The Paper Question
11-15th century Britain has a fascinating and wonderful history.
The Red and White Roses War in Shakespeare The famous constitutional document " Magna Carta ", British Parliament , known as the "Mother of Parliament", and the two top universities in the UK, both appeared in this era.
Why do the wonderful events happen in this stage? Why in the eyes of many people, the Middle Ages of Britain are still regarded as the "Dark Age"? What kind of life did medieval people live? The Paper invites Xu Mingjie, associate professor of the Department of History, Fudan University, to enter the mysterious medieval era together.
Medieval people who don’t like to take a bath
@It’s quite difficult to change the name: Why did Ancient Roman Northern nobles like to take a bath, but in the medieval European nobles didn’t take a bath?
Xu Mingjie: This is a very interesting question, involving the life history of Westerners. As far as I know, this change should be related to the following two factors.
First of all, the influence of barbarian invasion. We know that the direct reason for the demise of Western Roman Empire was the invasion of barbarians (especially Germanic ). Since then, these barbarians have established many kingdoms in Western Europe, and most of the feudal aristocrats in medieval Western Europe were descendants of these people. The living habits of these barbarians are very different from those of Roman nobles. For the traditional Roman , bathing is a lifestyle, providing daily entertainment and entertainment, and public baths are also an important social place. The barbarians did not particularly like urban life and did not have a special preference for bathing, so their invasion caused damage to urban public baths and water supply systems.
Second, the influence of Christian cultural traditions. From the late period of the Roman Empire in (3rd century AD), Christianity gradually developed into the main religion in Europe, and this pattern was basically maintained throughout the Middle Ages (of course, many barbarian countries did not believe in Christianity at the beginning, but later converted). Christian doctrines are obviously inclined to oppose bathing. For a long time, Christian believers believed that bathing was a pleasure, which aroused people's desires and was harmful to the soul. Try not to bathe unless you have special needs. So the medieval European aristocrats did not not take a bath, but they did not wash as much and taste as the Romans.
Public bathroom is regarded as a breeding ground for carnal sensuality, "Strange Words and Deeds", 15th Century Dutch manuscript.
Why do nobles live in castles
@Chelsea: Why do medieval nobles live in castles? Is it to show honor or to defend yourself?
Xu Mingjie: Castle (castle) is a typical large-scale building type in medieval Western Europe, while the other type is churches. The formation of such buildings is related to the historical environment at that time.
In the Middle Ages, especially in the early days, Western Europe (including Britain) society was not stable, and there were many violent activities and wars. In order to ensure their own safety, the aristocratic ruling classes at that time built castles one after another. With this process, castles often become their residence. Because the castle is a large military building, only those with high positions and power can own it, it has become a symbol of the noble status of the noble family.
As for the situation in England, the large-scale appearance of castles was after the conquest of William in 1066. William was originally a French nobleman and led his subordinates to conquer England by force. He then ruled the local Anglo-Saxon as an alien invader. His rule was cruel and tyrannical, and was not very popular. In order to stabilize the rule, he and some high nobles built many castles throughout England, such as Tower of London , Warwick Castle, Windsor Castle, etc. However, two points need to be explained.
First, although the castle is a common residence for nobles, it is not the only residence. Because the castle is a military fortress, the original design revolved around this purpose and the living conditions were not comfortable, so the monarch or nobles later made changes, or converted the castle to be more livable, or chose to live in other places.For example, in the Middle Ages, the kings of England had more residences, and there were non-castles such as Westminster Palace . When inspecting the place, you could choose a local castle or mansion.
Second, not all nobles or seniors live in the castle. For example, at that time, the bishops and monastery presidents had a status comparable to those of nobles, but their formal residences were often in churches or monasteries.
The misunderstood "Dark Age"
@The Green Rabbit: Many people blame the darkness of the medieval times on the Christian church. How powerful is the medieval British church? What is the relationship between the royal family and the church?
Xu Mingjie: This question is quite complicated, I will briefly answer it. First, medieval Britain was not that dark. The idea of calling the European Middle Ages "the Dark Ages" is now outdated. Now, the academic community generally believes that the Middle Ages are the incubation period and important development period of modern European civilization. Many elements of modern British civilization first originated in the Middle Ages, such as common law , Magna Carta, parliament, universities, English literature, etc. Of course, this does not mean that the Middle Ages are very bright. In fact, medieval Britain is still quite far away from modern civilization. But it is clear that medieval Britain (and Europe) was not completely dark.
Cambridge University
Second, the status and role of the medieval British church. The church had a high status at that time, not only were the priests at the first level, but people generally believed in Catholicism at that time. The church also received strong support from the kings and secular nobles and obtained a large amount of land wealth, which accounted for about 1/5 or 1/4 of the land wealth in the entire UK.
In the early Middle Ages, Christianity represented a relatively developed culture. After it spread to the UK, it helped to improve the cultural level of the locals. However, as time goes by, the Christian church's thoughts have become more conservative and internally corrupt, gradually becoming an obstacle to restricting cultural and social development. This is an important background factor in the occurrence of modern Renaissance and Reformation.
Third, in the Middle Ages, the relationship between the royal family and the church was mainly cooperation, and contradictions were at a secondary position. It should be made clear that the royal family and the church belong to the same ruling class, and they have the need for cooperation in national rule. However, in the Middle Ages, the power of the British monarch continued to increase, and the balance of the power structure between the royal family and the church gradually turned to the former. Finally, the Reformation took place in the 16th century, and the British monarch completely overcame the church in his own country.
What else do you want to know about the history and culture of the medieval British era? Welcome to Pengpai Ask a question or leave a message to discuss together!
Editor in charge: Ju Wentao
Proofreading: Zhang Liangliang
