Great Famine of 1315-1322
This cataclysmic event was caused by a combination of "considerable price inflation" (379), resulting in an increased cost of food products, and severe weather, which ruined the harvests of these years; both led to "scarcity and starvation." (380) In effe
Pasteurella pestis
This is the bacillus that causes bubonic plague and caused the Black Death. It prefers to reside in the stomach of a flea, which in turn ideally resides in the fur of the black rat. These rats survived on trade ships, which effectively transported the bac
Fur-collar crime
During truces and after the Hundred Years' War, when nobles had little to do and no fixed incomes, many turned to fur-collar crime (so named for the fur collars only nobles were permitted to wear) as a means of making money. In this type of crime, "nobles
English Statute of Labourers
Shortage of labor and demand for higher wages by workers resulted in measures such as the 1351 English Statute of Labourers, "an attempt by the English Parliament to freeze the wages of English workers at pre-1347 levels." (386) This measure could not be
Conciliar Movement
This movement called for a more "constitutional form of Church government, with papal authority shared with a general council, in contrast to the monarchial one that prevailed." (394) Conciliarists believed that the pope should be head of the Church, but
Vernacular literature
Beginning in the fourteenth century...national languages-the vernacular-came into widespread use not only in verbal communication but in literature as well." (405) Three examples of vernacular literature, literature written in the national language of a
Craft Guild
In the thirteenth century, the craft guilds provided the small minority of men and women living in towns and cities with the psychological satisfaction of involvement in the manufacture of a superior product." (399) The guilds provided economic security,
The Statute of Kilkenny
This 1366 law reflects the developing racism in the late Middle Ages, and the English attempt to protect their economic interests in Ireland. The law prohibited intermarriage between the English and the Irish, stated that English immigrants must speak Eng
The Jacquerie
Named after the mythical agricultural laborer, Jacques Bonhomme (meaning Good Fellow), this was a massive French peasant uprising in 1358. It began "when French taxation for the Hundred Years' War fell heavily on the poor" (401) because the peasants had t
Queen Isabella of England
Queen Isabella (along with her lover Mortimer and a group of barons) deposed and murdered her incompetent husband, Edward II, declaring his son as king Edward III. Edward III and Isabella thus claimed the French throne, leading a group of French barons to
Hundred Years' War
The war began when France confiscated the duchy of Aquitaine in 1337. Outraged, Edward III believed this to be an outright violation of the Treaty of Paris signed in 1259, stating that the English king was the vassal of the French crown for Aquitaine. Fra
Robin Hood
The ballads of Robin Hood and his merry men demonstrate the rampancy of fur-collar crime in the late Middle Ages. Most of the villains in the tales are fur-collar criminals, who steal from the poor. Robin Hood's motto: "Steal from the rich to give to the
Marsiglio of Padua
When acting as rector of the University of Paris, Marsiglio wrote the Defensor Pacis, in which he stated that the Church should be subordinate to the state, defying the medieval concept that the Church was above the state. He also said "that the Church ha
Battle of Cr�cy (1346)
In this battle between France and England during the Hundred Years' War, England abandoned chivalric values. The English used the longbow, using its rapid reloading rate to send showers of arrows into the French ranks. In this confusion, the crossbowmen w
Martin V
He was elected pope in 1417 at the Council of Constance (1414-1418). "Martin proceeded to dissolve the council. Nothing was done about reform. The schism was over..." (395) In ignoring the pressing need for reform, Martin V was "laying the foundations for
Joan of Arc
She was born in 1412 to well-to-do peasants in France. She grew up in a religious household and began to hear voices, attributing them to various saints. In 1428, these voices told her that the uncrowned King Charles VII must be crowned and the English mu
Babylonian Captivity
This was the period from 1309 to 1376 in which the popes resided in Avignon, France. The name of the period referred to the time in which the ancient Hebrews were imprisoned in Babylon. Pope Clement V was originally pressured to move here by Philip the Fa
Margaret Paston
Records of her marriage with John Paston provide an example for marriage in the fifteenth century. While John worked in London, eventually dying, Margaret supervised family lands in Norfolk. She had enormous responsibilities on the estate, proving herself
Lollards
These were the followers of John Wyclif. Lollards were "'mumblers of prayers and psalms,' [which] refers to what they criticized." (394) Lollard teaching permitted women to preach, and women played significant roles in the movement.
House of Commons
Originally, this formed along with the English Parliament during the Hundred Years War. It consisted of knights and burgesses, who "recognized their mutual interests and began to meet apart from the great lords." (392) They realized they too controlled th
Edward III
Edward III, the son of Edward II, was declared king by Queen Isabella, her lover Mortimer, and a group of barons when they deposed and murdered the incompetent Edward II. Edward III and Isabella thus claimed the French throne, leading a group of French ba
Jan Hus
A Czech priest, Hus "denounced superstition, the sale of indulgences, and other abuses, but his remarks were thoroughly orthodox." (397) "The people of Prague ... found Hus's denunciations of an overendowed Church appealing. Hus considered the issues theo
John Wyclif
This revolutionary English theologian is considered the precursor of the Reformation of the 1500's. He believed that "the Scriptures alone should be the standard of Christian belief and practice. He urged the abolition of such practices as the veneration
Christine de Pisan
She was "Perhaps the most versatile and prolific French writer of the later Middle Ages." (406) She "had a broad knowledge of Greek, Latin, French, and Italian literature" (407) and wrote about many topics, including love, religion, morality, history, wom
Legal pluralism
This was a widespread practice "In the early periods of conquest and colonization, and in all [European] frontier regions...native peoples remained subject to their traditional laws; newcomers brought and were subject to the laws of the countries from whi
Marriage
Premarital pregnancy may have been deliberate: because children were economically important, the couple wanted to be sure of fertility before entering marriage." (395-396) Careful planning by the parents of the couple-to-be was important, because the mar
Feudal chivalry
During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, "chivalric code demanded lavish generosity and an aristocratic lifestyle." (400) During truces and after the Hundred Years' War, "Many nobles turned to crime as a way of raising money." (400) Therefore, feuda
Leisure time
The recreation of all classes reflected the fact that late medieval society was organized for war and that violence was common." (399) The aristocracy participated in tournaments and jousts. The common people engaged in archery, wrestling, bull baiting,
Nationalism
This is "the feeling of unity and identity that binds together a people." (393) It began to grow in England and France during the Hundred Years War, when citizens of each country experienced a feeling of pride in their country's military strength. The fou