Knights and Castles are important because of protection and that's why people are part of the civilization

Knights
Power Rating: 4.5 (later medieval) - 6 (earlier medieval)
Facts:

• Provided defense and protection (very important, especially in the early Middle Ages)
• Trained from age 7 until 21 (when they became knights)
• Invasions, Wars, and Fighting starts to lessen after around the 1100s
• As additional training during years with fewer fighting knights participated in jousting tournaments
• Chivalry:
  • Code of conduct (rules of engagement)
  • Defend and protect women
• Use chainmail in the early medieval ages and plate armor in later medieval ages

Castle
Power Rating: 5-7
Facts:

• Castles were for defense, not comfort
• Protective measures
  • Walls
  • Arrow loops - allow for archers to shoot at enemies from safety
    • At an angle to allow for a better range of motion
  • Drawbridge
  • Towers
• Castles became modernized, either they were added to or left to crumble
• Some had towers had four subsections, to allow for 360 protection
• Castles were built on high ground so that visibility was increased
• Watchtowers were placed close to towns
  • When threats were sighted torches were lit to alert people
• City walls would open at sunrise and close at sunset
• While traveling the Pope was sheltered in castles

Lords
Power Rating: 6.5-7
Facts:

• Titles were given and taken by monarchs
• They had rivalries with other lords, always fighting and raiding each other

Noblewomen
Power Rating: 4-6
Facts

• Ran the manor whilst the lord was away
• Were either the daughter or wife of the lord of the manor
• Had medical knowledge
• Were usually put into arranged marriages
  • Marriages were usually done for alliances
• Daughter/Son of the monarch marries the son/daughter of a different kingdom
  • If the monarch doesn't have kids, one of the upper lords' children would be married off into a different kingdom
  • Dowry - a monetary gift from the bride's family to the groom's family
• Were trained in skills such as weaving, trained from a young age
  • Made tapestries
• Wanted as many children as possible
• Fulfilled all family roles
• High infant mortality rate
• Bad health/Medical knowledge
• In charge of children’s spiritual education

Manor
Power Rating: 5-7
Facts

• Center of the city/town
• Most people lived in manors
• Heart of the economy
• Food was made there
• Manor was the fief(land given to lords)
• Self-sufficient
• Contained:
  • Fields
  • Rivers
  • Forts
  • Vineyards
  • Orchards
  • Blacksmiths
  • Mills
  • Graveyards
  • Gallows
  • Barns
  • Village
  • Lord’s Manor House
  • Church
• Executions were held here and were very public
• People who committed crimes weren’t buried in graveyards
• Every growing season a field remains empty to replenish nutrients

Serfs
Power Rating: 1-2 (lowest rating)
Facts:

• Bound to the Lord (needed Lord's permission to travel)
• Seen as “expendable”
• Not much freedom, power, or influence
• Had to work a lot
• Daily life:
  • Harsh life
  • Long work hours
  • Short life expectancy, life expectancy was 35
    • Lack of medical knowledge
    • Being overworked
    • Lack of sanitation
  • Went to church

Monarch
Power Rating: 10
Facts:

• In England was eventually limited by the Magna Carta
  • Nobles gained certain rights for this
• Monarch had to obey laws

Guilds
Power Rating: 5-8
Facts:

• People trained to be in guilds from childhood
• “Hub” of people with the same profession
• People in guilds ran the towns
  • This did happen later on in the existence of towns
  • Lords recognized the importance of the economy and left guilds mostly free

Universities
No Power Rating
Facts:

• Came about because the need for education increased
  • Variety of factors led to this:
    • Need for an educated clergy
    • Rulers needed to be literate
      • Safer for the rulers
      • Less dependent on other people
      • Could read important documents
      • Less manipulation
    • Middle class needed to be educated as well
      • Qualifications for the government jobs that were awarded to them

Cathedrals
No Power Rating
Facts:

