DID YOU KNOW?!"Medieval" derives from the Latin terms "med" (meaning middle) and "eval" (meaning ages)
Joan of ArcBorn: Jan 6, 1412 Domremy, France Death: May 30, 1431 Rouen, France Joan was born a peasant girl in North-East France. At a young age, she forever changed history. Joan said she had received visions from God. These visions, and her subsequent action lead French armies to multiple victories during the Hundred Years' War. These victories set the stage for the coronation of Charles VII of France. She was captured and sold to the English, put on trial and eventually burned at the stake for heresy. She died at 19 years of age. Twenty-five years after her death, an inquisition ordered by Pope Callixtus III found Joan to be innocent. She was declared a martyr. In 1909, Joan of Arc was beatified and in 1920 she was canonized. DID YOU KNOW?!THE HUNDRED YEAR WAR WASN'T ACTUALLY 100 YEARS!! IT STARTED IN 1337 WHEN ENGLAND DECLARED WAR ON FRANCE. WHILE THERE WERE MANY PERIODS OF PEACE, THE CONFLICT DID NOT END UNTIL 1453.
The Great FamineIn the middle of the 13th Century, European farmers faced a reality of cool, wet weather and low crop yields. In 1315, these agricultural problems culminated. Crops continued to fail for two years. Though there had been food shortages before, this famine was the worst. Mass starvation ensued, dropping European life expectancy down to 30 years of age. Starvation wasn't the only enemy though. Disease reaped havoc on citizens, pneumonia and tuberculosis especially. Weakened survivors struggled to work fields. Approximately 25% of European population was killed during this famine.
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Medieval Music Influences and CharacteristicsMajor Influences on Music
-Growth of Christianity -Poetry and literature -Romance, courtships and Middle Eastern love songs -Folktales and legends Due to the large prescence of the Catholic church in the Middle Ages, religious music was the most prevalent of all the musics in this period. Religious chants had been around for years, but it was in the early Middle Ages that the Catholic church adopted the use of monophonic chants.(meaning it was a single melody, with no harmonic support or accompaniment.) Historians believe in the ninth century, the church started singing with two melodic lines, at the same time. This was called organum, a hollow-sounding music the church continued to develop in the following centuries. By the eleventh century, the two (and eventually three) music lines were no longer moving in parallel motion. Instead, the lines were contradicting and often even crossed. The original chant (the chant an organum was built on) would be sung slowly on notes called the tenor. The added melodies flowed and embellished the tenor. Untraditional music of this time was most often written and performed by travelling musicians; the most famous of these musicians were called 'trouvères` and `troubadours.` These melodies were also monophonic, but they often had improvised accompaniements. These lively songs were mostly focused on love, and the joys and misery that accompanies it. In the later Middle Ages, musical instruments were often used to accompany music.
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What were the Middle Ages?The middle ages were a period of time from the late 5th century until early 16th century. This period started with the fall of the Roman Empire. After the fall, there was a large scramble to be in control. The Middle Ages had a large focus on kingdoms, rulers, war and faith. The Catholic church had a very large presence, pressing focus on art, music and philosophy in this time of unrest.
"Black Death"The first recorded wave of "black death" or Bubonic Plague hit Europe in 1348. It's believed that 40-60% of the European population was killed by this disease.
DID YOU KNOW?!THE NURSERY RHYME "RING AROUND THE ROSIE" IS BASED ON THE BUBONIC PLAGUE.
THE FIRST LINE "RING AROUND THE ROSIE" REFERS TO HOW EASILY THE VIRUS SPREAD FROM PERSON TO PERSON. THE SECOND LINE "POCKET FULL OF POSIES" REFERS TO BUNCHES OF FLOWERS AND HERBS PEOPLE CARRIED IN POCKETS TO TRY TO WARD OF THE DISEASE AND STENCH THE SMELL OF DECAYING BODIES. THE THIRD LINE "ASHES, ASHES" REFERS TO THE CREMATION OF BODIES AND BURNING OF ANY OBJECT IN CONTACT WITH THE ILLNESS. "WE ALL FALL DOWN" REFERS TO THE OUTCOME OF THE DISEASE; DEATH.
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