Flashcards
The crusades- key terms
Cards in this deck (48)
- 1ExcommunicateTo ban from church services.
To a medieval Christian this was a serious punishment as it risked condemnation to hell. - 2ChristendomThe name for thew universal state of the Christian Church.
It could be used to refer to either the Latin or Greek Orthodox Church in medieval times. - 3InvestitureThe ceremony at which bishop was invested with his new role
In the 11th century, this was performed by kings and emperors, contrary to Church law. - 4OutremerThe name for the crusader states in the Holy land. It included the counties of Edessa, Tripoli, the principality of Antioch and the kingdom of Jerusalem.
- 5CastellanA knight who rules over a castle. The term is most commonly applied to French knights whose castles dotted the countryside of France.
- 6EcclesiasticalAll things related to the Church or its members.
- 7VizierThe main governor of a country who ran it on a day-to-day basis. The vizier was chosen by a caliph, a muslim leader who was head of a ruling dynasty, but had considerably more power than a caliph.
- 8FranksThe name used to refer to crusaders. It was used due to the fact that many of the first crusaders had connections with various French duchies, such as Normandy.
- 9True CrossA famous relic. This was believed to be the cross that Jesus was crucified upon and was taken by the Franks during the first Crusade.
- 10BezantA good coin used by Greeks. It was a standard unit of currency throughout the Mediterranean world.
- 11AntipopeA person who has been made pope I opposition to someone who is pope according to the Church law.
e.g. Pope Clement III was appointed by the German Emperor in opposition to Gregory VII - 12PapacyThe office of the pope. It is often used to refer to the people who worked on behalf of the pope as well.
- 13Holy LandA general term to refer to the lands associated with Christ's life and his apostles. After being taken by the crusaders was called Outremer.
- 14PurgatoryA middle place between heaven and hell where medieval Catholics believed they underwent spiritual correction for their sins until they were pure enough to enter heaven. It was not fully defined until the 13th century.
- 15PilgrimageA journey with a religious purpose. Pilgrimages were considered a form of penance and often went to destinations associated with a saint or the life of Christ.
- 16CluniacA monastery or religious community associated with the Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy. Cluny emphasised spiritual purity and freedom from secular control.
- 17Peace MovementAn attempt, enforced through councils of the church, to limit violence in Europe. The movement began in the late tenth century.
- 18TroubadourA poet who sings and composes to a crowd. Troubadours often sang to an aristocratic or knightly audience.
- 19PatriarchA bishop of one of the five seats of authority created during the earliest days of Christianity. The patriarch of Constantinople was in charge of the Greek Orthodox tradition.
- 20CanonistA person who studies church law and is an expert in it.
- 21Penitential warfareA war fought as a penance, or punishment, to make up for sins committed. A crusade is an early example of this type of war.
- 22PenanceThis is the punishment a sinner undertakes for the sin they have committed. Pilgrimage was considered a form of penance, as were a range of charitable works.
- 23Gregorian Reform MovementA group of churchmen, under the leadership of Pope Gregory VII, who wanted to improve the church. They tried to return he church to an earlier more pious form.
- 24Treasury of the ChurchThis was an early version of a theory called the Treasury of Merit. The idea was that the Catholic Church had a store of merit from Christ and the saints that it saw fit.
- 25Christ's passionThe story of Christ's last days on Earth. It covers the events from the last supper to his crucifixion.
- 26Temporal rulerA person with power over the business of the real political world rather than the spiritual world: for example, a king or a prince.
- 27LiturgyThe form and manner in which a religious service occurs: for example, the order and wording of Mass or Holy Communion.
- 28Couched lance cavalry chargeThis was a form of attack used by a group of knights. The lance was clasped under the arm and they raced on horseback towards the enemy with lethal force.
- 29TourneyA medieval jousting tournament. These were condemned but eh Church as they often ended in fatalities.
- 30TemplarA group of knights who formed a religious order based at the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Their name came from their headquarters.
- 31Brother knightsThe name for a full member of a military order.
- 32HospitallerThe knights associated with the maintenance of the Hospital of St John.
- 33BootyMoney, goods and other valuables taken by soldiers on campaign, usually as spoils of war.
- 34ContingentA group of armies with a shared sense of purpose or identity. For example, the northern French contingent of the First Crusade contained at least four armies.
- 35VassalageThis was a formal commitment to acknowledge someone as your overlord in return for land. In the context of the First Crusade, this meant any land the crusaders acquired they held on behalf of Alexius I.
- 36CountyAn area of land ruled by a count. In outrider a count was a member of the upper nobility and held their land from the king of Jerusalem.
- 37Council of PrincesThe term for the group that met to make command decisions during the First Crusade. It included the key princes who led the crusade, such as Bohemond of Taranto.
- 38TurcopleThe light cavalry troops used by the Byzantine Empire. They were paid mercenaries with mixed Greek and Turkish heritage.
- 39ForagingAn attempt to search and steal food supplies. These were a common feature of the crusades, because they could not travel with enough supplies to sustain their army for long periods.
- 40RearguardThe soldiers who travelled at the back of the army. They either stayed behind to defend when the vanguard (front) had launched an attack, or protected the rear of a march formation.
- 41FortifyBuild up defences, such as walls and towers, in order to protect a town or city. Most of the towns the crusaders encountered contained strong, thick walls that they had to overcome.
- 42SaracenThe name used by Christian crusaders to refer to followers of Islam.
- 43Siege TowerA large tower made of wood and protected by animal skins to pre4vent it being set alight. These were used, along with ladders, to break into a fortified town or city.
- 44HomageA formal commitment to acknowledge someone as your overlord. Alexius asked for similar commitment from the First Crusaders.
- 45SunnaThis literally translates as 'habitual practice'. It is a collection of customs, both legal and social, followed by the Sunni Islamic community.
- 46Shari'aThis translates as 'the path leading to the watering place'. It is the main body of the Islamic law and provides instruction on how to live as a Muslim.
- 47SultanThe ruler of a sultanate. A sultan was of equivalent status to a king with a large kingdom in Western Europe.
- 48AtabegA military ruler similar to the position of a general in the West. An atabeg could both lead an army and rule a city or territory.
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- AS level (Early) History Flashcards on The crusades- key terms, created by Isabel Knight on 20/09/2017.
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