1. Medieval Society Kings and Queens Rulers Nobility Lords and Knights
Controlled the land
Clergy
Church officials
Peasants
Majority of the population
Worked the land and served the nobles

2. Feudalism
Political and social system based on the granting of land in exchange for loyalty, military assistance, and other services

3. Feudalism
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

4. Feudalism Knights and Lords
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

5. Feudalism Knights were usually paid for their services with land
Lords divided their lands into estates called fiefs
Fiefs (land) given to knight vassals
A person granted land in return for loyalty or military service
All nobles were vassals to the king

6. Feudalism 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

7. Feudalism 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

8. Feudalism Knights Chivalry Code of ethics followed by knights
Honesty, fairness in battle, loyal, proper treatment of women

9. Constructing the Pyramid Feudal Power
SERFS AND FREEMEN

10. Constructing the Pyramid of Feudal Power
LESSER NOBLES
(KNIGHTS)
LABOR
PROTECTION
SERFS AND FREEMEN

11. Constructing the Pyramid of Feudal Power
POWERFUL
NOBLES
LAND AND
PROTECTION
LOYALTY AND
MILITARY SERVICE
LESSER NOBLES
(KNIGHTS)
LABOR
PROTECTION
SERFS AND FREEMEN

12. Constructing the Pyramid of Feudal Power
KING
LOYALTY AND
SERVICE
LAND
POWERFUL
NOBLES
LAND AND
PROTECTION
LOYALTY AND
MILITARY SERVICE
LESSER NOBLES
(KNIGHTS)
LABOR
PROTECTION
SERFS AND FREEMEN

13. Manorial System
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.

14. Manorial System Lords, peasants and serfs
Manors owned by wealthy lords, knights
Peasants farmed manor fields
Were given protection, plots of land to cultivate for selves

15. Manorial System Free people
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

16. Manorial System Manors were self sufficient
Most things needed for daily life were produced on the manor

17. Typical Manor:
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

18. Small village
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

19. 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

20. Life in a Castle
Space
Nobles had to share space with others, including soldiers, servants
Private rooms very rare
Main room the hall, large room for dining, entertaining

21. Life in a Castle
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

22. Life in a Village
life in a castle was preferable to life in a village
typical village family lived in a small wooden one-room house
roof was made of straw, the floor of dirt, and the furniture of rough wood
open holes in the walls served as windows.

23. Life in a Village
Bedroom
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

24. Life in a Village
Meals
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

25. Life in a Village
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.

26. Manorial System
Serfs
Peasants who lived and worked on the lord’s manor
Were not allowed to leave the manor or marry without the lord’s permission
Were allowed to farm on the manor in return for work
Lords were required to protect the serfs

27. Manorial System The life of a serf was harsh Worked long hours
few lived past 35 years old
Based on heredity
You were a serf if you parents were

28. Manorial System The Harshness of Manor Life
Peasants pay taxes to use mill and bakery; pay a tithe to priest
Tithe—a church tax—is equal to one-tenth of a peasant’s income
Serfs live in crowded cottages with dirt floors, straw for beds

29. Manorial System The Harshness of Manor Life Worked long hours
raising crops, livestock; feeding and clothing family
Poor diet, illness, malnutrition make life expectancy 35 years
Serfs generally accept their lives as part of God’s plan

30. Manorial System Freemen
skilled workers who paid rent to nobles and could leave the manor
Ex. Blacksmith and millers