Britain in the 11th and 15th centuries has a fascinating history.
The Red and White Wars of the Roses in Shakespeare's plays, the famous constitutional document Magna Carta, the British Parliament, known as the "Mother of Parliaments", and the two top universities in Britain, all appeared in this era.
Why did the exciting timeline focus on this stage? Why is the British Middle Ages still regarded as the "Dark Ages" in the eyes of many people? What kind of life did the medieval people live? The surging bar invited Xu Mingjie, associate professor of the Department of History of Fudan University, to walk into the mysterious Middle Ages together.
Medieval people who didn't love to bathe
@ Changing the name is quite difficult: why did the ancient Roman nobles like to bathe, but in the Middle Ages, European nobles did not bathe?
Xu Mingjie: This is a very interesting question, involving the life history of Westerners. As far as I know, this shift should be related to two factors.
First, the impact of barbarian invasions. We know that the direct cause of the fall of the Western Roman Empire was the invasion of barbarians (especially the Germans), who have since established many kingdoms in Western Europe, and most of the feudal nobles in medieval Western Europe are the descendants of these people. The habits of these barbarians were very different from those of the Roman nobility. For the traditional Romans, bathing was a way of life that provided daily entertainment and pastimes, and public baths were also important places to socialize. The barbarians did not particularly like urban life and did not have a special preference for bathing, so their invasion caused the destruction of urban public baths and water supply systems.
Second, the influence of Christian cultural traditions. From the late Roman Empire (3rd century AD), Christianity gradually developed into the dominant religion in Europe, and this pattern was basically maintained throughout the Middle Ages (of course, many barbarian countries did not believe in Christianity at first, but later converted). Christian doctrine, on the other hand, is clearly inclined against bathing. For a long time, Christian believers believed that bathing was a hedonistic act that aroused human desires, was harmful to the soul, and tried not to bathe unless there was a special need. So the medieval European nobility did not bathe, but it was not as much and tasteful as the Romans.
The public bath is regarded as a hotbed of carnal desire, The Strange Sayings and Acts, a fifteenth-century Dutch manuscript.
Why did the nobles live in the castle
@Chelsea: Why did the medieval nobles live in castles? Is it to show honor or to defend oneself?
Xu Mingjie: Castles are a typical type of large architecture in medieval Western Europe, while the other type is churches. The formation of such buildings is related to the historical environment of the time.
In the Middle Ages, especially in the early period, Western Europe (including England) society was unstable, there was more violence and war, and the aristocratic ruling class at that time built castles in order to ensure its own safety. Along with this process, castles often become their abodes. Because the castle was a large military building, only a person of high power could possess it, so it also became a symbol of the noble status.
In the case of England, the large-scale appearance of castles came after the conquest of William in 1066. William, originally a French nobleman, led his men to conquer England by force, and then ruled the local Anglo-Saxons as an alien invader. His rule was brutal and tyrannical, and not very popular. For the stability of his rule, he and some high nobles built many castles throughout England, such as the Tower of London, Warwick Castle, Windsor Castle, etc. However, two additional points are needed.
First, the castle, although common abode of the nobility, was not the only residence. Because castles were military fortresses, originally designed around this purpose, living conditions were not comfortable, so monarchs or nobles often later made changes, or converted the castle to be more livable, or chose to live elsewhere. For example, in the Middle Ages, there were more residences of the kings of England, and there were also non-castles such as the Palace of Westminster, and when visiting the place, you could choose the local castle or mansion.
Second, not all nobles or high-ranking people lived in castles. For example, at that time, bishops and abbots had a status comparable to that of nobility, but their official residences were often in churches or monasteries.
The Misunderstood "Dark Ages"
@Turquoise Rabbit: Many people blame the darkness of the Middle Ages on the Christian Church, how powerful was the medieval Church of England? What is the relationship between the royal family and the church?
Xu Mingjie: This question is more complicated, and I will answer it briefly. First, medieval Britain was not so dark. The idea of calling the European Middle Ages the "Dark Ages" has passed, and it is now widely believed in academic circles that the Middle Ages were the incubation period and an important period of development of modern European civilization. Many elements of modern British civilization originated in the Middle Ages, such as common law, Magna Carta, parliament, universities, English literature, and so on. Of course, this is not to say that the Middle Ages were very bright, in fact, medieval Britain is still quite far from modern civilization. But what is clear is that medieval Britain (and Europe) was not completely dark.
University of Cambridge
Second, the status and role of the Church of England in the Middle Ages. At that time, the status of the church was very high, not only the priests were in the first class, but also the people at that time were generally Catholic. The Church thus received strong support from the king and the secular nobility, and obtained a large amount of land wealth, which according to statistics occupied about 1/5 or 1/4 of the land wealth in England.
In the early Middle Ages, Christianity represented a more developed culture, which spread to England and helped to improve the cultural level of the local people. It was only with the passage of time that the Christian Church became more conservative in its thinking and became more corrupt internally, gradually becoming an obstructive force restricting cultural and social development, which was an important background factor in the recent Renaissance and the Reformation.
Third, in the Middle Ages, the relationship between the royal family and the church was dominated by cooperation, and contradictions were secondary. It needs to be made clear that the royal family and the church belong to the ruling class, hold the power of secular rule and the power of religious rule respectively, and have the need for cooperation in state rule. However, in the Middle Ages, the power of the English monarch continued to increase, and the balance of power between the royal family and the church gradually shifted to the former, and finally in the 16th century, the Reformation occurred, and the English monarch completely overrode the church in his country.
What else would you like to know about British medieval history and culture? Welcome to the surging bar to ask questions, or leave a message to discuss together!