From the Dark Ages to Renaissance - Essay Example

From the Dark Ages to Renaissance The term dark ages refers to that period in Western Europe that was characterized by ignorance, social chaos, and superstition. It can also be said to be that period of relative unintelligence. It is during this time that the various tribes from German went all over Europe and North Africa destroying towns, settlements and attacking the residents. In addition to this, the term Dark Ages is also used to refer to that period between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the emergence of high middle ages (between 500 and 1100 A.D.). The issues that made this period to deserve the name are as outlined under. There were constant battles amongst Lords from all over Europe. (Paul B. Newman pg 121-124). This was as a result of Rome having been in power for a very long period of time, that is, 700 years. The emperor was the ruler of everything. This is what stimulated individuals to wage war in a bid of rising to power and land acquisition. The fighting had various adverse effects among them being destruction of the resources and stagnation of the cultural growth. In addition to this, it is inevitable in any fighting, there were lots of lives of innocent individuals that were lost in battle as the Lords fought with each other to quench their thirst and hunger for power and land. This resulted in children losing their parents, husband losing their wives and vice-versa and so forth. As a result of the lives lost, there was a decrease in the population which in turn led to economic depression. This is because the merchants and traders had reduced number of people that would buy their goods. This led to the accumulation of their products hence resulting in merchants and other traders operating at a loss. Another issue was to do with reduced attention given to buildings in terms of expansion and architectural development (Morris Berman pg 14-15). It is until the 8th century that there arose a renewed interest in the Romanesque architecture. In terms of technology, despite of the notable positive impacts that come with it, there was retarded development. There was insignificant contribution by scientist. At the same time, there were no important tools of science which otherwise would have stimulated technological growth. Compared to the Middle Ages, the Dark Ages was characterized by reduced works of literature created. To some extent, this was brought about by the church being used as a centre of education. The dominant denomination was the Catholic Church, which used Latin as the main language of communication rather than other written languages. Some of the ways through which the Dark Ages came to an end is through the technological and philosophical advancement from the Asia and the Islam World. In addition to this, individuals there arose an increasing number of the literate population hence decline of the church power (Marty 16). This is because people could now read and interpret the scriptures on their own. John Knox is remembered for having started schools in Scotland to help anyone willing to know how to read and write. This further catapulted the society out of the Dark Ages. In terms of stationery, there was the advancement of rag paper mills which spread through various countries including China, North Africa and Middle East. This made is a possibility for those interested in learning to access writing material hence making the teaching and learning process a success. In addition to this, due to the increased number of paper mills, writing papers were cheap and affordable by an average person as compared to vellum, which is more costly. The emergence of the printing press in Europe, that is, Gutenberg in Germany and Caxton in England led to the quick spreading of ideas. Despite the constant attacks to Ireland by the Vikings as from 800, the country’s Northern Half under the strength of Uí Néill kings was able to prevent the Vikings from settling themselves in this region. However, the other regions of Ireland became susceptible to constant attacks by the Vikings due to the lack of political unity. This therefore sought to send a message to the world on the importance of unity. As the 10th century was coming to an end, there was emergence of a new dynasty in Munster in the South. Brian Boru, who was in charge of the region, was able to join the Uí Néill kings’ league by defeating the Vikings in 999 and 1002, something which made him win recognition as the King of all Ireland. Later on in the 11th and the century after that, there was a notable prosperity in both art and cultural activity. This time is regarded as the age of Ireland’s renaissance and progress. It has to be remembered that this was also a very significant time in religious reform. Old English is a term used to refer to the language that was used between 500 – 1100. The exact date for the beginning of this language does not exist. The first written work in this language dates around 690 AD, though people were speaking the language long before this time. (Michael Wood, pg 45 -59). Most of the words in this language were of German origin having emanated from the Angles, Saxons and Jutes but still, Latin ought not to be forgotten because it still had a strong impact on Early English. Some of the works of literature produced in this language include poetry, prose and drama. Old English Poetry entailed long epic heroic poems whose content emanated from the Bible as well as other non-biblical sources. In addition to these, history also served as a significant source of poetry. Some of the two key poems which bear their origin from History are “The Battle of Brunanburh” and “The Battle of Maldon”. The main themes in these two poems are bravery, war and finally conquest. One of the key icons of Old English Poetry is Cynewulf whose work is regard to be technical not only in clarity but also in elegance. Old English Prose, which bears most characteristics similar to those of Old English Poetry, came in after the Old English Poetry. This work of literature was mainly influenced by the language of the church and educated; Latin. The main components of this piece of literature were facts, history and religious writings. King Alfred the Great is remembered for his significant contributions in the translation of many works from Latin, mainly in the areas of philosophy, religion and history. Some of the early translated works include The Pastor’s Book and The Baede’s Church History in addition to other historical accounts. Finally, the Old English Drama was mainly characterized by the short or rather brief scenes which were dramatized by the monks to demonstrate the various Biblical stories. Later on, there was advancement where these actors could now act full plays. The main source of the acted drama was the church (Catholic Church’s traditions and ceremonies, which were seen by then to be becoming gradually worldly). In addition to this, most of the catholic services took the form of drama with colorful robes, singing, acting and recitation. The most notable dramatic ceremonies were witnessed during Easter and Christmas. Chicalry or chicalric code as it is referred to is the ancient/tradition code of conduct relating to medieval setting of knighthood (Kaeuper & Kennedy, 45). It emanated from the idealized German’s custom. It first developed in North France amongst the horse soldiers. The meaning of the word has been altered over years to emphasize more ideals like knightly virtues of honor, courtesy and courtly love. All knights were supposed to be truthful at all times and always respect women’s honor. They vowed to ensure protection of the weak and also be in charge of guarding the fellow knight.   Works Cited Marty Jezer. The Dark Ages, Life in the United States, 1945-1960. Sociology Series: South End Press, 1982. Michael Wood. In Search of the Dark Ages: BBC Worldwide, 2005. Morris Berman. Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire: W. W. Norton, 2011. Paul B. Newman. Daily Life in the Middle Ages: McFarland, 2001 Richard W. Kaeuper, Elspeth Kennedy. TitleThe Book of Chivalry of Geoffroi de Charny: Text, Context and Translation University of Pennsylvania Press , 1996. Read More