Middle Ages

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Middle Ages | Middle Ages Portal
Fordham University: Internet Medieval Sourcebook
Georgetown University: The Labyrinth
The Cistercians in Yorkshire: Introduction
Catholic Encyclopedia: Middle Ages
Internet Archive: A Note-Book of Mediaeval History, A.D. 323- A.D. 1453
Google Video: Medieval Lives -The Peasant (Time: (23:06)

Middle Ages Background

The Later Roman Empire

Wikipedia: Decline of the Roman Empire
University of Chicago: J. B. Bury's History of the Later Roman Empire
Washington State University: Rome: The Late Empire
The History Guide: Byzantine Civilization

The Carolingians

Mahalo's Guide to Charlemagne
Wikipedia: Carolingian Dynasty
Fordham University: Carolingians and After

The Crusades

Wikipedia: Crusades
Fordham University: The Crusade of Frederick II, 1228-29
Boise State University: The Crusades
GodSpy: "The Real History of the Crusades", by Thomas F. Madden (March 27, 2008)
Catholic Encyclopedia: Crusades

The Hundred Year's War

Mahalo's Guide to the Hundred Years' War
Mahalo's Guide to the Joan of Arc
Wikipedia: Hundred Years' War
Maison St. Claire: The Chronicles of Sir Jean Froissart

Middle Ages Life and Culture

Literature

Mahalo's Guide to Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales
University of Michigan: The Canterbury Tales
The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages
Furman University: The Great Vowel Shift

Religion

The Cistercians in Yorkshire: Abbeys | People
British Library: The Story of Thomas Becket's death
Google Video: Medieval Lives- The Monk
Annenberg Media: The Middle Ages: Religion
Google Books: Contesting Christendom

Medicine

Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humantities: The Florentine Chronicle
Eyewitness to History: The Black Death, 1348
MiddleAges.net: The Medieval Miracles of Healing -- Medical Science
Islamic Heritage: A History of Medieval Muslim Pharmacy

Military Affairs

Nipissing University: Deeds of Arms
DeReMilitari: Warfare in the Middle Ages
DeReMilitari: Warfare in 13th century Byzantium, according to George Akropolites

Daily Life

Annenberg Media: The Middle Ages: Feudal Life
Central European University: Dress, Jewels, Arms and Coat of Arms
Minnesota State University eMuseum: Middle Ages Daily Life--Peasants
Gode Cookery: Tales of the Middle Ages - Daily Life

Middle Ages Images and Media

Google Video Search: Middle Ages
Google Video: The Worst Jobs In History, The Middle Ages (Time: 48:39)
You Tube: Medieval Life (Part Two) (Time: 2:50)
YouTube: Medieval Life (Part One) (Time 3:49)

Middle Ages Books and Research

Google Book Search: Middle Ages
Amazon.com: Middle Ages Books
Google Books: The Middle Ages, by Morris Bishop
Project Gutenberg: Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren and Addison B. Poland

Middle Ages Timeline

406: Roman legions withdraw from Britain
449: Anglo-Saxons invade Britain
496: Battle of Mount Badon ends the Saxon invasions
597: St. Augustine sent by the Pope to convert the British
800: Charlemagne crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
800-900: Viking invasions of Britain and European mainland
1066: Battle of Hastings
1100: (Approximately) Beowulf written
1096-1270: Crusades
1152: Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine
1307: Dante writes the Divine Comedy
1337-1453: Hundred Years' War
1346-1351: Bubonic plague kills one-third of the European population.
1381: The Peasant's Revolt occurs in England
1397: Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales
1431: Joan of Arc burned at the stake
1450: Johann Gutenberg invents the printing press
1455-1487: War of the Roses
1484: Sir Thomas Malory writes Le Morte Darthur
1492: Christopher Columbus's search for a new route to India lands him in America

Middle Ages in Popular Culture

IMDb: Braveheart (1995)
YouTube: Totally Spies - Stuck In The Middle Ages With You (Time: 10:29)
YouTube: Gumby - Birthday Party in the Middle Ages (Time: 1:47)

Middle Ages Satire and Humor

YouTube: Middle Ages Tech Support (Time: 2:25)

Related Searches

Edward III of England | Hundred Years' War | Joan of Arc | Charlemagne | Beowulf | The Canterbury Tales | Magna Carta | Boccaccio

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Guide Note

The Middle Ages extended from approximately 500 to 1500 AD, from the collapse of the Roman Empire to The Renaissance. The term "medieval" refers to things made, written, or thought during the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages was a period of enormous historical, social, and linguistic change.

Fast Facts

Reading and writing essentially restricted to the clergy
Approximately one church for every 200 people in Europe
Infant mortality was 30%
European life expectancy was 35 years
Average Height: Man 5'7", Woman 5'2"
75% of the population involved in agriculture

Early Middle Ages

This Middle Ages are also known as the Dark Ages. The term originated with historians who were attempting to draw a contrast with modern times, which they viewed as "enlightened." The lack of accurate recorded history about the period led to them being characterized as "dark." The Early Middle Ages began with the fall of the Roman Empire in the West and was characterized by invasions and conquests of former Roman territories by tribes attempting to fill the void. This time period saw the invasion of Britain by the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes, as well as the Viking incursions into England and the European mainland. During this time period, Christianity spread through Europe and Islam spread throughout Spain and North Africa.

High Middle Ages

The High Middle Ages extended from 1000-1300 AD and was characterized by social and political change, fueled by rapid population growth and extensive trade. The High Middle Ages saw the establishment of more structured political entities with the rise of Nation States in Europe. Religion was still a major force in society, prompting the Crusades as well as the construction of many great cathedrals.

Late Middle Ages

Famine and plague reduced the population of Europe by over a third at the beginning of the Late Middle Ages, checking the rate of growth that had been experienced during the High Middle Ages. The merchant class consolidated as the population urbanized and the feudal system disbanded. Trade became increasing important, prompting explorations such as Christopher Columbus' voyage in search of a new route to India and the Far East.

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