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The Medieval Times, ranging from 500 to 150= 0 A.D., were times of stagnation. From the Fall of Rome to the Renaissance,= time stood still in an era where religion played a significant role in soc= iety. This period, also known as the Middle Ages, gave birth to monks, a pe= ople who gave up worldly pleasures and lived under strict regulations to be= come pure and intimate with the Lord (Catholicism dominated the Middle Ages= ). In the Canterbury Tales, an unusual monk is introduced, someone who twea= ks with the rules by taking up hunting as a pleasure and wearing luxurious = clothing. By learning all we can about Medieval Monks, we can discover exac= tly why this monk would receive many complaints in his monastery, and we ca= n reveal the importance of monks in the Middle Ages. |
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AP Engli= sh Period 5 &nbs= p; 11/16/10 |
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The first monastery was created by St. Benedict in 529 A.D., and the mem= bers of this order became known as Benedictines, monks who wore black robes= . Many different orders followed after the Benedictines, and these included= the Cistercians, the white-robed monks; the Carthusians, who gave vo= ws of silence; and three other minor organizations that all were establishe= d in the 1200s. The members of these orders were named, or course, after th= e saint who started the order, and the beliefs and practices differ from ea= ch other due to which saint each monastery idolized. Despite the different = methods of each order, however, all monks follow the same general pledge to= a pure, holy life. Because Europe has preserved many of the old traditions= established long ago, the monasteries that were built in the Medieval Time= s still exist to this day. |
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The Creation of M= onasteries |
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Buddhist Monasteries
While Roman Catholic monasteries dominated Western Europe= , Buddhist monasteries had already begun to develop in Asia around the four= th century B.C. India, China, Nepal, Thailand, and even Russia became prime= locations for such monasteries. These establishments were especially impor= tant for followers of Buddhism, who sought enlightenment in their lives. Li= ke the Medieval monasteries, these Asian ones, for the most part, still liv= e on today. |
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The Peaceful Sain= ts of the Medieval Times |
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How to Become a M= edieval Monk |
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Any man, regardless of social status or wealth, could become a monk. All= applicants of the rule of St. Benedict took the three vows of a true monk:= Poverty, Chastity (meaning purity), and Obedience. A postulant, an applica= nt for the monastery, would serve for a month before rising to novice level= , then a year before taking simple vows. Four years later, the newly gradua= ted monks would take their solemn vows, which bound them to the monastery f= or the rest of their lives. The monks had many restrictions. They could not own property, walk beyon= d the monastery without the abbot’s (the leader of the monastery) con= sent, or have letters delivered to them, and they slept and woke up early. = Punishments at the time for violation of these rules varied from exclusion = from common prayer to expulsion from the order in the most radical cases |
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Why Become a Monk? |
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The life of a monk in the Medieval Times, as well as toda= y, was loaded with strict discipline, yet it appealed to a good number of p= eople. Here are some logical reasons why: &nbs= p; -Most people had a desire to live their lives devoted to Jesus Christ. &nbs= p; -The Middle Ages also adopted the name “Dark Ages” because o= f several times of corruption and chaos. Monks were kept contained in the m= onasteries, so they were protected from the violence and could lead peacefu= l lives.
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The three main vows - Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience - played a big pa= rt in shaping the lives of these monks. Therefore, their lives were dedicat= ed to worship and prayer, reading and meditating of the scriptures, and man= ual labor. The work and chores in the monastery included these activities:<= /span> -Washing and cooking -Agricultural work; sowing, r= eaping, ploughing, etc. -Providing hospitality and me= dical care for others -Teaching young boys and novi= ces -Copying manuscripts to keep = in the monastery’s records The monks simply ate bread and meat every day, and they slept on beds ma= de of straw. Every day was divided into eight sections, or hours, in which the Book o= f Hours, a prayer book, would be read at certain times of the day. The book= contained prayers, hymns, psalms, and more readings that were written to p= raise the Lord for their salvation through the cross. The times for the pra= yers were given names and are as follows: the Matins at 2 a.m., the Lauds a= t 5 a.m., the Prime at 6 a.m., the Terce at 9 a.m., the Sext at noon, the N= ones at 3 p.m., the Vespers from 4 to 5 p.m., and the Compline at 6 p.m., b= efore the monks retire. During each one of these prayer times, the monks st= opped all labor to reflect on God. |
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How to Live Like = a Monk |
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Chaucer’s Monk |
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In the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer’s fifth character = is a monk who travels on a pilgrimage with the others. The monk does study = the scriptures, but he doesn’t constrain himself to the arduous life = of a normal monk at a monastery. Instead, he hunts as a hobby, wears rich f= abrics, and owns a greyhound, thus breaking his vows to the monastery. The = narrator agrees with the monk’s way of living and encourages people t= o live freely. In this way he thinks ahead of his time into the Renaissance= , or the Age of Reason. |
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The life of a monk, as mentioned before, gained attention in the Middle = Ages for its tranquility and dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ. Monks con= tributed to their communities by providing hospitality and education, and t= hey still do today. While it can be tough to constantly work, meditate and = pray throughout each day of one’s life, some people find joy in spend= ing their days away from hustle and worry. They find themselves better off = selflessly giving to others rather than taking whatever material possession= s they can get. While one would prefer to stay in the outside world, that p= erson can use his or her knowledge of the monk’s creed to spread love= and joy to others, thus carrying out the purpose of a life lived to the fu= llest. |
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Why Should We Pay Attention? |
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“Abbot Prim= ate Visits Schuyler” Monks on a Mission. = ; <http:= //bmhmonks.wordpress.com/tag/abbot-primate/>=
“Benedictin= e” Wikipedia. October 2010 = ; <http:= //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedictine>=
“Canterbury= Tales, The” Fu Jen University Department of English Language and Lite= rature = ; <http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/iacd_99F/medieval_lit/data/Chaucer.html>
“Daily Life= of a Monk in the Middle Ages” The Middle Ages Website =
; <
“Medieval M= onks” The Middle Ages Website = ; <http:= //www.middle-ages.org.uk/medieval-monks.htm>=
“Monastery&= #8221; Wikipedia. November 2010 = ; <http:= //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monastery>=
“Saint Bene= dict of Nursia” Star Quest Production Network = ; <http:= //saints.sqpn.com/saint-benedict-of-nursia/>=
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