Monastic Life

• A monastery is a religious house where monks and nuns live and work.

  • In the eleventh century they were known as abbeys, priories or nunneries.

• Monasteries were expensive to build so needed a rich patron who could give the money and land needed.

• This lead to a secular (non-religious) influence over many monasteries, something reformers wanted to reduce.

Vows

• Monks and nuns took vows of poverty chastity and obedience.

  • Poverty: they had to give up all their possessions.

  • Chastity: they had to promise not to get married and remain celibate

  • Obedience: they had to promise to obey their abbot/abbess or prior/prioress and obey all the rules of their monastery.

Why was there a need for reform?

• Throughout the tenth century monasticism had been in decline due to instability caused by Viking raids, poverty and an over-reliance on local lords.

• Many clergy men were worried there was too much secular interference in monasteries.

  • If a monastery needed land they would need support from their local lord so they would often have a say over who became abbot.

• Reformers wanted to reduce the influence the state and lords had over the monasteries.

  • Monasteries had changed, for example not all monks were strictly vegetarian or wore rich clothing. Reformers wanted to bring back more traditional practices.

The Norman revival of monasticism

• When the Normans took over England they helped to revive monasticism

  • Between 1066 and 1135 the number of monks and nuns increased from about 1000 to between 4000 and 5000.

  • The number of religious houses also grew from around 60 to over 250.

• There were also new reforms and monastic orders introduced.

Cluniac monasteries

• Cluny Abbey was founded in 910 by Duke William of Aquitaine and became a Benedictine house with its own identity.

• Cluny was granted permanent freedom from military service and feudal duties, and answered only to the Pope.

• Cluny strictly followed the Rule of St Benedict and was used by the Popes to help revive monasticism and reform many other religious houses.

• All Cluniac monasteries answered directly to the Abbot of Cluny and there was an annual meeting of priors at Cluny to deal with issues.

Cluny’s influence in England

• The first english Cluniac priory was founded in 1077 by William de Warrene, at Lewes in Sussex.

• By 1135, there were 24 Cluniac monasteries in England.

• New religious houses were often built next to castles aiming to demonstrate that the Norman domination of England had God’s blessing.

Lanfranc’s reforms of the monasteries

• Gradually the Normans changed the leaders of monasteries in England from Anglo-Saxon to Norman.

• Lanfranc introduced new reforms in his new constitution, at Christ Church, Canterbury in around 1077.

• His reforms included changes to the liturgy, hierarchy, rules about creating saints, and domestic life.

• The regulations were adopted at other monasteries, but not all were adopted without protest.

  • For example, in Glastonbury the monks refused and according to the Anglo-Saxon chronicle, Knights were sent to enforce changes which resulted in 3 deaths and 18 monks were injured.

What else did monasteries do?

• Some monasteries grew rich through farming, such as Fountains Abbey and Rievaulx, which farmed sheep and sold wool.

• Monasteries had infirmaries for the sick, and the almoner cared for the poor who visited for food.

• Monasteries provided accommodation for pilgrims, who often left gifts for the monastery.

• Monks were the most educated members of society and the monasteries were centres of scholarship and learning.

• Monasteries built up libraries of ancient manuscripts, and monks copied texts in a scriptorium.

  • Monks were also the historians of their time, writing the history of the country.

Schools and education

• Monasteries and churches were the main providers of education.

  • Education had to be paid for but some monastic schools did teach local boys from poor families as exchange for work in the monastery - this was rare.

• Girls were excluded from education however some girls from rich families did receive a basic one.

• Education was mainly focused on training pupils to become monks or priests.

Church education

• By 1100, all cathedrals and many larger churches had schools.

• Church schools focused on Latin, music and verse, astronomy and mathematics, and law.

  • Latin was essential for future priests and monks.

  • Music and verse were needed to aid in delivering services.

  • Astronomy and mathematics were necessary for the Church calendar.

  • Law was required for administration.

• Education was narrow both in terms of who received it and what was taught.

Norman influence on language

• Latin had become the language of the government and church. English was removed and became obsolete in written works.

• While Latin was the official language most people either spoke Norman-French or English in everyday life

• Most of the population (peasants) still spoke English.

• Norman-French became the Vernacular (native language of a place) for the upper classes, clerks and middle classes in the towns.