Muniz 1

Renee Muniz
Y. Garza
English II 4
th
period
October 3, 2013
Medieval Life to Modern Life
Have you ever stopped and thought about how society is the way it is? For example,
where did we get the idea of fashion and music? What was one of the first legends ever told?
Nevertheless, these questions will definitely be answered. Medieval life was only the beginning
of many things we use today. In those days, everyday blessings were seldom overlooked
whereas things we associate with now, in everyday life, can easily get overlooked. People truly
cherished the simple things in their lives, and the middle ages helped us get to where we are now
in life. When the medieval ages produced music, fashion, and the story of the famous Excalibur,
a new door into life, as we know it, was opened.
Music has become a piece of art throughout the ages, starting with its name. The word
music comes from the ancient Greek word muses, the goddesses of art and science (Sherrane).
There were only two genres of music during the Middle Ages, sacred and secular (Medieval
Music: Birth of Polyphony). This is quite unusual, considering how in modern society if you
are playing some sort of sacred music you are offending someone somehow because they do not
share the same religion as you. Music was not played often in The Once and Future King,
however, Lancelot and Guinevere did sing a duet together. The majority of the population in the
Middle Ages favored sacred music, made in the words of the Bible, because Christianity
dominated the Middle Ages (Medieval Music: Birth of Polyphony). Secular music to them
was pop music to us, made simply for daily enjoyment (Medieval Music: Birth of
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Polyphony). Composers for sacred music needed an education while composers for secular
music did not (Medieval Music: Birth of Polyphony). Sacred music composers made many
types of music such as western, organum, and plainchant (Medieval Music: Birth of
Polyphony). The top two types of sacred music were the organum and plainchant, an example
of this would be the famous Gregorian chants (Sherrane). Organum music consisted of, two
melodic lines being sun simultaneously at parallel intervals, usually at the fourth, fifth, or sixth
octave (Sherrane). Plainchant music, on the other hand, was monophonic, that is, it
compromised a single melody without any harmonic support or accompaniment (Sherrane).
During the sixth century, it is said that Pope Gregory I systemized the chants to be used in the
universal Catholic Church, explaining where Gregorian chants received its name (Sherrane).
Troubadours and trouveres were the composers of the secular world (Sherrane). They made
romantic music, making the world fall head over heels (Sherrane).
Sumptuary laws stated what people could and could not wear based on their level in
society (Medieval Clothing). Other than community uniforms and no shoes, no shirt, no
service todays society does not have many clothing rules. The clothing in The Once and
Future King for men was almost always armor while the women wore tunics. Where you were
located on the social class ranking, at that time, determined the outfits you wore on a daily basis
(Medieval Clothing). Yes, everyone wore something different, but it was not drastically
different unless you were comparing a rich and poor person. Due to the feudal system and
sumptuary laws, you could easily tell a persons social status (Medieval Clothing). Of course,
the wealthier citizens always wore better, nicer, and more colorful clothes; but because of hand
dyed fabrics, the poorest people could sometimes wear the richest and boldest dyed fabrics
(Medieval Clothing and Fabrics). Certain countries had their own way of dressing, as well,
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such as how German, Swiss, and Dutch citizens wore clothes that looked very large in exterior
while people from Italy and England wore very elegant and majestic in their way of dress
(Medieval Clothing). And then you had the odd ones out, like France, who practically wore
something different every day because their wardrobe was unpredictable (Medieval Clothing).
To this day an individuals status is still noticed by the way they dress. The lower to lower-
middle classes tend to wear more casual looking clothes while the upper-middle to upper classes
wore fancier clothes. Just like the poor could make their own dyes and look higher in status in
the middle ages, the lower classes nowadays can still buy a fancy outfit every now and then.
So what is the big deal about Excalibur, what is it? The legend is that the Lady of the
Lake gave King Arthur a sword, which was called Excalibur (Excalibur: The Sword in the
Stone?). This is the only sword that has mindboggling powers, it has even been said that the
Lady of the Lake took care of Arthur when he was a child, in her lake (Nimue). This sword
was given after he became king, so it symbolized her acceptance to him being kind as well as a
sign of responsibility (Excalibur: The Sword in the Stone?) (Excalibur). The swords
magical powers were: the scabbard to protect Arthur from getting harmed, and the sword itself
cannot be damaged (Excalibur: The Sword in the Stone?). Many countries have their own
names for Excalibur (Excalibur: The Sword in the Stone?). This story of King Arthur and
Excalibur still goes on today.
In conclusion, music, clothing, and the story of Excalibur during the middle ages were
the gateway to the modern era. Now, we live in a world with multiple genres of music, multiple
items of clothing, and a medieval story that has made it all the way to modern life. I believe that
the world we live in now should always cherish the little things in life. The music composed in
those times meant a lot to them, while the clothing they wore meant a lot for their reputation.
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Little things, as such, should also mean a lot to us. Before we know it, many more genres of
music, styles of clothing, and more stories will be invented and what we have now will be gone.
The course of our life will change, either for the better or the worse. The Middle Ages truly
helped todays world grow and prosper, and because of it it still continues to grow.

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Works Cited
Exalibur. csis.pace,edu. n.p., Web. 17 Sep. 2013.
<http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs9939arthurian/excalibur.htm>.
Exaclibur: The Sword in the Stone? Missgien.net. n.p., n.d.. Web. 17 2013.
<http://www.missgien.net/arthurian/excalibur.html/>.
Medieval Clothing. Medieval-life-and-time.info. n.p., n.d.. Web. 18 Sep. 2013.
<www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-clothing/>.
Medieval Clothing and Fabrics. Historymedren.about.com. n.p., n.d... Web. 18 Sep. 2013.
<historymedren.abot.com/od/clothingandfabric/a/medieval-clothing.htm>.
Medieval Must: Birth of polyphony. Stanford.edu. n.p., n.d.. Web. 17 Sep. 2013
<http://www.stanford.edu/~judx/medieval.html>.
Oloferia. Nimue. Brightforyou.hubpages.com. n.p., 2009. Web. 26 Sep. 2013
<http://brightforyou.hubpages.comm/hub/The-Lady-of-the-Lake>.
Sherrane, Robert. Music History 102. Ipl.org. Drexel University, n.d.. Web. 17 Sep. 2013.
<http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/middle/>.