Mediaeval RPG

Politics of the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, political views were put on religious form and had religious content. The main source of religious interpretation of the problems of public life was the Bible. Mediaeval thinkers justified the divine nature of the state, referring to the thesis of the "natural sinfulness" of man.The dominant political idea of Europe in the Middle Ages was the idea of the empire inherited from Rome as a territorial and state structure, including many countries and peoples with their customs, religions, mythology, ethnic characteristics under a single political leadership. If we talk about forms of government, then here, too, the Roman heritage is clearly seen in the form of a monarchy - the power of one ruler. The Middle Ages are the heyday of mediaeval societies (mid-XIV centuries). During this period, a political system of class-representative monarchy developed in Europe, in which the power of the king was combined with institutions representing the interests of the classes: nobility, clergy and citizens.The bodies of class representation (the parliament in England, the States General in France, the Cortes in Spain, etc.) played an important role in the vote of taxes, the discussion of laws and the most important state decisions, the development of the political system, the expansion and deepening of the political process. In Russia, a class-representative monarchy was formed (due to the catching-up development) later. Zemsky councils - the predecessors of modern state councils - were held in the XVI-XVII centuries.

Mentality:

The consciousness of mediaeval man was imped by a sense of insecurity: uncertainty in material life, spiritual uncertainty - all this determined the behaviour and mentality of a person in the Middle Ages. This feeling determined the role of authorities in people's lives. It was felt in all areas of life. The authorities ruled the spiritual life. Mediaeval minds were attracted by what could be confirmed by authority and miracle. Earthquakes, comets, eclipses - these are the stories worthy of surprise and research. Miracles could happen at critical moments in the life of anyone who was liked the intervention of supernatural forces. And this is a hero.Gestures are cycles of epic poems in French mediaeval literature, such as "The Song of Roland". A characteristic feature of the mediaeval mentality was the hostile attitude to everything new, orientation to tradition. At the same time, the first Carolingian Renaissance made certain amendments to the mentality of mediaeval man, creating a precedent for the possibility of change. In the XII century, the manifestation of such "innovations" was the development of new mental equipment. It was carried out by teachers of city schools, which became universities.

Mediaeval economy

During the Middle Ages, economic changes took place, including the development of markets and domestic trade, the growth of agricultural production as a result of the use of new technologies, the sale of handicrafts, the use of money as a means of exchange and foreign trade. Merchants and artisans played a major role in these economic transformations, but other classes also contributed to the mediaeval economy. Buddhist monks who studied in China, in particular the monks of the Zen current, served as a link between Japan and China not only in terms of religion, but also in terms of making useful contacts for those who traded with China. The military has helped the economy as a consumer of a variety of goods, both domestic and imported. Many warrior officials appointed by the shogunate as rulers of large cities and provinces also created markets focussed on meeting the needs of their social class. The use of money in the form of coins in turn was associated with this phenomenon. The emergence of daimyo possessions in various parts of the country during the 14th and 15th centuries also had an impact on the economy. Regional feudal lords sought to ensure that the quality of goods corresponded to their social position and demanded that markets and other commercial structures provide samurai and farmers who cultivated their land. Wandering merchants travelled from estate to estate, once or twice a month opening small auctions and fairs. These markets gradually became permanent due to the growth in demand. Craftsmen also settled in such places to sell the goods they produced. The emergence of market cities was a direct consequence of such commercial activities.

Agriculture:

In the mediaeval period, there was an increase in agricultural production. This was partly the result of the use of new technologies, which included the spread and widespread use of iron tools and the harvest of two crops per year. One of the important transformations in the mediaeval economy that accompanied the growth of agricultural production was the increasing importance of self-governing and independent villages. During the mediaeval period, aristocratic estates as centres of economic activity declined. As a result, the villages quickly took on the role of centres of agricultural production. Such villages were managed by farmers settled there. The village head was a mediator between the peasants and the regional feudal lord and was responsible for collecting tax from each farmer. Over time, feudal lords began to hire village heads. The agricultural economy was communal in all aspects. Growing rice in flooded fields was a very labour-intensive process that required joint efforts in the construction of multi-level fields and an irrigation system for their irrigation. Planting rice was also a painstaking activity: seedlings were planted one plant at a time in the field, which required general labour. Finally, the villagers united to fulfil Other tasks, such as the construction of houses and rice storage facilities necessary for the economic prosperity of the entire community.

Leading countries of the Middle Ages

England and France Centralised states are the strongest in Europe. In the Late Middle Ages, large centralised states of England and France were formed in Europe. And at the end of the 15th century, a new centralised state appeared - Spain. They became the strongest in Western Europe, although they were not the largest.The largest state remained the Holy Roman Empire, but feudal fragmentation prevailed there. It weakened the empire.

