5.4 Written Culture of the Early Middle Ages

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• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

5.4 Written culture of the Early Middle Ages

Learning goal:

At the end of the lesson you will be able to explain why it was important written culture was maintained in the Early Middle Ages.

To start off....

• Read pages 111-114 in your textbook
• Done reading? look at the next slides and check if you understand everything
• Write any questions you have down

The three pillars of the medieval world

• The Early Middle Ages consisted of three pillars: the classical, the Christian and the Germanic civilisations
• The three civilisations influenced each other and also mixed to form a new one

Preserving ideas

• Some important Christian thinkers with lasting influence were called church fathers
• Boethius (480-524) and Cassiodorus (485-580) wanted to make sure Roman and Greek knowledge was passed on to the next generation, monks followed their example
• Schools for priests and bishops concentrated on Latin Language and literature

Germanic laws

• Bishops who were educated in written administration were important for government
• Germanic law concentrated mostly on criminal law
• the laws consisted out of lists of offences and their weregild

Literature and history

• Most other written works focused on religion
• For instance Hagiographies, biographies of saints, became an important literary genre
• Other religious works include: sermons, Bible commentaries and essays about sins and virtues
• Gregory of Tours and Bede wrote about life in the Early Middle Ages

Carolingian Renaissance

• Charlemagne founded schools were students were taught grammar, maths and geometry
• He introduced a uniform script: the Carolingian Miniscule
• He urged clergy to deliver mass like the Romans did and a new music style called Gregorian music was established
• The great cultural stimulation was called: Carolingian Renaissance

Fines that had to be paid after a crime to the victim or his family

Early Christian thinkers who had a lasting influence

Biography of a saint or holy person

The cultural stimulation under Charlemagne

Hagiography

Weregild

Carolingian Renaissance

Church Fathers

What happened in the Carolingian Renaissance?

Two things Roman writing and Latin were used for

Two scholars who preserved classical works

Trial by ordeal

Recording law and religious texts.

Boethius (480-524)

Cassiodorus (485-580)

Schools were set up.

 A uniform script was introduced. 

Gregorian music was established

True or false

True

False

Charlemagne could not write

Books were made out of papyrus

Written administration was developed by bishops

three pillars of the medieval world were:

The classical, the Christian and Arabic civilisations

The Catholic doctrine are the teachings of the church

Trial and ordeal was always used in the Early Middle Ages

Key words

Church Fathers: early Christian thinkers who had a lasting influence

Doctrine: the teachings of the church

Criminal law: lists of crimes and their fines

Weregild: fines that had to be paid to the victim or his family

Trial by ordeal: trial based on the idea that God would perform a miracle to save the innocent

Hagiography: biography of a saint or holy person

Parchment: treated animal skin, used to write on

Illuminator: someone who illustrates books

Miniature: small drawing in medieval book

Carolingian Renaissance: the cultural stimulation under Charlemagne

Write down three things you have learned this lesson

Ask one question about something that is not clear to you yet