vegetables, and some meat. Near their homes they have little gardens that contains lettuce, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, beets, and other vegetables. They live off the food that comes from their crops.  Most peasants die when the weather is too wet or too dry. They don’t have anything to eat if they don’t have any crops. Now you see how hard a peasants life is. While upperclassmen have the luxury of entertainment, peasants are working to survive.

Bibliography

• http://westernreservepublicmedia.org/middleages/feud_peasants.htm
• http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-knights/
• http://www.historyonthenet.com/medieval_life/feudalism.htm
• http://www.history.com/topics/crusades
• http://www.history.com/topics/black-death