Lagan History Zone
  • Home
    • Blog
    • CLASSROOM CODES
  • Year 8
    • What is History?
    • 1066 >
      • The Battle of Hastings >
        • SKILLS: Using your Evidence
    • The Norman Conquest
    • The Normans in Ireland
    • Religion in the Middle Ages
    • Henry II and Beckett
    • The Black Death
    • Crime and Punishment
    • Year 8 Summer Revision Checklist >
      • Year 8 Read on...
    • Yr 8 Upload & Review
    • Yr 8 SHOWCASE
  • Year 9
    • The Reformation
    • The English Reformation
    • Mary Queen of Scots
    • The Spanish Armada
    • Gunpowder Plot
    • Ireland in the 16th and 17th Centuries
    • Cromwell
    • The Battle of the Boyne
    • Native Americans
    • Year 9 Revision Checklist
    • Yr 9 Upload & Review
    • Yr 9 SHOWCASE
  • Year 10
    • The 20th Century
    • The Titanic
    • The Suffragettes
    • The Holocaust
    • Why is Ireland Partitioned?
    • The Northern Ireland 'Troubles'
    • The First World War
    • Year 10 Revision list
    • Year 10 Quiz section
    • Yr 10 Upload & Review
    • Yr 10 SHOWCASE
  • GCSE
    • GCSE History Menu
    • GCSE: Prepared Answers
    • GCSE Mindmaps >
      • NAZI GERMANY MINDMAPS
      • NORTHERN IRELAND MINDMAPS
      • INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS MINDMAPS
    • GCSE Interactive Quizzes
    • GCSE Timelines
    • GCSE Revision >
      • YR 11 REVISION LIST
      • YR 12 GCSE REVISION LIST
    • GCSE SHOWCASE
  • A Level
    • AS 1 (Yr13) Germany >
      • 1) WEIMAR REPUBLIC 1919-29
      • 2) DECLINE OF WEIMAR/ RISE OF THE NAZIS 1930-33
      • 3) DEVELOPMENTS IN NAZI GERMANY 1933-39
      • 4) THE IMPACT OF WAR ON NAZI GERMANY & EUROPE
      • AS1 GERMANY GUIDANCE >
        • Past Exams
        • AS 1 Germany Essential Downloads
        • AS 1 Revision Mindmaps
      • Assignments
    • AS 2 (Yr13) Russia >
      • 2) Collapse of Tsarism 1914-17
      • 3) October Revolution 1917
      • 4) Bolshevik Consolidation of power 1917-24
      • 5) Stalin's rise to power
      • 6) Stalin's Economic Policies
      • 7) Control in Stalin's Russia
      • AS 2 Russia Essential downloads
      • AS 2 Russia Recommended Reading list
      • Past Exams
    • A 2 (Yr 14) Partition of Ireland >
      • 1) The Home Rule Crisis 1900-1914
      • 2) Political Developments 1914-18
      • 3) 1919-1923 - Political Developments
      • 4) Northern Ireland 1921-25
      • A 2 Ireland Resources
    • A2 Clash of ideologies >
      • 1) Russia and Europe 1900-14
      • Revolutionary Russia 1917-24 >
        • Western Foreign Policy 1917-24
      • Stalin's USSR 1924-33
      • The Struggle for Survival 1933-45
      • The Search for Security 1945-56
      • Co-Operation and Co-Existance 1956-79
      • Soviet aggression and collapse 1979-91
    • Timelines
  • Careers
  • Interactive Timelines
  • Interactive Quizzes
Picture
< PREVIOUS: The Normans in Ireland
HENRY II & BECKET >

WHY WAS RELIGION SO IMPORTANT IN THE MIDDLE AGES? 

Picture
Picture
In Europe during the Middle Ages nearly everyone believed in GOD. 

They followed the ROMAN CATHOLIC religion. 

This was led by the POPE in Rome. It was the main religion in Europe at this time.
Picture
People believed that HEAVEN and HELL were very real places. Where you ended up depended on how you lived your life on Earth!

For some people life seemed very hard and Heaven seemed a warm comforting place to make up for all the suffering on Earth. 

People also used religion to explain things: 
FOR EXAMPLE:
  • If they fell and broke their arm they felt it was a PUNISHMENT FROM GOD! 
  • To be sure of getting to Heaven you had to ensure you did certain things on earth - like donating money to the Church. 
 
Picture

HOW DID PEOPLE FIND OUT WHAT THE CHURCH BELIEVED?

Picture
Most people in the Middle ages were very poor. School had to be paid for so most could not read or write. 
  • To make matters worse the Church had its own language called LATIN!! Only the very rich and educated could understand it!! 
This meant most people had very little idea what was written in the Bible or what was said in church services!  
How then could they understand and believe? 

