a system of protection in which land and people are protected by skilled warriors in exchange for a small portion of land

another name for Medieval Europe or the Dark Ages

religious men who lived apart, in isolated communities called monasteries

the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ

mounted warriors who fought and protected people and land, often given small plots land or "fiefs" in exchange for their loyalty

a large estate of land often owned by a lord

peasants who lived and worked on the manor in exchange for protection

code of honorable behavior of knights

to cast a person out of the church

religious ideas that oppose traditionally accepted church beliefs

a deadly plague that swept through Europe from 1347-1351 CE

a series of wars fought over the Holy Land (Palestine, where Jesus lived, preached, and died) between Muslims and Christians

called the "Great Charter," it was a document listing basic rights that the king had to honor

a synonym for the Middle Ages, the Dark Ages or Medieval Europe

leaders of the church, including bishops, cardinals, priests, and the Pope

nobleman who was given land by the king and hired knights to protect the land and the serfs who lived on it

A protective home built by lords to withstand an enemy attack.

The courtyard of a medieval castle

A castle keep is the central tower that is found within the castle. In the 11th Century, castle keeps were just square towers and a hall with strong walls.

Part of a castle; the complex of towers, bridges, and barriers built to protect each entrance through a castle or town wall

Head of the Roman Catholic Church

a war between England and France from 1337 to 1453. Finally France won. It was started by Edward III of England to claim the French throne. It brought about new styles of warfare.

French heroine and military leader inspired by religious visions to organize French resistance to the English and to have Charles VII crowned king

A machine used in medieval siege warfare for hurling large stones or other missiles

land granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for loyalty and service

A covering, usually made of metal or leather, worn to protect the body during fighting

Doctrine that states that the right of ruling comes from God and not people's consent

A government ruled by a king or queen

a ruler of a kingdom or empire

(n.) a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servant; (adj.) subservient

Permanent split of the two christian churches into the modern-day Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches. 1053 CE

Muslims from North Africa

a Germanic tribe that conquered present-day France and neighboring lands in the 400s

a young nobleman acting as an attendant to a knight before becoming a knight himself

Armed combat between knights who fought each other on horseback with a lance

800 AD crowned by the Pope as the head of the Holy Roman Empire, which extended from northern Spain to western Germany and northern Italy. His palace was at Aachen in central Europe

An empire established in Europe in the 10th century A.D., originally consisting mainly of lands in what is now Germany and Italy

The leader of the kingdoms that made up the Holy Roman Empire.

Carolingian monarch of Franks; responsible for defeating Muslims in battle of Tours in 732; ended Muslim threat to western Europe.

An oath of loyalty, a vassal promised loyalty and military service to the lord.

A family's payment of one-tenth of its income to a church

loyalty

free Jerusalem from the Muslims; knights hoped to gain wealth and land; yearn for adventure; escape troubles at home

Duke of Normandy who invaded England in 1066 and claimed the English crown

the surrounding of a place in order to force it to surrender

Scandinavian peoples whose sailors raided Europe from the 700s through the 1100s

peoples who invaded Western Europe and created

a member of a class of persons who are small farmers or farm laborers of low social rank

There were large increases in wages and prices throughout Europe

Plague brought the end of the era