1. The Feudal and Manorial Systems
Preview
Main Idea / Reading Focus
The Feudal System
Quick Facts: Feudal Obligations
The Manorial System
Daily Life in the Middle Ages

2. The Feudal and Manorial Systems
Main Idea
In Europe during the Middle Ages, the feudal and manorial systems governed life and required people to perform certain duties and obligations.
Reading Focus
What duties and obligations were central to the feudal system?
How did the manorial system govern the medieval economy?
What was daily life like for people on a manor?

3. The Feudal System Origins of Feudalism Knights and Lords
Knights like William Marshal did not exist at the beginning of the Middle Ages but began to emerge as the period progressed.
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

4. 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

5. Feudal Obligations Oath of Fealty Financial Obligations
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

7. 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

8. How did the feudal system work?
Summarize
How did the feudal system work?
Answer(s): lord gave land to knight in return for protection and loyalty

9. 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

10. 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

11. How did lords and peasants benefit from the manorial system?
Analyze
How did lords and peasants benefit from the manorial system?
Answer(s): lords' farmlands were taken care of, produced food; peasants were provided protection from invaders

12. 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

13. 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.

14. How was life in a castle different from life in a village?
Contrast
How was life in a castle different from life in a village?
Answer(s): 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