The fate of women in the Middle Ages

If we talk about real mediaeval women, you obviously can't envy their fate. Let's start with the fact that the purpose of her birth is to give birth and raise offspring. Girls could get married at the age of 12, provided that "maturation" occurs. Boys were considered men at 14, from that age they could create a family "Is a woman a human being at all?" It was in the 9th century at one of the church cathedrals. We agreed that it is, after all, mainly thanks to the Virgin Mary. But they also remembered Eve's sins, and considered that even if a woman is a man, he is clearly not perfect, weak and full of carnal sins. At that time, the desire for God and spirituality was considered a male principle. From this it was concluded that the husband's wife should be brought up and guided to the true path. For the purpose of education, it was not considered shameful to pick up the rods. The main thing is not to kill, it was still not welcomed. The woman had no rights as such. They could not vote, they were not allowed to study, and the possibility of inheriting land and other property became possible only during the late Middle Ages. And even then, a woman transferred all the property to her husband or later to her future husband, if she was single. The woman was generally considered the property of her husband. The monk Nikolai Bayrda wrote about this: "A husband has the right to punish his wife and beat her for correction, because she belongs to his household." The fate of unmarried women was no better. They either became maids in wealthy families or were given to a monastery. Some jokingly say that there are no beautiful women left in Europe. All because of the fact that they were all betrayed to the Inquisition, and the fate of the witches befell them. And this is partly true. And all thanks to the monks Institute and Sprenger, who in 1487 wrote a well-known work "The Hammer of Witches".

The fate of women in the Middle Ages

Since then, a beautiful woman (or any other) could be accused of having to do with the devil. Then give it to a cleansing fire. It happened that a woman was accused of becoming the object of a man's desire, it was assumed that she did it on purpose. Of course, there had to be a trial and an inquiry before the execution. But it's not hard to imagine that after that it was easier for most women to admit what they never did than to endure torture.

Religion in the Middle Ages

It was in the Middle Ages that the period of active spread of the world's main religions began: Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. Religion determined a person's views on the world, his behaviour and habits.

Inquisition

Inquisition in the 13th-19th centuries in the practice of the Catholic Church, a system of prosecution of serious crimes against faith, primarily heresy and vedovism. The emergence of the inquisition. The prerequisite for the appearance of the Inquisition was the active spread of Manichean heresies in Western Europe in the 10th-12th centuries.

Fashion in the Middle Ages

All the most valuable things a person of that time wore to the vigourous festivities that took place, as a rule, in the city. Peasants wore jackets and short skirts, which is reflected in mediaeval mosaics. Over time, buttons and cords appeared on clothes instead of massive straps, scarves, caps and gloves became popular. Long pants instead of dresses came into use. From outerwear, long shirts, blio and tight highways were available. In the Middle Ages, there were no concepts of "home" or "street" clothing: the costume was worn all day. Going to bed in cold weather, people put on everything they had. The richer audience had much more interesting things with the wardrobe: expensive dyes for fabric were used, collars were made of rabbit fur, squirrels or ermines. In the 14th century, the costume began to be supplemented with rich jewellery: earrings with precious stones, necklaces, gold accessories. Mediaeval clothes, as a rule, were without pockets. And where to carry all the most valuable things? Of course, on the belt. The keys, a tight wallet, and even a cleaver were attached here. As for shoes, leather and wood products prevailed. Such shoes wear out very quickly: they had to be changed at least once every three months. The profession of shoemaker was extremely in demand and well paid. For rich people there were also suede comfortable shoes with precious jewellery.

Fashion for hairstyles in the Middle Ages

The main features of the male or female image were determined by fashion. But there was another important aspect of this issue - a professional need. The white clergy left their faces without hair, while the monks let go of their beards. The warrior could not wear too long hair and beard: the closed helmet did not allow it. Women wore braids, sometimes chignons, were engaged in hair styling. Archeologists regularly find confirmation of this in the form of combs made of bone or wood, as well as mirrors. To loosen hair is to remind society of its sexual significance, so a woman should have worn a hat in public. At home, she could afford to walk with her head uncovered or with her hair down. There were several popular types of hats: a woollen cap for cold seasons, a straw hat that saved from sunlight on hot days. Over time, hats for clerics, merchants, officials began to appear.

Diseases that existed in the Middle Ages

The main diseases of the Middle Ages were: tuberculosis, malaria, smallpox, whooping cough, scabies, various deformities, nervous diseases, abscesses, gangrene, ulcers, tumours, chancra, eczema (fire of St. Lawrence), rosacea (fire of St. Sylviana) - everything is flanted in miniatures and pious texts. The usual companions of all wars were dysentery, typhus and cholera, from which until the middle of the XIX century, much more soldiers died than from battles.

In addition

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