Foundations of Early Medieval Society

A relief image depicting the wife of a Holy Roman
Emperor completing an ordeal to prove her innocence

During the medieval period, society was a mix of classical heritage from ancient Roman and Christian beliefs. However, medieval society was further molded by influences from invading Germanic tribes. One societal custom borrowed from Germanic people was the importance of the family bond, which was extended to husbands, wives, children, siblings, and distant relatives like cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. The German concept of family influenced the treatment of crime and punishment in Germanic law. For example, in the Roman system, murder was considered a crime against the state, whereas in German customs, murder was a personal injury that could be settled in a bloody feud. To avoid bloodshed, however, a system was developed called wergild, or "money for a man," in which a guilty person could pay a monetary amount for his or her offense. In those times, an offense against nobility cost much more than an offense against a peasant or slave.

Another custom of Germanic tribes that European medieval society adopted was the ordeal, which was based on the concept of divine intervention. Specifically, the ordeal involved a sort of physical trial to determine innocence or guilt of an accused person. For instance, after holding a hot iron or retrieving a pebble from the bottom of a boiling cauldron, the wounds of the accused were examined a few days after the ordeal. If the injury was healing well, the accused was proclaimed innocent.

Organization of the Church

Amid the weak central governments in feudal Europe, the Church emerged as a powerful institution. It shaped the lives of people from all levels of society. During the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church developed a hierarchy to organize its people and its practices. In this interactivity, you will learn more about the structure of the Roman Catholic Church. Click the player button to begin.

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Rise of the Pope

Pope Gregory I

Although most Christians accepted the Pope as the supreme leader of the church, they disagreed as to how much power he should have. In the late sixth century, Pope Gregory I, also known as Gregory the Great, significantly strengthened the power of the papacy, or the office of the pope. He heightened his political power by ruling over Rome and the surrounding Papal States, or lands ruled by the pope. As the Church gained political power, it also became increasingly entwined with the feudal system. Church officials came to be selected by feudal lords who chose the clergy based on political alliances rather than spiritual merit. Long before the Roman Catholic Church asserted its authority with German kings in the twelfth century, Pope Gregory I expanded his spiritual authority over Western Europe, and promoted the conversion of Germanic tribes, which he accomplished largely through the monastic movement that you learned about in this topic's warm-up activity.

The Spread of Christianity

Monks helped spread Christianity throughout Europe. Missionaries, or people sent out to carry a religious message, traveled to areas where Germanic tribes lived to spread the Christian faith and the Latin alphabet. Some of the most enthusiastic missionaries were the English and Irish monks.

The conversion to Christianity by European rulers also helped cement the religion as the dominant one in Europe. The Frankish king, Clovis I, was among the first to convert, in 496. Because he had united many Frankish kingdoms under his rule, his conversion proved influential over a large expanse of territory. Another Frankish king named Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of Rome by Pope Leo III in 800, thus establishing a new Christian kingdom called Christendom, and setting the precedent of the anointing of emperors by popes. The fierce Vikings, who conquered much of Europe beginning in the ninth century, eventually established the Kingdom of Normandy at the mouth of the Seine River in modern-day France. The Frankish monarchs strategically settled the Vikings and converted them to Christianity, thus incorporating them into European civilization.

The Dark Ages and Intellectual Revival

Charlemagne and Pope Adrian I

Many monasteries were founded by English and Irish missionaries during the seventh and eighth centuries. They became important centers of learning, and Charlemagne was a champion of intellectual pursuits. With the support of Charlemagne's patronage, Benedictine monks preserved ancient manuscripts by copying Christian, Roman, and Greek texts in writing rooms called scriptoria. Monks also worked as secretaries and biographers. The Carolingian Renaissance helped rekindle an interest in classical texts, and preserved Greco-Roman cultural achievements. While classical Roman Latin was revived as the language of scholars during this time, French, Italian, Spanish, and other languages replaced Latin in everyday life.

The Early Middle Ages has received the nickname the "Dark Ages," because of the limited output of manuscripts, and the social and economic decline during frequent invasions. Juxtaposed with the achievements of classical Rome and the intellectual revolution of the Renaissance period, the Middle Ages may indeed seem comparatively "dark." However, some parts of Europe did advance in knowledge and art. The Byzantine Empire to the east and the Muslim occupation of Spain to the west both enjoyed a strong culture of art and learning. The monks of the Carolingian Renaissance held yet another candle of light in the general darkness of the era.

The Age of Faith Review

Now that you have delved into information about the Age of Faith, review your knowledge in this interactivity. Click the player button to get started.