THE CHURCH MILITANT The twelfth

January 2010
century
Dates are indispensible pegs on which to hang the tapestry of history, and since
everybody knows the date 1066, that may serve us as a convenient peg. No complete
buildings have survived in England from the Saxon period, and there are very few churches
of the period before that date still existing anywhere in Europe. But the Normans who
5 landed in England brought with them a developed style of building, which had taken shape
within their generation in Normandy and elsewhere. The bishops and nobles who were the
new feudal lords of England soon began to assert their power by founding abbeys and
minsters. The style in which these buildings were erected is known as the Norman style in
England, and as the Romanesque style on the Continent. It flourished for a hundred years
and more after the Norman invasion.
Today it is not easy to imagine what a church meant to the people of that period. Only
10 in some old villages in the countryside can we still get a glimpse of its importance. The
church was often the only stone building anywhere in the neighbourhood; it was the only
considerable structure for miles around, and its steeple was a landmark to all that
approached from afar. On Sundays and during services all the inhabitants of the town
15 might meet there, and the contrast between the lofty building with its paintings and
carvings and the primitive and humble dwellings in which these people spent their lives
must have been overwhelming. Small wonder that the whole community was interested in
the building of these churches and took pride in their decoration. Even from the economic
20 point of view the building of a minster, which took years, must have transformed a whole
town. The quarrying and transport of stone, the erection of suitable scaffolding, the
employment of itinerant craftsmen, who brought tales from distant lands, all this was a
real event in those far-off days.
in The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich (1994) pp.125-126

A - Focus on text comprehension and language

1. The author uses an image to define history: ‘the tapestry of history’. Explain what he
means. How effective do you think the image is?
2. What was the main purpose behind the construction of churches? … assert power
(line 6)
3. Explain what is meant by ‘lofty building’ (line 14) … high building /mark the
contrast imposing
4. Outline the second paragraph. To do so you should identify 5 different levels of
impact
5. Summarize the text in two paragraphs of about 30 words each.

6. Pick out one example of:

Subject – Verb inversion. Explain why it happens. For emphasis
Two modal verbs of deduction. Explain their meaning. Different degrees of
possibility (may/might) & certainty (must)
7. List all relative pronouns used in the text. Identify what they refer to.
8. Write equivalents for these words/expressions
It flourished (line 8) thrived/prospered
get a glimpse of (line 11) understand/
the whole community – (line 16) all the community
took pride in their decoration (line 17) rejoiced/reveled in

B - Focus on content – discussing ideas

1. Besides architecture what impact did the Normans have in England?
Language/culture/society…

2. Read the following extract from the same book (p. 19). Be ready to discuss it.
We do not know how art began any more than we know how language started. If we take
art to mean such activities as building temples and houses, making pictures and
sculptures, or weaving patterns, there is no people in all the world without art. If, on the
other hand, we mean by art some kind of beautiful luxury, something to enjoy in museums
and exhibitions (…) we must realize that this use of the word is a very recent development
and that many of the greatest builders, painters or sculptors of the past never dreamed of.
We can best understand this difference if we think of architecture.

Further reading:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/hudson_norman_01.shtml

Question 4 (your answer/ proposed answer)

OUTLINE (TOPIC OUTLINE)
A - Importance/Meaning/Impact of the churches in medieval times (12th century)
1. Functional
a. Only stone building
2. Geographical/environmental
a. A landmark (steeple)
3. Social
a. Meeting place
4. Esthetical/artistic/spiritual
a. Paintings and carvings
b. Pride in decoration
5. Economic
a. Employment
b. Trade
6. Cultural
a. People from far away

Question 5 / SUMMARY (your answer/ proposed answer)

Paragraph 1
1066 marks a new era in England with the Norman invasion. The churches they built
signals their power and lasting influence in architecture: the Norman style (Romanesque in
the continent), (30 words)

Paragraph 2
In Norman times churches had huge impact at many levels: functional,
environmental/geographical, social, economic, political, aesthetic/spiritual/symbolical and
cultural. They were central/vital to community life. (25 words)

Question 4 / OUTLINE
A - Importance/Meaning/Impact of the churches in medieval times (12th century)
1. Functional
a. Only stone building (shelter)
2. Geographical/environmental
a. A landmark (steeple)
3. Social
a. Meeting place
4. Esthetical/artistic/spiritual
a. Paintings and carvings
c. Pride in decoration
5. Economic
a. Employment
c. Trade
6. Cultural
a. People from far away