Life on a Mediaeval Barony / A Picture of a Typical Feudal Community in the Thirteenth Century

by William Stearns Davis

• [R]
• Ragman's roll, [51].
• Ransoms, sought in tourneys, [220].
• Recluses, [296].
• Reign of Folly, [291].
• Relics, holy, used for healing, [282], [283].
  • saints, [307] ff.
  • collections of, [308].
  • great value of, [309].
  • often spurious, [310].
  • "translations" of, [311].
• Religion, popular, [286 ff].
  • attitude of knights, [287].
  • fear of Last Day, [288].
  • Excommunications, [289].
  • public penance, [290].
  • festive side of religion, [291].
  • "Reign of Folly," [291].
  • Mass of the Ass, [292].
  • Worship of the Virgin, [293].
  • Christmas celebrations, [294].
  • mystery plays, [295].
  • hermits and recluses, [296].
  • pilgrims, [297] ff.
  • belief in spirits, [301] ff.
• Rings, customs with, [95], [96].
• Rising, early hour for, [41].
• Roads, evil state of, [344].
• Roland, Chanson de, [138].
  • ordeal by battle in, [162].
• Romances, North French, [142], [143].
  • read by young nobles, [180].
• Roman Law, returning to vogue, [160].
• Rome, resort for pilgrims, [299].
• Routine of the day, for a baron, [43].
• Rushes for carpets in castle halls, [37].

• [S]
• Sanitation, lacking in castle cookhouses, [28].
  • not sufficiently guarded even by nobility, [42].
• Scientific studies, in monasteries, [337] ff.
• Seigneurial officers, [259].
• Self-sufficiency of a well-ruled barony, [46].
• Seneschal, of a castle, [48].
• Serfdom, [256].
• Service, personal, honorable for nobles, [48].
• Servants, abundant in castles, [85].
  • organization and duties of, [86].
• Service, at table, [123].
• Shields, [193].
• Shopkeepers, [358], [359].
• Shoes, [90].
• Shrines, sought by pilgrims, [298].
• Sickness, frequent in Middle Ages, [277].
  • leprosy and other plagues, [278].
  • great losses in childbirth, [279].
  • healing saints, [279], [280].
  • mediæval medicine, [280] ff.
• Siege of a castle, [234] ff.
  • varieties of siege engines, [236], [237].
  • the beffroi, [237].
  • mantelets, [238].
  • undermining a wall, [239].
• Silks, for apparel, [92].
• Sortes Apostolorum, [306].
• Soups, [117].
• Spirits, supernatural, belief in, [301].
• Squires, taught to serve at table, [123].
  • training and duties of, [182]-[184].
• Subinfeudation, [12].
• Superstitions, of peasants, [306].
  • See [Witchcraft], [Devil], etc.
• Surcoat, introduction of, [93].
• Suzerains, see [Feudualism].
• Swords, [194].
• Syndics, of guilds, [362].
• Syria, famous castles in, [19].

• [T]
• Tables, at dinner, [124].
• Tapestries, in castles, [37], [38].
• Taverns, [345].
• Tennis, game of, [57].
• Thirteenth Century: height of the Middle Ages, [2].
• Tilting, see [Tourneys].
• Times for meals, [42].
• Tolls, on commerce, [367].
• Tortures, [165] ff.
  • vainly discouraged by Pope Nicholas I, [166].
  • methods of, [167] ff.
• Tolls, at a baron's bridge, [12].
• Towers of castle, [23].
• Trade, in towns, [358] ff.
  • See [Fairs].
• Travelers, usually welcomed at castles, [44].
• Travel, [343]-[345].
• Trenchers, at feast, [127].
• Tristan and Ysolt, story of, [139].
• Trivium, [336].
• Trojan War, romances of, [179].
• Troubadour songs, [144], [145].
• Tourneys, [208] ff.
  • "crying" the tourney, [208].
  • people attracted to them, [209].
  • early tourneys were battles, [209], [210].
  • denounced by Church, [210].
  • arrangements for, [210], [211].
  • lists and lodges, [211].
  • opening ceremonies, [212].
  • procession of jousters, [213].
  • armor and bizarre costumes worn, [214].
  • jousting by pairs, [215].
  • art of lance-breaking, [216].
  • a bloody duel, [217].
  • defending a barrier, [218], [219].
  • dueling for ransoms, [220].
  • the mêlée, [221], [222].
  • vast expense of tourneys, [223].
• Trouvéres, [142] ff.
• Tyranny, of outrageous barons, [8], [9].

• [V]
• Vassals, can have two or more seigneurs, [11].
  • desire to hold from the king, [12].
  • summons of, to war, [230].
  • see [Feudalism], [Homage], etc.
• Vegetables, [68], [118].
• Vigil before knighthood, [202].
• Vikings, castles built to resist them, [5].
• Villeins, subject to summary justice, [164].
  • See [Peasants].
• Virgin, The, popular worship of, [293].

• [W]
• Walls of castle, [23].
• Wars, nobles delight in, [176].
  • almost incessant, [224].
  • varieties of, [225].
  • See [Feuds].
• Watchman, on castle tower, [34].
• Weapons, give superiority to nobles, [189].
  • arms preferred by them, [189], [190].
  • missile weapons non-noble, [191].
  • armor, [191] ff.
  • hauberks and helmets, [192].
  • shields, [193].
  • swords, [194].
  • lances, [195].
• Wedding proceedings, [106] ff.
  • bridal procession, [109].
  • ceremony at church, [109], [110].
  • presents at wedding, [110].
  • great feast at wedding, [111].
• Windows, glass in castle, [35].
  • stained glass in churches, [402].
• Wine, [120].
• Witchcraft, [303] ff.
  • casting a spell, [305].
  • lawful forms of divining, [306].
• Witches, [303]-[305].
• Wizards, [303]-[305].
• Women, noble, praised for beauty by minstrels, [70].
  • types of female beauty, [71].
  • taught good manners, [72], [73].
  • married off against their will, [74].
  • can be harshly treated, [74], [75].
  • sometimes grossly neglected, [76].
  • often extremely coarse, [77].
  • alleged shortcomings of, [78].
  • accomplishments of, [79].
  • manage children and household, [80] ff.
• Woolens, generally used for garments, [89].

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Books of Art and Artcraft

HISTORY OF ART
By Elie Faure

Volume I—Ancient Art
Translated from the French by Walter Pach

No History of Art fills the place of this one. It shows art to be the expression of the race, not an individual expression of the artist. It tells why and how man constructs works of art. Nearly 200 unusual and beautiful illustrations selected by the author.