The church thought of clever ways to help people understand the bible: (TRY TO REMEMBER THEM)


  1. STAINED  GLASS WINDOWS 
  2. STATUES
  3. PICTURES 
  4. THE PRIEST 

Picture
One special type of PICTURES were called DOOM PAINTINGS. 

These were HUGE paintings  painted in churches to try and show people what Heaven and Hell were like.

This was to make people believe and follow the Church. 
Picture

Look below CAN YOU SPOT these??
1. Murderers being put into a pot of boiling oil?
2. A bridge of spikes for dishonest workmen?
3. A money lender burning —but still counting money?
4. Demons pulling people off the ladder
5. A woman having her hand bitten by a dog
6. A drunken pilgrim drinking from a wine bottle
7. Jesus defeating the devil who has his hands tied
8. Angels helping people up the ladder into Heaven
9. St Michael weighing peoples souls to see if they are good enough to get into heaven

Picture

WHAT WERE THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CHURCH?

Picture
Many people in the Middle Ages were scared or respectful of the church BUT there were many who had big problems with it and things they felt were wrong and needed Reformed or Changed:
  1. FIRSTLY: LATIN  was the special language of the Church. BIBLES were written in it and Religious services were said in it. Most ordinary people couldn't understand!! The PRIEST sometimes didn't understand what he was saying!!! 
  2. SECONDLY THE CHURCH WASN'T FREE.                         Everyone had to give 10% of what they grew or earned. This was called a TITHE.: They had to give this even when harvests were bad!! They had to even give the Priest their second best animal when a person died!! People were angry about this! 

HOW WAS THE CHURCH ORGANISED? 

Picture

HOW DID PEOPLE SHOW HOW RELIGIOUS THEY WERE? 

Picture
There were a number of ways people could show how religious they were. Many would want to please God to get to Heaven. Others would want to be healed from sickness and believed they could be healed through pleasing God
  1. People would GIVE MONEY to the church 
  2. People would make a special religious journey or PILGRIMAGE
  3. Some would buy special religious objects called RELICS or PARDONS
  4. Men could show how religious they were by going on a CRUSADE - (Religious war)
  5. Men and Women may devote their lives to God by becoming MONKS or NUNS

PILGRIMAGES 

Picture
A PILGRIMAGE IS A RELIGIOUS JOURNEY. In the Middle Ages people would make long journeys to travel to special HOLY SITES or SHRINES. 
They believed by doing so they would get a blessing from God or perhaps get healed from a disease. 

People today still visit holy sites around the world. 
  • In India Hindus visit Varanassi a city on the holy river GANGES
  • Muslims make a HAJJ - a special religious journey to the holy city of MECCA in Saudi Arabia. They do this once in their lives
  • In Ireland people travel to KNOCK in the west of Ireland 
  • Many Catholics travel to the holy shrine at LOURDES in France for a cure. 

BUYING RELICS OR PARDONS 

Picture
People in the Middle Ages would often spend large amounts of money to buy PARDONS or RELICS. Pardons could be bought from the church to 'forgive sins' 

RELICS were holy items with some religious connection. Many churches claimed to have a real piece of the Cross or a part of Jesus' clothes. 

These items would often cost a lot of money and many people would travel huge distances to see them. 
One of the most famous relics in the world is the
TURIN SHROUD
. It is said to be from the death robes (shroud) of Jesus and seems to show his image. 

Check out this weblink: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/4210369.stmweeblylink_new_window

MONKS AND NUNS

Picture
Often men and women in the Middle Ages would DEVOTE THEIR LIFE TO SERVING GOD by becoming a MONK or NUN. 

  • Men became MONKS. 
  • They Lived in MONASTERIES. 
  • Their life was spent devoted to God with strict times to Pray, Eat, Worship and Work
  • The top of their head was shaved in a TONSURE to show their devotion.
  • They also wore a HABIT which was a plain robe
  • They were very important in their community. They would look after the sick and teach the poor.
  • They would also write the bibles - as there were no printing presses!! 


Picture
a MONASTERY
Picture
A big Monastery - like at Greyabbey or Downpatrick
Picture
Monks would spend their day praying, eating plain food. gardening and growing vegetables, singing or chanting, writing beautiful copies of the Bible, may be even looking after the sick or teaching the poor.

NUNS

Picture
Women lived separately from men in CONVENTS.

They dedicated their lives to God and would carry out many of the same duties as the men. 

Picture
Picture
< PREVIOUS: Normans in Ireland
NEXT: HENRY II & BECKETT >
© J Wishart 2018
Picture
Welcome to Lagan College History Department Site