Medieval England [antikvár]

The Medieval Age Master builder This effigy of Henry Yevele, who worked on Canterbury Cathedral for 28 years, appears on one of the cloister roof bosses. Myth and reality Myth and reality were never far apart in the Middle Ages. This medieval artist pictured a tournament at Caerleon, Wales, in the presence of the legendary King Arthur. People are wearing the armour and court dress of a later age of chivalry. Medieval masterworks A breathtaking achievement: the soaring nave of Canterbury Cathedral leads the eye heavenwards to the intricate vaulting of the ceiling. Dating from c 1400, Canterbury's nave is the work of Henry Yevele, master mason to Edward III. The Middle Ages in Europe lasted around a thousand years - from roughly ad 500, as Roman power collapsed in western Europe, to 1500, when new forces driven by the Renaissance and Reformation were reshaping European society. Three key elements combined to create medieval society: the importance of kingship, the role of the Christian Church, and the development of a land-based social structure conveniently known as 'feudalism'. These powerfiil forces shaped a way of life that was in some respects very different from our own, yet with many familiar features. For England, and ultimately for the whole of Britain, the year 1066 marked a turning point. The Norman Conquest overthrew 500 years of Saxon dominance in England, creating a new social order. Beginning with the story of the Conquest, this book traces the history of medieval England to 1485 and the end of the Wars of the Roses. An era of English history that began and ended with invasion and a change of king was seldom anything but tumultuous. In a world without newspapers, where news and rumour were spread by gossip and proclamation, there were many dramatic and significant 'stories' such as the signing of Magna Carta, the assassination of Thomas Becket and the mysterious disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. The evocative words of witnesses and commentators, illuminating the dry facts of ancient manuscripts, bring such stories to life, and also highlight the experiences of ordinary men and women. fcs=» Battles for a crown begin and end the story that opens at Hastings and closes at Bosworth. In both of these conflicts, a reigning king lost his life and throne to a rival. After Bosworth, and as the Middle Ages drew to a close, the new Tudor dynasty arose triumphant to rule England. Another colourful chapter in the long history of these islands had begun to unfold.