As Islam spread after its inception in the 7th century C.E.

, the lands held sacred by Christians fell under Moslem rule. The pope, Urban II, in 1095 C.E. began the pursuit of reconquering these former Christian lands (particularly Jerusalem), by visiting areas in Western Europe and preaching the need for a "crusade" against the infidels. Many nobles and knights went on crusade with the hope of not only reconquering the holy land, but of carving out for themselves fiefs and kingdoms in this land of "milk and honey". The first leaders to "take the cross" succeeded in retaking Jerusalem in 1096. After this initial venture, there followed subsequent crusades which attempted to free Jerusalem again, but none succeeded like the first crusade. Throughout the next two hundred years the battle for Jerusalem between Islam and Christianity continued, with one side gaining ground just to lose it again to the other. Ultimately, Jerusalem fell to the Moslems in 1244 not to be regained by Christians again during the Middle Ages. In the end the resources needed and the crusading ideal itself fell short of Pope Urban II's dream of a united Christian holy land. Later crusades were directed not at Islam, but at Constantinople, pagan peoples of Eastern Europe, and heretics in France, among others. Although some critics are quick to write off the crusades as an excercise in futility and exacerbating religious strife between Islam and Christianity, the cultural interaction that developed as a result of the crusades broadened the cultural horizons of medieval Europeans. This exposure to Eastern culture encouraged the development of new forms of scientific study and allowed access to previously unknown classical literature, thus facilitating the humanist movement of the Renaissance period. From the crusades also sprouted the military orders, such as the Knights Templar, the Knights Hospitaller, and the Teutonic Knights. These "fighting monks" became well organized armed forces, and accrued large sums of money from the management of lands they conquered, or given to them for the Christian cause.

The Renaissance patrons wanted art that showed joy in human beauty and lifes pleasures. Renaissance art is more lifelike than in the art of the Middle Ages. Renaissance artists studied perspective, or the differences in the way things look when they are close to something or far away. The artists painted in a way that showed these differences. As a result, their paintings seem to have depth. An artist from Florence named Giotto was one of the first to paint in this new style. Giotto lived more than a century before the beginning of the Renaissance, but his paintings show real emotion. The bodies look solid, and the background of his paintings shows perspective. The art produced during the Renaissance would build upon Giottos style. Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 in the village of Vinci. His name means Leonardo of Vinci. Leonardo began his career working for a master painter in Florence.

By 1478, Leonardo left his master and set up his own workshop. People have been trying to guess the secret behind the smile of his Mona Lisa ever since he painted it around 1505. His Last Supper shows clearly the different feelings of Jesus and his followers. Leonardos fame grewbut not just for his painting. Leonardo was truly a Renaissance Man, skilled in many fields. He was a scientist and an inventor as well as an artist. He made notes and drawings of everything he saw. Leonardo invented clever machines, and even designed imitation wings that he hoped would let a person fly like a bird. Michelangelo Buonarroti of Florence was one of the greatest artists of all time. Like Leonardo, Michelangelo was a Renaissance Man of many talents. He was a sculptor, a painter, and an architect. When Michelangelo carved a statue of Moses, he included veins and muscles in the arms and legs. Michelangelo was a devout Christian, and the church was his greatest patron. He designed the dome of St. Peters church in Rome. Nearby, Michelangelos paintings cover the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the building where new popes have been selected for more than five hundred years. Michelangelos painting illustrates the Book of Genesis, with scenes that span from the Creation to the Flood. The project was very difficult. Working alone, Michelangelo had to lie on his back atop high scaffolding while he painted the vast ceiling.

y y y

A rebirth of classical learning The gradual change from the feudal system to the modern state A change in people's views of the earth and the cosmos

Musical Context y y y Style y y The composers of the Renaissance concerned themselves with three different areas of music All are unified by many shared musical features Increased interest in humanist learning Increased patronage of music Territorial expansion and increased wealth

Throughout the Renaissance era instrumental music was usually just an accompaniment. It accompanied voice, it accompanied dance, it accompanied ceremony, and it accompanied war. Only toward the end of the Renaissance did instrumental music become common, and even the people of that era might have been surprised at the crowds attending concerts in the age of Beethoven or even Mozart.

