THE MIDDLE AGES

The New Social Order

Lord - the landowner, one a vassal pledges loyalty to. Fief - Land that is granted to a vassal Vassal - One who has pledged their loyalty and service in exchange for land. Serf - A person who could not lawfully leave the land where he was born.

The feudal system was based on mutual obligations. You were born into a class with no chance for upward mobility.

Nobles & Clergy King Knights PEASANTS AND SERFS

In exchange for military service, the lord granted a fief to a vassal. Lords King Nobles Knights Clergy* Vassals Nobles Knights Clergy* Peasants * Powerful clergy owned estates usually subject to the king and had knights and peasants who served them.

The king owned all the land and would give fiefs to his knights and nobles in exchange for military service. Knights could be vassals to the king, a noble, another knight, or several at the same time. Nobles could be vassals to the king and/or other nobles

The King The kings ruled the land by what they believed was “divine right” - the right to rule granted by God and then passed on through heredity. Direct rule by the king was impossible because there was no quick communication system. It often took several days to travel from one part of the country to the other, even in a relatively small country such as England. The king indirectly maintained control over his lands through his nobles.

Nobles The lord and his lady were the rulers of a small feudal state, often giving direct allegiance to the monarch of the realm. They controlled how the state was run and provided protection to the serfs with their army of knights.

Noble marriages were usually arranged by the parents, often when the couple were young children. They hoped for male heirs, since the estate went directly to the oldest male child of the union. Although nearly every lord wanted a male heir, it was often difficult to accomplish. Many times children died of disease or accident before they were 15 years old. Many male children of nobles were sent to the castle of another noble to become knights. Female children of nobles were sent to the castle of the boy they were betrothed to learn the duties of a lady.

Since second and third born male children of nobles would not inherit their father’s estate, they had to find other work. TWO OPTIONS Many studied to become knights. If they wanted an estate, they had to win it in their own right by serving a noble, powerful clergy, or the king. 1 Another option was the church. Some clergy had large estates of their own. Several held high political positions. The lowest clergy member still made good money from the peasant class serving on manors. 2

Clergy All clergy in western Europe were catholic priests until the Lutheran Reformation. Served on manors as priests. Worked as monks in monasteries. The more powerful a priest, the more influence he had in politics. i.e. the pope or an archbishop

The sole purpose of a knight was to serve his lord! Knights At age 7, the family sends the boy to another castle to be a page where he learns to read, write, learn courtly manners, and wait on the tables of his hosts. He played chess to learn war strategies. At 14, the boy becomes a squire, learning to tend armor, ride a horse, and fight. At age 21, the boy goes through the knighting ceremony where he is recognized as a knight. The sole purpose of a knight was to serve his lord!

Code of Chivalry This complex set of IDEALS governed the behavior of knights. Knights were to fight bravely in defense of his feudal lord, his God, and his lady. A chivalrous knight was to protect the weak and the poor, be loyal, courteous, and brave. Many knights, however, treated the peasants brutally.

A cowardly knight faced public shame: His armor was stripped off and his shield was cracked. His spurs were cut off and his sword was broken over his head. The people then threw him into a coffin and drug it to church where a priest would conduct a mock funeral service.

Peasants Peasants worked in the fields for their lords and around the estate in exchange for land, food, safety, and shelter. Peasants paid taxes to the lord for using the lord’s oven, winepress, or mill.

Peasants also paid taxes for a number of other occasions, such as when a daughter married off of the manor. There were fees paid for marriages, death, and to the Church. Peasants were expected to give 10% of their earnings to the Church. People believed the more you gave to the Church, the better your afterlife would be.

Manors and the Manor System (not manners) The manor is the lord’s estate. They were self-sufficient with the exception of a few items like salt and iron. The manor system was based on a set of rights and obligations between the lord and his vassals.

The lord provided the serfs and peasants with housing, farmland, and protection. The serfs and peasants maintained the estate, farmed the lord’s land, and cared for his animals.

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