Middle Ages

Time values given to musical notation

Sep 13, 1050

Before this event in musical history, music existed without meter as a single large group of notes. Musical notation introduced concepts such as meter and measures. The introduction of musical notation allowed musicians and singers to more easily follow music and also made it more complicated..

Battle of Hastings

Oct 14, 1066

William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, defeats the English army under King Harold II. 2,000 Normans were killed, but 4,000 English were killed, including King Harold. After the Battle of Hastings, William took control of England and became the first Norman king of England. He established the feudal system in which each man and woman had his or her place, whether it be a lord or a serf.

Gregorian Chants Change

Sep 12, 1075

During this time, much music was in the form of plainchant, which used monophonic, or singular voice, texture throughout. This meant that all music had a single melodic line with no harmony. The set of chants created by Pope Gregory 1 centuries earlier began to be changed or be done away with as music developed.

1st Crusade

Nov 27, 1095

Pope Urban II makes a speech calling the Christians in Europe to fight against Muslims to reclaim the Holy Land, what is now called the Middle East. Seljuk Turks had control of Jerusalem and barred Christians from making pilgrimages to their religion's birthplace. His speech, given at the Council of Clermont in France, called for Christians to stop in-fighting and fight against a common enemy. 60,000 to 100,000 people responded to his cry of "Deus vult!" or "God will it!"

Middle English

Jan 1, 1100

French language blends with Old English to create Middle English. This added regular metrical length to literature.

c. 1100s Polyphony Evolves

Sep 12, 1100

In the 12th century, composers became unsatisfied with the simple monophonic music they wrote and began to experiment with harmonies by adding notes octives apart and eventually by adding a completely different voice that begins on a different note.

Illuminated Manuscripts

Sep 12, 1100

These are some of the earliest forms of art in the Middle Ages. Illuminated Manuscripts were created all through out the Middle Ages, from 400 AD to the invention of the printing press around 1400. These illuminations include text with decorations and minature illustrations. Monks scribes would handwrite/draw these. Often they are religious texts, such as the Bible.

Knights Templar formed

Jan 1, 1119

The Knights Templar was founded to protect those pilgrimaging to the Holy Land. Its members pledged to live in poverty, chastity and obedience. The secret initiation ceremony and lack of records has led to legends, one of which says that the order discovered the Holy Grail and that the day King Philip of France ordered their arrest, Friday, October 13, started the superstition of the date. http://www.history.com/videos/knights-templar-defend-holy-land#knights-templar-defend-holy-land

Construction of the Notre Dame Cathedral

Nov 7, 1163

Built from 1163 to 1240. This is one of the most famous Roman Catholic Cathedrals constructed. It uses the Gothic style, as seen by the flying buttresses and gargoyles. It also has the biggest stained glass window constructed at its time. It serves as a bridge between the Romanesque and Gothic periods of Middle Ages Art.

Basilicas

Sep 12, 1200

Basilicas were a popular form of religious buildings during the Middle Ages. The people built these structures from Roman models. Many of them were churches. There are more than 1000 of these basilicas in Europe.

c. 1200 Perotin is born

Sep 12, 1200

Perotin was one of the more famous composers of the time and studied at the Notre Dame School of Polyphony. He wrote his pieces with three or four voices. His style of music would later become known as the "Old Art' (Ars Nova) as it used an early form of polyphony.

Magna Carta

Jun 15, 1215

King John of England faced a rebellion by the powerful barons. In 1215 at Runnymede, he accepted to agree to the Article of Barons, which four years later was issued publically and became known as the Magna Carta. The Great Charter was the first written consitution in England, outlining the rights of English citizens. This historical document has influenced constitutions everywhere, including America's, specifically with Habeus Corpus.

Carmina Burana Written

Sep 13, 1230

Carmina Burana, a collection of gothic stories of love, morals, and drinking that were put to song, was created. Written in latin, it would became a famous piece that is recognized and used to this day.

Marco Polo to China

Jan 1, 1275

Wealthy Venician merchant Marco Polo sets off with his family to travel to the Black Sea. He went to visit Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler of China. He served the emperor on many diplomatic missions. When he returned to Europe, Polo talked of the luxurious silk, porcelain, jade, and ivory of Asia. His talk of grandeur was unimaginable by the Europeans, and he became known as a lier. His stories were later written down into a book called "Travels of Marco Polo."

Adoration of the Magi, Giotto,

Nov 1, 1305

Adoration of the Magi, Giotto
Art was moving towards a realistic, 3 dimensional path. This artist, Giotto was the first of the Middle Ages to succeed in painting 3D reality. The Principle of Perspective also started appearing in works of other Late Middle Ages artists' works.

John Wycliffe

Aug 16, 1324

John Wycliffe was the first person to translate the Bible into English. He also seeked religious reform.

Bubonic Plague

Aug 13, 1348

The bubonic plague arrived to Europe in 1348 from rat fleas from China or Central Asia via merchant ships. One of the most devastating pandemics in history, it killed at least one third of Europe's population, with 25 million to 200 million dead in a four year period. This monstrous killer was called Black Death because of the black egg-sized swellings produced on the body. Victims died two to seven days after being infected.

Margery Kempe

Sep 13, 1373

Margery Kempe is considered the first author of an English autobiography.

Guillaume de Machaut Dies

Apr 13, 1377

Guillaume was a famous composer who took part in developing Ars Nova and also refined the music type known as the ballade. He was able to meld words with music in an eloquent way that made his music instantly likeable. His poems and songs were referenced for generations.

Robin Hood

Sep 13, 1377

William Langland’s Piers Plowman was the earliest recorded mentioning of this historic character.

Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales

May 13, 1387

Chaucer wrrites the CanterBury Tales, outshining any of his predecessors.

Joan of Arc Burned at the Stake

May 30, 1431

The Hundred Year's War (1337-1453) was originally between the King of France and the King of England over control of the French throne, but developed into a deep sense of nationalism between the two countries. Joan of Arc was a peasant girl from Spain, who at the age of 16, began having "visions" from saints of where the French should wage battles. She donned a men's uniform and led battles, In 1431, she was turned over to English authorities, tried for heresay, and burned at the stake at 19.

The Invention of the Printing Press

Sep 12, 1440

Around 1440, Johannes Gutenburg invents the Printing Press. This was a wooden machine which used types made out of metal. This allowed for faster creation of books, in contrast to illuminated manuscripts, which could take years to make. The fast printing of text allows for books and information to be widely distributed. The Invention of the Guttenburg press is one of the main causes of the Renaissance.