John Smith
Period 1
February 25, 2010
Mrs. Wood
THE MIDDLE AGES
he Middle Ages were a period of history that began around 950 A.D. and ended around 1450 A.D. This period of time represented a rather turbulent are, especially in the part of the world that is now known as Great Britain. There was a great deal of fighting and bloodshed between the different countries. This was due to the continuous struggle for power or dominion amongst the countries’ leaders. That, along with the influence of opposing religions, made for a spirit of contention and rivalry across the land during this era.
Knighthood
For representing a king in a war between countries, there was no more dedicated soldier than the young men anointed to be the king’s knight. This was a distinctive honor and involved quite a strenuous process and dedicated commitment. And, while considered to be a very glamorous title, it was also among the most dangerous and deadly positions one could have in the Middle Ages. In other words, there weren’t a lot of “elderly” knights.
In order to become a knight on day, a young man would, first, have to be born into the right station in life. A peasant, or serf, for example, could never hope to aspire to become a knight in his lifetime. A young man would have to be “manor-born,” perhaps to a lord or lady. Then there was much rigorous training in the defenses of war and serving for some time as a squire to another knight. When the squire was judged ready to become a knight, the knighting ceremony would take place, and this was just the beginning of the young man's career as a knight. For the rest of his life, a knight was expected to protect the lord's lands from invaders and fight in the lord's battles against other lords.
Health and Medicine
One thing most knights understood was that injuries in battle would most likely result in their death because health care and medical knowledge was very limited during the Middle Ages. No one knew about germs or how disease was spread.
In towns, an open sewer ran down the middle of the street and people tossed garbage, dead animals, and human waste into it every day. No one bathed on a regular basis, contributing to skin diseases and further spreading of germs. Doctors possessed little real knowledge to help cure people and there were no hospitals for the sick. Barbers usually doubled as surgeons and "a good bleeding" was almost always their treatment. The "bad blood" was drained by leeches placed on the patient. When someone was sick, their friends and relatives prayed to the Saints to heal them.
Medical science did make some advances however. At Bologna University, doctors made the first human dissection in an attempt to understand how the body works. And two medical schools in Italy and France, gave serious instruction in medicine, and their graduates were highly trained in the treatment of wounds.
Inventions and Discoveries
A few other useful things were developed during the Middle Ages. When the Christian Crusaders returned from the wars in the Holy Land, they brought back many new ideas and goods made by their Arab enemies. Trading with other countries also led to many important items being introduced into western society.
The people of Europe wrote the numbers 1-10 like this during the twelfth century: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X. These numbers, called Roman numerals, are still in use today, most often on the faces of clocks. During the Middle Ages, everyone wrote numbers this way. However, the Romans had no number for zero, which made adding and subtracting very hard. The Arab people had invented another kind of numbering system, the one we use today, that had a zero and was much easier to add and subtract with. This system was brought back to Europe by the Christian Crusaders and quickly caught on.
Gunpowder, first invented by the Chinese, was also introduced into Europe during the fourteenth century as a weapon of war. And the printing press, also invented by the Chinese, gained popularity in Europe during the late fourteenth century. It allowed books to be produced more quickly, accurately, and cheaply. More people could now afford to buy their own book, which gave a great boost to the spread of knowledge.
Ultimately, it was inventions and developments such as these that led the world out of the Middle Ages into a more enlightened, healthier, and happier era. For most people, the Middle Ages was a difficult period of time to live through. It included war, disease, ignorance, superstition, zero modern conveniences, and very short life-spans. Isn't it amazing what a little knowledge and easy access to it can do for a society? And aren't you thankful to be living in our great Age of Information?
Bibliography
A Renaissance Faire! Des Moines Renaissance Festival Council, Iowa, 2007. Web. 17 Feb.,
2012.
Dudley, Marsha. Knighthood and the Code of Chivalry. New York: Marks and Tillotson
Publishers, 1999. Print.
“The Middle Ages” Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2008. Web. 17 Feb., 2012.
Young, Thomas. Great Innovations and Discoveries of the Ages. Springfield: Hyperion Books,
2001. Print.