The Feudal and Manorial Systems

The Feudal and Manorial Systems In Europe during the Middle Ages, the feudal and manorial systems governed life and required people to perform certain duties and obligations.

The Feudal System Origins of Feudalism Knights and Lords Feudalism originated partly as result of Viking, Magyar, Muslim invasions Kings unable to defend their lands, lands of their nobles Nobles had to find way to defend own lands Built castles, often on hills Not elaborate structures; built of wood, used as place of shelter in case of attack Origins of Feudalism Nobles needed trained soldiers to defend castles Knights most important, highly skilled soldiers Mounted knights in heavy armor best defenders Being a knight expensive; had to maintain weapons, armor, horses Knights demanded payment for services Knights and Lords

Knights were usually paid for their services with land Fiefs and Vassals Knights were usually paid for their services with land Land given to knight for service was called a fief Anyone accepting fief was called a vassal Person from whom he accepted fief was his lord Historians call system of exchanging land for service the feudal system, or feudalism

Feudal Obligations Oath of Fealty Lords, vassals in feudal system had duties to fulfill to one another Knight’s chief duty as vassal to provide military service to his lord Had to promise to remain loyal; promise called oath of fealty Financial Obligations Knight had certain financial obligations to lord Knight obligated to pay ransom for lord’s release if captured in battle Gave money to lord on special occasions, such as knighting of son Lord’s Obligations Lord had to treat knights fairly, not demanding too much time, money Had to protect knight if attacked by enemies Had to act as judge in disputes between knights

A Complicated System Lord and Vassal Fealty to King Europe’s feudal system incredibly complex Person could be both lord, vassal Some knights with large fiefs gave small pieces of land to other knights, created many levels of obligations One knight could serve many lords; no prohibition against knight accepting fiefs from more than one noble Lord and Vassal Almost everyone in system served more than one lord Theoretically, everyone supposed to be loyal to the king In practice, not everyone loyal Some powerful nobles as strong as kings they were supposed to serve, ignored duties as vassals Feudal rules specific to time, place; could change over time; England’s rules not same as France’s rules Fealty to King

How did the feudal system work? Question: How did the feudal system work? Answer:

How did the feudal system work? Question: How did the feudal system work? Answer: lord gave land to knight in return for protection and loyalty

Lords, Peasants, and Serfs The Manorial System The feudal system was a political and social system. A related system governed medieval economics. This system was called the manorial system because it was built around large estates called manors. Manors owned by wealthy lords, knights Peasants farmed manor fields Were given protection, plots of land to cultivate for selves Lords, Peasants, and Serfs Most peasants on farm were serfs, tied to manor Not slaves, could not be sold away from manor But could not leave, marry without lord’s permission Serfdom Manors had some free people who rented land from lord Others included landowning peasants, skilled workers like blacksmiths, millers Also had a priest for spiritual needs Free People

A Typical Manor Rotation Small Village Most of manor’s land occupied by fields for crops, pastures for animals Middle Ages farmers learned that leaving field empty for year improved soil In time, practice developed into three-field crop rotation system One field planted in spring for fall harvest Another field planted in winter for spring harvest Third field remained unplanted for year Rotation Each manor included fortified house for noble family, village for peasants, serfs Goal to make manor self-sufficient Typical manor also included church, mill, blacksmith Small Village

How did lords and peasants benefit from the manorial system? Question: How did lords and peasants benefit from the manorial system? Answer

How did lords and peasants benefit from the manorial system? Question: How did lords and peasants benefit from the manorial system? Answer: lords' farmlands were taken care of, produced food; peasants were provided protection from invaders

Daily Life in the Middle Ages Life in a Castle Life in Middle Ages not easy, did not have comforts we have today Early castles built for defense not comfort Few windows, stuffy in summer, cold in winter, dark always Space Nobles had to share space with others, including soldiers, servants Private rooms very rare Main room the hall, large room for dining, entertaining Bedrooms In early castles, noble family bedrooms separated from main area by sheets Later castles had separate bedrooms; latrines near bedrooms Wooden bathtub outside in warm weather, inside near fireplace in winter

Life in a Village Despite discomforts, life in a castle was preferable to life in a village. The typical village family lived in a small wooden one-room house. The roof was made of straw, the floor of dirt, and the furniture of rough wood. Open holes in the walls served as windows. Most families slept on beds of straw on floor All shared one room with each other, animals Most glad to have animals to provide extra heat in cold winters Bedrooms Peasant families cooked meals over open fire in middle of floor Typical meal: brown bread, cheese, vegetables, occasionally meat No chimneys, house often full of smoke; fires common Meals The family rose before dawn. Men went to work in the fields; women did chores. During harvest, the entire family worked in the field all day.

How was life in a castle different from life in a village? Question: How was life in a castle different from life in a village? Answer:

How was life in a castle different from life in a village? Question: How was life in a castle different from life in a village? Answer: castle life more comfortable, people did not have to work in the fields; village life was very difficult, no comforts, whole family had to work continually