The Middle Ages, Essay Example

Weber opens this section by pointing out it came out of anarchy and formed a new age and new tradition.  He says the era was invented by the Renaissance. Weber notes that during this time the 12^th century the feudal system combined with the poets of France creating the idea of perfect love of a vassal swearing allegiance to their ladies on bended knee with their hands held together became known as the standard act of prayer.  Also living in the feudal system and documenting history and news, were the clerks and monks.

The layout of the manor

In the modern manor the layout, Unlike modern farms communities,, medieval peasants lived close together in the village and traveled out to their fields (Sherman & Salisbury , 230).” These ?elds were organized in different strips, where each peasant family would use some of the land and the lord owned a large majority of the land as well. The church, too, owned some strips for the priest’s support. However, the pasture, woodlands, and water were as important as the cultivated land, because they supported the village’s animals on which the survival of the peasants depended (Sherman & Salisbury, 230).

Explain the Role of Forests on the Manor

The forests of the manor plays a key role in village life, because the lord, who owned the trees, allowed peasants to use them for firewood (Sherman & Salisbury, 230). New freedoms were granted allowing most medieval peasants to be free, but they were still economically confined to the land. Lord received land from kings and the peasants servicing the land came along with it (Sherman & Salisbury, 231).

Communes and Guilds

Communes and guilds were developed as a result of townspeople not being able to establish individual freedoms within the Sometimes townspeople could not peacefully obtain the liberties they desired, and they joined together in sworn associations called communes and staged violent revolutions to take communal liberties that they believed came with urban life (Sherman & Salisbury, 243).”Communes selected their own officials. They also regulated taxation within the town, and managed the business of running the urban centers. These communes were not democratic, for most people accepted it as natural that the rich citizens would govern the town (,243).”Tradesmen also established guilds within the towns. or organizations to protect their interests and control the trade and manufacturing within the towns. These guilds regulated the quality of such products as gold work, shoes, bread, and so forth; they managed their own membership and set prices (Sherman & Salisbury, 243).”

The treatment of urban Jews

The eleventh and twelfth centuries brought about drastic changes between Christian merchants and Jewish craftsmen craftspeople began to view the Jewish community as competition.  Jews gradually became excluded from guilds and in many locations they were kept from owning land. But has the text notes, “Jews still engaged in commerce and many Christians found them valuable—although separate—members of the town (, 244).” This treatment was counteracted by bishop Rudgar in the late-eleventh century. Who granted Jews a location to settle in the German town of Speyer, and he even offered them protection from Christians who were not enlightened to their value (Sherman & Salisbury, 244).