THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES. THE BEGINNING OF FEUDALISM 2

Writer DHUODA

My name is Dhuoda and I was born in the 9th century. I belonged to a noble family, so I received a good education. As tradition dictated, my marriage to the Duke of Septimania, a relative of Charlemagne, was soon arranged. After some years, my husband and children moved to the royal court while I remained in Uzès, in the south of France, where I have had to take care of our land and belongings. Because I want to transmit my knowledge to my children and, as they are in the court with their father, I have decided to write a treaty called “Liber manualis” so they can have access to it. In this manual, I show them how to live according to the values and rules of behaviour that all members of the nobility have to follow during their lives.

Reading And Listening

1 Read the text and answer the questions: a) What social class did Dhuoda belong to? b) What is the name of the treaty she wrote? Why did she write it?

2 Where did the nobility live in the early Middlle Ages? Where were these buildings located?

During the period of the early Middle Ages, the nobility lived in castles located in their manors. The main part of this building was the keep, which was divided into different floors where the family rooms were located. For a better understanding of the Early Middle Ages, you will learn about:

• Feudalism in Europe. Chronology, origin and expansion.

• Economy and feudal society.

• The nobility: lifestyle and residence.

• The clergy: religious activity. Regular clergy.

• The peasants: lifestyle and occupations.

• Romanesque art: architecture, sculpture and painting.

Language Bank

Speaking

3 Browse the unit and find out about the lifestyle of people in feudal society. Then, talk about it with a partner.

The nobility used to live in manors.

Noble women used to have arranged marriages.

Yes, and castles used to have moats.