Middle+Ages


Middle Agesmedia type="custom" key="3258266" 


 * Art-** Art was often incorporated with religion. It was infused with spiritual symbloism and meaning. It mainly symbolized what people believed in**.**


 * Architecture-** The Ely Cathedral is an excellent example of Romanesque architecture, though it is overshadowed by later Gothic work.



Gothic architecture is light spacious and graceful. Window sizes grew, as did the heights of vaults and spires.


 * Relgion**- In this time period Church was a very important part of life, but people did not understand most masses because they were in Latin. Liturgical plays took place in mass. And Churches and Cathredials were the most beautiful buildings, where relgious leaders had most of the role in the government. Many aspects of the church were eventually reformed after the Crusades took place. [[image:http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/art/pictures/chartres/chartresmary4.jpg width="180" height="426" caption="Chartres window"]]


 * Literature**- Books were seldom read in the middle ages because they were in so many different languages and so expensive. But books were also later reformed.



The **Lords** were essentially the Upper Class of the Middle Ages. They lived lavish lifestyles and they lived in huge stone castles, or manor houses. They wore heavy armor, rode very large horses, and they carried swords in fight also known as lances. Lords were extremely wealthy and they were married to their wives who were also known as a "lady". The wife's job was to sew, spin, and weave, and they also had the duty of watching over the servants of the household. If the wife was unable to produce a boy who would carry on the name of the Lord, then the Lord was able to end the marriage and find someone new who would hopefully be able to produce an heir to the throne.
 * Social Classes **

The **Clergy** is below the Lords, but they were also people of wealth. They were also known as noble men who devoted to their lives to their church. A vast majority of them were just as wealthy and powereful as the militray lords.

At the very bottom of the social class system are the **Peasants**. Theses people had very few rights, and they were at the mercy of the Lords. Peasants, did not get all the liuxuries that the Lords and the Clergy got, they actually had to pay taxes, the lived in small huts, and they slept on bags. They also had to pay rental fees for certain materials.

The government system that governed all of these social classes is known as **Feudalisim**. This form of government is,when rulers would exchange their land for royalty. Noblemen were able to collect taxes and fees, and they were able to own land. A typical member of this group is a Vasal, a Knight, a Lord, and Noblemen.


 * Music**-They were the first era to begin using a form of notation for music. They used many instruments such as lute, mandora, gittern, and psaltery, all of which you had to pluck.


 * Dress-** Mostly wore wool clothing with linen undergarmets. Women wore long gowns and grand head wear and Men sported jackets with elaborate cuffs and patterns.The wealth had their clothes mad by tailors. Some fabrics tailors used were : Burnet, lincoln and scarlet