Monastic Life (The Normans)

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

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

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

• This led to a secular influence over many monasteries, something the reformers wanted to reduce

Monks and nuns took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience

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

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

• Obedience: they had to promise to obey their abbot/abbess. They also had to obey all the rules of their monastery

• 2 am: Matins: woken by a bell to attend service
• 5 am: Lauds: net service took place at daybreak
• 6 am: Prime: After, the monks would wash, have breakfast, and then study or work
• 9 am: Terce: service including the Morrow Mass
•          Meeting: Monks received daily tasks
•          Work: copying texts, gardening, teaching etc.
• 12 pm: Sext:  Midday service including sung mass
• 2 pm: the main meal of the day was eaten
• 3 pm: Nones: another service. The monks could then have a brief rest before work
• 4:30 pm: Vespers: another service followed by reading and studying
• 6 pm: Compline: this was the final service before the monks went to bed

'No one shall call anything his own, no book, writing paper or pen. Nothing at all. Let the brothers be given clothes that suit the weather. In normal places, a cloak and hood will be enough. Monks must not grumble about the colour or rough cloth of their dress"

• There were eight prayer services a day
• Monk's clothes were called Habit. Clothes were functional and comfortable but not luxurious
• Monks were supposed to eat simple vegetarian food, with only two meals a day
• Monks should care for the sick and travelers
• Monks were expected to be silent if they were not at prayers
• Monks were clean-shaven and often shaved a bald spot on the top of their head to show religious dedication

• He reformed the Liturgy making to more like church services in the rest of Europe 
• He defined the role of the abbot and set up a clear hierarchy
• He made strict rules about the creations of saints
• He laid out a structure for domestic life in the monastery
• Regulating monks' lives more strict would mean that the monks were seen to be more pious and the church was seen as more respectable

• Monks were being lazy and not fasting etc.
• Wanted to reduce the influence that the state and Lords had over the monasteries
• Monks wore rich clothing and would often ignore rules
• Reformers wanted to bring back more traditional practices
• Landfrancs monastic background made him keen to improve standards in English monasteries

• Cluny abbey established in 910 by Duke William of Aquitaine
• Based on Benedict rules
• Had freedom from military services and other feudal duties
• Answerable only to the pope
• Popes realised that they could be used to revive monasticism and used to carry out reforms
• Cluny was given the task of reforming religious houses