7803mb+Ancient+Civ+Report

Knights, jousting, and castles. Isn’t that what you think of when you think Medieval Europe? Don’t be ashamed; it’s common sense. “Medie val” relates to the Middle Ages, a time when knights and castles were commonplace. But Medieval Europe is much more than that. Medieval Europe, a place that occupied the same land as modern day Europe; a place that was bordered by the bodies of water that include the North Sea to the North, the Atlantic Ocean to the West,the Mediterranean Sea to the South, and Russia to the East. A place the lasted between the 11th and 15th century left us more than historic castles,the people of Medieval times left us ways of marriage, the code of honor, and a type of alphabet.

While many jobs had to be done in Medieval Europe, music was an art that that let people get away and have fun, to dance and have fun. People danced and sang, smiled and laughed,everyone forgot about all their problems and worries. They would dance the night away to the beat of the music. We can learn more about this culture by studying types of dance, musicians, and instruments.

In the Middle Ages, the main two types of music were sacred, played in church, and house, which was played at home. At first music at church had no tune, making house music livelier than church music. But no matter where the music was being played, people were always dancing in large circles to the music.

Behind all beautiful music is a gifted musician. Some musicians formed bands and others stayed solo. The sizes of band could range from one to five to more. If you stayed solo, you were most likely to be fitted in one o f the three categories: minstrels, jongleurs, or troubadours.Minstrels and jongleurs were very similar. They were both the rock stars of the Middle Ages and along with writing and performing songs, they also did stunts when the audience got bored with their performance. Troubadours pulled away from minstrels and jongleurs and had more dignity. Troubadours wrote lyrics and played for royalty. Troubadours didn’t perform stunts, but entered contests with their talents. Although the performing skills of these three categories are slightly different, they all have the same basic topic that their music was based off of;eating, drinking, and romance. Although, the style of their music may not appeal to us know, these musicians were the rockstars and source of entertainment back then.

Not every performer was a singer. Most had an instrument by their sides. If a musician had to pick out an instrument or needed a new one, they had a variety of choices. Although a variety of musical instruments was available to people to buy and use, m ostly troubadours used instruments. Some instruments to buy included: lutes, drums, harps, lutes, fiddles, bagpipes, and other mediev al instruments called hurdy-gurdies. The only other performer that used instruments was a minstrel, but they only used a lute. No matter what instrument was being played, all created euphonic sounds that could either soothe a crowd or get one up on their feet.

Medieval Europe is no longer around; it disappeared into the Renaissance. But they did leave us something to remember them by: music. Our modern day music evolved from the classical music from the Middle Ages. That old folk music that you get bored with in your music history class came around to be the music we listen to today. The music staff used back then is the same music staff we use today. This staff formed the music we hear today. Although the civilization is gone, it's music still lives on.

Glossary

jongleurs- a minstrel who travels from place to place

jousting- A sport in which two knights fight on horseback with  lances, also known as long throwing spear.

minstrels- a medieval singer or musician

troubadors- A medieval French singer and songwriter

Works Cited Bhote, Tehmina. Medieval Feasts and Banquets: Food, Drink, and Celebration in the Middle Ages. New York: Rosen Central, 2004. Print. Galloway, Priscilla, and Martha Newbigging. Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed. Toronto: Annick, 2003. Print. "Medieval Europe Map,." By Maps.com from Maps.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014. "Medieval Europe." Medieval Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014. "Medieval Music." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 May 2014. Web. 21 May 2014. "Renaissance." History: For Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2014. Sims, Lesley, Dominic Groebner, and Jane Chisholm. The Usborne Book of Castles. London: Usborne, 2002. Print. "What Does Medieval Mean - Google." What Does Medieval Mean - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014.

**Return to My Index**

Return to Home Page