STRINGS: Original types of strings and string sets for all Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical instruments INSTRUMENTS: Lutes, viols, citterns (plus bandora and orpharion), early guitars, rebecs, etc. VARNISHING MATERIALS: Pine-resin varnishes (clear and coloured), Rosin Oils, Stand Oil, etc. SCHOLARLY RESEARCH into the History and Technology of: Strings, instruments, performance (including standards of pitch and tempo), etc. STRINGS: Original types of strings and string sets for all Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical instruments INSTRUMENTS: Lutes, viols, citterns (plus bandora and orpharion), early guitars, rebecs, etc. VARNISHING MATERIALS: Pine-resin varnishes (clear and coloured), Rosin Oils, Stand Oil, etc. SCHOLARLY RESEARCH into the History and Technology

of: Strings, instruments, performance (including standards of pitch and tempo), etc.
Music in the Renaissance was mostly monophonic, meaning only one instrument or voice played at a time. When several instruments played together, they most likely took turns, or else played in unison or in octaves. As polyphony developed, so did the idea of a musical ensemble, instruments chosen because they combined well. Noisy instruments were hardly ever played indoors except in large halls. Soft instruments, such as recorders, crumhorns, and racketts, were normally played indoors. Cornettos, flutes, and serpents could play with either loud or soft ensembles. Most of the reed instruments of the Renaissance were of the doublereed type, like the modern oboe, rather than the single-reed, like the modern clarinet. Until the beginning of the 16th Century, instruments were considered to be less important than voices. Even though the instrumental music of the Renaissance period did not equal the vocal music, in terms of quality and quantity, it still played an essential part of the era. Instrumental music gained in popularity and developed a musical form that was distinct from vocal music.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Instead of you, say thou. Instead of yall, say thee. Rhymed couplets are all the rage. Men are Sirrah, ladies are Mistress, and your friends are all called Cousin. Instead of cursing, try calling your tormenters jackanapes or canker-blossoms or poisonous bunchbackd toads.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Dont waste time saying "it," just use the letter "t" (tis, twill, Ill dot). Verse for lovers, prose for ruffians, songs for clowns. When in doubt, add the letters "eth" to the end of verbs (he runneth, he trippeth, he falleth). To add weight to your opinions, try starting them with methinks, mayhaps, in sooth or wherefore. When wooing ladies: try comparing her to a summers day. If that fails, say "Get thee to a nunnery!"

10. When wooing lads: try dressing up like a man. If that fails, throw him in the Tower, banish his friends and claim the throne.
The Crusades were not without effect on the Renaissance and the Reformation. Friendly intercourse with the Mohammedan world brought Europe into contact with accomplishments and virtues which were felt to be lacking at home. Men became aware of a moral system independent of Christianity that was nevertheless worthy of respect. Theological disputations between Christian and Mohammedan revealed the fact that the Catholic dogma was not invulnerable. From the attention to the hitherto unsuspected merits of an opponent it was not a far step to a critical examination of one's own condition. In Germany suspicion of the motives of the Church in urging the wars against the Mohammedans and a reluctance to contribute toward the realization of the plans formulated by an ambitious papacy and carried on by self seeking warriors became manifest.

Thus the Church, which had made itself the leader of the Crusades, came to suffer the consequences of their ill success. Faith in papal absolutism waned; and a new religious spirit appeared, first in the sectaries (Cathari and Albigenses), and later in the Reformation. This spirit was fostered by the inspiration of that higher culture of which Frederick II. is the preeminent type, by the development of the sciences, and by the growth of commerce with the East, which enriched Europe and turned the attention of men from purely religious to material and cultural interests in the movement known as the Renaissance.