• Large churches
• Middle ages = gothic style
• Typical Characteristics:
  • Cross shape when looking from above(so god can see)
  • Large Naves(The central part of the church where people prayed)
    • No benches to sit in
    • Rich could purchase VIP areas(might have seating)
  • Relics
    • Saints' clothing or body parts
    • Saints were the VIPs of the Catholic Church
      • Mainly through martyrdom
    • Saints relics were worshipped because of a sense of pride in worshipping the most devout of the church
    • Saints relics were worshipped because they would hear the prayers and send a good word to god
    • Saints in heaven were closer to god
  • Sculptures/Facades were added for storytelling purposes
    • Done because not many people could read
    • Story in stone/glass
    • Sponsors of the construction of the church were also added to the carvings
      • Ex. Fisherman guild sponsors - Lobster symbol
    • Circle/Halo denotes an angel statue
    • In some churches the bible was embossed in stone
  • Rose Windows
    • Always on the sides of the cross
    • Sometimes on long parts never at the top
    • Very detailed stained windows
    • Very high up
  • Spires
    • Seen by god
    • Detailed
    • Had statues on top of some of them several feet tall
  • Flying Buttresses
    • Were the structural support of the church
    • Large arches that connected from the church walls to the ground
    • Allowed cathedrals to be built real high up
• Cathedrals were the tallest building in the city
• Shows technological advancement, economic trades, and the importance of god in the society

Manor House - Where upper lords lived (stone)

Serf House:

• Were the Serfs lived
• Usually has one room
• Typically made of wood/straw
• Had livestock inside the house
  • Livestock were very important:
    • Chicken -> Eggs
    • Cows & Sheep -> Milk & Cheese
• Had no glass (covered windows with cloth or fabric during the winter)
• 1 Bed for the entire family
  • The bed was for the mother and younger kids
  • Father and older Kids slept on hay

Catholic Church & Pope
Pope Power Rating: 9-10
Catholic Church Power Rating: 7.5-10
Facts:

• Power struggle between the Catholic Church and Secular Leaders
• Christianity now seen as the “universal religion
• Catholic Church increases in strength and power during the Middle Ages
• Pope was lord of the Papal states in Italy
• Pope believes he is above the monarch
• Catholic Church can set rules/laws called Cannon Law
• There were consequences for not abiding by cannon law
  • Worst (Individual) Punishment was excommunication (banned from church)
    • Caused people to believe they were going to hell (No Church -> No Heaven)
  • Worst (Collective) Punishment was Interdict (Supersized Excommunication, Whole region/kingdom banned from church)
    • Pope could enact this if the Monarch did not listen to Pope’s demands
    • Closed all Churches (people believed everyone would go to hell, No Church -> No Heaven)
    • Could be lifted by Pope which reopened churches
• Priests (important) read the bible to people (most people could not read)

Monks, Nuns, and Monasteries
Monks and Nuns Power Rating: 5-6
Monasteries Power Rating: 5-6
Facts:

• Monks and Nuns had a life of service to tend to the community
  • Provided basic social services
• Monasteries were centers for learning
• Preserved writings of the roman world by copying manuscripts
• Monasteries had gardens and hospitals
• People could buy books
  • Monks decorated and wrote books
  • Books were originally in Latin but later in English

Black Death/Plague
No Power Rating
Facts:

• Probably originated because of trading ships from the Middle East
• Italy was first to be affected but around 1347 it started to spread across Europe
• Killed ⅓ of Europe’s population
• Disease was fast-acting, most people died within a few days of getting infected
• Society and the Economy fell apart
  • Workers died which caused a production decline
  • Landowners kicked out farmers to make room to raise sheep (less manpower needed)
• Plague reoccurs several times
• Takes Europe 100 years to recover

Plans for Monarch Power

• Have paid middle class officials for gov’t positions
• Have a good relationship with the pope
• Expand the military →standing army (offense/defense)
• Create a direct tax system (efficient)
• Create a common law system (jury/court)
• make lords swear loyalty to you directly
• Census –good records–efficiently
• Consolidate more land for yourself!