Tuesday 18 May 2010

WALL CHARTS ON THE WALL B+W

I HAD TO WAIT FOUR DAYS BEFORE MY WALL CHARTS COULD BE PRINTED IN COLOUR, BUT I DID GET SOME BLACK AND WHITE COPIES TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD LOOK ON THE WALL AND ALSO TO HAVE A PROPER LOOK AT THE HEADINGS. IN THE PICTURES BELOW THE IMAGES ON THE RIGHT HAVE THE HEADING REMOVED.
I DID THIS BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE WHAT IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON THE WORK, BUT DUE TO THE NATURE OF THESE BEING USED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, A HEADING IS NECESSARY.



Sunday 16 May 2010

WORK IN PROGRESS PHOTOGRAPHS

THESE WERE PICTURES I TOOK OF THE WALL CHARTS BEFORE PRINTING. ALL THE COMPONENT PIECES WERE LAID OUT WITH THE TEXT BEFORE BEING STUCK DOWN. IN THESE PICTURES THE WALL CHARTS STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL TEXT WHICH WAS LATER CHANGED DUE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROJECT. THESE DO HOWEVER, GO SOME TO GIVING YOU AN IDEA OF THE COLOUR AND BASIC LAY OUT:

PEASANTS:



NOBLES:






WAR:


Wednesday 12 May 2010

MEDIEVAL FOOD


A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE AND INTERESTING WEBSITE ABOUT MEDIEVAL FOOD AND THE DEPENDANCE ON CLASS AS TO WHAT FOOD YOU ATE:

http://www.medieval-life.net/food.htm

THIS IS A WEBSITE THAT IS SPECIFICALLY AIMED AT HISTORY FOR CHILDREN. IT WILL BE USEFUL FOR ME TO SEE HOW THEY WRITE ABOUT FOOD FOR CHILDREN, AS IT MIGHT GIVE ME IDEAS ABOUT THE TONE MY WORKSHEETS SHOULD TAKE, THIS IS HOW THEY TALK ABOUT MEDIEVAL FOOD:


WINE/ALE/LAMB/CHICKEN:





JOUSTING


THE NOBLES ALSO WATCHED JOUSTING COMPETITIONS AS A FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT. THERE WERE FEW WARS DURING THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD AND KNIGHTS NEEDED WAYS TO STAY FIT AND PRACTICE THEIR COMBAT SKILLS WHILE THERE WAS PEACE.
JOUSTING COMPETITIONS REQUIRED GREAT HORSE SKILLS AS WELL AS COMPETENT SKILLS WITH WEAPONS, WITH THE OBJECT OF THE JOUST BEING TO KNOCK YOUR OPPONENT OFF OF HIS HORSE USING A LONG POLE CALLED A LANCE.
THEY WOULD FIGHT IN THE HONOUR OF A LADY, OFTEN THE WIFE OR DAUGHTER OF A NOBLE.
THEY WOULD CHOOSE THEIR OPPONENT BY THEIR HERALDRY I.E COAT OR ARMS/SHEILD

RESEARCH LINKS:




MEDIEVAL JOUSTING AND HORSE CLOTHES (NOTE THE USE OF HERALDRY TO DISTINGUISH OPPONENTS):







MEDIEVAL BANQUETS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MEDIEVAL JESTERS:

JESTERS WERE USED TO ENTERTAIN THE NOBILITY DURING THE EVENINGS AND WERE ALSO KNOWN AS CLOWNS, BUFFOONS OR FOOLS.







MEDIEVAL MUSIC / MUSICIANS:

MUSIC ALSO PLAYED A BIG PART IN THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE NOBLES.
INSTRUMENTS AROUND IN THE EARLY MEDIEVAL ERA WERE:

WOODEN FLUTE


RECORDER


PAN FLUTE (PAN PIPES)


LUTE


MANDORA (SMALL GUITAR/LUTE)



PSALTERY (STRINGED INSTRUMENT - HARP FAMILY)


RESEARCH LINK:







Tuesday 11 May 2010

MEDIEVAL NOBLE WOMAN

NOBLE WOMEN SPENT ALOT OF TIME DOING EMBROIDERY. PATTERNS OFTEN INCLUDED GEOMETRIC PATTERNS AND ANIMALS.




DEFENSE

A SIGNIFICANT PART OF A NOBLES DAY WAS TAKEN UP WITH PRACTISING HIS SKILLS WITH THE LONGBOW, SWORD OR HUNTING (WHICH WOULD ALSO IMPROVE HIS HORSE RIDING AND COMBAT SKILLS). BUT HE ALSO HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT HIS CASTLE WAS SAFE AGAINST ATTACK, WHICH INVOLVED A SERIES OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WOULD EITHER FRIGHTEN PEOPLE OR ATTEMPT TO KILL THEM OR BOTH.

THESE WERE PICTURES I TOOK AT MOUNTFITCHET, WHICH I HAVE BEEN USING AS REFERENCE:

WATCH TOWER:


LARGE CATAPULT (NEAR THE BACK OF THE CASTLE WALLS - LARGE STONES):
SMALL CATAPULT (FRONT OF THE CASTLE WALLS - SMALL STONES AND DEBRIS):
THE CASTLE BOUNDARIES:
THE MOAT SURROUNDING THE CASTLE WAS A DRY MOAT (NO WATER) WITH SHARPENED STICKS IN IT SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD GET IMPALED IF THEY TRIED TO CHARGE THE CASTLE:
THE MAIN GATE (HAD THE SHIELD SO THAT PEOPLE KNEW WHO'S CASTLE IS WAS. SAME WITH THE FLAGS. ALSO THE SEVERED HEADS OF CAPTURED ATTACKERS WERE PUT ON STICKS TO FRIGHTEN PEOPLE OFF!)