1. Life on a Manor in the HMA
Manor Life
Life on a Manor in the HMA

2. The Feudal System The Knights and Lords
Nobles needed trained soldiers to defend castles
Knights most important, highly skilled soldiers
Mounted knights in heavy armour as best defenders
Being a knight was expensive; had to maintain weapons, armour, horses
Knights demanded payment for services

3. The Feudal System – Who’s in charge?
Fiefs and the 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

4. Feudal Obligations of the Lords
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

5. A 12th Century Manor

6. Inside a Manor Castle

7. A 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

8. A Typical Manor Crop Rotation Small Village
One field planted in spring for fall harvest
Another field planted in winter for spring harvest
Third field remained unplanted for year
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

9. Life in the Village Bedrooms Meals
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
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

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

11. It’s All About Farming! Read pg. 48 Questions 1, 2
These will be discussed and will help you for your upcoming project

12. The Peasant’s Diet Read pg. 51 Create a T-chart
Diet of people then vs. now
How might technology have influenced their diet?